Crusader Kings III News

Crusader Kings 3: how to raise levies in CK3

Wondering how to raise levies in CK3? In case you're new to Crusader Kings 3, levies are an essential part of any war plans. Levies are, to put it simply, conscripted soldiers from your kingdom or holdings. Just as all parts of your realm raise taxes for you, any holdings you or your vassals have also contribute a set amount of levies that you can call upon in times of war.

Levies themselves are not particularly strong and are the most basic soldier you can get in Crusader Kings 3, boasting just ten damage and ten toughness. However, considering you can amass a few thousand of these from your holdings in a matter of days, they're a vital resource for attacking and defending.

Any of your personal holdings will always produce the maximum number of levies, while the number of levies drummed up by your vassals depends on the feudal contract you hold with them. In this guide, we'll break down the very basics of how to raise levies, and how to increase the number of levy soldiers that you are able to raise at any given moment.

Read the rest of the story...

How to change the capital city in Crusader Kings 3

How do you move your capital city in CK3? By now you're probably hours into the next Crusader Kings game and all its strategy and planning as you slowly establish your realm and expand your empire. It's about this time that you realise how important the location of your capital city is in CK3, it's the centre of your empire and everything you've built spins on its security. If the capital falls, so will your kingdom.

If that's not incentive enough, your realm's capital will also provide bonuses in tax, loot, and levies. If the placement of your capital means it's exposed to attacks or vulnerable to infiltration, then you should think about moving it elsewhere. You also need to bear in mind CK3 succession laws when handling your capital city, utilised correctly it can be a handy way to control heir inheritance and the power of your capital moving down the family lineage.

Whether you want to change the location of your capital for financial gain or defensive positioning, luckily the process is relatively simple. So, here's how you move the capital city in CK3.

Read the rest of the story...

CK3 character creation: Barbershop and ruler designer guide

Looking to modify your CK3 character and design a ruler fit for the throne? History is full of tales of ambitious players catfishing their way to positions of immense power, and while your character's aesthetics in Crusader Kings 3 won't actually hamper their fight for power, it would be nice to have a little more control over how they look.

If you have played previous Crusader Kings games then the lack of any obvious character creator might come as a shock to you given that CK2 had a pretty versatile ruler designer added as DLC. Crusader Kings 3 doesn't have this as a launch feature, but there are some options for changing your ruler's aesthetic that you may not be aware of. It's also worth noting that Paradox has said that CK3 character creator is coming post-launch and will be free.

If you do want to make some small changes to your ruler's hair and clothing then there's the Barbershop option, which is tucked away beneath a couple of panels. And, if you're impatient and looking to make some drastic aesthetic tweaks then we have a couple of CK3 mods to check out.

Read the rest of the story...

Crusader Kings 3 succession laws - how do they work?

How do succession laws work? Like many grand strategy games, Crusader Kings 3 is a complex mass of overlapping systems, but there's one thing at the heart of them all: the age-old axiom "you can't take it with you." It's a game that takes place over the course of hundreds of years, and so naturally you're going to watch your character get old and die (often, they'll even skip that first step).

What happens to all those titles you've been hoarding when your character goes to their eternal reward? That's handled by succession laws, and understanding them is a key to preserving your family's legacy, keeping your realm intact, and knowing how to shape your own goals.

The Venn diagram of religion, culture, sex, and politics in Crusader Kings 3 all intersect in what amounts to a first year law student's trusts and estates course, and this guide will give you the basics on how succession works in Crusader Kings 3 and how you can use it to your advantage.

Read the rest of the story...

Crusader Kings 3: how to raid in CK3

Raiding is a Crusader Kings 3 mechanic that returns from CK2 and allows Pagan or Tribal ruler types to raid the lands of other rulers. This works a little differently to standard warfare in CK3, but you'll still need to jump through a few hoops before going Viking on your neighbours. Crusader Kings 3 raiding is a lot more difficult than in CK2 with longer waiting times for raids and more costs associated with raiding, too.

In addition to these costlier, more time-consuming raids, you will also find that standing armies are a lot stronger than in CK2, so your best bet as a small raiding nation is to only attack the smallest states you can find. You can check this by looking at enemy territories and hovering over their banner to see how many troops they have at the ready. You can also check how much loot you'll get in by hovering over an enemy banner, so picking the maximum loot from the smallest army is the way to go.

The first thing you need to do to raid in CK3 is raise a raid army. To do this you'll need to head over to your military tab and either select a rally point near an area you want to raid, or create one. Once you've done this, click the rally point, which should open up a new tab at the bottom right of your screen - the key here is to choose 'raise local raiders'. Only the Norse can perform sea raids, so for any other rulers you will need to make sure the journey can be made on foot. You can also raise all your available soldiers as raiders by clicking the 'Raise All as raiders' button at the top of the Military tab.

Read the rest of the story...