Questions about about strategy in midgame (current game's version, vanilla, all DLCs, 769 start)

[adriankowaty]

As in title. I've noticed some issues with my last game and ask for suggestions about my next strategy. I'm playing as reformed Romuva ruler of Merchant Republic, controlling this area:

First, the threat factor grows too large during my expansion, average 30-50% per holy warred duchy. Norsemen constatly raid my realm (including demense), forcing me to use standing army to garrisoning, and destabilizing competely trade in Baltic and North Sea's areas. I'm able to convert to them, however not sure it'd be profitable (my provinces are the richest on map, so raiding'll be wasting of time, it's 1072 so runestones'll soon disappear, most of my vassals are Balts, Baltic paganism is currently reformed and control plenty of provinces while Germanic is dying off, etc.). My dynasty members turn incopetent, despite of my educational and breeding policy, slowing down technological progress. Additionally, my court's dynasty members drain most of my yearly income:

These issues don't make game impossible per se (due to fact, that I'm powerful enough to deal with them), however irritate me and disturb me in aiming my major goals.
Any suggestions, what shall I do?

 

[beartjah]

Well, if you're this big you've probably already won the game...

But the norse can probably best be stopped by just conquering their lands. They can't raid you if they don't exist.

I dont think I can help much with the family dues becuase I don't have the required dlc for republics, but I'd think giving them land somewhere or just not letting them marry should help reduce their numbers(and therefore their dues).

As for the coalition: remember that they can't actually take offensive action, so you can easily let half the world sit in a coalition against you without it being a major threat.
If that thappens, you might want to keep an eye on what the major memebers are doing, if they're involved in their own wars they won't be able to actually sens troops to whereever the war is.
And you should probably be able to overrun most enemies before the coalition can even seriously react given your size.

 

[Bernard95]

1) When it comes to threat, other than taking it easy and being more choosy with your targets there's not a whole lot you can do about it. Early on when you're only getting 10% or so per duchy, that's when you just let it burn off rather than letting it accumulate. When you're a huge empire though, you ignore the defensive pact and blitz your target before the pact members show up to the fight. On a side note though, the next patch will allow you to disable threat.

2) With Vikings, there's not a ton you can do about them either. Pretty much boils down to conquest or conversion if Christian.

3) This is honestly just something that happens as time goes on and your dynasty grows ever larger. As a Pagan especially however, you could always avoid having many children in the first place- marry older women for their stats/alliance, then set aside your concubines when you have a son or two. If you really wanted to though, you could trim the family tree a bit by simply not arranging marriages or arranging matrilineal marriages where you can. Can also make people take the vows if Christian, hope they get imprisoned as a missionary, etc.

4) Same idea as above- as you noted they will drain your income the more male kin you have running around your court. You can also just hope for opportunities to get them out of your court such as banishment, holy orders, or sending them away as a mercenary.

 

[_Perun_]

It is like beartjah said.
In every northern Europe playthrough eliminating Norse men must be prioritized. Having high threat, the easiest way is to use retinues below the attrition threshold. Move the unit to the desired province and declare the holy war few days before it arrives. It will crush the army, prepare the siege and assault. War won. Copy, repeat. With realms having more than one province you do basically the same but synchronize your armies first (for example, to conquer Nidaros you need to send one part of your retinue by sea and two by land to Jamtland). It should be over in a year or something.

 

[adriankowaty]

What about Varaugian Guard in Scandinavia?
EDIT:
And yes, I'm aiming Norsemen from start, however losing plenty of soldiers due to attrition. Some time ago I've finally managed to unlock Army Organisation IV and it speeds up my expansion.

 

[_Perun_]

I think that during the summer months you can easily deploy more than 4k troops in Scandinavia, even in Finnmark. It only needs some planning.

BTW, my first CK2 game was Romuva Merchant Republic. Sława!

 

[adriankowaty]

I think that during the summer months you can easily deploy more than 4k troops in Scandinavia, even in Finnmark. It only needs some planning.

Norsemen tends to provide greater armies in my game. During HWs for Sweden, Swedish king was able to use 6k stack against my forces. I simply need 10k or more soldiers to effectively fight them, so currently garrison 22k soldiers near my next aim in Scandinavia.

