Newbie needs help

[Rad10]

Hello!
I'm new to this mod, and I can say it's great. But I'm having trouble finding my way in the main story line.
Let's start with some data, and then proceed to questions.
My Stats: STR 24, AGI 15, INT 12, CHA 9. I have a knightly type of character, so no range weapons. I currently have 94 men and women in his command, some Noldor too. I'm a mercenary for the Ravenstern faction, because owning a fief doesn't cover my company's expenses (7000 denars per week, my army's mostly elite cavalry). The D'Shar and Sarleon factions are mostly wiped out by the others, so there's 3 superpowers vying for supremacy. I have some Noldor equipment as well (shield, boots, runed bastard sword), and some 70k money.

How should I proceed? Where can I get a steady supply of qualis gems?
If someone experienced has the time, I'd be grateful for some strategy guide.
Thank you in advance,
Rad

 

[NicotiN]

What day is it?
Right to rule is high? if your trainer/surgery/pathfining is about 10 you can start the Kingdom of Pendor....conquer a castle from a loosing faction and then add a lot of men to it's garrison, about 500 if it's a town.
Laria, Valonbray, Singal, Cez...etc, are good locations but you can try to "steal" a fief wich switched hands and has a low garrison so depends on game and what you like.
Buy an enterprise in every town to get enough money to fund your war economy, take care of your fief and don't go too far.
Qualis gems....spawns...build an elite army to hunt armies and lords, but the first weeks will be to fend off invaders.

And then give your companions castles and villages...especially to Lethardien, he gets Noldor units. And to other companions that you like, Boadice has a nice women army with vecavian troops. I like Diev's ravenstern army, it's balanced. Slowly give them fiefs and make peace. It's a long grind

Edit::Send your companions to speak for you, each gets you 2 rtr, you need at least 40 i guess. But start Pendor when there are wars in the other factions, you will need the extra time to set up your kingdom.
You need good int skills, defeating armies get's you some bonuses and achievments too. You get +1 leadership after founding Pendor..."you will need it"
Put your points in INT since str/agi/cha can be easly made using qualis gems
Geting lords is harder now, remember that you will make some companions lords and loose some skills
When you make Pendor you have to stop using those rif raf as soldier....use more nobles and knighthood troops

 

[Rad10]

Day - around 300th.
Right to rule, almost none -was too lazy to send my companions to say nice things about me, I'll start right away. How much do I need? Asking because I was independant in Native, and it my "freedom" lasted for 3 days before being crushed by all the factions
Enterprise? You got it, it was already on my mind.
I don't have those skills, I let my companions do that. I'm just a rabid-conan-terminator type of guy.

 

[Rad10]

Any further advice would be most appreciated.

 

[NicotiN]

Do what is said tell us how it goes or if you want to know something more specific, ask

 

[ilunar]

NicotiN's advices are ok, but several things - sending companions gives 3 right-to-rule points and you need around 25 to be recognised as a monarch, which gives you some survivability (you wont be gang banged).


Also, i hope you got several friendly lords? Being a merc gives you chance to fight among other lords, and capture and release enemy lords, gaining relations with them too...

Also, to start a successful kingdom you should get a little more than 70k. Since you're a newbie, you should start with any town in the corner - NicotiN mentioned Cez and Laria (best for begginer, imo), just dont start a war before you get 25 right to rule...

 

[AxeMaster3]

When starting out, try to get a property that has a spawn army lurking about. If you lead the spawn army to the seigers they will scatter.

NicotiN's advices are ok, but several things - sending companions gives 3 right-to-rule points and you need around 25 to be recognised as a monarch, which gives you some survivability (you wont be gang banged).

If you send out your companions, there is 60 rtr possible. Even if you dont keep them all in your party-- sending them out may be your only hope.

 

[Arekai]

which gives you some survivability (you wont be gang banged)

That's the best explanation for survivability i've read on the internet.
Listen to this wise man! 

 

[Naasir]

...right-to-rule points and you need around 25 to be recognised as a monarch...

Are you talking about some general AI behavior or the actual recognition through diplomacy options? Asking because I usually sit around at 90-120 rtr and never ever did any ruler recognize me as monarch. Or do they simply not recognize queens, only kings?

 

[ilunar]

Im talking about recognition. Right-to-rule its capped at 99 i think, your minister usually informs you that your right-to-rule is not high enough immediately after greetings- when it is, the chance for random war is much higher.

Since AI diplomacy behaviour is abstract and shows little logic compared to luck (consider other kings as slightly retarded, who decide either to declare war or not with tossing a coin)  playing with ability to quick save/load is the main factor that will keep your kingdom alive...
Of course, there are always reasons why AI declares war. First one is because low right to rule. They treat you like some revolutionist which treats the monarchy in general, therefore will gang up and focus on getting rid of you...
Regain-lost -territory reason appears to be predefined at the beggining of a game, when one border-fortress/city is considered theirs. Power-curb reason triggering is almost certain, when one kingdom begins to have advantage over other (wining the war).
Talking to guild-masters in other kingdoms cities (by lets talk about politics, try all the options first) provides interesting information, do it once in a while when your troublesome neighbour is not in war with anyone or when hes close to ending his current war.

