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Why You Should Play As Any Particular Character in CK2

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867 A.D. - Emirate of Crete
Emir Shuayb ibn Umar Hafsid of Hafsid Emirate, also called "the Cretan" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abu_Hafs_Umar_ibn_Shuayb_al-Iqritishi)
He was the leader of andalusian muslim pirate community, which story is trully fascinating, the finest example of "adventurer" mechanic that happened in real life. The story begins in 818, in andalusian Cordova, where happened an unsuccessfull revolt against Emir al-Hakam. As a punishment, emir exiled whole population of Cordovan suburb called al-Rabad. Some of exiles settled in Morocco, but the other group (10 000 - 15 000 people) started living as pirates and sailed to the east. Those muslim "adventurers" travelled all the way to Egypt, where they occupied and the huge city of Alexandria, becoming practically an independent enclave. City was under their control until 827, when abbasid army kicked them out by force. After that, the pirates invaded Byzantine island of Crete and after victory fight conquered it completely and settled down permanently. Island became their stronghold for many, many years, from which they were raiding and looting nearby byzantine provinces and islands. This Andalusian "Pirate" Emirate survived for almost 150 years, becoming a huge threat for all neighbours and repelling all byzantine expeditions that were organised against them. Pirates were finally defeated by Nikephoros Phocas in 961 who brought the island again under Byzantine control.
That's all for the history.

In CK2, you control the island that is in great strategic position, have many possibilites and potential targets (if only muslims could raid and loot that would be perfect :) ) but you have also a deadly opponent (ERE), who sooner or later will try to retake his old land. Fortunately you are not the only enemy of the byzantines, there are also strong muslim rulers nearby, who will help you if you will be able to sacrifice your independence. Try to beat cretan pirates' record and survive longer :)
 
I've been trying to play as Chaka Bey (the Alexiad start date Bey in western anatolia) but the new dynamic crusades make it almost impossible. As soon as you unpause the 'Crusader Kings' event triggers, two holy orders form and there is invariably a Crusade for Greece which easily overpowers Rum and ends your reign within 5 years.

Just a warning to other players that this interesting start is now a near-impossible quest for survival, which can be fun too but detracts from the idea of forging an Aegean Empire.
 
Gagik said:
867 A.D. - Emirate of Crete
In CK2, you control the island that is in great strategic position, have many possibilites and potential targets (if only muslims could raid and loot that would be perfect :) ) but you have also a deadly opponent (ERE), who sooner or later will try to retake his old land. Fortunately you are not the only enemy of the byzantines, there are also strong muslim rulers nearby, who will help you if you will be able to sacrifice your independence. Try to beat cretan pirates' record and survive longer :)
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I was playing as the ERE and kept an eye on Crete. There was an Orthodox revolt. The revolt's leader married a Nubian princess whose descendants defended the island successfully from Arab adventurers and the caliphate, all while converting it to Miaphysitism. I decided to step in, in dramatic fashion, eventually. I married my elderly widowed emperor to a Nubian noblewomen, a descendant of the original revolter, and the line descended from her went on to rule Crete, two Egyptian duchies, the Kingdom of Africa, and the Kingdom of Aquitaine, within my expanded Roman Empire. I also reconquered Nubia after it fell to the Arabs.
 
Sweden, Kingdom of
--- Guttorm Sigurdrsson Hjort, 1 January 867: An unlanded character in the court of the Count of Vermaland at the 867 start, Guttorm/Guthrum is known to history as the ruler of the Danelaw. King of the Danish Vikings in England, much of his reign was marked by conflicts with Alfred the Great, who he fought several battles against. After his forces were routed at Edington by Alfred, he would negotiate the Treaty of Wedmore with his Saxon rival, establishing the borders between their realms. He would also convert to Christianity, taking on the name Aethelred. Land him and attempt to conquer England. With his sister married to the mighty Harald Fairhair, not even the House of Wessex should be able to stop him.

East Francia, Kingdom of
--- Walbert Immedinger, Count of Celle, 1 January 867: A vassal of the Duke of Saxony, Walbert is a descendant of Widukind, a pagan leader of the Saxons and chief opponent to Charlemagne during the Saxon Wars. While it may challenging, retake the Duchy of Saxony for the scion of a true Saxon hero, and possibly even fight for independence against the great Karlings.
 
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Floris V, The God of the Peasants. Has a few nice traits and a claim on Scotland starting in 1286. He ended up getting assassinated by the English because he wouldn't play nice and trade with them.
 
-Radboud Folcwalding of Holland

Listed a few times here. He is incredibly hard to play. Your Nord liege will try to revoke your title as soon as possible to make it the capital of the Duchy of Holland. It's quite interesting tho, because it really is a challenge to improve your situation as a simple count, with a rich historical family.
 
NewbieOne said:
Let me give you another interesting character or rather dynasty: the Dunins of d_Silesia in earlier Poland starts (1066 to probably 1140-ies).
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I actually played my first full 1066-1443 campaign as them before the Old Gods came out without knowing anything about them. Took me around a century before I took over Poland, never managed to spread my borders too much, and at some point my main branch lost the crown to some upstart Dunin duke I installed somewhere. My (former) king's grandmother, Countess of Ulster however, died otherwise heirless, and then the game became the standard Irish conquest. Managed to have Dunins on both thrones of Kingdoms of Poland and Ireland (separate though).
I love starting as lowly counts and minor dukes and trying to claw my way up the feudal food chain. The 'restart' that came with the civil war was also thrilling, I don't like reloading in this game at all. Certainly adds to the challenge.

