Should I swear fealty?

[Salem Graves]

I'm trying to play as Duchess Dobrava of Kiev in the earliest start. I've been trying to play as her for ages and can rarely make progress. I find myself in a situation where I'm able to swear fealty to the king of Bulgaria after liberating some land from my Nomad neighbors. Is this something I should do? Would I have to be concerned of him revoking my titles instantly? Any tips would be appreciated, I'm not very good at the game.
Edit: Just noticed I now have the prestige to raise a tribal army, so should I try to subjigate one of my neighbors instead of swearing fealty? I worry about doing that because I can't revoke titles because I don't have the tech for it so I'll get angry vassals that will probably revolt right away..
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1251777577

[kinkerbel]

Stay independent if your not in fear of being wiped out and still have room to expand. If you get an alliance with them your are generally just as safe. Because even under a liege you can easily be wiped out in a conquest or holy war.

As for revocation, you are generally okay if your liege likes you, has no claim to your territory, you have a different culture/religion than your liege(and the counties you rule over have that culture/religion)

[EthanT]

Swearing Fealty can be beneficial. If you have Conclave, you can become a Vasal and then eat his Kingdom from the inside. He wont interfere in internal wars between vassals, so you can expand relatively freely within his borders. Once youre strong enough you can make an independance faction, or even plot your way to his crown.

On the other hand, if youre not in a position where you may be steamrolled, you could probably get away with staying independant.

[Mr. Goblin]

So. I am playing a nearby neighbor of yours 'Mochkava' (or later "Moscovy"). I started in the earliest game, just as you. And Novgorod is growing steadfast all around me. For a while I was only 2 provinces and Novgorod completely surrounded me! Invaded ALL my neighbors!!

I was very concerned and certainly thought to ask Novgorod if I could be under its Leige. And they were going to accept (we can check that out simply pre-selecting the proper option tab, without actually issuing teh order). I know that some other small Rus tribes had also asked to join Novgorod. But not me.

I held out. I wanted to be independant of the "sleeping giant". Novgorod does not like me so much, usually around -20 appreciation. ANd I have no amrriage affiliations and no treaties with them ever. And have never been in a direct war with them, although I have been in a couple allied wars (and always lost.. as an ally for my friends). Novgorod is like a giant bulldozer.

Later, I ended up conquesting 4 more territories just south of me (along with 4 allies). And even later 3 of those new provinces ended up demanding 'independacne from me', and I had to give in, because their military levy was just too strong... and my military was almost wiped out because I had just helped one of my allies in war (an ally that I actually liked).

I was really pissed off to have to give up most of my previously won territory. The Chief who took it back from me was on my council and hated me! -100 score. Lol! To be honest I kind of seen it coming. I will wait 10 years and then war that Cheif again for those 3 territories.

Meanwhile... Novgorod grows East.

At this point in my game, I am so small, and onoly own 3 provinces, and all my old neeighbores that were around me are all 5-9 provinces each! Under the banner of Novgorodien Leige ofcourse. And they get some of these provinces by waging war on fellow Novorodian Vassels (and usually their Liege let's this happen without his interference). This.... is pretty cool.

So now I wish that maybe I had asked to join Novgorod 30 years ago, because I might actually be larger in land today! ANd it is a miracle that Novgorod has not yet forceably claimed me! haha.

Maybe because I usually have allies, including some Novgorodian Vassel Allies, to complicate things.

What a tricky call. I think that I will try to remain a non-part of Novgorod for longer. I will try to get back those 3 lost provinces and work myself toward Byzentine (because they seem to sort of like me, aslo Serbia and I are allies). Maybe I can forge a strong alliance some day with Byzentium, and then try to get them to help me fight Novgorod, so that I can "break up that giant" a bit, in it's southern most provinces (and my old neighbores). To free up Rus again.... only so that I might later take it!




Anyway. If you have litte or no allies, and fear to be steamrolled by some enemy soon. Then you might want to swear fealty to a greater lord. Because after that usually you don't have to worry so much about 'exterier forces' wiping you out; but only internal forces (Vassels of your lord) trying to subjugate you. And them vassels are normally smaller.

Also, if you Leige likes you enough, he may step in to prevent one of his other Vassels from subjugating you.