One thing that bothers me, since i get 27-30 right-to-rule before making my own kingdom, so noone bothers to declare war on me just for being rogue, this gives me time to build army, maintain villages etc. - but im my current game, guild master of imperial Ethos tells me that Marius has a right to "attack me without pretext, as a bid to extend control over Pendor" , and they often do, despite 34 fraction relations (not that it changes ANYTHING in a first place)

 

[Rad10]

Ok, I'm pretty close to the 25 RTR mark. I thought I neeeded more/ And I'm investing in properties around the map. Soon, we shall have our revenge...

Thanks for the advice people, keep 'em coming

 

[NicotiN]

I don't care about rtr, 40 looks like the safe option for me. Why i don't care? because the number of men in your garrison is what counts, get 500 men and it won't be sieged(there may be some exceptions....add more soldiers, not a problem if int skills are high) and then the faction wich is close to you attacks....so what? capture their lords, ransom some of them and after a while only the dukes, king and 1-2 lords are left with armies capable of defeating you. You get more nobles and squash them one by one and you extend your kingdom by capturing their fiefs. It's actually bad not no have a war since you can't get new fiefs for companions/lords or that money from battles.
I have asked TB to change how strenght garrison is calculated and it will be probably changed in the future, so take advantage while you still can

 

[Rad10]

Anyways...
I just scouted Laria, it seems to be a perfect place to start my kingdom. It's isolated from the rest of what remains of Sarleon. Only trouble is, there's 600 angry Sarleonians defending it. Given into account that I won't have more than 120 men to besiege it, it'll be hard. I need help with that. How did you guys get your first towns/castles? You must have been in the same situation as I am. I've taken towns in native, but you'll agree that this is no way near that.

 

[MitchyMatt]

Anyways...
I just scouted Laria, it seems to be a perfect place to start my kingdom. It's isolated from the rest of what remains of Sarleon. Only trouble is, there's 600 angry Sarleonians defending it. Given into account that I won't have more than 120 men to besiege it, it'll be hard. I need help with that. How did you guys get your first towns/castles? You must have been in the same situation as I am. I've taken towns in native, but you'll agree that this is no way near that.

Tactics my friend. Tactics. Bring archers and infantry galore to the battle. Before you send you infantry to their death up on the wall have your archers clear them out. Crossbow units are awesome since they are very accurate and attack slow giving more time for them to kill.since you are ravenstern I suggest you bring rangers of course and some knights as well. Kierguards only last so long.  As for me my first town was taken when I was a vessel for that kingdom and I was declared marshal after getting high relations with thee king. I then lead the army to Karia and took it by order your troops to attack. I was sick of attacking it over again...and I won with not as many casualties. And since I took the town I requested it and received it. Its good to ask the other lords if they support you to get it. Also after being a mercenary for so long I thought it be best to become a vessel and make my way into Pendor known. I suggest you become a vessel also. But you don't need to be a marshal to get the town or castle. You can follow one then after you take it you can ask if they support you to get it anyway. Hope this helps     btw excuse my errors. Im typing on a phone and the auto correct and the changing of words is acting up so just make due with what you have. Sorry :p

 

[NicotiN]

Or you could use tactics to take a weakend castle, fill it's garrison, get a stronger army and conquer Laria in a few attacks while defeating the lords that buzz you. It's better to work with your faction but that takes a lot of time for my style and it's nothing sure. Archers and infantry, a lot of them at top tier, don't forget to use other factions troops because it's worth it.
Use heavy troopers like barclay sappers, heavy inf, d'shar bladesmen, empire crossbows, ravenstern rangers, fierdsvain's huskarls, sarleon.......er...no no...Sarleon archers are good because they are easy to train and maintain. Rogue knights have powerfull swords also known as light sabers. hero adventurers if you can aford them
Me, i just bind my time until my garison is strong enough to attack a town or i just take a few castle along the way so i don't get disturbed. Anyway you army is strong enough to defeat a lot of lords.

Ps: yes vessels are good for holding fish
The phones with auto correct made millions of people laugh, i wonder why you people buy them

 

[AxeMaster3]

Anyways...
I just scouted Laria, it seems to be a perfect place to start my kingdom. It's isolated from the rest of what remains of Sarleon. Only trouble is, there's 600 angry Sarleonians defending it. Given into account that I won't have more than 120 men to besiege it, it'll be hard. I need help with that. How did you guys get your first towns/castles? You must have been in the same situation as I am. I've taken towns in native, but you'll agree that this is no way near that.

I try to get a property that has changed hands a few times. From a faction that is at war with other factions. You should be able to find a small garrison somewhere that you can easily take over.

 

[Rad10]

Yeah... it seems that I'll discontinue my cooeration with the Ravenstern soon... and start looking for easy pickings... Good news, I'm friends with the Noldor now, and I got invited to their super cool vila for parties and candy...
Is there any way I can make the Noldor follow me and masacre all my enemies? Some quest or something?

 

[NicotiN]

Nope, you can only hire some of them with qualis gems.

 

[Rad10]

Did that a while ago... after a dozen or so low-chance-of-survival battles, they're all dead... I have another gem in reserve, should I use it to hire another batch? Or get the map to the mines? Or an elixir?

 

[NicotiN]

you have to protect them or keep them in a garrison. If you have one gem it's useless to buy the map since you need another gem to get a rune weapon and another to make it stronger.
STR 24, AGI 15, INT 12, CHA 9
If those are your stats it means that you can't wear that 30 str noldor armor...but...if you get your riding skill to 6 and purchase those nice and strong noldor horse...
Any knighthood orders? keep that gem to make the ebony gauntlet chapter or whatever order you want after you capture a town