Mercenary Way?

[estevesbk]

Hello!

Is there many people who still become or even prefer being mercenaries instead of vassals before starting your own Kingdom? Or is it just something between a "free man" and a vassal?

If not and it's a valid way for mid-game, is there any penalty in relations like the faction not asking you anymore in the future if you cancel your contract? Or you can be e.g. merc. for swadia against nords, then for nords against swadia, then again swadia against nords, etc... ?

I'm asking this because I plan on starting my own Kingdom. Usually on my games Swadia is very scr***d up by the day 200, so I like to become their lord, re-conquer some towns like Dhirim and Uxkhal and keep them for a while. With a fortified Swadia again, I can later release my oath, attack the nords to build up my own Kingdom and Swadia will still be very busy waging wars with everyone to annoy me. As my troops are mainly swadian knights, that is good.

BUT... As I read on the Forums... there's always a chance that Swadia can beat everyone else without any interference from the player. If that happens, I would like to balance things out by temporarily joining other factions as mercenary, attacking Swadia a little just to weaken them and then resigning... Without the shame of being released from my oath by more than 1 Kingdom.

 

[ZakAtk12]

I was a mercenary a lot before I became King. I never became a lord, but that is definitely one route to take on the way to being a king.

 

[King Loras]

As a mercenary, relation penalties you incur should be temporary. Once your contract expires and you go back to being solo, your faction relations should reset. Being a mercenary definitely has its advantages.

But I almost always become a vassal before making my own kingdom. I want a wife and some fiefs to start with. And usually I join whichever faction lost a town recently (last game I played it was the Vaegirs, and the game before that it was the Swadians).

 

[Do not look here]

I don't really go for becoming a ruler of own kingdom. Also, being a mercenary is great way to improve relations with lords. I don't really care for big guy's cause and he pays me, so I'm freeing the bastards left and right, making my relations sky-rocket. It's totally sufficient for me, although I'd like more things to do on this path. Some organisation into mercenary contracts, maybe being informed about ongoing campaigns so you can just enlist for one trip, stuff like that.

And most of all: neutral troop tree. You can't create an elite mercenary army without choosing carefully your contractors and even then there's a risk you'll suffer morale penalties, cause there's no way to predict whom your boss will fight in next two months. Not that I have much against fielding an army of Sword Sisters and Manhunters, but some infantry and skirmishers could be nice.

Although riding with companions-only team is also fun and fits the "mercenary band" theme better.

 

[estevesbk]

Thanks for the replies!

Being merc. seems fun but it seems we are getting much more from the towns we own now... I will definitely become a vassal first, but it's good to know that I can be a merc. to weaken the faction first and then help it to re-take the lost lands!

But maybe I would just go the Claimant  way and get 2-3 towns for me anyway... That is the main beauty of M&B, many paths to take!

 

[JosieJ]

I usually do become a vassal before going out on my own, but I always do some merc work before that to rack up some battle experience and raise my relations with a lot of lords, especially in the faction I intend to join.  The great thing about being a merc is that how long you stay with a faction is entirely up to you.  If you like it, you can keep renewing your contract; if you don't, just let it expire and go on to do something else.

 

[BadOreo]

Hehe... I have completed a lot of games, and you know what? It has never crossed my mind that I can actually complete a game, for a faction, as a vassal I almost always create my own kingdom. I do become a vassal, and get 1-2 cities and a few castles (Depending on the mod) and then I rebel.

I do play as a mercenary though since getting relations is a good to so when you rebel you can look for a few people that will almost assuredly join you.

 

[estevesbk]

The problem is that in all my games Swadia is hit really bad... I mean, REALLY bad... It's not even day 100 yet in my new game and they already lost Suno and Uxkhal to the Rhodoks.

I like to invade the Nords to start my own Kingdom. But there is a problem: They are really strong at defending their castles/towns. Eventually with some basic battle tactics I am able to defeat them, but to compensate the losses, I don't want anyone else pi*** me off but the Vaegirs.

So, joining as a vassal on Swadia first has some advantages:

- Usually they are hit pretty hard so when you re-take their towns you are their new lord without the need of starting a claimant rebellion.

- It seems that with 2-3 towns and no other fiefs (Diplomacy gives you the option to give up the village they give you when you become a vassal), the towns now give you a decent money with low tax inefficiency problems. So you can fill up your chest with money until you are ready.

- And finally, they act as a "buffer zone" between the Nords and all other factions. When they are finally conquered again, I already am with my own Kingdom pretty well established!

That's why I usually go for vassal before starting my own Kingdom.

