Tips on playing the Vikings...

[sparrow]

Hi
Can you people offer suggestions on the best way to play the Vikings? I find that I can easily take on armies double my size, gain florins easy, but I cannot retain control over a conquered mainland province. Because of impending revolt, I withdraw my forces back to Scandinavia. The revolt happens and then I have to re-conquer the province which now contains many more troops than before.
So, question is, where is the best place to keep a foothold on mainland?
All hints and tips appreciated, thanks

[motorhead]

I haven't played a viking campaign in a bit so my advice will be a bit generalized as i can't recall all the provinces and factions. Initially, you've got the superior army and raiding is the way to keep the cash flowing, but don't raid them all into dust. Start building 'bulk' troops like thralls/peasants, then when you capture a good, coastal, florin producing province, bring in your bulk troops to pacify the locals (quantity, not quality counts for keeping loyalty high). IIRC the Irish provinces were generally decent florin producers, as well as the southern, and southeastern provinces. Others will probably give more specific plans, but hope this helps a bit

[Cebei]

Play with Mercians http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

Anyway, as motorhead said, build bulk troops to ensure loyalty in newly captured provinces. Do not expand rapidly, just make a manageable expansion and do not withdraw troops from the newly conquered province for a long time. Build religious buildings for morale and assign a high dread governor to that province.

[Dîn-Heru]

Conquer Ireland first, and devolp it to be your treasure chest. It can provide you with a positive income rather than a negative one. Then you can concentrate on taking Britain. Note don't begin taking land in britain or Ireland right away, waut, raid and develop your homelands first. when conquering in England lower your taxesto prevent revolts and don't move too quickly.

[sparrow]

Thanks to all replies. I think i will focus on ireland first then http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[The Wizard]

Actually, I prefer to spend the first 70 years making huge raids straight through Saxon lands (the Anglo-Saxon peoples, i.e. the Northhumbrians, the Mercians and the Saxons)... meaning I sail to some Northhumbrian province, attack, and then cut myself a way through to the Southern provinces of the Saxon province... this gets progressively harder as the years pass, as the Saxons get access to their own Huscarles and also to armoured spearmen. I don't raid Celtic lands, because early in the game I find their lands to poor to raid, and I dont like those strong Celtic warriors... http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[Jeebus_Frist]

I always like to hit the rebel provinces in the southeast first. The quality of troops is not very good and you won't have an angry faction breathing down your neck. There is ample potential for agricultural growth in those provinces and the trade goods are tailor made for your fleet to take advantage of.

I always build the first level fort followed by the smaller pagan shrine immediately after capturing a province. Try and keep an adequate number of troops in the province until loyalty begins to increase. Actually, rebellions can be to your advantage as they are relatively easy to defeat and you get extra florins for capturing the rebels lands.

http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wave.gif

[Marshal Murat]

I usually build a large fleet and army and stike in two different places, raid, pillage, burn, rape provences and go rushing though destroying all you can, and leaving trailing provences to thier internal strife. Burn everything to the ground to force the enemy to constanly grow weaker and weaker, and devote more resources to buildings, and contiune, but hold onto a costal provence, especially coastal, and slowly spread. Also kill the king ASAP to turn thier nation to shambles and woe.

[toddy]

The easiet way to do is is to raid the rich provinces first (you must control the seas though) and then take the Isle of Man and the Scottish Islands to the north... Remember always to sell everything in any conquered provinces as you may find a fort or church is left.. Every penny counts earlier in the game.

Then you can develope these to produce more troops and can't be attacked as you should have dominance of the seas by this stage. Then hit Ireland, as one of the chaps earlier stated. This gives you a strong base to attack and then hold then mainland. Once you have Jombs vikings and the like, you literally only need 6/700 troops to take out thousands of locals..I remember beating 8000 Irish with 650 hardcore Viking nutters. I think my Raider cavalry had about 500 odd kills by then end of the battle, chasing down routed troops