Provinces Worth Dying For

[derF]

Say here which provinces you think are vital centrepoints to a faction and maybe why.

I'd say 2 straight away. Venice and Constantinople, both income making powerhouses.

[YAKOBU]

Hi derF

I've not played MTW for a while due to RTW but when I did it was mainly as the English. My main target was Flanders both for the cash and trade as well as creating a land bridge to my provinces on the continent. Once Flanders was secure I would take the island of Norway, Sweden and Denmark for their trade and iron.

[Lacker]

I just discovered the Danish and I'd have to say my new favorite provinces are the Northern coastal provinces (Denmark, Sweden, Novgord, Lithuania, Livonia etc) Initially I thought they where barran chunks of Ice but because they are all on the coast you can pump out a navy in no time, with proper merchant upgrades they can each clear well over $1,200/year. With a dominant navy and solid trade you can build ANYTHING and still not keep up with your income.

Next to that I'd say I like Navarre. I know it's kind of odd, but I see it as the Western gateway between the Muslim and Catholic factions. Every campaign I've played Spain gets wiped out in no time so I always make a b-line for that little triangle. The main reason is the Almmohads usually won't attack Aragorn and thus as long as I have a navy the ONLY way into S. Western Europe from Spain is up the slopes of Navarre. The hills are so freaking steep I've defended it against 5-6 times my number with under 600 troops for 8-10 years at a time. couple of spears, some light horse and plenty of missiles and you could live there for ever and NEVER lose a battle.

I call the fortress there Helms Deep because I've NEVER been driven from those heights. It's GREAT for building generals with defender virtues. My current general is peaked out on command stars "This mans actions on the battlefield seem to be accompanied by music....."

[henoch]

Antioch/ia, ANtioch, ANTIOch, ANTIOCH!! ..in terms of money (some say is most important)

[VikingHorde]

The provinces in northen Spain, they have Iron and high farm income.

[mcv]

Financially, Flanders, Constantinople, Venice, Egypt, and I think Antioch are the big powerhouses. Halfway through Late, however, Khazar suddenly becomes the single richest province in the game. Flanders and Constantinople are also very strategic positions.

Best neutral province: Sweden. It can earn over 3000 in trade, has excellent farming, and it even has iron! Building up from a fort to useful units and weaponsmiths takes forever, though.

Provinces with unique units are also often worth fighting for. Gallowglasses and Highlanders are great ofcourse, and when I border on Switzerland, I can rarely resist the temptation of trying to conquer it. Defeating those 8-star Armoured Pikemen is a costly affair, though. I really like Jinetes, so Iberian provinces are also attractive.


mcv.

[ichi]

Say here which provinces you think are vital centrepoints to a faction and maybe why.

I'd say 2 straight away. Venice and Constantinople, both income making powerhouses.

You're right, especially if you are Hungary. Get Venice, Constantinople, and Kiev and form a little triangle.

Some provinces offer resources, as mentioned above about Spain. Others offer unique units, as mentioned above about Ireland and Scotland. Certain provinces are huge moneymakers - Antioch and Venice were mentioned.

The real reason I like certain provinces is for their geographic location and usefulness as a chokepoint. Morocco, Flander, Wessex, Denmark, Constantinople, Egypt, Khazar, Georgia, Aragon and Navarre, Aquitaine and Toulouse, all of the African Coastal provinces. Since I play the crusty skin/gooey inside style (all my borders strong, all my interior/non-border provinces weak) I like chokepoints. Like Kiev and its bridges, great for holding the horde.

ichi

[CherryDanish]

Troop development:
For me ... Sweden. I tend to base many of my tactics on strong heavy infantry. The development of sweden to produce hascarles and then to build it into a heavy cav factory for later in the game make it indespensible to me.

Economics:
Antioch with a 9 feather gov is twisted for revenue generation. There is no better province for revenue which is likely why it's such a crusade target.

Tech:
Scoring constantinople early on is a great way to produce advanced structures and troops long before you have any business getting access to them. Saving 40-50 years on castle building for a higher tech tree is priceless.

