25 ESSENTIAL Beginner Tips for Crusader Kings 3

Summary

This video provides 25 valuable tips for improving your gameplay in Crusader Kings 3, offering strategies for both new and experienced players. The tips cover a range of topics, from optimizing council rights and managing vassals to conquering lands and expanding empires. Key advice includes playing tall for a stress-free start, using powerful hooks and alliances during wars, and reforming culture for unlimited Holy Wars. It also highlights the importance of effective vassal management, using feasts to befriend powerful figures, and exploiting new game mechanics like the economy mode and tournaments to gain advantages. These tips are designed to help players maximize their potential and enjoy a more successful campaign.

Takeaways

• 😀 Modify vassal contracts to gain succession rights and demand a council position without conflict.
• 😀 For your first playthrough, focus on playing tall—build up your counties instead of conquering lands.
• 😀 Prevent vassal uprisings by executing prisoners for dread or using Majesty Grants to boost vassal opinion.
• 😀 To stop factions from rising, send their leaders into battle with small levies to ensure their death.
• 😀 Use the claimant system to conquer lands easily by inviting claimants to your court or abducting them.
• 😀 Reform your culture and select 'By the Sword' to enable unlimited Holy Wars for massive territorial expansion.
• 😀 Always use elective laws for your primary duchy to maintain control over key titles after inheritance.
• 😀 Exploit your children’s betrothals for alliances during war, as broken betrothals still keep the alliance intact.
• 😀 Create a dissolution faction to break down large empires and take over smaller, more manageable duchies.
• 😀 Focus on creating Holy Orders outside your main territory to make your faith’s army stronger with each grant of independence.

Q & A

What is the advantage of modifying your contract as a feudal vessel?

Modifying your contract to give you succession rights, instead of high levies, allows you to demand a council position for free, giving you a significant boost in influence and bonuses.

What does 'playing tall' mean, and why is it recommended for beginners?

'Playing tall' means focusing on developing a few counties rather than conquering a large amount of land. This strategy is recommended for beginners as it allows you to build a powerful empire without the complications of managing a vast number of vassals.

How can you handle vassal uprisings after inheritance?

To handle vassal uprisings after inheritance, you can imprison individuals of hostile faiths, execute them for dread, or use the Majesty Grand perk to improve vassal opinion, preventing factions from forming.

What is the most effective way to stop factions from rising up?

One effective method is to start a war and place the most powerful member of the faction in charge of an army with 100 levies. Keep sending them into battle until they die, neutralizing the faction threat.

How can you quickly expand your territory using claimants?

You can invite claimants to your court or abduct them, then push their claims on kingdoms. Be careful to ensure the title you are taking is below yours to prevent the claimant from going independent.

What does the 'By the Sword' perk do, and why is it so powerful?

The 'By the Sword' perk allows you to wage unlimited Holy Wars at the kingdom level, which makes it easier to conquer multiple kingdoms without the usual restrictions.

Why is it important to have elective laws on your primary duchy as a feudal lord?

Implementing elective laws on your primary duchy ensures you control the voting power, making it easier to keep your most important titles intact during inheritance.

How can you use your children’s betrothals to your advantage during war?

You can break the betrothals of your children during a war, then forge new alliances. Since alliances can't break once a war starts, this gives you additional support without risk of losing allies.

How can you dismantle an empire using a dissolution faction?

Form a dissolution faction, gather allies or fabricate strong hooks on other vassals to force them to join. Once the empire collapses, it breaks into smaller duchies that are easier to conquer.

What is the most efficient way to make a faith the most powerful in the world?

To make a faith the most powerful, take land outside your primary title, create a Holy Order there, grant them independence, and repeat. This will result in your faith building a massive army that can be used to conquer enemies.