How small do you like to stay?

[kasmersensei]

I started a Danish campaign in early on hard. It was interesting in that for a number of years I only held Denmark and Sweden. I tried to take Norway, but failed in a battle (repeated past) and also tried a bribe, but at the time I was short and a few years later tried again and the price had ballooned up 10x!

Portugal was also a happy bribing ground, though took 4-5x to finally snag it. I also took Sardinia and Corsica with bribes before attacks by the Sicilians ‘forced me to remove many of their ship building provinces.

The English later followed disliking my navy (though mine was smaller). Earlier the Novoguards kept attacking many after multiple attacks I took Novgorad and Livonia, my first territories taken from another faction besides rebels.

I forget how long I was only 2 provinces, maybe a good 30-50 years.

Anybody else gone this route?

[drone]

My usual Danish strategy is to start slow-ish. First target is Sweden, preferably forcing a battle by attacking small so the rebels don't flee Norway. Then I tend to turtle up while building up to ships in Denmark and armoury/metalsmiths in Sweden. I will take Norway eventually, but it's a bit of a drain until you get a trade network set up so I wait a while. Saxony is an option if the HRE is in disarray (and when is it ever not in disarray!), since it works as a chokepoint just like Denmark and can help your income. After that, I just crank out ships, tech up, and enjoy the trade cash for a while.

I've found that you can't really stay small for too long though, as your influence won't grow, your heirs get fat and lazy, and your generals start grumbling. The Danes also tend to fill up with heirs, the maintenance costs of those bodyguard units can take a huge cut from your profits. I usually target the British Isles next, but that can change depending on the cost to trade via alliances. If the English are too valuable, Ireland is usually still rebels, it's costly to garrison but can cut ship maintenance costs to offset that and gallowglasses are entertaining. The Iberian peninsula can also be a target to offset ship maintenance costs of the Med trade.

Once the treasury fills up, I generally lose self-control, start taking advantage of weak spots and wars, and somehow end up with most of Western/Central Europe with only the Baltic and Med trade left. And excommunicated. And actively searching for provinces with Chapter Houses to raze when they drop a cross on you. What can I say, the Danes are fun.

[Gilrandir]

My usual Danish strategy is to start slow-ish. First target is Sweden, preferably forcing a battle by attacking small so the rebels don't flee Norway. Then I tend to turtle up while building up to ships in Denmark and armoury/metalsmiths in Sweden. I will take Norway eventually, but it's a bit of a drain until you get a trade network set up so I wait a while. Saxony is an option if the HRE is in disarray (and when is it ever not in disarray!), since it works as a chokepoint just like Denmark and can help your income. After that, I just crank out ships, tech up, and enjoy the trade cash for a while.

I've found that you can't really stay small for too long though, as your influence won't grow, your heirs get fat and lazy, and your generals start grumbling. The Danes also tend to fill up with heirs, the maintenance costs of those bodyguard units can take a huge cut from your profits. I usually target the British Isles next, but that can change depending on the cost to trade via alliances. If the English are too valuable, Ireland is usually still rebels, it's costly to garrison but can cut ship maintenance costs to offset that and gallowglasses are entertaining. The Iberian peninsula can also be a target to offset ship maintenance costs of the Med trade.

Once the treasury fills up, I generally lose self-control, start taking advantage of weak spots and wars, and somehow end up with most of Western/Central Europe with only the Baltic and Med trade left. And excommunicated. And actively searching for provinces with Chapter Houses to raze when they drop a cross on you. What can I say, the Danes are fun.

I tech up to getting Huscarles (not available in Late) and spam 'em out in tons after which the game is as good as won.

[kasmersensei]

I am playing the vanilla version, so not even sure Hurscarles exist except as rebels.

