Liege not protecting vassal?

[Stigandr]

Hi all, on my first game of CKII, loving it so far! One question: playing as Duke > King of Bohemia, but still vassal of the HRE, I declared war on Poland for a county I had a claim on. But the HRE didn't help me - in fact, I didn't even get a message saying he'd refused to help out. Since he's my liege, why didn't he help me?

Cheers,
Stigandr.

 

[riknap]

Hi all, on my first game of CKII, loving it so far! One question: playing as Duke > King of Bohemia, but still vassal of the HRE, I declared war on Poland for a county I had a claim on. But the HRE didn't help me - in fact, I didn't even get a message saying he'd refused to help out. Since he's my liege, why didn't he help me?

Cheers,
Stigandr.

maybe because he doesn't really have to? if you're not allied with him, he has no obligation to help you since it's your war (this depends on crown law)... though he has an obligation to defend you if you were attacked (but not the aggressor).

 

[InnocentIII]

What riknap said - if you're attacked, the Emperor could lose land from the HRE and his doomstacks are your doomstacks. Even though your offensive war would add to the HRE, he won't help you unless he has some reason to like marriage.

Btw, you think this is bad, wait until another HRE member comes after you, then you won't even get defensive help. Not such a problem as Bohemia, but a lesser HRE member can be eaten alive while the Emperor rushes off to go crusading or defend someone he cares about.

 

[Dragnar]

That's it. Your feudal contracts boils down to you supporting him militarily (by providing him with a part of your levy) in exchange for him defending you.
He has no obligation to enter your offensive wars and without an alliance, he wont.

 

[Stigandr]

Heh fair enough, I suspected it might be that I was the aggressor. Thanks for the help guys!

As for vassals being able to declare war on each other without involving the liege, I think that can be a good thing. I like the fact that we're all squabbling for power beneath the benevolent paternalistic (i.e. indifferent) eye of the HRE. :-D

 

[DreadLindwyrm]

Just wait until he raises his crown authority