How do you survive the norse invasions of england?

[|Nick]

The vikings always have like atleast 3k event troops running around and they are attacking all of england with they 6k armies, no way of defeating them.
How can you play in england without getting conquered?

[NubileThighGaps]

I too am having this problem

[Welsh78]

I haven't experienced this playing first as Alfred 867 start. I become King of Wessex and now am King of England in 914 my nephew having just taken the throne. I grew a strong alliance through marriages with West Francia and they helped me massively whenever I pushed against Vikings occupying the British Isles.

[Athmet]

Originally posted by Nick:

The vikings always have like atleast 3k event troops running around and they are attacking all of england with they 6k armies, no way of defeating them.
How can you play in england without getting conquered?

Starting as Wessex I made the choice to safe East Anglia and let Northumbria burn. Then from there I worked my way up (after I took over East Anglia that is :P)

[Thunda]

With great difficulty .. as it was back in the day. England got conquered by a larger and superior force. It's only when Alfred got his stuff together down in Wessex that the fight back began.

Can you survive in CK if up North in Northumbria? I think it will be nigh on impossible. Is that right? A good thing? Well, I suppose that depends on you. But I think Paradox have set it up and said "NO! The Vikings WILL win in the North and nothing is going to change that .. " ...

[Nota]

Mercenaries I imagine.

[Oubley]

I survived 35 years on my latest play through as Ireland. It was a little disturbing because all but me and two other counties were Irish, the rest was actually labeled as Denmark which was kind of funny. Then there was only King Alfred in England, living up to his legend, Alba had like one county in Scotland, and one welsh duke.

I lasted 35 years and that was even somehow messing something up and losing like 1000 prestige (not completely sure from what, guessing from calling in allies?) so I was in the negative for like 15 years and couldn't do anything. And my demise was kind of BS too, had beat there force and took their castle, then I guess/assuming since my ruler was female they took my castle after I took theirs and whatever.... it said game over.

For long story short, it's possible.

I got men at arms early. Allied to single party early. second ally was worthless except possible show of strength to AI?

Tried to be careful which people I raided.

During my "demise", the Welsh duke had started taking back land with france. So I think help eventually will come, just got to be strong against those heathens.

There aren't stories of "The Last Kingdom" for nothing =).

[Messsucher]

Originally posted by Thunda:

With great difficulty .. as it was back in the day. England got conquered by a larger and superior force. It's only when Alfred got his stuff together down in Wessex that the fight back began.

Can you survive in CK if up North in Northumbria? I think it will be nigh on impossible. Is that right? A good thing? Well, I suppose that depends on you. But I think Paradox have set it up and said "NO! The Vikings WILL win in the North and nothing is going to change that .. " ...

Hahahaha, I would had cheered on that

[NubileThighGaps]

If you aren't starting as wessex (cornwall or east anglea or something) how do you beat a 6k doomstack of vikings? Even if you get both Mercia and Wessex to ally with you they still end up falling. And this is with Northumbria burning to the ground too

[Athmet]

Originally posted by NubileThighGaps:

If you aren't starting as wessex (cornwall or east anglea or something) how do you beat a 6k doomstack of vikings? Even if you get both Mercia and Wessex to ally with you they still end up falling. And this is with Northumbria burning to the ground too

When they disembark they have penalty + I believe I got some men-at-arms in + knights and Alfred was the commander (crazy stats). So it helped me repel the East Anglia invasion. But I knew then that I could not pull that for Northumbria.

[NubileThighGaps]

Isn't Alfred Wessex though? I'm trying to figure out how to survive the vikings as one of the minor lords. I ally with Wessex and Mercia but to no avail

[=]

A lot of those viking stacks are mercenaries (they were in my game at least) so just let them take over Northumbria and then counter attack why they disband their armies.

[SeraphLance]

I wish the viking invasion was more like the ottomans invading byzantium in EU4, where you had an extremely difficult but technically winnable battle on your hands.

As northumbria though you literally start the game at war with 10k (two groups of 5k) norsemen barreling down on you, and even your combined alliance of most of england is only about 1/10th of their total strength. So just uh... don't start as northumbria.

[Evilgenius]

I think this is better then ck2, where the vikings didn't stand a chance whatsoever.

[Brother Frank]

Originally posted by =:

A lot of those viking stacks are mercenaries (they were in my game at least) so just let them take over Northumbria and then counter attack why they disband their armies.

Ivar and Halfdan’s troops are special units that never replenish. It was the same in ck2.

The best way to fight them off is to join every single war against them to kill their units asap. Make alliances with whoever is strong also helps (in my case France had 5k)

Once their special troops are gone, they will fall.

[Croaker]

It depends on who you play. If you play Northumbria you're going to get mopped .. as should you.
There's like a dozen faction in "England " who are you playing with ??