Getting out of financial debt in MTW

[British Mutt + Viking]

I have rarely been in financial trouble in MTW, but once in a while, I get hammered. This formula has proven fairly successful and saving me from running out of money when my back is against the wall. Feel free to post your own techniques!

1. Whenever you have a real surplus of money, find an out of the way province and build an expensive but unecessary building. Chapter-Houses are useful, and buildings for making spies or assassins. When you are running low on cash, destroy the building and you get a few hundred florin.

2. Re-organize your army and disband excess units. Always go smaller armies of more efficient soldiers. Masses of cheap troops can be as draining as more expensive units if you are not careful. Peasants are useful garrison troops for completely safe provinces, but after a while, some provinces don't need a garrison at all.

3. You will be shocked at how easy it is to forget to keep your governors' acumen levels up. Once in a while, like every 3 turns, check your governors, and replace those with acumens below 5 points if possible, and never let a men with less than 4 rule a county (unless he has a +acumen virtue that will grow or negates the loss by having a +% to agricultural or trade output)

4. Raiding is useful. If the enemy (or a neutral) has an exposed province with lots of buildings, take and destroy all the buildings, then retreat. That could get you 2-3,000 florins in a pinch.

5. If you are in a bad state, retreating to shorten your borders is a last-resort which has saved me on many occasions.

6. He who rules the seas, rules the world. Always put your priority on your navy and tradelinks if possible. Keep a large fleet on hand to prevent enemy from cutting your trade routes. Try to keep your fleets at a minimum of 3 ships each to give you a good chance of surviving attack, even with weak ships. This can take time, but it pays off greatly in the end.

[Roark]

Nice one.

Thanks mate.

[Sociopsychoactive]

Thats all great advice, but I have one flaw.

WHen you get reasonably large, you are usually well off so this doesn't apply very foten, but it still effects the rusher and the expantionist. You take a lot of land, build very little economic upgrades and rule the sea's with your fleets, but then you hit 60% of the map or so (easy to forget how big you are) and everyone declares war. Your navy is useless as you have no-one to trade with, and even if you can trade with far-off nutrals your trade routs get disrupted by constant sea skirmishes. Your all owerfull trade machine turns into an extreamly expensive set of leaky tubs overnight.

As I said, this usually doesn;t apply as you are large enough to counter the loss of income with economic upgrades, but for expentionists it can be the point of bancruptcy.

[British Mutt + Viking]

the upside is that if you can't trade, neither can they, nor can they move troops by sea, which greatly eases your burden.

[Satyr]

I really like to start off by building mines and farming in those provinces where it makes sense. They provide the quickest ROI of all economic upgrades. I usually do this as soon as I have conquered my first patsy, while I tech up a couple of provinces so that I can build feudal troops, before I conquer my next patsy. Only then do I start trading. Start too early in the game and no one else has ports built anyway. Once my trading empire is rolling along I upgrade my other provinces' farming and mines for the late game when trading again disappears.

[CountMRVHS]

I'm currently in a sort of dismal little bind with my Viking campaign. I've never actually won with the Vikings: the first time I played them, I raided like hell, ended up destroying all the factions and pretty much burned the entire British Isles so all the provinces were useless patches of ash, rebels, and reemerging factions. I quit that one when I was over 3000 in the hole and losing more each year.

I tried a few more Viking campaigns after that but they struck me as too easy so I ended up quitting pretty early into it.

Then I fired up my current campaign, Expert level, with the intention of going for a 100% victory just so I can say I did it ONCE. I focused on Ireland first, then worked my way round to the Picts, Scots, and Welsh. For awhile there I was actually making some money from profits, but that was small compared to the cash I was making for destroying provinces. I'd regularly have over ten thousand in the bank.

Right about the time I could build Jomsvikings, I started to notice I was losing over a thousand a turn. That's where I am now, facing the 3 Anglo saxon factions while I'm losing the amount of money I have in the bank each year. Trade isn't helping much and I'll be at war with all of them anyway, but I don't have enough money to support the armies I need to hold down the rebelling provinces I'm going to conquer.

I think I'm going to have to reorganize my whole army and do some disbanding; have one place churning out Thralls while I have one invading army do the dirty work. This would've been easier if the Vikings didn't automatically destroy EVERY building in the provinces they take over, but what can you expect from a bunch of topless berserkers.

