So I like designing my own ruler and this means I'm always unmarried at the start of the game. Do people have favorite characters to marry at the 1066 start? Duchess of Tuscany is always good, but can lead to some problems.
Best wife in 1066
- Thread starter psyghamn
- Start date
-
We have updated our Community Code of Conduct. Please read through the new rules for the forum that are an integral part of Paradox Interactive’s User Agreement.
Whatever unmarried female that has high stats (particularly diplomacy and stewardship), and also has generally positive traits (genius, attractive, strong, kind, just, content, etc.).
Matilda of Tuscany hands down. Maybe one of Norman girls in Sicily, they get good stat rolls often and you can help Guiscard get his crap together.
Just be careful. I once married my heir with her as Duke of Barcelona, I think. Reguarily. And I didn't land my son back then, because I needed all my money, and didn't want to risk his rather good stats. So he went to Tuscany to become Steward... and while I was still fantasizing about inheriting all of Tuscany to create some kind of alt-history "Kingdom of the two Sicilys" - she made him Bishop...
If you start as one of the factions in Sicily, one of the d'hauteville girls (particulary the daughter of the former duke, Rocca?) can be nice because they carry weak claims, often to multiple duchies, with them.
On the surface Matilda will always seem like the best deal, but by the time she dies and transfers any usable land to your heir its usually been cut down by at least twice the amount of holdings, either way she is good because of her generally high stats, anyways, marrying her at the 1066 start always feels kind of gamey.
EDIT: Shitty English.
EDIT: Shitty English.
There are lots of Princesses available, sometimes I wait for the daughter of the Duke of Aquitaine, which comes with a vast inheritance, but Monsieur le Duc sometimes produces a male heir.
Anyone who gets you an alliance with the HRE.
EDIT: Or France, Byzantium, England, Sweden, Norway etc, of course.
EDIT: Or France, Byzantium, England, Sweden, Norway etc, of course.
A strong ally or some claims for your heir is always better at the start then a wife with good stats.
Really depends on who and where you are. You're not gonna get Matilda if you're the Count of Kakheti, probably.
Comes down to stats, alliances, and claims. As Nubia, I could quickly marry into the HRE and English royal families for alliances. As the Duke of Navarra, my best option was to marry into house de Barcelona and ultimately press my wife's claim for it (though honestly, only because if I didn't it would've got inherited into France... and fuck that).
The smaller you are, the better off you are looking for good claim/inheritance possiblities I'd say. When you've got your powerbase built and plenty of vassals capable of generating their own claims, then I care far more for insuring I find myself an awesome wife, with alliances (and thus typically prestige) being a nice bonus when I can find it. Though again, as a smaller ruler, alliances come more into play if you're a weak independent or a vassal in a lower CA realm. Try and be a one county Bey in the Seljuks and see how well you do when you ignore alliances and try to only marry for genius/strong traits.
Comes down to stats, alliances, and claims. As Nubia, I could quickly marry into the HRE and English royal families for alliances. As the Duke of Navarra, my best option was to marry into house de Barcelona and ultimately press my wife's claim for it (though honestly, only because if I didn't it would've got inherited into France... and fuck that).
The smaller you are, the better off you are looking for good claim/inheritance possiblities I'd say. When you've got your powerbase built and plenty of vassals capable of generating their own claims, then I care far more for insuring I find myself an awesome wife, with alliances (and thus typically prestige) being a nice bonus when I can find it. Though again, as a smaller ruler, alliances come more into play if you're a weak independent or a vassal in a lower CA realm. Try and be a one county Bey in the Seljuks and see how well you do when you ignore alliances and try to only marry for genius/strong traits.
Tip: if playing as Philippe Capet, always marry your brother to Matilda di Canossa.
If you marry Duchess Matilda and she dies before you and you both have gavelkind and your heirs aren't dukes at the point of her death, it can lead to entire swaths of your territory going to the HRE.
Otherwise look for stats. In my observation, people with high stewardship tend to have the nicest personality traits, while those with high learning tend to be the smartest overall.
If you have primogeniture or seniority succession law, you may be interested in marrying someone with fertility bonuses and marrying all those sons to landed women or obvious female heirs, while marrying daughters to princes of the HRE, France and so on for alliances.
Otherwise look for stats. In my observation, people with high stewardship tend to have the nicest personality traits, while those with high learning tend to be the smartest overall.
If you have primogeniture or seniority succession law, you may be interested in marrying someone with fertility bonuses and marrying all those sons to landed women or obvious female heirs, while marrying daughters to princes of the HRE, France and so on for alliances.
If you are playing vassal of ERE, Princess Zoe is born in the purple is first in line after all the males. I was playing high intrigue duke and plot and killed some of the desirable heir and turned the boy king into slothful arbitrary piggy while turning Zoe into the best empress ever(I get to tutor them as regent). 
It was the most intriguing start I had in a CK game.
It was the most intriguing start I had in a CK game.
Prior to the latest patches (I don't know exactly when they changed this) when I played one of the Spanish Kingdoms I always automatically married a bastard half-sister of the HRE emperor, Adela Salian. Sent my chancellor to HRE to improve relations, save some money, and hope for the best. But now the devs have discovered this and made Adela celibate.
In the west i would suggest the duke of Aquatines daughter, or the sister of the French king. In the HRE get the dutchess of Tuscany. Eastern Cathlics and independant Italian Cathlics should go for the HRE empirer's sisters (espcialy since the AI will ignore them due to the celebate trait) to use the empirers troops for holy wars against pegans/muslims while plotting to kill her, or creating bastards to continue your line (or spend points in ruler created to have a son from day 1)
I have not yet tried ERE since the DLC.....so cant really say much of those choices.
I have not yet tried ERE since the DLC.....so cant really say much of those choices.
Yeah and in holy wars catholic allies almoust always join in war when you ask against infidels. Having strong ally is important if you start game one of those spanish mini kingdoms.
I would add Ingegerd of Norway to the list. She is the daughter of Harald Hardrada and she can become the Queen of Norway if her father and her brothers die during the invasion to England. She also has relatively good stats. I think she is a good catch for anyone playing the Nordic kingdoms. Other options for people playing the Nordic kingdoms would be the daughters of King of Denmark.
I generally married Adela Salian.As King Sancho of Castille.If your prestigous enough......her/his sister Adelheid is a better choice.
In my current game,(Saxon)Game I married Harold's sons to both......and have been able to find decent if not great brides by only marrying my heirs to Princesses.(There's always one with mostly low double digit stats)
In my current game,(Saxon)Game I married Harold's sons to both......and have been able to find decent if not great brides by only marrying my heirs to Princesses.(There's always one with mostly low double digit stats)
It has been disabled and yes, PM'ing a moderator is the only way to report them.