The king of kings !!!!

**Jxrc** · 03-11-2008, 12:01

Yesterday, I got the ultimate king in a Sicilian campaign started in early !!!!

Was my third king and the previous two kings were about ok. Second one died the year his heir was 15 and when the new king appeared it had the follwoings stats:

Piety: 0
Command: 0
Dread: 0
Acumen: 0

V&V: Chinless Wonder + Perversion

Influence: 1

Got a few decent (3 or 4 stars) uncle to look after that idiot but going to be tough ... Loyalty is not really sky-high and each time I conquer a province in need to fill it with at least 500 peasanst to reach 100% loyalty (and we are talking Ireland, Rhodes, Crete, Sardinia and Cyprus - not Livonia or Scotland)

Made my king fight one battle but he apparently had a negative number of star since is still stuck at 0 (more of an assassination than a battle really - spottted the Byz emperor alone - but eight stars - in Crimea, hired two mounted X-bows "et voila" Byz - and more importantly their last invicible Dromon- are history)

Pretty much the worst king I ever had.

**Caerfanan** · 03-11-2008, 12:10

WTF?????

OK, you're going to have an interesting time, really! Good luck!!!

**Peasant Phill** · 03-11-2008, 12:13

Pretty much the worst king possible if you ask me. And you're stuck with him for a long time unless you are prepared to engineer a civil war.

**Jxrc** · 03-11-2008, 12:30

Originally Posted by Peasant Phill

Pretty much the worst king possible if you ask me.

Well, at least he does not give a morale malus

Decided to stick to that king to see what would come up.

First heir had 1 star with "argumentative" but also "secret blackmailer" ... If I had not built anything that could be built in one or two turns ASAP, I think that the heir would have been the leader of the revolt as soon as the V&v ceased to be secret. "Magnificent builder" avoided that. Now I can make an army of ballistas if I want to. Now that I think of that would go nicely with such a king

In my last turn yesterday, the silly king was a bit beyond 45 (with a staggering influence of 3 !!!). Pretty sure that the game will let him live until is 84 just to mess with me a bit more. Need to find a few rebels to kill without mercy and ... a junior inquisitor to raise piety a bit (even if I get the atheist v&v at my first try I have no piety to loose anyway)

There is also the option to put him in charge of a crusade to Granada especially chartered for him. Stack of 10 valour 1 AUM with a few of the fast spear unit of 60 (sorry forgot the name) lead by a three stars general suddenly seems like a nice target. Perhaps he will get captured and the Elmo will have to pay me some money just to take him back

**Ravencroft** · 03-11-2008, 14:10

Maybe having 'influence' problems is a way to get "interesting" kings.

So, if you want really kewl princes(i.e. Byz) just, just make sure your king has good influence(i.e. above 6).

**Jxrc** · 03-11-2008, 14:33

Originally Posted by Ravencroft

Maybe having 'influence' problems is a way to get "interesting" kings.

Yep influence is the main factor as discussed in other threads but early in the game with some factions it is sometimes difficult to increase your influence without a little build-up.

Typical start for the Sicilian is to grab Naples and then start to do some serious shipbuilding to either attack the Elmos or the Byz.

Elmos are a good option early since Tunisia is their soft belly and since the Spanish will help you out (by either going to war or by merely increasing their force and causing the Elmo to put all their best troops in Cordoba).

Despite the GA points, I often find myself "compelled" to go after the Byz in order to help the Turks and Egyptians out cause there is pretty much nothing that I hate more than a campaign where the Byz get to Egypt by 1140.

In that campaign, the Byz looked like they were going to do it all over again cause they were able to move troops across the seas without any hindrance ... I started a naval war that dragged along for quite a long while with no conquest except Crete, Rhodes and Cyprus under my second king. That second king's rule did not start long since his predecessor has died when he was in his later 60's (was 42 when crowned with the average influence of 4- average stats something like piety 4- dread 3-command 3- acumen 4). Died sixteen years later and never got any influence increase in the meantime. That's how I got my new "hero". Not the first time I get a total idiot as the king but it's usually much later in the game. Can't recall a "perfect" 0-0-0-0 though.

**Ravencroft** · 03-11-2008, 14:58

Now that's very odd...

Most of the time, the traits and v&vs of kings don't conspire to give those stats.

**Jxrc** · 03-11-2008, 15:08

Yep that's hopefully something that does not happen everyday ...

Usually in most my campaign the first two "computer-generated" kings become worse than the initial one and things improve slowly due to increase in influence. There a lucky breaks and unfortunate setbacks due to V&V and the random aspect involved when generating the princes stats but that the usual "pattern" for me. Usibng your king in battle has usually and impact too of course (no mercy, swift justice, command stars, etc.).

Inn this case, got basically the worse to vices when it comes to stats since perversion decrease piety by 4 and chinless wonder command and acumen by 2 (IRRC). A bad draw combined with those V&V can explain the glorious result ... Would have been better off if the king had been an unhinged loon ... Would have let his stats unaffected.

**macsen rufus** · 03-11-2008, 16:17

Here's one I prepared earlier:

Actually this isn't my king - it's the Polish king from my Crimean Tartars campaign in PMTW - he started off with about 4 of everything until he picked a war with me and lost most of his empire, picking up some nasty V&Vs along the way as a result

**Martok** · 03-11-2008, 18:34

Blech. When I get kings like that, I usually assassinate them or send them on a suicide mission. Proper lines of succession be damned -- I'd much rather fight a good old-fashioned civil war, thank you!

**Caerfanan** · 03-12-2008, 14:18

Macsen Rufus, the pope must love that king! Stupid and VERY pious. A new territory for the Pope!

**caravel** · 03-12-2008, 14:29

Marry him to his sister/daughter.

On a serious note though I once had a similar king to him that I simply could not get rid of by assassination or any other means. In the end it had to be a one way boat trip.