Your best starting position

[HellhoundNL]

So after I unified Ireland which took me a long time, I am getting the hand of it. The basics are known and I am looking for a new start. I just started in 769 AD as Bohemian but I find that a bit "boring" so what do you recommend? or what is your favorite start and why is that?

 

[maky55]

So after I unified Ireland which took me a long time, I am getting the hand of it. The basics are known and I am looking for a new start. I just started in 769 AD as Bohemian but I find that a bit "boring" so what do you recommend? or what is your favorite start and why is that?

I love going either for 769 Wessex (or any minor county/duchy in England) and plotting, murdering and waring my war to the Kingdom of England, then Empire of Britannia! Although, most of the time I end up first conquering Wales first because it's much easier to claim that. Another start I love is the old gods Byzantine start, I've tried a few times to create the Roman Empire and only once did I succeed. I'm not very good at the game, I get impatient! So when I do manage to do something I love it! . I've been getting into some Muslim rulers recently, and also I need to have a go of a Horde or the Hindu rulers.

 

[Serenity84]

Try the Duke of Apulia in 1066. Tons of options there and very dynamic gameplay. You have the potential for a very strong realm, but you are wedged between the HRE and ERE. You can swear fealty to one of them, but can also stay independent. You can holy war in North Africa, go crusading and expand on the Balkans through marriage. Getting an empire is a bit difficult though unless you swear featly to the HRE or create a custom one

Others:

• Duchess of Tuscany 1066
• Wessex 867
• One of the Spanish kingdoms in 1066
• Byzantine Empire in 867 or 1081
• one of the historical crusader kings in Jerusalem (manually advance the timeline)

 

[Ilion]

Using the CK2+ mod, with the ancient religions by culture setup option, 769 date--

As the Duchy of Latium (as that title is held by the Pope before the setup-options were applied when I unpaused, I used the console to give my character the title),
- I survived, just barely, the attempted subjugation by my father-in-law, the King of Lombardy (I'd hoped that marrying his daughter would give me some breathing room)
- Pops died a couple of years later; I was able to declare a war of conquest against he minor heir. The particular CB ended up usurping the holdings of all but a few of the Lombard dukes/counts, so in one fell swoop, I controlled most of Italy.
- Rather that revive Lombardy (which would have become Italy, as mt character was not a Lombard), I created a custom kingdom.
- I eliminated and/or subjugated the few remaining Lombard counts ... in the meantime, surviving (again, just barely) and attempted conquest by the Karlings.
- During civil war distractions in the ERE or among the Karlings, I picked up some of the ERE holdings in Italy and Province and Septimania -- the goal at this stage was to get three Roman Holy Sites, so I could create the Pontifex Maximus.
- A refugee with a claim to a county in Tunisia came to my court. I converted him to the Roman religion, landed him in Italy and pressed his claim. After the truce expired, I was able to use that county as a base to take the whole duchy of Tunisia.
- Sometime later, the P.M. called a Roman Great Holy War against Africa ... and I picked up everything from Tunisia to Egypt.
- Then I took Alexandria. When that truce expired, I picked up half of Sinai.
- This put me close enough to Jerusalem to go for the 1/2 controlled by that small realm. The Abbasids (pagans, not Moslems) had the other 1/2 of Jerusalem; but by them I was able to take them on.

= So, it's just short of 100 years into the game. My current ruler (my realm is now a custom empire) inherited a claim to the throne of the ERE. They are weakened after a series of civil wars, and the current Basileus is not yet crowned ... so, I'm about to swoop in. Once I take the ERE, the only remaining duchy required to reform the RE is Antioch, held by the Abbasids.

 

[Ilion]

Usually, I play a century or two as Byzantium,often from the 769 date (then, because I'm the 800 lb gorilla, I lose interest).

- I've always had a sentimental spot in my heart for Byzantium;
- I don't care for the papal politics in Catholic Europe;
- As the ERE is the only Orthodox and/or Iconoclast state, my religion's MA isn't as subject to events I can't try to influence;

- Of course, as the ERE starts out as a 400 lb gorilla, it isn't a great challenge to dominate ... well, any region you wish to dominate.

 

[nightgerbil]

I prefer the 869 start dates as the map is less blobby, huge superpower empires everywhere aren't that fun for me. 869 has SO much potential, you can do loads expand where you want. I learnt the game here as Navarre, Capua, Sardinia, wales, vixen are all great fun. Espec vixen, you can make norway really fast while prepping your first and only prepared invasion for something. So it becomes all norway piling into somewhere. I really enjoy vixen.