[kasmersensei]

My usual Danish strategy is to start slow-ish. First target is Sweden, preferably forcing a battle by attacking small so the rebels don't flee Norway. Then I tend to turtle up while building up to ships in Denmark and armoury/metalsmiths in Sweden. I will take Norway eventually, but it's a bit of a drain until you get a trade network set up so I wait a while. Saxony is an option if the HRE is in disarray (and when is it ever not in disarray!), since it works as a chokepoint just like Denmark and can help your income. After that, I just crank out ships, tech up, and enjoy the trade cash for a while.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I noticed that, plenty of decent prince generals. My only problems now are:

My empire is a bit disconnected in parts, so that could affect loyalty at some point.
Hold Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Norsogod, Livonia, Lithuania, all of the British Isles, Ireland, Flanders, Britany (bribed it) Friesland, Portugal, Tuscany, Genoa, Venice, Sicily, Sardinia and Corsica (these I grabbed for ship building as decent tech, and to keep an eye on areas on there in the earlier game before I kicked the Sicilians out of the Italian provinces), and Constanople ( the English held it, but after battling them when they attacked my navy, found it was easy to take).

I noticed my GA point totals are lower than the Turks and the Spanish (who are huge, they extend from Aquatine all the way to Tripoli with a few rebel provinces here and there)


xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I've found that you can't really stay small for too long though, as your influence won't grow, your heirs get fat and lazy, and your generals start grumbling. The Danes also tend to fill up with heirs, the maintenance costs of those bodyguard units can take a huge cut from your profits. I usually target the British Isles next, but that can change depending on the cost to trade via alliances. If the English are too valuable, Ireland is usually still rebels, it's costly to garrison but can cut ship maintenance costs to offset that and gallowglasses are entertaining. The Iberian peninsula can also be a target to offset ship maintenance costs of the Med trade.

Once the treasury fills up, I generally lose self-control, start taking advantage of weak spots and wars, and somehow end up with most of Western/Central Europe with only the Baltic and Med trade left. And excommunicated. And actively searching for provinces with Chapter Houses to raze when they drop a cross on you. What can I say, the Danes are fun.

Managed to not be excommunicated, somehow. I was at war with the pope at one time, even though I kicked the Sicilians out of his turf. The new pope later same along with a bit of help. They didn’t ransom him, though the English did before the Spanish wiped them out.

[kasmersensei]

Managed to not be excommunicated, somehow. I was at war with the pope at one time, even though I kicked the Sicilians out of his turf. The new pope later same along with a bit of help. They didn’t ransom him, though the English did before the Spanish wiped them out.

Sorry, managed to get part of my post imbedded there, small iPhone screen...

[drone]

I tech up to getting Huscarles (not available in Late) and spam 'em out in tons after which the game is as good as won.

I am playing the vanilla version, so not even sure Hurscarles exist except as rebels.

Vanilla as in no VI? With the VI expansion you can build them in Denmark, Sweden, and Norway in Early only, with a Swordsmith and Armourer. Spamming fully upgraded Huscarles from Sweden is one of life's little pleasures.

[edyzmedieval]

And if you do a bit of modding, you can add the VI units of the Vikings into the Early part of the game, giving you more troop depth and variety.

Cheap Thralls for garrisons are great.

[macsen rufus]

Cheap Thralls for garrisons are great.

As are cheap thrills when you build a brothel....

[kasmersensei]

Have plenty of those, done a fair bit of spy rushing before I opened fire on the Spanish and broke up their empire dreams.

[Martok]

Under ideal circumstances -- ha! -- I generally prefer to own no more than around 10 provinces. Obviously, however, that can vary, especially depending on the situation and which faction I'm playing as.

And of course it's fun sometimes to just rampage across the map and conquer everyone. Some of the most enjoyable scenarios are where 1-2 other factions and myself have become superpowers, and there's a massive showdown in the endgame for control of the world.

[kasmersensei]

I agree, though since my Acer died I am rampaging across a chessboard only!

[Age]

I go down to the Holy Roman Empire and start taking regions away from them excommunicated as well .what can I say I am Norse.

I am going to have to try your way out Drone got any videos on it ?