You're choosing, I'm playing

[Yoroii]

Chief of Krakow will be too easy, even someone as little skilled as me could form the Wendish Empire in 50 years as him. What I suggest is, actually, the hardest thing I can imagine - King of Nubia in 1066! No swearing fealty, no culture and religion swapping, do your best to survive the Fatimids' wroth!

 

[Rozmarzony]

Chapter 26
1066
Erik the Heathen

Sweden in 1066 and it vassals.

Erik and the king.

By the way, all norse vassals are without family to speak off, so after their death Erik gonna inherit.

How it looks like after few months. Limited crown authority -> revoking titles of Erik -> war

As Erik I'm able to only raise 600 troops (all my vassals are giving me only around ~100).

Against 3,5k army I can't win...

After few attempts I managed to have 1,5k army from my lands... and I could hire 1,5k mercs to beat swedish army, but still there is Denmark with their 5k, impossible to pass throught. ​

Basically, few months aren't enough to do something significant.
-can't improve relations with kings or my vassals via chancellor
-can't sow dissent via chancellor
-can't force someone to join to my faction via spymaster
-can't kill enough vassals to inherit their castles via plots
-can't farm money during few months
-can't kill king of Sweden, king of Denmark, anyone due to being pagan, also, don't have family to gain some allies

And what's sadder, in old pre-TOG times:
http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/showthread.php?597330-Dealing-with-Erik-the-Heathen

However, I played around ~8 games as Erik. In one of them, Sweden declared war against Norway after it lost war in England. Norway still had 5k army and managed to beat Sweden... then I declared war for Sweden. With Norway I beaten 2 more swedish armies. Norway went for 100% and thanks to it Sweden got bankrut. Some mercs declared invasion for Sweden... seems like everything was fine. But then Denmark joined and destroyed my forces, when I was having 50% points in the war.

Probably I need to go north korea, but maybe you have some ideas for this start.

 

[Yoroii]

Can't you just, erm, lose? I mean, lose your first war with King of Sweden, lose one county or something, and, while you have truce, farm the money or expand to Finland. And then strike.

 

[Rozmarzony]

Can't you just, erm, lose? I mean, lose your first war with King of Sweden, lose one county or something, and, while you have truce, farm the money or expand to Finland. And then strike.

Without jarldom I'm losing ~5-6 count vassals, and then king can revoke their titles strengthening himself even more. I tried it and it ended badly as well.
Also, NK mode as Erik doesn't mean insta win. I needed to try few times to actually grab the kingdom. I will post results in following time, but still, it's NK so nothing glorious.

 

[Lord Finnish]

Convert to Liege's religion, overthrow the king in peace, have your heir educated as Norse.

 

[Divilly]

Convert to Liege's religion, overthrow the king in peace, have your heir educated as Norse.

He can't convert. It's challenge rules.

 

[Lord Finnish]

He can't convert. It's challenge rules.

Then it's impossible.

 

[Rozmarzony]

Chapter 27
Erik the Heathen
Part I

New beginning. At the start of the war I have already 2 castles more so 2x troops more too. And next vassal is in my prison, waiting for my piety to growth.

Bonus to morale is damn important, but you will see effects of it.

But christians still are pretty powerful in compare to me.

Hired one merc band and battle was won.

But then Danes came...

Probably my best battle since the start of AAR.

As for his brothers. First got executed by me, second died of poor health and third lost the kingdom due to the war. (And father (starting king) died in first month of game due to his pneumonia, however, as you saw it didn't changed other stuff like alliance with Denmark or raising crown authority)

​

 

[Rozmarzony]

Chapter 27
Erik the Heathen
Part II

In next months other starting norse vassal of Sweden created faction for my claim, after I joined he declared the war.

At this point I got rid of my vassals.

Happily he got those men, when I was doing siege of capital.

Capture of few holdings and destruction of swedish army was enough to get 100%.

When I was dealing with new vassals claim chancellor did for entire duchy in Denmark!

Clearing the vassals and conquering 2 OPMs.

After it pretty fast war with Denmark.

However, at this point I was having too much holdings to be able to declare invasions, so I gave independence to some 3 barons.

Prepared invasion went for Norway and in the screen are presented my free troops.

Some roflstomp.

At this point I was having only 41% of moral authority.

-Razed entire Denmark
-Constructed one temple
-Two successful conquests
-Defending against another catholic uprising

But before reformation itself declared subjugation of Finland. After reforming I would loose this CB, so time to use it.

First target accomplished.