If you liked Ireland you will find wales similar but slightly harder, just remember to fight battles in YOUR mountains with YOUR longbows. Capua and the other south Italy minors are alot of fun, your coming from nothing basically to fulfil the ambition of king of Sciliy. Then what? swear to the byzantines? he will love you and transfer the Italian byzantine lords to you and you can play at being a loyal vassal or an unloyal one as you wish. Break into north africa with holy wars? Thats easy to do as well and has potential for huge expansion. Or head north? claims on karlings, fights for Italy, being repeatly excommunicated by the pope for no reason other then your a catholic who dares to hold land in Italy, loads of fun!

 

[Rackenhammer]

I'm currently having fun with the Hashimids from the 867 start date. Controlling Mecca and Medina gives some great bonuses over time, and Hejaz is a pretty good home duchy in general, especially if you upgrade the silk road trading posts.

Expansion to the south in Yemen is pretty easy, granting more silk road income. To the west is a shia-ruled tribal duchy you can take in a holy war. Abbasids are an interesting challenge early game, though in my campaign they blew up fairly early, leaving Jerusalem open to me.

So now I have a campaign as the protector of the Holy Sites against the Crusades, which keeps things fun. Also picked up the Philosopher bloodline with the RP goal of extending the Islamic Golden Age as long as possible.

 

[junassa]

In the 769 start I'm having a lot of fun as Duke of Kanem. It was hard the first time but if you do everything to max out retinues (build 1st tier hilltop, scholarship focus to build military organization, then raid for ransoming to make money. You would think it would be difficult, since the abbasids and ummayads are nearby but for me they always implode. Maybe you'll have better luck.

 

[frolix42]

Sigur of Svisjod is a beast.

 

[DPS]

Sigur of Svisjod is a beast.

Yeah, he's got a good starting position--given just decent luck and good gameplay, you have an excellent chance to reform the faith with him--and then you get Ragnor as your successor.

That said, I like starting as a Polish duchy. Starting as a Romuva duke is also fun.

 

[jwalche]

I like to start with 769 Sigurdr Ring and use his once in a life time subjugation CB on Bulgaria. Take new capital from Byzantium. Then form either Empire of Scandinavia or custom empire, recruit the last Merovingian guy, and press his claim on Francia. What makes this power play fun is Ironman mode. Otherwise it becomes too easy.

 

[jwalche]

Note that every one Scandinavia are my tributaries.

 

[WomboCombo]

I love the minority religion starts.

Petty King of Semien, 769, 867 (I like to make an Israelite Ethnostate -- Only Ashkenazis and Sephardics may hold land. I convert my culture as soon as possible.)
Duke of Socotra, 769 (Boring until you get boats)
Gilan, 769 (I lose every time)
Zunbil Satrapy, 769

 

[WJS]

Now that you've figured out how to make the Kingdom of Ireland the long, slow, way, try taking the quick way.

Ivar the Boneless, Jarl of Sudreyjar, 867. Start immediately fighting everyone as the Great Heathen Army with Jorvik, then settle in for the fastest chance to unite Ireland once you've handled East Anglia and Northumbria.

 

[boomerUK]

So after I unified Ireland which took me a long time, I am getting the hand of it. The basics are known and I am looking for a new start. I just started in 769 AD as Bohemian but I find that a bit "boring" so what do you recommend? or what is your favorite start and why is that?

Ashina in 879 Old Gods Start. You are the last of the male line of legendary Turkic Steppe warlords. You are also Jewish, I tend to switch back to Tengri (by capturing a concubine and converting to her religion) but the possibilities are endless. You are nomad so you have the option of conquering the whole world as a nomad or perhaps settling down as a merchant republic or feudal or a tribe, I love how open ended it is.

Or stay Jewish and try to form Israel.

 

[FifthMonarchy]

I love the minority religion starts.

Petty King of Semien, 769, 867 (I like to make an Israelite Ethnostate -- Only Ashkenazis and Sephardics may hold land. I convert my culture as soon as possible.)
Duke of Socotra, 769 (Boring until you get boats)
Gilan, 769 (I lose every time)
Zunbil Satrapy, 769

Not quite so no hope but Armenia in 867 is a regular for me, Caliph almost always declares a holy war for Azerbaijan early on and if you're lucky and time your loan and mercs right you can win that and get a big chunk of change in compensation which can set you right. Touch and go though as any offensive holy war will have all the Muslim dukes against you and the Byzantines want your land too. Then there's your awful religious moral authority if things are going pear-shaped for the brethren in Africa. Taking Antioch helps with that if you can manage it.