Viking Conquest- Choosing a faction (help!)

[Talgorn]

Hey guys. I think I'm ready to make the same dive I made into Warband Native and figure this thing out. I just need help choosing a faction

I sort of want to be Ragnar Lodbrok, so Danemark seemed an obvious choice. The problem is, earlier when I first tried this out (months ago) the other Lords didn't seem to leave the island to raid at all. Is this fixed/do they attack now?

I also really liked ranged units in Warband...I don't need to go all out Viking. Do any factions compliment this playstyle? I know the Britons have Welsh Archers, but even more important is whether archers are effective in this game? It seems to always come down to heavy infantry.

Finally, how do I become a death machine again? Viking Conquest combat is so much more unforgiving. Namely the speed at which competant enemies attack me... How can my animations become quicker?

[Tuidjy]

Raiding oversea is harder for the AI lords, it seems, but it is very easy to do if you are the leader of a faction. Just take a few castles on the British Isles, give them to your most martial lords, and they will spend their time there. AI factions will send campaigns oversea, but they will do so infrequently. What that means is that when they do, their armies will be large and elite.

Ranged units are much less powerful in Viking Conquest, if only because 80% of your enemies have shields. You can still do amazing things with your men, but you will have to micromanage them a lot more. This said, bows in AI hands are completely nerfed. Crossbows are better, and javelins are deadly. The best crossbowmen are the Picts, and the best javelin skirmishers the Irish. The best archers are the Norse warrior archers. Not because their bows of much use, but because they are competent infantry and great mariners.

Britons are crap. They have no units that shine. Some of their top tier units are fine, but none are the best at anything.

You can be a death machine in Viking Conquest off the get go, because you can start with Strength 18/20 and Agility 12/20. You need to raise your weapon proficiency, and get good weapons - swords are perfectly fine for most tasks, but in some situations spear have their uses. Axes are for those who lack finesse, or just love the idea of axes. Crossbows are much better than they should realistically be, slings are trivial to use, despite historically being one of the hardest weapons to use, javelins are deadly and effective, and bows... bows are very, very hard to use, but if you are good with them, they remain the ultimate player weapon.

[Talgorn]

As someone who would prefere not to rely on skirmishes (for a lack of knowing how to use them), which kingdom should I go with, my later goal being to start a kingdom of my own? If I choose Danmark, will I be disappointed with how inactive they are?

Or else, what is your favouite faction to go with?

[Dayve]

Skirmishers are quite easy (and fun) to use. Just line them up, wait for the enemy to get close-ish and switch on fire at will.

...and watch as your enemies drop like flies after their shields get smashed right off their arms.

[Tuidjy]

If I join a faction before I strike out on my own, I choose it based on which cities I will take in its name, before I rebel and keep them. I may also want to join a faction if it has more than its share of cunning and martial lords, which are the ones you should befriend in order to later turn. But of course, personalities are re-rolled every game, so you have to do your own research, preferably while gathering your companions.

One of the most important thing about serving a faction before you strike out on your own, is that it allows you to gather and pay an army. But in Viking Conquest, you get to build (or take over) a refuge where you can stash your army at 1/4 wages, so you can actually start on your own with a 300 men elite army, without having to bend knee to anyone.

As for troops... the best swordsmen are the Norse bodyguards, the best spearmen the Saxon nobles, and the best cavalry the Pict nobles. My favorite army makeup would be:
- 20% cavalry for destroying the enemy skirmishers and chasing routing troops
- 50% shield wall made of spearmen
- 20% skirmishers for catching the enemy shieldwall in a crossfire as they engage yours
- 10% swordsmen for flanking and breaking the enemy once they have suffered enough losses

But frankly, I've never used such an army. I usually have my companions as cavalry, newbies and camp followers acting as ersatz ranged troops, and a solid shield wall.

if you want to draw all of your men from the same culture, I suggest Picts. They have great crossbows, and their spearmen promote into the best heavish cavalry. They also start in a very defensible position, and you can recruit Norse from their neighbors, if you need really good shock infantry.

[Tuidjy]

Originally posted by Dayve:

Skirmishers are quite easy (and fun) to use. Just line them up, wait for the enemy to get close-ish and switch on fire at will.

...and watch as your enemies drop like flies after their shields get smashed right off their arms.

In Viking Conquest, only the Irish Skirmishers can pull that off, and only against low tier enemies. Tier III infantry and above will walk up to your stationary skirmishers, and mow them down.

At full difficulty, with good battle AI and full damage, about 150 Pict Tier III and IV spearmen advancing in a shield wall against 250 enemy skirmishers will have no casualties most of the time, until they drop their shields to engage. You get even better results with ranks and standing closer, but that requires a lot of micro-management to pull off properly.

In almost every battle against the Irish, I have my shield wall stand still until their skirimishers (the deadliest in the game) run out of ammo. With four "stand closer" commands, the shield wall is in constant motion, and the soldiers are so close that anyone losing a shield is covered by his comrades as he drifts to the rear.

[Talgorn]

ok so I deleted my Danmark-based save and I will now create a new character. I will recruit an army of mostly infantry (and hopefully some pictish crossbowmen) and create a hideout. I will then find a place to attack.

My only remaining question is, how much are you moving around during this quest to make money and train soldiers? Since I won't bend a knee to any monarch, what do I do? Attacking bandits probably won't sustain such a force, so what do you do?

[Tuidjy]

Killing outlaws will most certainly sustain any force you care to gather, as long as you leave the force at home while doing it. If your character is a combat beast with high agility, get high Looting. Then, a Danish longphort can produce 50K in loot (video), and some deserter parties will come close (screenshot)

Remember to cultivate relationships with cities, so that you can recruit at Tier III and save on upgrade costs, and get better prices on loot. You will still get the best prices from the smiths in your refuge, but they do not all that much money... except when you pay them to upgrade your equipment... so stash some loot in your hall chest to take that money back.

[Talgorn]

So where should I start?

[Dayve]

Capturing prisoners after a battle and selling them to ransom brokers is also an excellent way to make money.

[Tuidjy]

Originally posted by Talgorn:

So where should I start?

The next time I start my kingdom, I plan on doing so by snatching a poorly defended Irish city, because those change hands all the time, and because I've gotten pretty damn good at fighting them. (My main character is conquering Ireland right now)

I'll be doing it with Pict cavalry and Saxon spearmen, though.

[Rose]

Try Finish archers from taverns there pretty good

[Fullproof24]

Ragnar will attack when 3or 5 factions are eliminated form the game.

[Tuidjy]

Originally posted by Despair Gaming (Monobear):

Ragnar will attack when 3or 5 factions are eliminated form the game.

Hmm? I've eliminated more than half the factions, and no one has attacked.

[Fullproof24]

In my game, he has a castle near Tomtun which I hold and he is at war with other 4 factions.