Anyone else experience this midgame turning point for Viking finances?

[lars573]

The answer to any and all financial problems in MTW is, .deadringer., you need nothing else.

[Satyr]

CountMRVHS, the most useful bit of advice I could give is to use nothing but peasants to garrison. At 12 florins/100 men they are an incredible bargain. I build thousands of them!

Here is how I play the Vikings and I never have money problems. I build some peasants in Norway while getting so I can build Huscarles. I build ships in Denmark. I raid whenever I need money, but then withdraw my ships so that I can go back to being neutral with all the factions and keep trade going. I don't raid provinces with ports and I do aim for provinces with abbies.

I take Manua asap and start build all the cav upgrades and then all the armor and weapon upgrades. I build horses here every year for the whole campaign. I then take the island in the north atlantic (the one not connected to the mainland) and start upgrading for Huscarle production. I never build anything but Huscarles and cav the whole campaign (build archers if you want to).

Next I conquer Ireland and start building all economic upgrades except I upgrade one of the provinces with iron for more Huscarle production. Next I start conquering the Saxons or the Welsh. I keep my front as short as possible while putting thousands of peasants behind my lines as garrisons.

I am almost always done with a 100% victory by 980 and have done it as early as 950 without using Mercs or other cheap tactics. I usually get Sven up to 8 or 9 command stars and the butcher trait. He routs everyone in his path! There is nothing quite like slaughtering the masses with fully teched up Huscarles. I used to build Joms when I could but now I never bother because they take 2 years and cost too much in upkeep. Besides, Huscarles are already too strong. Enjoy!

[CountMRVHS]

Good point about the Joms; I think next time I won't go so Jom-crazy. It's just too frustrating watching them get pelted by arrows and cut down to half-strength when it took you 2 years to make them.

On another note:

SUCCESS!!!

My first 100% victory as the Vikings came today; I think the year was around 900. I simply did some rearranging of my forces, waited out a few more sieges, and started making cash again. It also helped that the Mercians were my next target; they were in possession of some nice lands that I promptly trashed for big profit.

As I was finishing up the Mercians, in the last battle with their king in Middel Seaxe, the Saxons who were my allies at the time joined the battle with a MUCH bigger force than mine. I knew I'd be at war with them next anyway, and I've always wanted to betray an ally on the battlefield... so I waited until they were both engaged, lined up my huscarles behind the Saxons, and charged in just as they kindly killed the Mercian king for me. Didn't know what hit 'em! About 20 years later it was King Harald versus King Alfred in the last free province, Dornsaete. Viking victories sure are nice once in awhile!

[Satyr]

Congrats! I never let stupid little archers pincushion my warriors though. That is why I build tons of cav, I use them to kill archers and chase routers while my Huscarles attack everything else head on. My cav are expendable while my Huscarles continually increase in valor. By the end of a campaign they are all 6 and 7 valor before adding in 6 to 9 stars of bonus. Add in the fact that all my main generals get all the attacker and defender vices too and my forces are quite formidable by the end of a game. I just wish I could then invade all of Europe with them!

[British Mutt + Viking]

This would've been easier if the Vikings didn't automatically destroy EVERY building in the provinces they take over, but what can you expect from a bunch of topless berserkers.

Personally, this feature of the game is illogical, as it was not the Viking manner to destroy everything, their thing was they had no issue with raiding rich churchs and taking everything of value, including people to be forced into thralldom. They did not destroy buildings, they took things. The only buildings I would think acceptable to be destroyed are religious buildings, otherwise, they are only damaged if they are more than level one, or left as is. This habit of purging all buildings is ridiculous to say the least.

[ToranagaSama]

I have rarely been in financial trouble in MTW, but once in a while, I get hammered. This formula has proven fairly successful and saving me from running out of money when my back is against the wall. Feel free to post your own techniques!

1. Whenever you have a real surplus of money, find an out of the way province and build an expensive but unecessary building. Chapter-Houses are useful, and buildings for making spies or assassins. When you are running low on cash, destroy the building and you get a few hundred florin.

2. Re-organize your army and disband excess units. Always go smaller armies of more efficient soldiers. Masses of cheap troops can be as draining as more expensive units if you are not careful. Peasants are useful garrison troops for completely safe provinces, but after a while, some provinces don't need a garrison at all.

