Any tips for surviving as the Normans?

[TomOfFinland]

I've been trying create Normandy three times now. On the last run I switched to Christianity to have an easier time with the neighbors and then picked the pirating tradition to keep on raiding.
I took Kingdom of Brittany, Wessex, and Ireland but after my ruler died, England, France and Sweden all attacked me at the same time for my best duchies.

Do you guys keep the Astartu faith as Normans or how do you play your runs?

[NorPhi]

In this game, in general, you are not meant to stay independent if you have powerful neighbours. Pick one of them, swear fealty and then work on dismantling them from the inside. Bonus points if you have a claim to another Kingdom because winning a war for that claim will instantly turn you independent with all your territory you bullied your fellow vassals for.

[Yhvh10]

Asatru really only works well if you reform it. Otherwise you'll be forced to switch to Christianity at some point. Either you or one of your heirs. And to reform Asatru, you need all the holy sites, which is best if you form the Empire of Scandinavia.

So if you want to play as the Normans and form Normandy. Your gonna need to swap to christianity at some point. Unless you download a (very helpful) mod to remove the whole 'Holy Sites' requirement to reform and set up a head of faith.

As for Normans themselves, dunno. Never played as them. Usually I just form the Empire of Scandinavia, rename it to Hyperborea. Then convert everyone to the one true faith until I get bored.

[TomOfFinland]

Originally posted by Yhvh10:

Asatru really only works well if you reform it. Otherwise you'll be forced to switch to Christianity at some point. Either you or one of your heirs. And to reform Asatru, you need all the holy sites, which is best if you form the Empire of Scandinavia.

So if you want to play as the Normans and form Normandy. Your gonna need to swap to christianity at some point. Unless you download a (very helpful) mod to remove the whole 'Holy Sites' requirement to reform and set up a head of faith.

As for Normans themselves, dunno. Never played as them. Usually I just form the Empire of Scandinavia, rename it to Hyperborea. Then convert everyone to the one true faith until I get bored.

Why won't Asatru work?
I've managed to stay independent now and I've got All of England, Normandy and Brittany. I've been converting everyone to my faith. All the vassals are Astartu and all the counties in Normandy and Brittany are Astartu too lol

[Yhvh10]

Originally posted by TomOfFinland:

Originally posted by Yhvh10:

Asatru really only works well if you reform it. Otherwise you'll be forced to switch to Christianity at some point. Either you or one of your heirs. And to reform Asatru, you need all the holy sites, which is best if you form the Empire of Scandinavia.

So if you want to play as the Normans and form Normandy. Your gonna need to swap to christianity at some point. Unless you download a (very helpful) mod to remove the whole 'Holy Sites' requirement to reform and set up a head of faith.

As for Normans themselves, dunno. Never played as them. Usually I just form the Empire of Scandinavia, rename it to Hyperborea. Then convert everyone to the one true faith until I get bored.

Why won't Asatru work?
I've managed to stay independent now and I've got All of England, Normandy and Brittany. I've been converting everyone to my faith. All the vassals are Astartu and all the counties in Normandy and Brittany are Astartu too lol

You could stay unreformed I suppose. Essentially the impossibility I was thinking of was the need to go fuedal. Which is only possible when you reform. But I suppose since your technically already fuedal, thats not an issue.

However there are some major advantages to reforming. Mainly the access to Great Holy Wars, swapping out doctrines and tenets, and the ability to upgrade/build on your holy sites which I'm pretty certain are only available to reformed religions. And the ability to set a temporal or spiritual head is a nice boost to your faith. Replacing the Papacy with reformed Asatru Papacy is great. Plus the Christain Syncretism which is pretty much a must have if you plan on working with the christains and living among rather than wiping them out. Which if your going the Norman route, you'll need. Though since you control England at this point your way past the Normandy Duchy lol.

Ultimately its possible, but its also just...why? You cant maximize the potential of Asatru as an unreformed faith in the late game. And Crusades/GHW are great. So again, just why? The only ability I can think of that merits that is the raiding ability, which is fine when you get the Practiced Pirates tradition.

Anyways, its totally possible I suppose. And if you enjoy it and are having fun, far be it from me to tell you how to have fun.

[Brittanian]

If I take Normandy, Ill usually immediately go to war with Wessex/England and make the English culture. The lands are better there anyways, and you get even more free techs. You can then decide if you want to reform the Asatru faith, which you should only do in my opinion if you are playing a warmongering game, or convert to Christianity. If you reform you will almost certainly get holy warred rather quickly, so unless you have focused on military might you will probably lose, but if you are focused on military you can ez clap the crusaders for free prestige and piety (and gold if you have the perk making a killing). Keeping Normandy itself is in my opinion not worthwhile as your main holding, so I give it to a brother or something and keep them as an ally and use them for the dynasty renown by letting them go independent.

[Сааребас]

Originally posted by Exaxis:

You probably have ♥♥♥♥♥♥ army mate just get +2 regiments from viking dynasty tree and buy only Varangian Veterans and 1-2 onagers stacks.
And switch your marshal to Train Commanders

This but I would suggest 1 hirdman, 2 varangians, 1 light cavalry and get onager on your 5th.

