Common cause for your Governors/Generals?

[Jack50]

Hello all! Just got my Mastertronic copy of M:TW Gold Edition with the VI expansion Have logged a massive 4 hours(HA!) total so far. It is running on W7 and so far only one freeze about 25-30 turns in

I still need to fully read the manual and will print it out this coming weekend. Wondering about the starting troops and commanders. From what I could gleen from the posts here and the short manual reading; I have a couple of quick questions.

Just so you know, I will be writing an AAR here starting middle of May once I can find my horse from my arse so to speak In addition I have only 4 factions that I ever play, but am willing to hear what you folks think. My first choice is always the Hungarians. The forefront of Catholic mastery of the Balkans My 2nd option is between the French/Sicilio-Normans. If not that then I do like to play the Novogradians/Rus'. Finally, my forefathers from Denmark. I honestly have never tried a campaign with the Danes because it just feels weird Does that make me weird?

My theory is to WIPE OUT every troop/commander that doesn't meet the grade in either loyalty and/or acumen. While this means you have rebellions if you aren't wise in this, my thought is as follows. I would rather have a strong acumen commander in charge of 100 peasants than one who is in charge of 40 HA's. Maybe I'm wrong but then this is where you get to come in and just shake your heads and/or fists at me. I should clarify that this would be in the beginning of my campaign and obviously I can't throw them ALL away. What has worked best for you? If you could do it different how would you?

[caravel]

Yes... weed out the gluttons, cowards and potential traitors (loyalty less than 4 shields - but target the 1's and 2's first) etc if they don't have much else to offer. I always found it made for useful spy training...

There is no sense however in killing off a 2 loyalty general with otherwise superb stats. Give him a good title, marry him to a princess and start winning battles...

[drone]

There is no sense however in killing off a 2 loyalty general with otherwise superb stats. Give him a good title, marry him to a princess and start winning battles...

This. Winning territory (and thus increasing the faction leader's influence) is of course the best way to get loyalty up. A short term fix for low loyalty (but otherwise excellent) generals is to place them in the King's stack for a while.

I wouldn't worry too much about low acumen generals, just don't make them governors. I have a house rule on appointing governors, only the "sirs" can get tabbed for the position. This makes it a little more difficult, since the brightest spark tends to be some scrub leading a spearmen unit, whereas most of the knight commanders can barely count to 2. I usually end up picking the leader of a sword or axe unit for the job.

[caravel]

A short term fix for low loyalty (but otherwise excellent) generals is to place them in the King's stack for a while.

+1

This also makes a lot of sense for another reason besides the loyalty "recharging" effect - while in the kings stack they can't start a civil war. It also makes sense in some cases to round up the "traitors" and herd them into one backwater province where they can't do any harm and send the spies in there and let them have a it...

If civil war is imminent however and your royal stock are a lot of chinless, perverted cowards, madmen and drunkards, it's wise to instead round them up, separate them and help the civil war along a bit, then when it breaks out - back the rebels and you have a new dynasty. Seems like an exploit but not the worst by any measure...

Civil wars and the lead up to them, are one of the most interesting dynamics of the game - sadly missing in later titles.

[Jack50]

Alright you have convienced me to try it your way for a pre AAR run through. I do like the idea of only Sirs but then what about the stories of men coming up through the ranks to be the greatest? Sorry, just my western attitute. Again, appreciate the response from you salty dog veterans If your new; feel free to imput also. You aren't wrong, you're just thinking outside the box