How do I fight for claims and keep them?

[Badbonez]

I found a noble with a strong claim to a county in Ireland who was willing to join my court. I know that if we just go to war with his claim then he will get the county. But I had read that if you give them land or make them take vows, then you get to keep the land. So I tried the vows idea, but that didn't work, the guy with the claim still kept his county. So I granted him a title to one of my counties and then declared war using his claim. Nope, still he kept the county. Now he has the land I gave him AND the one I just fought for. So other than fabricating claims, or inheritance, how does one take take land?

 

[Naufragus]

You have to be the dejure liege of the target holding. So If I am Duke of Provence and pressed his claim for Nice I would get it. Or they need to be your dynasty.

If you have the patience, he is one of my stock tricks. Go around every few years and go to provinces check inheritance and invite everyone I can. Women you just marry to relatives and men you marry matrillinially. If they have wives arrest them or assassinate and then marry them. Once they breed, you now have member of your dynasty with a claim. I just took Lombardy that way because some distant cousin in my court's grandpa had a strong claim on it an I pressed it.

Pressing peoples claims has it uses but is a waste of time if you want the territory most of the time since all you are doing is installing a new ruler.

 

[Silversweeeper]

Some CBs give you land under most/all circumstances (e.g holy wars unless the title holder has your religion). Other than that, getting your own claims (through fabrication, inhertance, asking the Pope, etc.) guarantees that you get the land you press the claim on (though pressing the claim on a duchy/kingdom/empire does not give you the counties under it under most cirumstances, though the holders generally become your vassals). Revoking counties also give you the land (though it generally upsets your vassals), as does pressing a de jure claim on someone who holds multiple counties (or a duke/king/emperor with at least one vassal above the tier of baron). However, pressing the claim of a claimant will never give you direct control of a county.

 

[yezhanquan]

Well, the methods you mention do make you a liege of the character who's holding onto the land. Once the land enters your realm, it is usually easier to "ensure" that the land comes into your hands.

 

[NeverHelm]

When pressing someone else's claim they become vasals if at least one of the following is true:

1. The title in question is a de jure vassal of one of your titles
2. The claimant is a member of your dynasty (no matter how distant)
3. The claimant is already your vassal (so you could give them a spare barony before going to war).

Obviously you can't vassalize someone of equal or higher tier, so make sure not to claim a kindom for your count vassal as a duke. In that situation you probably want to have them pass the claim on to a dynasty member at least, so that you can get an alliance.