Extra armies from no where

[User4035]

New to Crusader Kings II. I've read alot of the guides but I can't figure this one out.

In William the Bastard campaign where do all these extra armies come from and how do they affect the realm?
He starts out with 12000 troops ready to invade England. I click on the 'dismiss all levies' for vassel and personal in the military tab and a few of the troops go away but there are still 10000 troops left!

These armies are also show to have commanders on the map screen but on the pop up menu on the right it says these are armies are without commanders.

 

[knppel]

Technically he starts with one of the random stacks revolters often get granted with the new faction mechanic.
That he had this random stack long before factions or random stacks outside of mongol land got introduced, well, one of the mysteries this game fields.

On a serious sidenote he got that army to be able to compete in the English invasion war despite him only being a small Duke of Normandy ingame wise and having like 1/10 levy of what Harold and Hardrade (who start out as Kings) could raise from their own.

 

[User4035]

Thanks for the speedy response. At first I thought it was retinues but that tab was greyed out then I figured I might be missing something important in the game.

Historically, I remember reading that William got a bunch of lower nobles from even outside his duchy to come join his army with the promise of Land Grants. But I guess games can only be historically accurate to a point.

 

[Olaus Petrus]

Historically William the Conqueror couldn't build large enough army from Normandy, so he had gathered huge number of warriors from Brittany, Flanders and France. I think the extra troops represent these men who joined to his cause. Historically they didn't form majority, but I assume their number has been increased for gameplay reasons so that William can actually win the Norman conquest of England.

 

[User4035]

I've played the game a bunch more.

Can someone also answer my question about the armies lacking commanders?
On the main map I can click on my army and it either has a leader or I can appoint one. However on the tool tip on the far right of the screen(Hover over with mouse and it pops out) it always states that my armies lack a commander.
Is this a bug or am I missing something? This game has tons of options and I'm finding its not my lack of understanding the situation its my lack of not knowing where the correct button to do something is.

 

[barny]

Technically he starts with one of the random stacks revolters often get granted with the new faction mechanic.
That he had this random stack long before factions or random stacks outside of mongol land got introduced, well, one of the mysteries this game fields.

On a serious sidenote he got that army to be able to compete in the English invasion war despite him only being a small Duke of Normandy ingame wise and having like 1/10 levy of what Harold and Hardrade (who start out as Kings) could raise from their own.

Hm, that would explain, how the Sheikh of Kuwait suddenly had about 36.000 men and was able to overthrow the Fatmids to claim Egypt for himself (at least for a while).