Tips playing as a Rurikovich?

[TheGreatSnoop]

I bought the three new Russian DLCs a few days ago, and have been eager to try my hand for the first time at playing a Russian dynasty, and, seeing as you don't have a lot of choice in this area, I picked the Chernigov Rurikovich member, who's name escaped me.

Now, the most obvious goal is to form Russia as quickly as possible, I thought this would actually be easier seeing as all the Russian dukedoms are one big family (literally), but I'm having some trouble, not least with the fact that, seeing as I can't chance my succession laws, all my lands get divided up in a decade or two and I'm left with even smaller holdings than before.

I've seen many people with Russia formed quite quickly, so are there some tips I'm missing out on to unite the Rus? :blush:

 

[anonymouswolfm]

I bought the three new Russian DLCs a few days ago, and have been eager to try my hand for the first time at playing a Russian dynasty, and, seeing as you don't have a lot of choice in this area, I picked the Chernigov Rurikovich member, who's name escaped me.

Now, the most obvious goal is to form Russia as quickly as possible, I thought this would actually be easier seeing as all the Russian dukedoms are one big family (literally), but I'm having some trouble, not least with the fact that, seeing as I can't chance my succession laws, all my lands get divided up in a decade or two and I'm left with even smaller holdings than before.

I've seen many people with Russia formed quite quickly, so are there some tips I'm missing out on to unite the Rus? :blush:

It depends on your play style.

Easiest way of course is to see if any assassinations would help you unite some of the family lands. Some would consider this gamey though.

You might also want to expand as quickly as possible into pagan lands. I'd suggest you save a bit of money at the start and wait until you've accumulated around 500-600 gold, in the meantime place your focus on your marriage diplomacy (and possibly assassinations of fellow Rurikids) instead.

Once time is ripe, grab as many lands as possible from the Cumans via Holy War (you may as well disregard the truce - it only lowers opinion of pagan rulers towards you, which is not relevant/significant to begin with). Your gold could now be spent on recruiting mercenaries.

The rest should be standard work. : )

 

[onodera]

I think you can change your laws as soon as you start, at least in vanilla CKII (I guessed you're playing CKII+). If you're playing as Chernigov, ask everyone to help you get Cheremisa, then start plotting (not literally, just claim Kiev) against your elder brother in Kiev to form Ruthenia. If you can, plot (literally) against his son first so you can get Novgorod as well.

 

[Kaiser Ludwig]

Why can't you change your succession laws? Seniority only needs mid, I think, and with that you'll be able to unite enough territory you can then change to primo and conquer the rest, or just go elective and chose the biggest possible landed rurikovich and then try to die until Mother Russia is formed.

 

[Gunnarr]

well in my latest game, I basically converted to Iconoclasm within about 20 years (also switched to the eldest child of ruler inherits title sucession). I tried out being iconoclast, and it is very nice having holy war against all the orthodox. I was able to reunite the lands quite quickly that way...

but the way i did it was very weird so perhaps this post should be ignored

 

[Blastaz]

Quick agression is the best option. I start as Ryzan and use my claims right off the bat to cut people down. Mix in the ocasional holy war, which you can call your family in to help with, and you will expand fast.

Once you have the russian lands united push east to the edge of the map and drive down south to the indian ocean so that when the mongols arrive you get defensive advantage against them and can stop them ever getting any land at all.

 

[Prince Michael]

What about a long term strategy? What do you build, what kind of vassals do you keep? There are virtually no coastal counties around, so no doges? What about Prince-bishops or Prince-Archbishops, are they good in Orthodoxy? They are always loyal to you, because there is no Pope to compete with? Build cities, temples, what? What about vassal counts and dukes, do you use generated ones or Rurikovich? What about army composition, levies, retinues? And when the Mongols come, just surrender as quickly as you can and eat them from inside?

 

[Mutineer]

First, at start of game (the moment you start) declare war on some pagans. Call allies, because at start of war they are not in war with anyone they will all come to help. You can grab a bit of land using that and hire some mercs.

No matter what duchy you play you aim to become king with yuor first ruller. you can convert to seniority as one mechanism in order to unite Rurucovich land or you can try to use claims.

Yor long turm plan is to gran as mach baltic as possible, because you need ships in order to be able to project power. Get all Cumans land and then begin to work on muslims. you do need a big empire in order to figth mongols.