Climbing from duke to emperor within the HRE

[orcsab]

I started a game recently as a duke in the middle of Europe. And within 40 years the HRE had formed around me. Now I'm a fairly powerful duke (four counties, six vassals) but under a very strong emperor.

What steps should I start taking to get myself a kingdom within the HRE? And obviously after that I want the emperor's crown.

I've tried conquering neighboring counties. But it seems the HRE's laws won't allow me to declare war on my fellow dukes. And I'm "inland" in the empire. So its tough to fight the HRE's enemies and take their lands. I feel like I'm in for a long political slog to grab a chance at a crown. Any recommendations on marriages, activities, wars, or the like I should be pursuing to climb up the ladder?

 

[Naughtius Maximus]

Which DLCs do you have? The key one here is Conclave. It makes playing as a vassal more flavorful.

More importantly the favor system greatly helps with claims. I went from Zorastrian duke in Charlemagne to Persian Emperor despite one of the most hostile expansion environments in the game.

1. Fabricate claims for more land, get "powerful vassal"
2. In the meantime continuously faction for council power or overthrow ruler. Overthrow ruler is more drastic form that immediately maxes council power.
3. Get on Council. Preferebly as Chancellor
A. Diplomacy focus
B. More factioning
C. Using a favor to force your way in.

4. Chancellor is preferred as you can "manage" liege titles. Aka give them to family members/self.

5. Other powerful vassals will inevitably ask you for favors to vote their way. Use it to marry into the family. Heir or not a claim is a claim.

Gobble him up from within.

This was how I expanded despite the fact all claimants were Muslim and would not normally interact with me, let alone come to my court.

Without Conclave have fun with claim management and a ton of fabrication.

 

[orochi2k]

1,Gather money by any means necessary.
2,Buy favors from other vassals of your emperor.
3,Form faction "Duke XXX for HRE"!
4,Use favors to force other people join your faction
5,Declaim "All your base are belong to us" to your emperor
6,Hopefully you can have entire empire on your side to fight the emperor

 

[Naughtius Maximus]

That works too, haha

 

[orcsab]

Which DLCs do you have? The key one here is Conclave. It makes playing as a vassal more flavorful.

I only have Old Gods and Legacy of Rome. I've not read as much about Conclave. Its a must-have when playing as an ambitious vassal?

 

[yezhanquan]

I only have Old Gods and Legacy of Rome. I've not read as much about Conclave. Its a must-have when playing as an ambitious vassal?

It'll help a lot once you're familiar with the systems it introduces.

 

[Gorgonkain]

Without conclave (which does add a ton more flavor and intrigue to playing as a vassal), your best bet is to start by lowering the crown authority. It sounds like he has it on medium or high, if you can not fight inter-realm wars. It is one of the easiest factions to get other vassals to join. If you have a well liked Emperor, you might need to wait until succession or some other destabilizing event.

Build up an internal power base from there with fabricated claims and marriages if you can get them. Then shoot for an elective succession faction. Again, vassals tend to join this faction more then a lot of others. You may have to wait a few rounds, but if you have a high diplomacy character with generally likable traits, your chances of being elected are pretty high.

After that, you have a well liked emperor, with a strong demesne, and can pretty safely change the succession method to your liking.

I have done this before as a vassal of the ERE and it is all pretty easy, though again, it is way more fun with Conclave. You may also want to focus your gold into building cities and a strong retinue. Gold wins wars and retinues are the best that gold can buy.

 

[Lord_P]

Pray that the emperor does not force through Late Admin and then Primogeniture right after that. In the 11th century.

 

[Woifee]

I assume it's elective?

So, get elected

If it's not what you want fight for it, start Faction and go for it. Big Demense is important.