Jackal factor:
Never underestimate the power of Syria. Syria can be a decent money maker. Syria has a massive tactical value because it's critical for moving troops around from landlocked provinces in the region, it's critical for flanking an enemy, and it's a must have when you are trying to minimise your front when taking the region. Most importantly, you can make 5 star assassins. Five star assassins are awesome at eliminating factions, which in turn wipe out entire oppossing navies and end wars when you need peace. When you attack a faction, it's allies seem more prone to make war or to not make peace with you. If you kill off a faction's leaders with assassins, they are no longer allied with any faction as rebels, so you can walk in and take their cookies and no one cares. The pope will not excom you for killing rebels. Assassins in number and quality make the game easier to win and can be a viable tactic towards total domination.

[ExtraToes]

Constantinople is easily the most vital province, and the only province that you cannot realisticly achieve the 60% "lesser victory" without taking at some point. not only is it a vital chokepoint, but it also comes with a heavily upgraded and outfitted castle, so you need to either take it and use it, or take it and burn it to rob anyone else of it's advantages. but that's all fairly obvious.

other than that, rome is essential. not to hold of course, but to manage, and take and re-take frequently. esspetially if you're a catholic factiona and want the pope off your back whilst you stretch your legs. consequently, this makes tuscany and important province to keep as well.

aragon is a pretty good province to maintain, as it is easily defensable, and borders many other important provinces that can be harder to keep. also, provence for the same reasons, and because it makes a fine staging area for major western and northwestern assaults.

finally, the black sea is necesary to control if you wish to leave the northeast ungaurded while you push westward

[derF]

Finally, someone mentioned Syria! A good place to bottle-neck all those muslims.

I never really considered Sweden much, but you all insist.

[Pericles]

Yup, Sweden is a power house for me right now.

I'm playing as the Danes, and Sweden is generating 1,700 florins EVERY turn, and I still haven't developed it to its fullest yet

[Krusader]

Antioch with Very High Taxes, 4-5 Acumen Governor and Merchant's Guild gives ya 4100-4300 florins a year!!
Syria and Armenia got resources aplenty too. And Tripoli...ahhh..screw it...Middleeast is a big moneymaker.

Later in game, Khazar and Crimea gets more goods.

Pomerania with Merchant and 4 Acumen governor is 500-600 florins.

Other florin income provinces not mentioned: Rum, Sicily, Cordoba

When it comes to resources and economy, most of you have written the best ones.
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Strategical:

Denmark, Wessex and such chokepoints of course.

Kiev...its funny to defend Kiev from Mongol armies invading from Khazar.

Ile de France has rivers too, and many an army have been crushed by my superior forces

Flanders...well...its funny hiding in the forests with heavy infantry.

[_Aetius_]

Well your factions capital is always worth dying for, but for sheer impotant and significance, constantinople is worth dying for, so is antioch, rome, palestine sicily switzaland etc.

Isnt just about money but the significance of the province is important.

[Sensei Warrior]

I think all Provinces are worth dying for. I figure I fought for it, bled for it, and conquered it, it's mine. Not to mention that after all that is over I built it up, cherished it, and watched it prosper. Then some other faction wants to lay their grubby hands on it, burn the cities, plundering and pillaging and doing Lord knows what to the womanfolk. It'll be a cold day in you know where before I give it to someone else.

I was playing the Byzantines once and spread into almost all of Eastern Europe when the Huns attacked. I lost Provinces one by one to their rolling machine of death. Every battle I fought to the last man, even the little no name provinces. I paid the ransom for every one of my captured prisoners, even the peasants, and I never forgot it.

I allied myself with everyone else and built huge armies. I made it my mission to crush the Horde no matter what, and I did. In the end I was the sole reason why the Horde was expelled from Europe.

And after that I went on to conquer everywhere else.

[TwinMfg]

Say here which provinces you think are vital centrepoints to a faction...

Your last one!

[Alexandr III. Biges]

Mediterranean island are good, especially Sicily, because there are export goods. Anyway, island are vital as bases for you ships protecting trade routes (and decreasing the support cost of nearby ships). Furthermore, they you don;t have to keep large force, if you maintain sea superiority and they may also serve as a base for your agents.

[Saracen_Warrior]

Its very hard to have naval surperiority without taking the islands in it. They produce decent income and reduce the cost of ships since they aren't as far away from ports. This extra money can be used to build more ships, and the more ships you can build the more islands you can take. A very nice cycle.

[Feanor]

Doesn't Syria also give you assassins with a secret valour bonus? That's a fine benefit too.

[Ash]

Doesn't Syria also give you assassins with a secret valour bonus? That's a fine benefit too.

They start out with 2 valour stars with level 1 tavern. So you can get them up to five I guess if you improve the tavern buildings.