An issue with Varangians...

[G.Strategos]

Hey guys is that normal???

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/534/ck22012101719213687.jpg/

I cant raise even 1 soldier from Varangians...
Even my captain has 0ver 3 thousand soldiers...

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/441/ck22012101719214801.jpg/

 

[riknap]

you need to raise them via the mercenaries tab
they're cheap though (too damn cheap though, as of my last playthrough), around 33 gold to hire and 33 or so gold to maintain monthly, while other mercenary companies of their size cost 300+

 

[G.Strategos]

you need to raise them via the mercenaries tab
they're cheap though (too damn cheap though, as of my last playthrough), around 33 gold to hire and 33 or so gold to maintain monthly, while other mercenary companies of their size cost 300+

Thanks for the quick reply mate...
So why are there??? in the vassals tab I mean???

 

[riknap]

Thanks for the quick reply mate...
So why are there??? in the vassals tab I mean???

the mercenaries tab.
see that button to the right of that blue "Vassals 42" tab? That.
unless you're asking where in the mercenaries tab? then they're right on top

 

[suchiuomizu]

Thanks for the quick reply mate...
So why are there??? in the vassals tab I mean???

Because they can be (and in this case are) both vassals and mercenaries.

 

[Muskeato]

Thanks for the quick reply mate...
So why are there??? in the vassals tab I mean???

Ingame they function as a sort-of mercenary group, but they're also vassals to the ERE, so only serve the emperor.

 

[G.Strategos]

Because they can be (and in this case are) both vassals and mercenaries.

Oh..I see...
so I can raise their army from the vassals window when I give them a land title and from the merc window when they are just mercs right???

Ingame they function as a sort-of mercenary group, but they're also vassals to the ERE, so only serve the emperor.

Ok...thanks mate...

 

[unmerged(287474)]

upload with tinypic or steam ss please, I can't see that tiny image and imageshack is soooo sloooow

Oh and yes varangians are mercs though they should probably be changed to a permanent retinue of constantinople.

 

[Sleight of Hand]

It's like the Mamluks -- they're incredibly cheap for the Fatimids to hire because the Mamluk leader is a vassal of the Shi'a caliph.

 

[G.Strategos]

upload with tinypic or steam ss please, I can't see that tiny image and imageshack is soooo sloooow

Here you are...
http://i49.tinypic.com/30df8sh.jpg

It's like the Mamluks -- they're incredibly cheap for the Fatimids to hire because the Mamluk leader is a vassal of the Shi'a caliph.

Fair enough...They are very cheap though...

 

[unmerged(287474)]

Good point on the varang guardsmen.
Yes they were technically foreign mercs but they were royal guardsmen so very different. You didn't send them home when you finished a campaign. And they definitely wouldn't be for hire by any of rome's enemies.

 

[G.Strategos]

Good point on the varang guardsmen.
Yes they were technically foreign mercs but they were royal guardsmen so very different. You didn't send them home when you finished a campaign. And they definitely wouldn't be for hire by any of rome's enemies.

True...Although I see them more like a royal guard...(mercenary royal guard)

 

[Sleight of Hand]

Funnily enough I think they ought to be Saxon rather than Swedish. I mean yes the name is Swedish (well, Varangian - Nordic-Russian) but by the 11th century I think the majority of Varangians were English exiles. I'm not sure about much later in the game, though.

 

[G.Strategos]

Funnily enough I think they ought to be Saxon rather than Swedish. I mean yes the name is Swedish (well, Varangian - Nordic-Russian) but by the 11th century I think the majority of Varangians were English exiles. I'm not sure about much later in the game, though.

I believe you are right Sleight...I also think that their number must be reduced...

 

[riknap]

Funnily enough I think they ought to be Saxon rather than Swedish. I mean yes the name is Swedish (well, Varangian - Nordic-Russian) but by the 11th century I think the majority of Varangians were English exiles. I'm not sure about much later in the game, though.

does the merc company have a "culture" though? I mean, the commander culture only represents that one person on top

 

[G.Strategos]

does the merc company have a "culture" though? I mean, the commander culture only represents that one person on top

Good point...The leader could be a Nordic person from anywhere of Scandinavia...

 

[Sleight of Hand]

does the merc company have a "culture" though? I mean, the commander culture only represents that one person on top

All mercenary companies/holy orders have a capital and culture, yes.

 

[G.Strategos]

All mercenary companies/holy orders have a capital and culture, yes.

So it's not only about the leader??? That's good to know...

 

[Sleight of Hand]

So it's not only about the leader??? That's good to know...

Well the company is represented by the leader, who will be (unless historical characters are provided) a randomly-generated character of that culture/religion. They are also based in the province specified as their capital, hence my above point about the Mamluks being vassals of the Fatimids. I assume the Varangians are specified as being Byzantine vassals, which obviously makes sense.

Here are their landed_titles.txt entries:

d_varangian_guard = {
	color={ 180 180 180 }
	color2={ 255 255 255 }

	capital = 290 # Uppland
	
	# Parent Religion 
	religion = orthodox
	
	culture = swedish
	
	mercenary = yes

	title = "CAPTAIN"
	foa = "CAPTAIN_FOA"

	# Always exists
	landless = yes
	
	# Cannot be held as a secondary title
	primary = yes
	
	modifier = d_varangian_guard_modifier
	strength_growth_per_century = 0.10
}

d_mamluks = {
	color={ 80 160 80 }
	color2={ 255 255 255 }

	capital = 796 # Cairo
	
	# Hire Trigger
	allow = {
		religion_group = muslim
	}
	
	# Parent Religion 
	religion = shiite
	
	mercenary = yes

	title = "CAPTAIN"
	foa = "CAPTAIN_FOA"

	# Always exists
	landless = yes
	
	# Cannot be held as a secondary title
	primary = yes
	
	modifier = d_mamluks_modifier
	strength_growth_per_century = 0.25
}

I'm pretty sure the Mamluks ought to be Sunni, though.

 

[G.Strategos]

Well the company is represented by the leader, who will be (unless historical characters are provided) a randomly-generated character of that culture/religion. They are also based in the province specified as their capital, hence my above point about the Mamluks being vassals of the Fatimids. I assume the Varangians are specified as being Byzantine vassals, which obviously makes sense.

Here are their landed_titles.txt entries:

d_varangian_guard = {
	color={ 180 180 180 }
	color2={ 255 255 255 }

	capital = 290 # Uppland
	
	# Parent Religion 
	religion = orthodox
	
	culture = swedish
	
	mercenary = yes

	title = "CAPTAIN"
	foa = "CAPTAIN_FOA"

	# Always exists
	landless = yes
	
	# Cannot be held as a secondary title
	primary = yes
	
	modifier = d_varangian_guard_modifier
	strength_growth_per_century = 0.10
}

d_mamluks = {
	color={ 80 160 80 }
	color2={ 255 255 255 }

	capital = 796 # Cairo
	
	# Hire Trigger
	allow = {
		religion_group = muslim
	}
	
	# Parent Religion 
	religion = shiite
	
	mercenary = yes

	title = "CAPTAIN"
	foa = "CAPTAIN_FOA"

	# Always exists
	landless = yes
	
	# Cannot be held as a secondary title
	primary = yes
	
	modifier = d_mamluks_modifier
	strength_growth_per_century = 0.25
}

I'm pretty sure the Mamluks ought to be Sunni, though.

Good info as always...