Had a very interesting starting playthrough (Non Ironman)
First of all almost bankrupted myself raising a knight retinue.
If they are at full numbers and in peace they are pretty cheap.
If they are reinforcing and its war... Oh *****
Best thing I've seen is only let them reinforce in peacetime.
Knights are way powerful still I've seen them go against 2 to 1 odds and take less than 20% casululties. (One of my retinue generals is a 33 another is a 23 and I have CM himself.
Lets see...
Brother Carlo died within a year. Natural causes... Im serious He literally died.
Wound up massivly over vassel limit due to no good brother dying.
Fixed that, formed Empire of Francia.
Kept Desereta...
Found out what went wrong.
Reloaded older save. (Another reason I dont play Iron Man)
Had a bit of luck where Carlos wife ran off to Spain, so I had a family claiment for Bavaria, Deserata's claim for Italy and the Carlo claim on Spain.
Spent quite a few years working out those isues.
Plot Revoked Paris, Gave it to Visigothic Muslim. Pope opened the Crusades. Plot Revoked Paris, Made Capital.
Made France Low CA
Took Italy out first, made HRE (Skipped Francia this load).
HRE starts as low got it to middle CA.
20/20 hindsite I should have freed the counties that the pope takes because its going to be like 4 wars to win that.
Made Pepin HB legit.
Got him engaged to a Byzantine princess down the line (more on that later).
Made Family Member King of Aquitaine (cousin) , Another Middle Francia(son3) , Another East Francia (son2).
Then OMG they pushed the claim of k_Aquitaine's Brother to K_Bavaria. With out me even needing to lift a finger (other than to land him).
After Desereta Married the historical Wife2 Divorced her when she hit 35, kept 4 wives 3-4 lovers, 2 divorces and 1 wife that died.
Wife 3 cheated on me with a courtier Executed Courtier Divorced Wife3 before she had the courtiers bastard (pope loves me) she hung around in court and next thing you know shes popping out another bastard for CM this time... So one of his lovers is his ex wife.
21 kids in total.
While I'm Holywarring in Spain, Pope declares crusade on Avaria. (which was in the middle of a war with bulgaria. Sent my Italians and Bavarians into Avaria and boom new Kingdom. (my kingdom loves me because everyone spent a week as a crusader... Hello +30 to all)
Avaria turns into bug city, gives dead titles that I need to use give_title to fix.
Saxon Wars come and go quickly, then I get the rebellion. Finally finish off Rebellion... and.... the leader becomes my courtier (and he likes me enough to convert!). So my buddy old Wilde gets a Place in Spain. (Next to Roland, who if you use him as a general in combat he dies... instanntly. Roland try 3 is living to old age as a duke in spain.)
Yet another Kingdom.
Soon as my kids turn 16 they get a wife and a kingdom. Also been marrying them to 3 little Berber Catholic girls in North Africa who seem to have taken over most of North Africa.
Vikings Started... Annoying, they seem to be drawn to Paris like Moths.
Pepin HB is now King of West Francia, he has a son. (Heir to the whole pile of cards). My SLOWWWWW assassination scheme agaisnt the Byzantines (and various muslims) has brought Fruition.
Emperor died, crown goes to his under aged heir.
Go to press my daughter in laws claims...
Wait... I can press my grandsons claims instead... to whole BYZ!
So now CM is going to die soon.
Pepin HB inherits HRE (sitting at ~40/42 vassels or so want to stay under cause pepin has not great diplomacy).
Pepin can set HRE to High and Primo. Trying to get to Absolute for Imperial Admin. But by the time that happens Grandson will be double Emperor...
Thinking I'll have to make multiple Kings.
Find a way to combo some of the smaller kings into a Primo...
Yea no idea how I am going to get under cap...
But yes, just a very weird playthrough.
Some very Gamey Tactics such as using an organizer to keep enemy armies busy.
First of all almost bankrupted myself raising a knight retinue.
If they are at full numbers and in peace they are pretty cheap.
If they are reinforcing and its war... Oh *****
Best thing I've seen is only let them reinforce in peacetime.
Knights are way powerful still I've seen them go against 2 to 1 odds and take less than 20% casululties. (One of my retinue generals is a 33 another is a 23 and I have CM himself.
Lets see...
Brother Carlo died within a year. Natural causes... Im serious He literally died.
Wound up massivly over vassel limit due to no good brother dying.
Fixed that, formed Empire of Francia.
Kept Desereta...
Found out what went wrong.
Reloaded older save. (Another reason I dont play Iron Man)
Had a bit of luck where Carlos wife ran off to Spain, so I had a family claiment for Bavaria, Deserata's claim for Italy and the Carlo claim on Spain.
Spent quite a few years working out those isues.
Plot Revoked Paris, Gave it to Visigothic Muslim. Pope opened the Crusades. Plot Revoked Paris, Made Capital.
Made France Low CA
Took Italy out first, made HRE (Skipped Francia this load).
HRE starts as low got it to middle CA.
20/20 hindsite I should have freed the counties that the pope takes because its going to be like 4 wars to win that.
Made Pepin HB legit.
Got him engaged to a Byzantine princess down the line (more on that later).
Made Family Member King of Aquitaine (cousin) , Another Middle Francia(son3) , Another East Francia (son2).
Then OMG they pushed the claim of k_Aquitaine's Brother to K_Bavaria. With out me even needing to lift a finger (other than to land him).
After Desereta Married the historical Wife2 Divorced her when she hit 35, kept 4 wives 3-4 lovers, 2 divorces and 1 wife that died.
Wife 3 cheated on me with a courtier Executed Courtier Divorced Wife3 before she had the courtiers bastard (pope loves me) she hung around in court and next thing you know shes popping out another bastard for CM this time... So one of his lovers is his ex wife.
21 kids in total.
While I'm Holywarring in Spain, Pope declares crusade on Avaria. (which was in the middle of a war with bulgaria. Sent my Italians and Bavarians into Avaria and boom new Kingdom. (my kingdom loves me because everyone spent a week as a crusader... Hello +30 to all)
Avaria turns into bug city, gives dead titles that I need to use give_title to fix.
Saxon Wars come and go quickly, then I get the rebellion. Finally finish off Rebellion... and.... the leader becomes my courtier (and he likes me enough to convert!). So my buddy old Wilde gets a Place in Spain. (Next to Roland, who if you use him as a general in combat he dies... instanntly. Roland try 3 is living to old age as a duke in spain.)
Yet another Kingdom.
Soon as my kids turn 16 they get a wife and a kingdom. Also been marrying them to 3 little Berber Catholic girls in North Africa who seem to have taken over most of North Africa.
Vikings Started... Annoying, they seem to be drawn to Paris like Moths.
Pepin HB is now King of West Francia, he has a son. (Heir to the whole pile of cards). My SLOWWWWW assassination scheme agaisnt the Byzantines (and various muslims) has brought Fruition.
Emperor died, crown goes to his under aged heir.
Go to press my daughter in laws claims...
Wait... I can press my grandsons claims instead... to whole BYZ!
So now CM is going to die soon.
Pepin HB inherits HRE (sitting at ~40/42 vassels or so want to stay under cause pepin has not great diplomacy).
Pepin can set HRE to High and Primo. Trying to get to Absolute for Imperial Admin. But by the time that happens Grandson will be double Emperor...
Thinking I'll have to make multiple Kings.
Find a way to combo some of the smaller kings into a Primo...
Yea no idea how I am going to get under cap...
But yes, just a very weird playthrough.
Some very Gamey Tactics such as using an organizer to keep enemy armies busy.
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