 

[_Perun_]

The thing is, if you plan a blitzkrieg and send 2-3k troops to every targeted province, you will not allow the enemy to form one bigger army. Also, and especially if all the enemy provinces are coastal it is easier and faster to lure their armies to your realm and to siege enemy provinces. The enemy will surrender no matter what.

 

[adriankowaty]

The thing is, if you plan a blitzkrieg and send 2-3k troops to every targeted province, you will not allow the enemy to form one bigger army. Also, and especially if all the enemy provinces are coastal it is easier and faster to lure their armies to your realm and to siege enemy provinces. The enemy will surrender no matter what.

I'll try. However I'm not sure it'll works with Varaugian outpust in Scandinavia, since they're Byzantine vassal. Additionally, some of norse realms (for example Nidaros) turns feudal due to fact, that Teutonic Order previously temporary christianized them.

 

[_Perun_]

Ah, so it will be harder. However, freshly feudalized holdings tend to have not that many buildings and because of that, small garrisons. As for Varangians, if I were you I would try to sow dissent using your chancellor, wait for them to rebel against Byzantium and attack them right away. You could try to assasinate the emperor for higher odds.

 

[adriankowaty]

Ah, so it will be harder. However, freshly feudalized holdings tend to have not that many buildings and because of that, small garrisons. As for Varangians, if I were you I would try to sow dissent using your chancellor, wait for them to rebel against Byzantium and attack them right away. You could try to assasinate the emperor for higher odds.

They don't own single duchy, instead one province in de iure Norway and one in Sweden, so I'll have to DOWed them two times. Additionally, Byzantium is extremely stable (last civil war happened 100 yrs ago) and Byzantine Emperor owns 60k soldiers under his command.

 

[RagingJaws]

You have absolutely no money and poor income for your size. That is disastrous for a Merchant Republic. I don't quite know how your trade zones are set up but you have massive family dues and you're not pulling in a good trade income to support it. Suggest finding ways to end useless branches of your dynasty, either through appointing them as commanders, marrying them to old widows, or kinslaying.

The good news is that you can, with work, clean up your trade zones to make smoother profit. Can I get a picture of your family's trade zone?

 

[Sergeant Flutter]

Bad administration and delegation is to blame.

Reorganize.

 

[adriankowaty]

You have absolutely no money and poor income for your size. That is disastrous for a Merchant Republic. I don't quite know how your trade zones are set up but you have massive family dues and you're not pulling in a good trade income to support it. Suggest finding ways to end useless branches of your dynasty, either through appointing them as commanders, marrying them to old widows, or kinslaying.

The good news is that you can, with work, clean up your trade zones to make smoother profit. Can I get a picture of your family's trade zone?

Normally it's set up around owned seas due to competely instability of other coastal regions. I tend to make connection between trade posts and build cities in every county, where I own a TP. However, as I said, trade in Northern Europe is competely instable due to Wiking raids, so currently I'm focusing on dealing with them and taxing my vassals instead. I own only 5/31 TPs right now, the rest was raided out.
Money was competely spended not so long ago on building holdings (mostly cities) in my realm, to extend my retinue limit (and to increase income from vassals and their trade).
I've 18 male kins. Cost is increasing over time (currently 65,1 per kin).
Anyway, I'll try to reorganize expenses and trade. Thank you for your help.

 

[_Perun_]

I am not 100% sure but I think that TPs are cheaper and more efficient source of income than cities. I would rather build them first and cities later.

 

[adriankowaty]

I am not 100% sure but I think that TPs are cheaper and more efficient source of income than cities. I would rather build them first and cities later.

Right, but they're poor defended (even with the most expanded garrison) and limited. I have built them many times during early years of my republic (which was enstabilished in 800's) but stopped due to lack of patience of constantly rebuilding from ruin (AI cares very little about its domain).

 

[_Perun_]

I think it is good to build trade posts in provinces belonging to smaller realms and use the "seize city" cb on them. If to fortify the city, the garrison should give you enough time to send some forces before the trade post gets under siege.
Playing a pagan republic may be challenging. I remember the first years after becoming a republic and it was not nice. It seems that you are doing great job keeping your lands together so after overcoming some difficulties (unite Scandinavia under your banner and rebuild TPs network) your League should flourish. Good luck.