[This game also had some hilarious elements, like HRE expanding into the Mauretania, putting their capital there and getting dismantled by inviding Aztecs, gods I love this game]
 
Duchy of Azov in 867- The Ashina Clan.

The Ashina Clan, in real life, was one of the most important clans in the steppes, and were in fact considered one of the most important clans in Tengriism. They are considered in Tengriism to be the first Turks, their mother being Asena, a wolf that symbolizes the early Turkic peoples. The Ashina clan started out in their own little pseudo-Steppe kingdom near China called the Kok-Turks, they eventually moved west and established the huge Gokturk Khanate. With the collapse of the Gokturks, the Ashina moved onto establishing several other states, the most important of which was Khazaria. The first Qagan of Khazaria was Tong Yabghu, a member of the Ashina clan. Khazaria practiced a two leader system typical of other Turkic countries, with a Qagan and a Qagan Bek. The Qagan was more of a spiritual leader, and the Qagan Bek was the "true" leader, passing legislation and leading troops into battle. The Ashina clan was, in the later stages of Khazaria, just the Qagans, with the starting character in 867 (Zachariah) being the last confirmed Ashina Qagan of Khazaria. After Zachariah, the Ashina kind of just disappears. By the time of the Khazar Correspondence between Qagan Joseph Bulanid and a Spanish Jew, Joseph doesn't mention the lesser title of Qagan, so it can be assumed that by this point in Khazaria the title of Qagan had already been merged with Qagan Bek.
 
Duke of Spoleto -> King of Italy -> Emperor of Italia

Duke Lambert of Spoleto (867 start) - You start of as the Duke of Spoleto, and you control all the counties to create the duchies of Ancona and Ferrara. Easy to become kingmaker in the Kingdom of Italy, and soon, become the King yourself. It's then possible to conquer Sicily, Balkans and Anatolia (mainly through Crusades), and then can become Emperor of both Italia and Byzantium. Good character to play when you know to play, but you want more practice. Early-game is easy enough, but the game gets progressively tougher as you hold more and more titles, and you will face Jihads and horde invasions multiple times.
 
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Azzone Visconti, Duke of Lombardy, 1337.
You start out with full control over one of the wealthiest duchies in-game and your mother has a claim on the Duchy of Ferrara. Once you've secured it, you have a good shot at forming the kingdom of Italy.
 
Indian monarchs:

-According to Wikipedia, the Katoch dynasty of India is the oldest surviving royal dynasty in the world, claiming to date back to 4300 BC, and are mentioned in connection with Alexander the Great.

-the Pandya, Chera and Chola dynasties likewise date back to at least the 3rd century BC, and rule in southern India.
 
Subutai (Duke of Crimea -- Jan 1, 1238)

Greatest of the Mongol generals, Subutai rose from being a blacksmith's son to becoming one of Genghis Khan's 'dogs of war'. Nearing the end of his life, he has already accomplished some of his greatest feats while in Temujin's service, but now there is a new Khan. Historically, Subutai went on to crush the Polish and Hungarian forces, and continued to subjugate the Russian princes under the new Khan -- will you exceed his feats, and establish the new Khan's rule over the western powers, or will you forge an independent dynasty of warriors more worthy of continuing Temujin's legacy?

In-game, Subutai is easily the best starting character available without using the ruler designer: he is a quick and strong brilliant strategist with two command traits and the brave and diligent traits, and he has a kinsman ruling the nearby duchy of Sarkel.
 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamar_of_Georgia

she's pretty cool, she rules at a pretty young age, so plenty of time to try to emulate her feats.

can also try De Boulougne dynasty, start as counts in 1066, your youngest son, historically, would end up as king of jerusalem. You can basically groom him, join the crusade when it comes along, win it, and put him on the throne :O. or kill all your other sons and make him your heir.

undoubtedly mentioned before, but also nice are El Cid (Rodrigo de vivar) and Henry the Lion
 
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Ingelger, count of Anjou (The Old Gods bookmark)

The original Angevin. He's a vassal of the Welf duke of Anjou, the most powerful lord in West Francia. Plot and fight for a ducal title then wait for the Crusades and become King of Jerusalem. Alternatively make your bid for the thrones of France, England or Aquitaine.
 
Bardanios, count of Smyrna (867 bookmark)

Your dynasty has the name Antigonos, which while probably not really related to at all, was also the name of an ancient Macedonian general and successor of Alexander the Great. The kingdom Antigonos received after Alexanders death included the Levant, Anatolia and parts of Greece, and he waged an epic war for the empire against the other diadochi, only to have his successors confined to rule Macedonia instead until the Romans annexed it. Can you rise from a lowly count to the status of your namesake as the king of Asia? Or could you even achieve what the first Antigonos did not restoring the empire of Alexander the Great?
 
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