Fastest leveling, renown-raising, and getting money

[mcmlrs]

I assume the quickest way to level is to (solo) go to town on sea raiders with a horse, a bow, and a ton of arrows? On a similar note, this is also the quickest way to get renown? And money?

(Right from the beginning of the game, I mean, after you've made a bit of money from beating the tournament AI's crappy dueling abilities.)

[FlowiXx]

I assume the quickest way to level is to (solo) go to town on sea raiders with a horse, a bow, and a ton of arrows? On a similar note, this is also the quickest way to get renown? And money?

(Right from the beginning of the game, I mean, after you've made a bit of money from beating the tournament AI's crappy dueling abilities.)

It is the quickest way, of course, if you can handle it. Even now, with my character level 48, I don't think I would be able to repel 60 sea raiders on myself. They have strong equipment, and those axes they throw will easily take down anyone.

[mcmlrs]

I assume the quickest way to level is to (solo) go to town on sea raiders with a horse, a bow, and a ton of arrows? On a similar note, this is also the quickest way to get renown? And money?

(Right from the beginning of the game, I mean, after you've made a bit of money from beating the tournament AI's crappy dueling abilities.)

It is the quickest way, of course, if you can handle it. Even now, with my character level 48, I don't think I would be able to repel 60 sea raiders on myself. They have strong equipment, and those axes they throw will easily take down anyone.

Right at the beginning it's pretty easy, when they travel in groups of 14 or less. Even at the highest difficulty settings, timing a charge/strike with a shield up otherwise between volleys will guarantee you a safe kill. Since there are only 14, there's no danger of the air being filled with flying axes (to the point where you can't shield anything).

This is what I've pretty much been doing. Start game > win 5 tournaments to afford armor + weapons > kill sea raiders until level 21, while getting training as high as possible > insta army of sharpshooters and swadian knights.

I was just wondering if there was a better solution.

[Ivan Khan]

My method is to start in Tulga. For the 1st 1-2 days stay away from the steppe bandit den but gather 25 or so in your group. Companions and Khergit tribesman. Hit looters and save villages to train your tribesman to skirmishers and then Horseman. Once you have all your troops mounted attack the steppe bandits and their den. This should give you horses, early armour and weapons for your companions. Since you are fast you can quickly run to every town in the land looking for more companions. While doing this remain aggressive in attacking bandits where ever and whenever you can. Once you have a few Lancer (8 is normally enough) you can mine Sea Raiders with ease. They do not stand a chance against Lancers, and every time you attack a group you will raise your number of Lancers. By the end of 20 days you will be rich, have your companions outfitted in top end Sea Raider gear, and have trained your troops enough to go join a faction and really start to build renown by taking on other factions. 

[FlowiXx]

My method is to start in Tulga. For the 1st 1-2 days stay away from the steppe bandit den but gather 25 or so in your group. Companions and Khergit tribesman. Hit looters and save villages to train your tribesman to skirmishers and then Horseman. Once you have all your troops mounted attack the steppe bandits and their den. This should give you horses, early armour and weapons for your companions. Since you are fast you can quickly run to every town in the land looking for more companions. While doing this remain aggressive in attacking bandits where ever and whenever you can. Once you have a few Lancer (8 is normally enough) you can mine Sea Raiders with ease. They do not stand a chance against Lancers, and every time you attack a group you will raise your number of Lancers. By the end of 20 days you will be rich, have your companions outfitted in top end Sea Raider gear, and have trained your troops enough to go join a faction and really start to build renown by taking on other factions.

Nice way too, but instead of buying new armors, just hit Sea Raiders a couple of times and take their armor. It is pretty good for beginning. Also, you can take some things more which you don't need from them, and sell it in the nearest town ( Rivacheg ) for good amount of money.

[Ivan Khan]

Nice way too, but instead of buying new armors, just hit Sea Raiders a couple of times and take their armor. It is pretty good for beginning. Also, you can take some things more which you don't need from them, and sell it in the nearest town ( Rivacheg ) for good amount of money.

Yea, I rarely buy armour before I have several towns and I have so much money I do not know what to do with it. Like you say I just mine Sea Raiders until my companions are all outfitted in mail and Nordic helmets etc. Also high-end deserters have good gear. It gets my companions well enough armoured to survive fighting factions -- then you mine your foes until you are so rich you can afford to buy anything.

Only exception is leather gloves. These are so beneficial for such low cost I buy them whenever I can. Adding +2 to body armour for 150 to +5 for 700 is too sweet a deal to pass up.

[Argeus the Paladin]

I am the opposite. I won't even fight Forest Bandits until I have 40+ armor in all my slots. Maybe restricting myself to Swadian (Read: Crappiest possible lineup) has something to do with it. The earliest gear-up I got was a piece of rusty mail with surcoat on day 2 via arena melee farming.

[Ivan Khan]

Well, you can always go to Rivachig and get the strange armour. Pair it with some gloves and you got very decent armour for early game.

[Chaingun]

My standard start: Get the collect taxes quest on a rich city and keep all that money for yourself. Buy gear for your own char, no use buying anything for companions. After that it's sea raider hunting time.

[Argeus the Paladin]

My suggestion:

For archer and horse archer characters and/or anyone running around with a sufficiently large archer company, Tundra Bandits > Sea Raiders in terms of return on effort. They are shieldless, only armed 50% with bows, and run full-tilt towards your men to throw their sticks. Played right you can rout and run down droves of them before they can deal any real damage.

[FlowiXx]

My suggestion:

For archer and horse archer characters and/or anyone running around with a sufficiently large archer company, Tundra Bandits > Sea Raiders in terms of return on effort. They are shieldless, only armed 50% with bows, and run full-tilt towards your men to throw their sticks. Played right you can rout and run down droves of them before they can deal any real damage.

I think that Sea Raiders have the strongest shields of any other outlaw organization. But Tundra Bandits, yeah, I don't think they use shields at all (or maybe it is because they are charging). Me and my 3 companions take 50 of them at ease by range weapons.

[Argeus the Paladin]

Actually, the strongest shields belong to the Mountain Bandits. Fur shields wielders are almost impossible to put arrows in the knees of. The only downside is that they aren't guaranteed shields, while SRs are. Though their shields are nothing to be written home about.

[FlowiXx]

Actually, the strongest shields belong to the Mountain Bandits. Fur shields wielders are almost impossible to put arrows in the knees of. The only downside is that they aren't guaranteed shields, while SRs are. Though their shields are nothing to be written home about.

Oh yes, I've never given much interest about their shields, as I thought they are big but weak, but looks like I was wrong. But Mountain Bandits don't use their shield too much, because they are also charging, and also some of them get small round shield, so you can easily shoot their legs too. Sea Raiders ( if not acquiring a bow ) will charge with the shield on, so only possibility to shoot them down is to hit them in the legs ( which my companions don't know to do pretty good ).

[malacka07]

If sea riders run they keep their shields down. As I noticed if u change your bow to meele weapon they will start to run giving some time to your companions to shoot them. Furthermore you can manage headsotz over their shields.

[bakters]

Since several games I use a tweak, which allows me to sell prisoners to tavern keepers.  It saves some time, since you don't have to search for ransom brokers.  I'm also able to take 20 prisoners, to make things go faster.  The best troops for catching prisoners are slavers, and early to mid game they tend to make my whole army.  It still is a lot of grind to setup industries in all cities, so I also increased the amounts I'm able to bet on the tournament. 

In essence, I don't think there is anything in native which could speed up early game for you.