Viking Invasion stalemates

I played a game recently as the Picts (love those Berserkers!), and pretty much wiped out everyone except the Vikings and the Irish.

I had relegated the Vikings to Hordaland and Jutland, due to some pretty savage and prolonged naval combat. The Vikings groaned under the economic weight of their multiple Joms and Huscarle units sitting in the native provinces, and found themselves stuck with no money.

Anyway I found that, similar to my Saxon campaign, the Picts couldn't build ships to cross the deep-sea region between them and I.

I tried sending my best spies over there to foment rebellion but, due to the number of garrisoned units, I couldn't make much of a dint in the happiness of the population. Strike one.

I then tried assassination, with 4 star assassins. All that accomplished was to make King Ragnar and his son "Invulnerable". Strike two.

Ragnar was smart enough to keep his frozen armies under the command of the royal family, which made them unbribable. The one stack that I COULD bribe (Landsmen and Carls) was wiped out the next turn, and the Jutland port was destroyed. After the port was destroyed, I found that I couldn't send strategic agents to Jutland at all, and Ragnar didn't have the money to build another port. Strike three.

So, basically:

- I can't send armies to Jutland or Hordaland, because of the deep-sea region.
- I can't bribe or assassinate Ragnar in Hordaland, and I can't get ANY strategic agents into Jutland.
- Spies don't work because of the huge garrison in Hordaland.

What can I do? Is this a total stalemate?

Do any other the non-Viking factions have the ability to make deep-dea ships?

Thanks.

IIRC, once you conquer all of the British Isles then the game ends. I don't think you can get to the Vikings.

ichi :bow:

Ah, I see. Thanks Ichi.

In my Saxon campaign, I had conquered the two Viking provinces, using agents, prior to completing my conquest of the Isles.

Thanks for the heads-up.

~:eek: The AI does not cheat to make the ships it needs?

WOW!

Anyway, thanks for sharing. I'll have to keep that mind mind.

Azi