3. You will be shocked at how easy it is to forget to keep your governors' acumen levels up. Once in a while, like every 3 turns, check your governors, and replace those with acumens below 5 points if possible, and never let a men with less than 4 rule a county (unless he has a +acumen virtue that will grow or negates the loss by having a +% to agricultural or trade output)

4. Raiding is useful. If the enemy (or a neutral) has an exposed province with lots of buildings, take and destroy all the buildings, then retreat. That could get you 2-3,000 florins in a pinch.

5. If you are in a bad state, retreating to shorten your borders is a last-resort which has saved me on many occasions.

6. He who rules the seas, rules the world. Always put your priority on your navy and tradelinks if possible. Keep a large fleet on hand to prevent enemy from cutting your trade routes. Try to keep your fleets at a minimum of 3 ships each to give you a good chance of surviving attack, even with weak ships. This can take time, but it pays off greatly in the end.

Not a bad list, though a couple are a bit cheesy, once you're an experienced player.

1. Yeah, but if a few hundred is going to help, you're probably too far gone.

2. Right! You often find that you have more troops than is necessary. Checking Garrisons is the first place to look. Often after taking a new province you need a fairly large garrison to keep things under control. You may forget about the garrison and a few dozen turns later there it is, no longer need, but eating Florins.

Satyr made a good suggestion, use ONLY cheap troops for garrison duty. I prefer Town Watch, as this is their intended purpose, keeping order; but Peasants will do.

3. Check your Provinces EVERY Turn, this includes checking your Govenors. It's tedious, but really no excuse not to, for a serious player.

After awhile you get experienced enough, and you'll know which Provinces need to be looked at each turn and which don't. Just a matter of experience.

4. Yeah, Raiding is tool a player can use, BUT, sorry, its really rather Cheesy. The AI doesn't do it, and a human Player from the outset has advantage over the AI, why do it? Harcore players try to refrain from this tactic, its already too easy to get rich.

5. Sometimes it may be necessary, but as Patton said, I hate to pay twice for the same ground.

6. No Doubt, Trade, Trade, Trade!! Unless you're a Warmongering type of player, establishing trade links is the goal; taking *coastal* provinces with good trade possibilities is a priority! Concentrating on *coastal* provinces with 3 (valuable) trade items is a key.

WARNING: Yes, having strong fleets is a defense against having your trade links interrupted, BUT!!! You've got realize that Ships are probably the GREATEST turn-by-turn drain on your treasury.

If you're in a money bind, actually the first thing to do is to check your Ships. Make sure you don't have more than you NEED!

Putting a 3 stack in every sea area is expensive; and, probably not necessary. Rather, you a single ships to create your trade link, and having a 3 stack or better *War* fleet waiting in the general area to meet any threat.

For example, keeping a War fleet in or near the English Channel is a good choke point to meet threats to North Sea trade.

Another is right off the Spanish coast (main(??)), enemy ships coming from the Med have to pass this point, have a *good* War fleet at or near this point to meet any threats to your trade links.

Those are just a couple of examples, if playing the Danes, Brits, French, etc.

It's most often better to have your link(s) broken for a couple of Turns, while you move your War fleet to take care of things, than to carry the cost turn-by-turn of a overly large general fleet.

Make sure to reach a point where you can let your Treasury build for a few turns, so you have a Reserve. Its not necessary to be building *every* turn.

Luck!

[King of Atlantis]

I rarley run out of money and this is why..


1.I stay small only taking nice rich trade lands
2.build huge navy and make millions by increasing my trade buildings/farm buildings
3.by the time i have become big i am usually rich beyond belief,very advanced, and still making a lot of money from farm income.

[king steven]

I rarley run out of money and this is why..

1.I stay small only taking nice rich trade lands
2.build huge navy and make millions by increasing my trade buildings/farm buildings
3.by the time i have become big i am usually rich beyond belief,very advanced, and still making a lot of money from farm income.

Good Tips.... "Umm now where did i put my copy on MTW"

[Advo-san]

1) Disband.
2) Stop ALL production, both units and buildings
3) DISBAND
4) Fight a or Pope, wear down his armies, capture him, ransome him back.
5) Assign acument-freaks as governors.
6) For the love of God, Disband...