Why You Should Play As Any Particular Character in CK2

[Hiram_Maxim]

Ottomans, Sultanate of
---Sultan of Ottomans, 1299 or HYW bookmark: they show up in 1299 near Nicea but the 100 years war bookmark gives them better odds since the Byzantines are in shambles. Can you conquer Anatolia, Greece, and most importantly the Imperial city before the game ends in 1453?

I tried to make a go of this and it was fun at first. I alternated between gobbling up one-province beyliks and defending them from rapacious Venetians and Byzantines with the goal of building my strength for the inevitable showdown to grab Constantinople. However, a few decades in, an event fires about a Shi'ite uprising in Anatolia led by a boy with about 18,000 troops behind him with goal of claiming most of my territory. The first time I thought it was a random event. Next time it triggered while the Pope had called a crusade for my territory. I dunno if this Anatolian Shi'ite uprising was added by Sons of Abraham but I think I'm gonna write off the Ottomans in the Hundred Years War.

 

[generalolaf]

It's like the heretic ones, and the ability for them to happen for major religions was added in the latest patch.

 

[Jaywebbs]

I tried to make a go of this and it was fun at first. I alternated between gobbling up one-province beyliks and defending them from rapacious Venetians and Byzantines with the goal of building my strength for the inevitable showdown to grab Constantinople. However, a few decades in, an event fires about a Shi'ite uprising in Anatolia led by a boy with about 18,000 troops behind him with goal of claiming most of my territory. The first time I thought it was a random event. Next time it triggered while the Pope had called a crusade for my territory. I dunno if this Anatolian Shi'ite uprising was added by Sons of Abraham but I think I'm gonna write off the Ottomans in the Hundred Years War.

I've been having the same issue with my Tengri Turkestan was with the Zoroastrians.

 

[Nornin]

I got to ask, have anyone succeeded in getting the Kingdom of Sweden as Erik the Heathen without converting post-old gods? I've so far been very, very unsuccessful.

 

[JerekKruger]

I got to ask, have anyone succeeded in getting the Kingdom of Sweden as Erik the Heathen without converting post-old gods? I've so far been very, very unsuccessful.

I have, though my strategy was a little gamey. I started at the 26th December bookmark which seems less viable than the 15th September but is strangely a lot safer. I immediately raised all my levies and boats (you probably only want to use your vassal's boats to save money), set my levies to raid, and abandoned my lands to Erik* of Sweden to go raid the Baltic coast. The aim is to collect as much gold as possible, but at least enough so that when to surrender the war with Erik you can pay your ransom (145 gold I believe). I also immediately set my chancellor to improve relations with Erik (I happened to start with a decent chancellor, it might be worth restarting till you get one. Once I'd collected a lot of gold, I sailed back to my most northerly province to drop it off, disbanded all my levies and immediately surrendered. This sees you imprisoned by Erik, but strangely your land remains independent of his, and you can pay your ransom off immediately and gain your freedom.

From here, I started conquering Finland and various other Baltic pagan provinces to (i) boost my income and levies and (ii) provide me with a fall back should Erik declare war on me and conquer all of my Swedish holdings. Once I had enough prestige (1000 I think) I declared a prepared invasion on Norway (you'll get more land than invading Sweden), waited till the last day before declaring war and relatively easily conquered Norway thanks to all the event troops I got as a result. From here you should be in a strong enough position to conquer the rest of Scandinavia. I would say be careful of taking all of Denmark too soon as that'll see you gain a border with the HRE who are still probably far more powerful than you, unless they've had a lot of internal strife. My plan was to reform the faith (I had three holy sites but was lacking moral authority so I would have done some more conquests) then start conquering Russia and spreading Norse there to give myself the power and base from which to fight the big Catholic powers. However SoA happened and I abandoned the game there, with the intention of retrying at a later date.

*Erik will always mean Erik of Sweden rather than Erik the Heathen.

 

[Greyfox32]

Tatikios, at the court of Alexios I Komnenos, 1081 bookmark. (don't know if already posted)

"His father was a "Saracen", probably meaning a Turk, who was captured by Alexius' father John Comnenus and served as a slave in the Comnenus household. Tatikios and Alexius grew up together, and he is described as an oikogenes of Alexius (that is, "from the same house"). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tatikios

He became a general of the Byzantines and participated in the First Crusade, and participated in the expedition of the Basileus against Cumans. IG, his culture is Greek, religion Orthodox, but he has a turkish/arab portrait and a decent martial value. Good point, he also has a son.

Will you be a traitor and try to claim the throne of your best friend ?

 

[Sleight of Hand]

This guy:

85000 = {
	name="Tatikios"
	dynasty=20056
	martial=7
	diplomacy=3
	intrigue=4
	stewardship=5
	religion="orthodox"
	culture="bedouin_arabic"
	trait="tough_soldier"
	trait="brave"
	trait="diligent"
	trait="proud"
	trait="patient"
	trait="greedy"
	trait="cynical"
	trait="kind"
	1055.1.2={
		birth="1055.1.2"
		culture="greek"
		employer=1742
	}
	1080.1.1={
		dynasty=1029094
	}
	1100.1.2={
		death="1100.1.2"
	}
}

Good find.

