How to win in Viking Campaign

[Budwise]

I have beat the Viking campaign with a 100% using the Irish, Welsh, Viking, and Scots and unless you are playing the Vikings, to win easily do the following. To test my theory, I gave the vikings 9999 starting Florins and by doing that, they stay around the entire game. Here is the 10 commandments of VI. I didn't add tips for the Vikings because if you are good at all, you probably don't need them. I found these out playing HARD.

1. On turn two, DESTROY EVERY NO LANDLOCKED (Edited for clarification) ABBEY you have. Yes, you will lose some income but the Vikings will leave you alone this way, plus, its better to get a 1000 florins than to give the Vikings 2000.

2. Farms = Money, after your boarders are protected and you have a good 30 years to build, mass farm build. I have never been so amazed in this game than when I was just breaking even to being filthy rich in just 10 turns do to this.

3. Use the Vikings to your advantage, for instance, try to ally with them. If you are the Irish then Shipbuild spam until you outnumber the Vikings ships three to one. By doing this, I have in two of my campaigns effectively used the Vikings as a second army. They not only won't attack you because you would cripple their only source of income (Raiding) by blockcading their ships but they will often join you in battle. It is so sweet to see the Vikings Elite units working with you to crush someone else instead of against you.

4. If against a superior force like if you are playing Welsh and the Saxons attack you. Mass spam any unit in all provinces possible and try to take two of their terriories in one turn. Most often, this will cause a civil war. Try whatever you can to kill their king or better yet, cut him off from the empire. If you do take their land, SLASH AND BURN is a great way of neutering your enemy. Remember, war isn't about killing off their army - its killing all their options but to surrender.

5. If the Vikings do attack, try to hold the territory you have or at least garrison. Then hit them back NEXT TURN with everything you have in the surrounding areas. If you do this right, you can attack back when they try to defend and hopefully take on many Viking Prisoners. I would suggest Ransoming them back because to kill the Vikings, you must destroy their money, not units.

6. Unlike the original MTW campaign. The AI usually stays with you on your Tech advances, so don't expect a 16 unit army to destroy a 30 unit because even knowing your tech is higher than theirs, its not by that much.

7. Trading is worthless in my opinion, if you aren't the Irish or about to attack Ireland, don't build a boat. You might provoke the Vikings to sink it and start a war. While your at it, don't build Traders/Merchants either. By the time you have the buildings built you won't have a trading partner due to war.

8. Save Ireland for last. The Irish usually stay on that island without moving but they mass spam on units. Don't waist your units unless you have the main island to yourself.

9. Mercs own here. If you have the money, hire them in legions.

10. Thats basically it, due to no mass rebellions, smaller map, and more fun tech tree, 60% is a copout - a true victory is 100%.