10 stars - Ugly Fools

[Cute Wolf]

Nb: Some of my "Butcher Grandpa" got battle weary too... but their ancillaries and other traits seemed enough to counter these effects effectively... I think you'll got battleweary more often if you use them on advantageous / balanced battle and lost... putting yourself at small disadvantage (especially in numbers), will give them nicer traits...

Anyhow, using "Butcher Grandpa" seems to had a nice portaits of family tree, as only the most of scarred, the most berserked, and the most mad died in battle (not surprisingly)... and when they reach 65's I will pick up nice Military-talented Highschool Boy (often their nice and peaceful Grandchildren or great grandchildren...) to step on their Grandpa's madness Most of their dynasty though, worked as 1-2 starred FM with 3-5 influence and management skills...

[Onehandstan]

Bureaucrats are for peace-time, you don't want your best generals to be governing towns (unless it's until they have kids)

[Cute Wolf]

But in the real history, almost all butcher-grandpa who reach 80 years will stop fighting and retire as peaceful farmers, businessmen, or at most peaceful politician... not riding arround the battlefield shouting AMINO!!!, SIGNA FERTE!!!, TAXEIS EXITE!!!, etc!!!!, slashing enemies that should be their grandchildrens, and selling some slaves, and butchering rebels.... unrealistic, at least... it was my concern...

But a grandpa doing killing spree on the battlefield is preferable to their modern counterparts... spending their last days peacefully (but painfully) in the hospital, or senior orphanage... I remember When my highschool made a visit for an Support house for Abandoned Seniors (yes Abandoned by their family... a common problem of poor people in my country)... when I compare their conditions to my "Butcher-Grandpa" in EB... i was weep a bit After all, it was much more better drink a lot of intoxicating drinks before the battlefield, show off all the scars, and swearing "Colourful" oaths, rather than waiting the last dayys in pain and poverty...

[Tristuskhan]

Use them untill they are worn out and then send them spending the end of their life in a fort-ressort in... Baleares or Corsica (not Ireland or the steppe, definitely not). Good air and mild weather are good for their old bones.

Just don't make them faction heirs anymore.

[Ca Putt]

think of it that way: if offices are given to old veterans it's not because they will do a good job. it's a prestige thing. if one gives a government office to a old Veteran, it's always a risk because he may(or rather will) not be as good at governing a city as leading an army. And what kind of provinces are normally given to sutch Veterans? unimportant peacefull little provinces, which often is in the interest of the Veteran himself.^^
on the other hand it's a simple question of gameplay: you have to dicide, War hero or good governer.

btw, my last faction leader(he died recently) had a heck lot of butcher like traits and was a monster on the battlefield but still had some usefull traits, like mathematics etc. I would never call him the best FM ever(not even the best i ever had^^) but in the first two seasons he could get some extra money and happyness out of a settlement^^