First time to play a HRE Count. Some advice needed

[No idea]

I have played a good nunmber of CK II games, but this is the first time I am going to play a NON independedent Count. In this case, the Count of Nuremberg (I like its Coat of Arms). My aim (for now) is to become Duke of Bavaria someday. My neighbours are all other Counts. No big lords around. Could you give me some advice to play a HRE Count? How to become Duke?

Thank you

 

[generalolaf]

First things first is always have your Chancellor fabricating claims, and on other vassals who have the same liege you do (the duke of Bavaria at start). Take advantage of those claims ASAP.
Attempt to fabricate a claim on the duchy (there should be a plot for it) quickly as well. You'll need plenty of the duke's other vassals to be in on the plot. Personally having more land within the duchy helps.
Once you become a direct vassal of the kaiser, make sure to keep crown authority Limited or lower, or you won't be able to expand other than through marriage.

 

[unknownenlord]

you can conquer your way by fabricating claims but you will be at the mercy of crown authority if it gets to medium. on occasion the emperor might grant you the duchy title if you have a good relationship with him. if you become emperor and you want to be gamey just revoke all the de jure counties and create the duchy when your leader dies you will still have the duchy even if you don't retain the imperial title.

edit:emu'd

 

[No idea]

you can conquer your way by fabricating claims but you will be at the mercy of crown authority if it gets to medium. on occasion the emperor might grant you the duchy title if you have a good relationship with him. if you become emperor and you want to be gamey just revoke all the de jure counties and create the duchy when your leader dies you will still have the duchy even if you don't retain the imperial title.

edit:emu'd

So I did as you said, but I was unlucky... It wasnt´until 1102 that I got my first CB for claiming a neighbour country. But years before the Emperor had enacted medium CA, so, I spent my money, and my time, for nothing. Thruth to be said, with the actual system I hardly find any reason to play as a non independent ruler, especially at the hearth of the HRE, where you have no foreing neigbours to expand. What´s the point of being able to get claims if you cant fight for them?

 

[generalolaf]

You can join a faction to lower crown authority (if your liege is the emperor, anyway, which he probably admittedly isn't), although you're right in that expansion can be slow if you have bad luck with claims.

For the HRE in particular, the major reason they tend to hit Medium CA quickly is that they are an elective monarchy, which means their vassals get +30 relations with them. Getting the Empire to Primo or, better, Gavelkind succession early on is a good way to both halt the CA creep and implode the empire. Trick is, of course, getting that duchy in time to do all this, which is sort of paramount to succeeding as a non-indy count.

Bear in mind that you can still plot to fabricate a claim on and to acquire a duchy even at Medium, High or Absolute CA. Wars against your liege are, IIRC, still fine regardless of the level of crown authority you're working under.

 

[Kaiser Ludwig]

Also if you have enough piety you can go Holy Warring with friendly neighbourhood Holy Orders and get yourself a Duchy or a Kingdom.

 

[knppel]

Easiest, fasted expansion non-cheated way to start as One-County-Count, be sure to not run full speed at the start, wait for the Kaiser to declare HolyWar for Pomerania/Pomeralia, declare as well, rush with your levy there first and make sure you and not the imperial doomstacks are siege leaders.
Can be repeated several times as long as the Kaiser's war always ends inconclusively, he will declare a new one unless the Indepenced League triggers.

As for the non-expansion part, be sure to check your vassal relations and set the city taxes to as high as the mayor accepts (you can make him Cupbearer. Some people might ignore this, but do the math yourself and calculate out what 2 instead of 1 Coin tax income do over long time

 

[americanu197]

fabricating claims is useless, has a very low success rate and is expensive ...a good plan is to attack if they leave for a crusade but that will eventually backfire and the emperor will attack you...or save up some money buy some mercs and go north and conquer some heathens