 

[9906anke]

Hello!

Is there many people who still become or even prefer being mercenaries instead of vassals before starting your own Kingdom? Or is it just something between a "free man" and a vassal?

If not and it's a valid way for mid-game, is there any penalty in relations like the faction not asking you anymore in the future if you cancel your contract? Or you can be e.g. merc. for swadia against nords, then for nords against swadia, then again swadia against nords, etc... ?

I'm asking this because I plan on starting my own Kingdom. Usually on my games Swadia is very scr***d up by the day 200, so I like to become their lord, re-conquer some towns like Dhirim and Uxkhal and keep them for a while. With a fortified Swadia again, I can later release my oath, attack the nords to build up my own Kingdom and Swadia will still be very busy waging wars with everyone to annoy me. As my troops are mainly swadian knights, that is good.

BUT... As I read on the Forums... there's always a chance that Swadia can beat everyone else without any interference from the player. If that happens, I would like to balance things out by temporarily joining other factions as mercenary, attacking Swadia a little just to weaken them and then resigning... Without the shame of being released from my oath by more than 1 Kingdom.

WHERE....THE....###... DID.... YOU.....READ....THAT?

Seriously though Swadia is always the first kingdom to go down on every game I make 

 

[BadOreo]

There have been games where Swadia conquers Calradia without players help. Don't need to really flip everywhere like your pretending it can't happen.

Edit: One example is Swadia is the strongest faction, and there are games where every other factions decides not to attack them and only one does, so they can conquer lands more easily.

 

[Filou]

Hello!

Is there many people who still become or even prefer being mercenaries instead of vassals before starting your own Kingdom? Or is it just something between a "free man" and a vassal?

If not and it's a valid way for mid-game, is there any penalty in relations like the faction not asking you anymore in the future if you cancel your contract? Or you can be e.g. merc. for swadia against nords, then for nords against swadia, then again swadia against nords, etc... ?

I'm asking this because I plan on starting my own Kingdom. Usually on my games Swadia is very scr***d up by the day 200, so I like to become their lord, re-conquer some towns like Dhirim and Uxkhal and keep them for a while. With a fortified Swadia again, I can later release my oath, attack the nords to build up my own Kingdom and Swadia will still be very busy waging wars with everyone to annoy me. As my troops are mainly swadian knights, that is good.

BUT... As I read on the Forums... there's always a chance that Swadia can beat everyone else without any interference from the player. If that happens, I would like to balance things out by temporarily joining other factions as mercenary, attacking Swadia a little just to weaken them and then resigning... Without the shame of being released from my oath by more than 1 Kingdom.

WHERE....THE....###... DID.... YOU.....READ....THAT?

Seriously though Swadia is always the first kingdom to go down on every game I make 

Behold Swadia's survival!
http://forums.taleworlds.com/index.php/topic,282860.0.html

 

[estevesbk]

I usually have to rush to help them... Because if I wait too long most of their lords are somewhere else already. Since day 1 it's a race against time already thinking about how soon Swadia will fall...

But of course, it can beat everyone else... The chances are very low, but it still can happen... Nice images on the topic about the unbelievable happening

 

[9906anke]

Hello!

Is there many people who still become or even prefer being mercenaries instead of vassals before starting your own Kingdom? Or is it just something between a "free man" and a vassal?

If not and it's a valid way for mid-game, is there any penalty in relations like the faction not asking you anymore in the future if you cancel your contract? Or you can be e.g. merc. for swadia against nords, then for nords against swadia, then again swadia against nords, etc... ?

I'm asking this because I plan on starting my own Kingdom. Usually on my games Swadia is very scr***d up by the day 200, so I like to become their lord, re-conquer some towns like Dhirim and Uxkhal and keep them for a while. With a fortified Swadia again, I can later release my oath, attack the nords to build up my own Kingdom and Swadia will still be very busy waging wars with everyone to annoy me. As my troops are mainly swadian knights, that is good.

BUT... As I read on the Forums... there's always a chance that Swadia can beat everyone else without any interference from the player. If that happens, I would like to balance things out by temporarily joining other factions as mercenary, attacking Swadia a little just to weaken them and then resigning... Without the shame of being released from my oath by more than 1 Kingdom.

WHERE....THE....###... DID.... YOU.....READ....THAT?

Seriously though Swadia is always the first kingdom to go down on every game I make 

Behold Swadia's survival!
http://forums.taleworlds.com/index.php/topic,282860.0.html

Actually the OP is saying that Swadia is wiped out soon if not a miracle happens