Rurikid Russia

[Smejo123]

Hi Guys!
Im still new to this game, but I want to try and form Kievan Rus as Rurik. Any advice or strategy for beginning? Should I reform pagan or convert to Orthotdox? And how about culture? Im Norse, but everyone else is Russian so I think it would be convinient to convert.
Thnx for any help! :)

[Yaldabaoth]

Get Ingria at start. Start raiding costs in England, Brittany and every single province county you can find. Rurik's son is already slavic russian if i remember correctly, so don't waste prestige/piety. Gather money and prestige from raiding and upgrade your holdings in Novgorod (Holmgardr) duchy. Use Become King ambition and subjugate anything that is opportune. You might want to snake your territory south towards that slavic holy site if you want to reform, which is definitely stronger, but you won't be friends with those christians to the west.

[Smejo123]

I find very profitable raiding Kreta or Cyprus, or other islands. And son is slavic, but norse... btw how can I change culture or religion? With tutor I can rise children in faith and culture of himself. But I also dont know how to obligate someone to become tutor for me...

[Smejo123]

Originally posted by author:

And son is slavic, but norse...

Oh, he isnt anymore.... He decided to die of flue... I love this game!

[g0r3yl0v3rz]

Continue as Germanic for the raiding overseas. This way you don’t have to worry about culture yet.

In the long run, converting to Orthodox is a good start, but staying Slavic and reforming is also a good way to go.

As yaldaboath said above, get the coastal counties to open your raiding possibilities to fund your aggressive expansion.

Get those housecarl retinues built up and send them on raiding parties.

[orion winterfire]

Eh, levies are cheaper to raid with

[g0r3yl0v3rz]

Retinues don’t cost anything once they’re full? How are levies cheaper, they cost a monthly rate.

[Yaldabaoth]

Originally posted by Ismelly?!?:

Retinues don’t cost anything once they’re full? How are levies cheaper, they cost a monthly rate.

High tribal organization gives you normal levies from vassals and once you are feudal/republic you can keep raiding of course. At least pagans can.

[Devo]

Snake your way down to crimea and take as many coastal provinces as possible. Request conversion from the byzantines and swear fealty and take it over from the inside. Rurik and his russian bastard start off with crazy stats so it won't be hard for others to push you up to emperor of byzantium.

[orion winterfire]

Originally posted by Ismelly?!?:

Retinues don’t cost anything once they’re full? How are levies cheaper, they cost a monthly rate.

I was thinking about replacing them . . . last time I was raiding I was also sacking/burning

[MrBonkers]

you can keep the event spawned fleet from despawning when rurik dies by parking a low amount of troops on it
fleets with embarked armies do not despawn

[g0r3yl0v3rz]

Originally posted by MrBonkers:

you can keep the event spawned fleet from despawning when rurik dies by parking a low amount of troops on it
fleets with embarked armies do not despawn

Didnt know about this, good info.

The moment you take your troops off, will they despawn then? Or

[MrBonkers]

Originally posted by Ismelly?!?:

Originally posted by MrBonkers:

you can keep the event spawned fleet from despawning when rurik dies by parking a low amount of troops on it
fleets with embarked armies do not despawn

Didnt know about this, good info.

The moment you take your troops off, will they despawn then? Or

afaik they only despawn if empty during succession...so just keep some troops on them if you fear you might be dead soon

[Smejo123]

Guys! Im king of Novgorod and Estonia too (with Orthodox faith and primogeniture inheritance law). But i have two sons... What shuld I do with title of kingdom of Estonia? It says that It wil pass to my second son. Is so, it will be still part of my empire? Or shuld I give it to some High Chief?