Playing Vikings After Patch 2.4

[Omnipax]

So I just started up a new game after a 6+ month hiatus. My last game was on version 2.3.6, but I decided to update to 2.5.2 and start learning all the changes.

Boy does playing as a Viking feel different now. If the nerfs to Light Infantry aren't bad enough, conquests seem to take a lot longer with Shattered Retreats dragging out wars and Threat/Coalitions making me occasionally pause from expanding. The race to unite and reform my pagan faith before getting squashed by Christians or watching my fellow pagan kingdoms convert feels more strained now.

I'm wondering if anyone has any general tips for playing Vikings or other pagans in the current version of the game, or tips for warfare/conquest? I have every DLC except Conclave, Horse Lords, and Way of Life.

I started as Hasteinn of Nantes in 867, and I managed to unite Brittany, subjugate Sweden, and take bits and pieces of the British Isles before my first ruler died. I was originally thinking of taking over Scotland to develop superior pikemen armies before taking on the combined Kingdom of Norway and Denmark (and perhaps the superman King Haradlr Fairhair would be dead by then), but this seems too long-winded a strategy. Haraldr converted to Catholicism (making subjugation impossible), so I'm gonna either re-load or restart.

I used to groom my heirs to focus on Diplomacy with Elective succession. Is this still a viable strategy after all the opinion modifier nerfs in patch 2.5? Should I focus on Martial I successfully unite and reform my faith? Thanks for any tips.

 

[Sergeant Flutter]

It is a lot tougher, but I enjoy the game now more than I did before February 2nd. (The patch/Conclave release date.)

Get Conclave! It makes the patch much better, imo. It improves education, regencies, vassal relations, and builds upon the mechanics from the new patch.

You have to go a little slower, and I'd recommend educating your primary heir with Martial and your other sons with Stewardship/Diplomacy. Do not educate your kids with Intrigue. (Learned that the hard way )

I'd also suggest you to go to Primo instead of Elective. The patch introduces new mechanics that makes vassals hate you more. Tyranny also lasts 40 years instead of 20. These things can be cured if you get Conclave, though.

 

[trooper275]

do not reform pagan faith until after you subjugate the other pagans, pagan defensive bonus attrition to your armies is bad and makes it very difficult to attack other pagans after you reform.

 

[ninoallen]

go back to 2.4.5

 

[ExMachina]

do not reform pagan faith until after you subjugate the other pagans, pagan defensive bonus attrition to your armies is bad and makes it very difficult to attack other pagans after you reform.

Is this really that big a factor? I always find other tribal/pagan realms pretty easy to deal with. It's always the feudal Catholics, Orthodox, and Muslims that give me trouble.

I've generally done well shooting for reformation as soon as possible, but the biggest challenge is collecting enough Holy Sites and Moral Authority. And of course hoping some decently powerful realm doesn't sucker punch me in the weakened state immediately after reformation.

All the benefits (changing succession out of Gavelkind, becoming able to adopt Feudalism, more powerful Casus Belli, gaining a Religious Head, significantly increased religion spread, etc.) seem far too powerful to delay at all from what I see. But I also tend to focus on conquering all the juicy feudal lands of the British Isles and the coasts of Germany/France. Collecting more tribes and going through the long paths of economic development feels meh.

 

[Dragatus]

Military Organization 4+ negates the pagan defensive attrition, so if you have that it's not a concern. A bigger factor may be that reformed pagans lose access to subjugation CB against other pagans.

So essentially the ideal way to play is to use subjugation to conquer other pagans until you can make a kingdom, then work on reformation (and MO 4 tech).