Starting my first muslim game: Suggestions?

[Pinstar]

Having played and won my first two games, one as Orthodox (Arta) and one as Catholic (Dax), I'm looking to give the Muslims a shot.

My only rule is that I want to start as a count-level ruler with only a single county holding. I intend to ruler-designer my founder.
I don't mind starting out with somebody else as my liege.
I just don't want to start out dead in the water.
What counties would you recommend me trying for my first Muslim game?

 

[Yenzen]

Tunis area is a good bet: You're not part of a realm so vast that all your growth will be controlled by the CA without issue, nor as you so exposed that you will be wiped out too fast. Tunis itself is one of the most powerful duchies in the game along with Sicily. With some effort you can create the moderately powerful Kingdom of Africa, and then move on to try creating the Arabian Empire.

 

[DCyDe]

tunis obviously

 

[dorukdorucu]

Tunis if you want some action, somewhere in Mali if you want a quiet, Ireland-ish game. You can also start as one of the minor counts under small dukes in Iberia and try to resist the reconquista while also trying to move up to duke level. However Iberia has a lot going on, so don't be surprised if you get holy wars declared on you early on. Starting as a Shia may be good as it allows you to hire The Hashashin while starting somewhere south buys you some time.

 

[Arokel]

My suggestion is do not play a Muslim in vanilla CK2.

Get the CK2+ mod. It changes the decadence system. Monthly decadence is gone. In CK2+ it is entirely event based and only the dynasty head gets decadence for his dynasty.

On top of that CK2+ greatly improves the game (not that the game is bad or anything) overall.

 

[Accrsd]

i highly recommend the Sheikh of Bahrain, it's likely the Emir you serve will get trounced in a holy war, but that just means you'll have to rebel for independence before he gets trounced and then immediately join either the seljuks or the fatimid. overall though if you don't mind the additional waiting period then it's the most solid choice you could make. just make sure to build mosques and baronies as it will allow. Last time i played there i became so fabulously wealthy that even the Sultan in Cairo was afraid to mess with me.

 

[knppel]

just dump not-heirs as mayors to avoid decadence.
Muslim Republicans, same as Christians, may even have ambition to marry, but will never do so unless the player offers them a courtier.
No offspring- no decadence.
Or just kill them all. Land them , imprison and kill them. Awesome way to get rid of up to 20% with small holy wars in no time.