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Old 14-01-2013, 15:12   #7
Shabbaman
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Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Costa La Haya
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Now that my EUIII game bogged down in what I'd describe as "complete global domination" I picked up this game again. I was a bit depressed because it seemed as if gavelkind succession would have a devastating effect on my holdings (or rather, those of my principal heir), and since I'm stuck as a vassal in the HRE it would be impossible to get out of gavelkind. Having played a bit it doesn't seem as bad, I'll explain why.

The duchess of Meissen, also known as "my wife", or, considering Magnus I opinion of her, also known as "that bitch", has turned out to be a true boy birthing machine. So I made more sons into bishops, and I made sure that all titles will go to a single son. This is a bit of a bet, because if something happens to him I'm royally screwed. I found another way to negate the effects of gavelkind, and it ties in to one of my primary goals: become king. Sure, I might not be king of Frisia, but I have to be king of something... if I become king, then my major title will go to my prinicipal heir. I couldn't care less what happens to my duke titles in that case, since my realm would still hold all those titles.

So, how to get me a kingdom... I found out that I'm a good way toward half the counties that make up the kingdom of Germany, as I need only five more counties. The first step is Thuringen, who rebelled against my lovely wife the duchess of Meissen, and is somehow now equal to me. That's A Good Thing (tm), as I can fabricate a claim and usurp his title. I also grab Mainz from the Bavarian duke. Next stop, my archnemesis, the duke of Lower Lorraine:



Also known as the court dwarf of the HRE

I get Koln from him. I had figured that I could claim the duchy of Koln and get a CB for his other lands, but apparently you can't usurp duchies within the realm... only those overlapping lands within the realm and outside the realm. So I could get the duchy of Holstein from the king of Denmark, but that's worthless until I'm out of the HRE... or be the HRE myself. Anyway, with Koln, Mainz and Thuringen, I only need two more counties in the de jure German kingdom. That's doable: I can take two of my archnemesis if I'm patient. If I'm impatient... then I need to get to southern Germany, since the emperor is holding the duchy directly to my south.

Now, about Thuringen... I had conquered too many lands, so I figured I could give them to my heir. This was okay, because it didn't really matter if he lived in my castle or some other castle. However, this changed when I gave Thuringen to him. The emperor created the duchy of Thuringia, and gave it to my heir. This meant my son had a ducal title, and was on the same level as I was. This freed him as my heir. At first I figured this was not that bad, since when Magnus I dies all my titles will pass to him anyway, in turn reuniting the realm. Oh, and in the mean while incorporating the duchy of Meissen as well, as soon as That Bitch dies. Soon I noticed one downside: I couldn't pick his bride. That's a big problem, since that's what this game is about. Luckily he didn't pick a bride with poor genetic traits (but I couldn't pick one with good genetic traits either), but... he did pick a lesbian.

Let the joking commence.

Yet despite that, they are breeding like rabbits. They have two girls (good for making alliances) and one son:



The dynasty is safe, for now. Unfortunately my son won't let me tutor my grandson, because that would "make him a hostage of a foreign power". I kid you not. There's one thing left to do: Magnus I has to die.
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