How many stacks can you afford at the end game?

[Lampros]

At VH difficulty, around turn 200, playing Empire, I finished the game with 6 full stacks (of middling quality). I had 62 settlements and 25 provinces - all of Empire provinces, Kislev, and much of Brettonian provinces. I could have run another 1 stack - for a total of 7 full stacks of average quality.

So I don't understand people claiming they can easily run 10-12 or even more stacks by end-game - regardless of the faction. How do you manage it? Even with trash quality stacks, I cannot imagine running that many stacks. Are these people playing past 100 settlements gained? I don't get it.

[Iriath Zhul]

Super dependent on your faction, your upkeep reduction bonuses, etc. If you're Tomb Kings obviously you can get infinite stacks at no cost.

I think most I've done was 13 as Dwarfs because I was richer than God pulling like 30000 in trade every turn.

[germ]

Originally posted by Iriath Zhul:

Super dependent on your faction, your upkeep reduction bonuses, etc. If you're Tomb Kings obviously you can get infinite stacks at no cost.

I think most I've done was 13 as Dwarfs because I was richer than God pulling like 30000 in trade every turn.

Or high elves with the insane amount of traits which increase trade and building income

[TVMAN]

I always go for the upkeep reduction skills in the blue tree and also any research option that reduces upkeep. 5%-15% may not seem like much, but it adds up quickly across several stacks that costs 3k-5k to maintain.

[Lampros]

Originally posted by Iriath Zhul:

Super dependent on your faction, your upkeep reduction bonuses, etc. If you're Tomb Kings obviously you can get infinite stacks at no cost.

I think most I've done was 13 as Dwarfs because I was richer than God pulling like 30000 in trade every turn.

Originally posted by Black Magix:

Originally posted by Iriath Zhul:

Super dependent on your faction, your upkeep reduction bonuses, etc. If you're Tomb Kings obviously you can get infinite stacks at no cost.

I think most I've done was 13 as Dwarfs because I was richer than God pulling like 30000 in trade every turn.

Or high elves with the insane amount of traits which increase trade and building income

Empire's a fairly wealthy faction though, and I can afford only 7-8 max at 63 settlements.

Do you guys recall how many settlements you had at the stage where you are pulling a dozen or more stacks?

[RCMidas]

Norsca, if you choose to proclaim yourself Everchosen and kill off Archaon for the title, can get 0% upkeep on everything easily. They get -75% upkeep to everything just through usurping the position of Everchosen, plus capturing Miragliano in Tilea unlocks the -15% upkeep technology, plus entering raiding stance is a further -20%, plus there are individual skills...

Yeah, even Very Hard you won't suffer too much in the way of upkeep if you do that.

[Lampros]

P.S. I am paying about 49.4k army upkeep.

[bearfieldlee]

I'd say 4-6 stacks myself, yeah. I don't play to paint the map though. Some players like to have most of the world under their direct control so I'd imagine the income would be pretty spectacular from that.

[Zane87]

Originally posted by Lampros:

At VH difficulty, around turn 200, playing Empire, I finished the game with 6 full stacks (of middling quality). I had 62 settlements and 25 provinces - all of Empire provinces, Kislev, and much of Brettonian provinces. I could have run another 1 stack - for a total of 7 full stacks of average quality.

So I don't understand people claiming they can easily run 10-12 or even more stacks by end-game - regardless of the faction. How do you manage it? Even with trash quality stacks, I cannot imagine running that many stacks. Are these people playing past 100 settlements gained? I don't get it.

Just focus on economy buildings. In the other thread - were I apologize not to have answered to you or the other guy (not that active here atm) - about the empire, I basically build as #1 and #2 priority Industry buildings and Roads. Both give considerable income. Add now resource buildings (those that add income only), ports, tech, trade, heroes that increase income and potentially vassals, you have plenty of income.

That 80 or 90k total income (despite having only 60 settlements) came because of the good basic income from settlement/industry and the + province % from roads. Since many empire provinces are now 4 regions, that adds up considerably. It seems a bit broken tbh, though.

(also, only economy mod I had was Mazz T4 settlements, that def. increases income for the minor ones but only from the settlement chain which has another slot now. It adds up, but it should not account to more than 10k additional income, probably less)

[Lampros]

Originally posted by Zane87:

Just focus on economy buildings. In the other thread - were I apologize not to have answered to you or the other guy (not that active here atm) - about the empire, I basically build as #1 and #2 priority Industry buildings and Roads. Both give considerable income. Add now resource buildings (those that add income only), ports, tech, trade, heroes that increase income and potentially vassals, you have plenty of income.

