Crusader Kings III Tips and Tricks

Crusader Kings
Image credit: Paradox Interactive

Crusader Kings III was an extremely anticipated game that had a lot of hype around it and for a good reason. It took over Fall Guys as a new popular game and all the previous Paradox historical title lovers just jumped right into it the moment it got released.

Why Is Crusader Kings III So Popular?

It has a lot of new mechanics that were previously discussed and suggested, graphics are pretty good, and the in-game roleplay makes the game pretty addicting, which lures you into multiple gaming sessions.

To sum it up, it's got the addictive feel of Heroes of Might and Magic combined with everything fans asked for. No wonder it exploded in popularity.

Ef7 Awvo WAA Ecx OL
One of the best CK III streamers after 5 hours of raiding. (Image credit: TommyKayLive via Twitch)

Things you Should Know Before Long CK III Sessions

In this article, our main focus will be things that will ease up your gameplay on your road to becoming the ruler of Britania, the King to unite the Anglo-Saxons or avenge Ragnar's death as Ivar the Boneless.

High Risk, High Reward

One of the most played cultures/duchies are the Vikings.

The best and most exciting thing about them is the raids, and the ability to have such skilled and experienced commanders and marshalls because of the Viking Martial perks that the rulers/heirs gain.

Ready to get your pillaging on? To save you some time, here are the cities that hold the most loot (and also the most protected ones):

  • Constantinopole – ~162 gold (duh!)
  • Venezia – 35 gold
  • Syracusa – 21 gold
  • Northern French coast (multiple cities with +20 gold)
  • Northern Iberian coast (multiple cities with +20 gold)
  • Canterbury Bishopric (East English Coast) – 52 gold

Split Your Armies

To conquer a City/Barony, you don't need a big army, use the games mechanic (Station Besiegers) to leave enough soldiers to finish the siege.

This way you'll have soldiers at your disposal without wasting them on a siege.

Micro
Image credit: Paradox Interactive

Choose the Lifestyle Your Ruler has Bonuses For!

Not every ruler is made to have the "Torturer" or "Strategist" perks – every ruler has a percentage bonus for a lifestyle focus which is a huge boost to his stats and perks. Use it!

Lifestyle
Image credit: Paradox Interactive

Kill Rulers

Sometimes, you don't need an army to gain massive territory. If you are second in line to inherit a kingdom or duchy, the scheme to murder that ruler can come in handy to give you some land for minimal investment. (schemes are very good and fast if you have "intrigue" bonuses and the lifestyle path).

Schemes
Image credit: Paradox Interactive

Pre-plan Your Heir

A primary heir with really good (positive) traits can help you create a big kingdom in the long run. There's a big chance that the newborn and future heir inherits the traits from the parents, so when choosing a wife, it's OK to lose prestige but gain massive positive perks like Herculean or Strong. You can check all available traits on the official Paradox wiki.

Heir
Image credit: Paradox Interactive

Choose the Place of Battle!

It's very important that you choose the terrain where your army and the enemy will clash as there are advantages and disadvantages when defending and attacking and they all depend on where you fight.

Example: Forests have a +3 defender advantage and a smaller combat width which makes them easy for defense even if the enemy has better numbers.

Mountains are the best place to defend and the worst place to attack, with +12 advantage to defense, and 50% combat width, so you should prepare for big losses if you plan to take an army in the mountains. Check out everything about Warfare here.

Bebbbnburg
Image credit: Paradox Interactive

For everything gaming and esports check out EarlyGame and the EarlyGame Youtube channel.