Light cavalry are really important for pursuit, meaning more casualties if you win the battle plus they are really good vs light infantry and I believe bowmen.

Winning battles alone is simply not good enough.

You can stay astru as Norman which lets you have stay acces to both county/duchy conquest and raiding. Saty independent or swear fealty to France with religious freedom.
Once per your rulers lifetime you can help factions install a claimant giving you a free hook to adjust your feudal contract, which include the first ruler to swear fealthy.
First and foremost make sure you get revoke protection.

[TomOfFinland]

Originally posted by Brittanian:

If I take Normandy, Ill usually immediately go to war with Wessex/England and make the English culture. The lands are better there anyways, and you get even more free techs. You can then decide if you want to reform the Asatru faith, which you should only do in my opinion if you are playing a warmongering game, or convert to Christianity. If you reform you will almost certainly get holy warred rather quickly, so unless you have focused on military might you will probably lose, but if you are focused on military you can ez clap the crusaders for free prestige and piety (and gold if you have the perk making a killing). Keeping Normandy itself is in my opinion not worthwhile as your main holding, so I give it to a brother or something and keep them as an ally and use them for the dynasty renown by letting them go independent.

So it has been my purpose every time to make English culture but I always just get sidetracked in a complete ♥♥♥♥ show lol
So in order to do this, you have to form Norman culture, then declare a regular war against Wessex? I've done this but it has never given me an option to form English culture.

[Brittanian]

Originally posted by TomOfFinland:

Originally posted by Brittanian:

If I take Normandy, Ill usually immediately go to war with Wessex/England and make the English culture. The lands are better there anyways, and you get even more free techs. You can then decide if you want to reform the Asatru faith, which you should only do in my opinion if you are playing a warmongering game, or convert to Christianity. If you reform you will almost certainly get holy warred rather quickly, so unless you have focused on military might you will probably lose, but if you are focused on military you can ez clap the crusaders for free prestige and piety (and gold if you have the perk making a killing). Keeping Normandy itself is in my opinion not worthwhile as your main holding, so I give it to a brother or something and keep them as an ally and use them for the dynasty renown by letting them go independent.

So it has been my purpose every time to make English culture but I always just get sidetracked in a complete ♥♥♥♥ show lol
So in order to do this, you have to form Norman culture, then declare a regular war against Wessex? I've done this but it has never given me an option to form English culture.

Strange. Every time I have tried it it has been in my first rulers life, and always after arriving I make my capital in London and can make English culture instantly. not sure what the other requirements may be though other than being Norman and having a local capital.

[Сааребас]

Originally posted by Brittanian:

Originally posted by TomOfFinland:

So it has been my purpose every time to make English culture but I always just get sidetracked in a complete ♥♥♥♥ show lol
So in order to do this, you have to form Norman culture, then declare a regular war against Wessex? I've done this but it has never given me an option to form English culture.

Strange. Every time I have tried it it has been in my first rulers life, and always after arriving I make my capital in London and can make English culture instantly. not sure what the other requirements may be though other than being Norman and having a local capital.

I believe the county has to be Anglo-Saxon

[TomOfFinland]

Originally posted by Brittanian:

Originally posted by TomOfFinland:

So it has been my purpose every time to make English culture but I always just get sidetracked in a complete ♥♥♥♥ show lol
So in order to do this, you have to form Norman culture, then declare a regular war against Wessex? I've done this but it has never given me an option to form English culture.

Strange. Every time I have tried it it has been in my first rulers life, and always after arriving I make my capital in London and can make English culture instantly. not sure what the other requirements may be though other than being Norman and having a local capital.

Ok thank you, any religion restrictions for the English culture? I've done the viking conquest of Normandy in order to form the Norman culture, and then conquered wessex with regular war, but I haven't had the form English culture option pop up.

[Brittanian]

From ck3 wiki
Adult
King of England
Realm capital is in Kingdom of England
Culture has Frankish heritage

[TomOfFinland]

Originally posted by Brittanian:

From ck3 wiki
Adult
King of England
Realm capital is in Kingdom of England
Culture has Frankish heritage

Oh, you have to be king of England.
"Culture has Frankish heritage" does Norman count as Frankish?

[Сааребас]

Originally posted by TomOfFinland:

Originally posted by Brittanian:

From ck3 wiki
Adult
King of England
Realm capital is in Kingdom of England
Culture has Frankish heritage

does Norman count as Frankish?

Yes

[Brittanian]

Originally posted by TomOfFinland:

Originally posted by Brittanian:

From ck3 wiki
Adult
King of England
Realm capital is in Kingdom of England
Culture has Frankish heritage

Oh, you have to be king of England.
"Culture has Frankish heritage" does Norman count as Frankish?

If you want to help the ai make england (so you can steal it from them) just assassinate the leaders of jorvik and sudreyar, (and alfreds brother if he miraculously doesn't die). Alfred will do all the work for you in making England and you can use your free kingdom invasion cb to take his title after you get Normandy. ( I dont think you can do this if you varangian adventure v normandy since you lose the cb to take a kingdom title, but you can use the holy kingdom war if you have reformed your faith)