That 80 or 90k total income (despite having only 50 settlements) came because of the good basic income from settlement/industry and the + province % from roads. Since many empire provinces are now 4 regions, that adds up considerably. It seems a bit broken tbh, though.

(also, only economy mod I had was Mazz T4 settlements, that def. increases income for the minor ones but only from the settlement chain which has another slot now. It adds up, but it should not account to more than 10k additional income, probably less)

I only had about 61k income per turn on 65 settlements. I just installed Mazz T4 settlements, and I will start a new game soon. So I will see if that changes things dramatically.

Edit: Hmm, Empire doesn't have generic T4 or T5 income buildings - unlike, say, the High Elves. So the boost cannot be much. At first glance, all I see is like 50g income boost from going T3 to T4 main village building.

[Zane87]

Originally posted by Lampros:

Originally posted by Zane87:

Just focus on economy buildings. In the other thread - were I apologize not to have answered to you or the other guy (not that active here atm) - about the empire, I basically build as #1 and #2 priority Industry buildings and Roads. Both give considerable income. Add now resource buildings (those that add income only), ports, tech, trade, heroes that increase income and potentially vassals, you have plenty of income.

That 80 or 90k total income (despite having only 50 settlements) came because of the good basic income from settlement/industry and the + province % from roads. Since many empire provinces are now 4 regions, that adds up considerably. It seems a bit broken tbh, though.

(also, only economy mod I had was Mazz T4 settlements, that def. increases income for the minor ones but only from the settlement chain which has another slot now. It adds up, but it should not account to more than 10k additional income, probably less)

I only had about 61k income per turn on 65 settlements. I just installed Mazz T4 settlements, and I will start a new game soon. So I will see if that changes things dramatically.

Edit: Hmm, Empire doesn't have generic T4 or T5 income buildings - unlike, say, the High Elves. So the boost cannot be much. At first glance, all I see is like 50g income boost from going T3 to T4 main village building.

Having many vassals and trade partners Def. Helps. Also that +tax commandment and heroes that boost income in Altdorf/Marineburg

[Lampros]

Originally posted by Zane87:

Having many vassals and trade partners Def. Helps. Also that +tax commandment and heroes that boost income in Altdorf/Marineburg

Ah, I never use vassals - nor income-boosting Heroes...

[Darth Wadewilson]

I remember an old Druchii campaign way way back. VH-VH

At the heights of it I had around 20+ stacks terrorizing the world. I owned whole of Norsca ulthuan and naggaroth and half of lustria.. Chaos was done and dusted and pillaging old world and the rest was yielding so much more money than owning them.

No one can beat DE economy. Since they can simply farm infinite amount of slaves. And those buffs on sacking and extra slaves are just too good.

[Lampros]

Originally posted by Darth Reyns:

I remember an old Druchii campaign way way back. VH-VH

At the heights of it I had around 20+ stacks terrorizing the world. I owned whole of Norsca ulthuan and naggaroth and half of lustria.. Chaos was done and dusted and pillaging old world and the rest was yielding so much more money than owning them.

No one can beat DE economy. Since they can simply farm infinite amount of slaves. And those buffs on sacking and extra slaves are just too good.

But maintaining a huge slave population requires that extra micro-management that I hate :(

[Darth Wadewilson]

Originally posted by Lampros:

Originally posted by Darth Reyns:

I remember an old Druchii campaign way way back. VH-VH

At the heights of it I had around 20+ stacks terrorizing the world. I owned whole of Norsca ulthuan and naggaroth and half of lustria.. Chaos was done and dusted and pillaging old world and the rest was yielding so much more money than owning them.

No one can beat DE economy. Since they can simply farm infinite amount of slaves. And those buffs on sacking and extra slaves are just too good.

But maintaining a huge slave population requires that extra micro-management that I hate :(

You have to think of rebellions as new sources of slaves and exp for generals. After the tech upgrades, blue line and black ark bonuses the amount of money and slaves you get from each battle is insane. Plus DE got some of the best follower cards in the game.

To elaborate the micro.. the local armies you keep for putting down rebels should have an assassin (he passively increases the slave income). I put most of the points into blue and red skill trees for these 'riot police' generals. And have a lot of ranged.