I was finding it to be a major headache lately, so I tried many different solutions and some worked perfectly
1) Keep your friends close, keep your enemies... dead.
- Find a reason to kill them without granting you negative opinions: send him in a missionay mission to convert some vikings, or steal technology from the Byzantines, command an army faded to be wiped, tell him to do whatever he is really bad at doing and he will probably die, you can also excommunicate him and execute after imprisioned without being considered a tyrant.
2) Fabricate claims on the duchy of the troublesome vassal.
- He will hate you even more, sure, but a count isn't really that scary. You can keep fabricating claims while he is imprisioned to strip him from all of his titles, it's expensive but sometimes you don't have many options available. Don't forget to give good use to your Oubliette.
3) Let them revolt.
- Crush them with your superior retinues and gold for mercenaries, everyone likes a strong leader (+15 opinion for crushing the revolt) and you will be able to revoke their titles for free. Again, use the Oubliete.
4) Don't be Louis XIV, be Mussolini.
- "L'état c'est moi" is obsolete in conclave, favors are the new deal, instead of trying to be an absolutist just make sure that you can corrupt your council whenever you needh this way people are less likely to revolt. You will soon realize that you don't want to owe favors to anyone, but you can always buy them when you need to pass an important law or need approval to imprision someone or declare war. Once you become Emperor money is no object anymore and if you adapt to your council's personality you won't even to corrupt them most of the time. Go for Holy Wars and Imprision/Execute excommunicated and infidels if your council is religions, for example.
5) Buy their loyalty.
- Press claims for counties, grant duchies, send gifts, it's not 100% guaranteed but will keep your vassals opinion on the green zone.
6) Have a good, loyal spymaster.
- You can use him to scheme against your troublesome vassals, force them out of factions, focus on the most powerful ones first, like kings and grand dukes, especially the ones who are in more than one faction.
7) Know your vassals.
- From time to time, check if any King or Duke is ambitious, envious, have a claim on your title, is a heretic/infidel or desires a title you own, you better start plotting against him before he becomes a bigger problem, give the title to someone content, who is a friend or really with a good opinion about you.
8) Don't create problems for yourself.
- Don't revoke titles or imprision people if it's going to be an act of tyranny, stay below your demesne level and with no more than two duchies, don't give titles to people who already hate you and don't overextend yourself in a war where you may lose a big part of your army if there is a faction around 60% of your manpower, also try to keep a reserve of gold for emergencies.
1) Keep your friends close, keep your enemies... dead.
- Find a reason to kill them without granting you negative opinions: send him in a missionay mission to convert some vikings, or steal technology from the Byzantines, command an army faded to be wiped, tell him to do whatever he is really bad at doing and he will probably die, you can also excommunicate him and execute after imprisioned without being considered a tyrant.
2) Fabricate claims on the duchy of the troublesome vassal.
- He will hate you even more, sure, but a count isn't really that scary. You can keep fabricating claims while he is imprisioned to strip him from all of his titles, it's expensive but sometimes you don't have many options available. Don't forget to give good use to your Oubliette.
3) Let them revolt.
- Crush them with your superior retinues and gold for mercenaries, everyone likes a strong leader (+15 opinion for crushing the revolt) and you will be able to revoke their titles for free. Again, use the Oubliete.
4) Don't be Louis XIV, be Mussolini.
- "L'état c'est moi" is obsolete in conclave, favors are the new deal, instead of trying to be an absolutist just make sure that you can corrupt your council whenever you needh this way people are less likely to revolt. You will soon realize that you don't want to owe favors to anyone, but you can always buy them when you need to pass an important law or need approval to imprision someone or declare war. Once you become Emperor money is no object anymore and if you adapt to your council's personality you won't even to corrupt them most of the time. Go for Holy Wars and Imprision/Execute excommunicated and infidels if your council is religions, for example.
5) Buy their loyalty.
- Press claims for counties, grant duchies, send gifts, it's not 100% guaranteed but will keep your vassals opinion on the green zone.
6) Have a good, loyal spymaster.
- You can use him to scheme against your troublesome vassals, force them out of factions, focus on the most powerful ones first, like kings and grand dukes, especially the ones who are in more than one faction.
7) Know your vassals.
- From time to time, check if any King or Duke is ambitious, envious, have a claim on your title, is a heretic/infidel or desires a title you own, you better start plotting against him before he becomes a bigger problem, give the title to someone content, who is a friend or really with a good opinion about you.
8) Don't create problems for yourself.
- Don't revoke titles or imprision people if it's going to be an act of tyranny, stay below your demesne level and with no more than two duchies, don't give titles to people who already hate you and don't overextend yourself in a war where you may lose a big part of your army if there is a faction around 60% of your manpower, also try to keep a reserve of gold for emergencies.
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