Strategy Advice for HRE: low level Duke vs. Absolute Crown Authority Emperor?

[Weltschmerz]

My current dilemma is encapsulated by the title of the thread. I am a German Duke with three ducal holdings, solid alliances with relatively large Bohemia, Bavaria, and the kingdom of a resurrected Lotharingia, and yet find myself imprisoned by the emperor whose family has weak claims on my main demesne. In the past, I have succeeded in faction-building to the extent I have lowered crown authority without any bloodshed. That is, previous emperor's have capitulated willingly to my ultimatum. Alas, over time subsequent emperors have merely reinstated crown authority like clockwork - the HRE is now maxed out at its most "absolute" level. In short, the "lower crown authority" faction simply cannot keep pace with imperial command.

Moreover, before the emperor instituted his absolute authority, I attempted to enlarge my holdings by declaring war on an independent Denmark. But, to my infinite frustration, the HRE quickly declared war as well thereby preempting me. I had to white peace lest I end up fighting my very liege.

So, here is my current lot in life: a low level imprisoned Duke who cannot conceivably face HRE doomstacks by oneself nor tactically increase my size because crown law prevents it.

To the so called Gods of the forum, who are much better gamers than I, what the hell should I do about this insoluble dilemma?

 

[Torngasuk]

Buy your way out and have him killed.

 

[Rancor26]

I am pretty much in the same situation as you are, i would also like to have some advice...

Buy your way out and have him killed.

How is that going to help? Even if you successfully kill him he is just going to be replaced with another emperor, crown authority stays and AI dukes and kings are most likely too scared to rebel against the next emperor too.

Playing as a duke in HRE seems to be broken for me at least right now... sure you can manage your family but i'd like to know how it is even possible to fight your way to being independent and gaining kingdom title... seems pretty hard on game's current state, factions are useless because not enough people join them and crown authority gets risen to max pretty fast and when that happens you're done.

 

[Torngasuk]

The AI doesn't know fear.

It does, however, recognize weakness. If this emperor is too competent, then he must be replaced by one less able to command the loyalty of his vassals.

 

[Rancor26]

The AI doesn't know fear.

It does, however, recognize weakness. If this emperor is too competent, then he must be replaced by one less able to command the loyalty of his vassals.

Well with max crown authority you need A LOT of people to join the faction to take on emperor's ridiculous army and that never happens, not enough people join... there's always too many dukes kissing emperor's a** and also you need some succession law that allows you have to have some retarded kaiser hated by everyone, primogeniture works pretty well but if you have elective monarchy, the heir is always someone with amazing traits.

In my game i've tried to join factions for about 100 years and there has been couple civil wars but all of them failed because dumb AI faction leader starts the civil war when they have around 40-65% of kaiser's army, instead of waiting for more dukes to join. Kaiser uses couple army stacks with 20-40k soldiers and they just wipe out all rebel troops without any problems

and the cycle continues

 

[Torngasuk]

I wouldn't say the heir in elective is always amazing. In my current game, the heir to the HRE has stats of 11-5-6-0-10, is greedy, slothful, and possessed.

 

[yezhanquan]

It's things like this that make me play Project Balance, which splits CA into component parts, so that you won't be able to get many buffs with just 1 increase in CA.

 

[knppel]

You are aware that once you had won your war for Denmark, the Emperor would not have been at war with you, but his war would have ended inconclusively as a vassal of his took the Kingdom title and you cannot declare war on your vassals? You could actually have split up your force on small stacks, sieged all provinces and abused his doomstack to assault the holdings. It is what I use to do in holy wars, declare on the same guy to take a province for me before the Kaisers takes his.

 

[yezhanquan]

I think it is impossible for lieges and vassals to be hostile to each other in any war except excommunication and holy wars?

 

[Mods]

I had no problems finding support for crown authority factions when I was a vassal of the HRE, you must be doing something wrong.
You have to grab every opportunity you can to lower it, and certainly don't wait until the empire manages to get absolute crown authority!

 

[airpirate]

Keep assassinating people until the emperor that gets elected is totally incompetent.

 

[tnick0225]

Another fun way I"ve discovered to cause mischief is go kiss the pope's butt....then request the wondrous Imperial Excommunication. The faithful Catholic Vassals highly dislike an excommed Kaiser

Only thing you will have to worry about going that rout, is someone assassinating the poor guy before you can rally a large enough faction against him.

Also when you get CA down to low again, try your damndest to keep the Kaisers alive! They can only raise CA once in a lifetime right? So the longer he lives the longer CA will stay where its at.