 

[Greyfox32]

EDIT : Nope, nevermind.

 

[Zireael]

My idea:
Ivar the Boneless, son of Ragnar Lodbrok, brother to Halfdan Ragnarsson and Ubba Ragnarsson. A friend who has ToG tells me he's playable in 867 start.
Reasons for fame:
- leading the Great Heathen Army in England
- possibly martyring St. Edmund
- possibly founding House Ui Imair of Ireland
- possibly being disabled (osteogenesis imperfecta in a mild form)

 

[zombieflanders]

Ivar is extremely popular, especially amongst powergamers, though the changes in pre-2.0/SOA seem to have soured people on him (while I chuckle heartily). He has an insane amount of event troops, making it trivially easy to ROFLstomp the British Isles.

 

[verdas]

While you would have to pull a couple gamey stunts, I'm rather flabbergasted that nobody has mentioned trying to play as Anna Komnene! She should have inherited the empire, after all (according to, well, her).

 

[Jaywebbs]

I personally like playing as the Alavids in the 867 start (No clue if they are in 1066) The Alavids are direct descendents (In game, historically it's somewhat questionable from what I've read.) from Hasan Ibn Ali Ibn Abu Talib, that is to say they are descended from the first son of Ali and Fatima. Historically not much happened as they had a rocky rule, But they are one of the few Shia rulers that are relatively safe from the the Sunni blobs (if the Abbasids aren't to stabilized, they tend to ignore Persia.) And their lineage can provide a nice basis for a roleplay game.

 

[Wooz]

Radboud, Count of Holland, 867 -- Your dynasty claims to be founded by Finn, son of Folcwald, a semi-legendary ruler of the Frisians. He and his castle Finnesburg are mentioned in Beowulf and the Finnesburg Fragment. Your ancestors were proud heathen kings of Frisia who were able to hold off the Franks for a long time but were eventually forced to submit to Charles Martel (and Christianity). Your family has recently risen from obscurity; can you guide it back to its glorious past?

How can you even succeed as him without cheats, because the Norse ruler of Holland instantly revokes your county (because it's the de jure capital of Holland) and it's game over? Please give some hints.

 

[geminus]

How can you even succeed as him without cheats, because the Norse ruler of Holland instantly revokes your county (because it's the de jure capital of Holland) and it's game over? Please give some hints.

After 2.0 it's quite easy. Jewish moneylenders --> mercs --> win

If I'm not mistaken, the duke of Zeeland will also come to your defense (as you are married to his sister or something) and Holland+Zeeland troops maybe in themselves should be able to rival the duke's army?

If you really want a challenge just for survival, try starting as the Zoroastrian Bavandids in Tabaristan or Edmund of East Anglia facing the invading doomstack of Ivar

 

[aragonFTW]

I had this same idea... He's not under his Arabic name either :c ?

Unfortunately, Ibn Rushd only spawns as a Sword of Islam courtier event. Historically he should get a wilayet or mosque in Ishibiliyya some time in 1160, or one in Qurturbah in 1171. It would take a divinely inspired miracle to achieve much success in Spain starting from where he would, so the player could end up following Averroes to relative exile in Almohad Morocco by 1190. Nothing to stop the player giving him some land and a go, as he has the second best stats of any random courtier after Ibn al-Nafis.

 

[Wooz]

After 2.0 it's quite easy. Jewish moneylenders --> mercs --> win

If I'm not mistaken, the duke of Zeeland will also come to your defense (as you are married to his sister or something) and Holland+Zeeland troops maybe in themselves should be able to rival the duke's army?

If you really want a challenge just for survival, try starting as the Zoroastrian Bavandids in Tabaristan or Edmund of East Anglia facing the invading doomstack of Ivar

Ah yes, didn't thought of that, thank you. Now I'm gonna try as him again.

 

[maitrecarotte]

Who do I play in British Isles and at what start date if I want a lasting and hard struggle to get myself to the top from being just a count? To make myself clearer, I want a feudal experience with constant internecine wars between smaller rules and some heavy intrigue claim gameplay.

 

[Jaywebbs]

Who do I play in British Isles and at what start date if I want a lasting and hard struggle to get myself to the top from being just a count? To make myself clearer, I want a feudal experience with constant internecine wars between smaller rules and some heavy intrigue claim gameplay.

Dyflinn, AKA the Norse Count of Dublin at the 867 start. While it's possible to go from count to Emperor in one character if you're lucky it's certainly a challenging game

 

[yezhanquan]

Al-Mustansir Billah, Caliph of the Fatimid Sultanate (Both bookmarks in 1066 and the Alexiad): Yes, THAT Shia Caliph, the much-maligned Caliph who oversaw the beginnings of his sultanate's decline. He has terrible traits, the dynasty's decadence is high, and he is in heavy debt. However, he starts with a long reign bonus (historically became Caliph in 1036), his caliphate controls many Shia holy sites, and the possibilities are many.

 

[DC123456789]

Just wondering, are the Fatimids still really overpowered in 1066? I haven't played that start in a long time.