Another roflstomp.

And the second too.

​

 

[Rozmarzony]

Chapter 28
Nubia
1066 - 1074
Part I

How it looks like at start. Most disliked by me scenario with OP Fatimids and HRE.

At least I have de-jure claim for one county.

Betrothal with daughter of the emperor.

After expelling Jews, doing pilgrim and setting up council it's time to increase royal power!

At start killed via plot my vassal and inherited his castle. He was classic starting ruler without family.

Some quick war using my only CB.

Used marked mercs to win the war. By the way, unlike southern Ethiopians, I had 4 possible mercs bands, not only 2. Will be helpful in future.

Member of my family was my second vassal. Because he plotted against me I thrown him into prison. Now he's waiting for death. (can't revoke without tyranny)

Me at this point.

And my son.

After some time it happened and I got 3 castle into my hands.

​

 

[Rozmarzony]

Chapter 29
Nubia
1074 - 1103
Part II

Some nice gift from chancellor.

However, at this time Kassala was incorporated into Abyssina, which also conquered some muslims in the east.

King have only 2 daughters, so second one is going for my son.

After engagement I can ruin our relations with declare of war against him.

Using 2 mercs bands.

Destruction of his armies.

New view at the map.

Few months later he died and I'm even closer to getting entire Abyssinia. But actual queen can't die, otherwise second girl wouldn't want not-matri marry with my son.

What's funnier, she wants to reclaim those lands.

AI doesn't take into account the mercs so is going to loose badly.

Some free gold and prestige at least.

Second expelling in this playthrough.

First time got this event chain... but I will not post further screenshots about it, cause I don't wanna spoiler.

Previously enemies, now friends, namely me helping Abyssinia to beat some sunni uprising.

Two important events. Marriage of my son and crusade for Jerusalem!

After some fast plot her sister was killed.

Few months after crusade was started, my invasion for Alexandria!

After hiring every avaible mercs band I still have around 2k gold.

But where's Fatimid army?

After some time I found it. They're doing invasion of Mauretania, completely ignoring crusade and my war...

How Fatimids empire looks like after winnin the war. Huh...

Before they came back I was having already 100%.

When I started I thought it would be harder.

Didn't knew that having Alexandria enable them! Nice.

As always, going for vassalizaiton.

Unfortunately I had once again to hire 3 mercs bands to have enough power for vassalization... but it was worth.

My son got child...

Killed his mother and kid in following years.

Got kinslayer trait, but entire Abyssinia too.

​

 

[unmerged(271387)]

Nicely done!
I had another idea.Maybe you could start as one of the Manichaean counts under the PEchengs in 867 and conquer all of the Steppes and Persia?

 

[redsimonDE]

Man, I really need your help. Today I failed for the third time with the Jewish Duke of Khazars who starts in 1066. I always played Ironman, because with saving and reloading everything becomes boring. Can I send you a PM?

 

[VILenin]

Cool concept! I'm impressed by what you've managed to pull off. I'll be following.

 

[Vince75]

Hey, what would you think about a game where you would take a count in Irland in 867 and then playing as you want but you'll have to convert to the first catholic heresy that you'll find ?

 

[Battle bunny]

Hey, what would you think about a game where you would take a count in Irland in 867 and then playing as you want but you'll have to convert to the first catholic heresy that you'll find ?

Too easy. A more worthwhile challenge is starting with a small heretic vassal to begin with - no time to build up before getting jumped by everyone. I can't think of any examples myself, but there may be some Cathar counts near the 1187-1204 bookmarks - and if not, you can always Ruler Design one.

 

[Vince75]

Well I tried that in Ireland, and I had a big Scotland next to me, and I finished on a game over so... But I waited to be pretty big, 80% on Ireland, the south on England, to become Fraticelli so I also had to convert my vassal..

 

[Vince75]

What about that one ? http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum...ter-in-CK2&p=15375132&viewfull=1#post15375132

 

[Battle bunny]

Well I tried that in Ireland, and I had a big Scotland next to me, and I finished on a game over so... But I waited to be pretty big, 80% on Ireland, the south on England, to become Fraticelli so I also had to convert my vassal..

Oh, yeah, those crazy vanilla blobs... :rofl: I'm not saying you're a dumbass for having lost, just that if Rozmarzony won with the likes of the Bavandids and Northumberland, they'll definitely have no problem at all with your proposal.

I support the Count of Aintab as a playthrough character, btw. Should be fun.

 

[Forster]

Is there any character you don't think you could win with?