Looking for a new CK2 challenge

[Martinus]

Hey guys, could you suggest to me an interesting CK2 challenge to play, within the following parameters:

- I don't want to grow too much as I found out the bigger your empire is, the more unwieldy the game becomes - so a single Kingdom or two would be optimal (possibly I would put my kin on other thrones),
- I want to be Catholic,
- I want to be in the Mediterranean,
- I don't want Spain, France or Germany/HRE, as these are the areas I played a lot in,
- I want this to be a challenge, but not a suicidal one.

I have been considered Sicily or Jerusalem but this often becomes suicidal, especially as Sicily in 1066 or Jerusalem in 1187, so suggestions for a good start (preferably not too much after 1066) would be welcome (maybe Jerusalem just after the first crusade?)

 

[qbln]

You can try to create kingdom of italy as an italian county in HRE. If you plan to play as a vassal of HRE i recommend you use a mod that restrict crown authority for HRE because it is ridiculously easy increasing crown authority. It makes pain in the arse playing as a vassal of HRE.

 

[Gagik]

Try year 1072, as Roussell, independent, catholic and norman Duke of Charsanion (in Anatolia)

 

[Sopot]

I have been considered Sicily or Jerusalem but this often becomes suicidal, especially as Sicily in 1066

It can be pretty bad, or, it can be pretty good.

In my current Sicily game all was going well, by 1150 I owned everything in Sicily and Africa and up untill then I was being ignored by everyone, then the over grown fatmids(Greece/Abyssinia/Fatmid) launched an invasion for africa. Using my keen boating skills and 2 holy orders(plus my pitiful army) I beat them, the Caliph then went into debt by 1k gold and shortly after that, he lost his crown to his brother. Needless to say I was pretty happy at the result.

Then again, in previous games, by 1080, the fatmids have eaten greece and then came straight for Sicily, all that's left to do after that is grow a beard and learn Arabic.