Lithuania Campaign

[Ashburn]

Hey fellas, I am looking to start a new Lithuanian campaign and I was curious if you guys had any helpful tips.

For instance, when it comes to managing your settlements, do you keep governors within? I noticed that education works differently with Pagan cultures, but are your generals better off outside of settlements? Even administer minded generals.

Anyway, just trying to see how you guys play them differently from Western (or even Islamic) factions. Thanks for your input.

[NW Leyt]

Well, I just started a Lithuania campaign myself, and so far the only thing I'm doing different is keeping my generals out of settlements. I'll give them some spearmen or something and have them run around and kill rebels if necessary. I'm only five turns in, but that's what I plan to do. Unless they're administratively minded.

[Ashburn]

Sounds good, that's what I planned to do too. Good luck mate.

[The Noble Lord]

I have never played Lithuania campaign, but I can tell you beware of the Russians in the east and Poles in the west .

[Ashburn]

I have never played Lithuania campaign, but I can tell you beware of the Russians in the east and Poles in the west .

No doubt

[Bacon!]

Vihilnus is always a popular target for a crusade as well so watch out for that, i nearly always ally with the Cumansas well considering they are pagan and you can team up against the russians, plus it means that you dont have to go the far east of the map

[Abraxis]

assassins and spies will be your best friends, probably to the point where they are more important than your armies.

Try to kill the templars as soon as possible to get access to the baltic, you will need the trade.

if you'd like, try to take Kiev and the Novgorod capitol, they will give you a tonne of money!!

if you manage to get down to the black sea, then your money problems will be in the past.

try not to start wars. If you want settlements, use spies and pagan priests to lower their happiness, assassins to kill governors if necessary, they'll rebel after a few turns, send in a small force, and it now belongs to you.

[frederickm]

ally with the black sheep factions: Byzantine, and one of the Russians(Novgorod, since I placed my money on Kiev and they lost.)

They seem a lot more tolerant than Muslims and catholics

[Vae victis]

I'm playing Lithuania atm and it is a very difficult faction to play. You have poor low pop provinces, and cant afford much of an offensive army. I'd suggest that you take mensk, hroida, riga, visby, and the other castle province on the baltic. When you take these provinces from the rebels try not to sack. You will need the pop and also a good rep. It helps to build two forts to keep troops in to gaurd multiple settlements. Build one below your capital with forces to come to the aid of Vilinus, Mensk, and Hroida, if they are besieged. Put the other fort between the baltic castle and Riga.

In my fist campaign I relied on Lithuanian calvary but was dissapointed by their preformace and high upkeep. Best to use spears with some archers instead and flank with your generals. In Visby build merchants and station them all on the silver there by assinging them to a unit. You will have to build alot of priests to convert your provinces and your neighbors will also send their priests in to meddle. You can try to assasinate them but I have had to resort to surrounding them with my armies and eliminating them that way.

Even if you do all this it will still be very hard to raise the income for an offensive army. This almost forces you to turtle in the early game so choose you battles and friends carefully. Good Luck

[Sargon_of_Akkad]

You have to keep your taxes low to keep the growth to a maximum.

Consolidate your position hard in the beginning, preferably by taking a few third-full armies to siege the rebel provinces around and encourage them to sally forth as soon as you start sieging them, but ensure you are good enough to take them when they do.

Don't bother looking towards Scandinavia until you have either secured many favourable alliances around you.

[Mune]

Here's my suggestion: Migrate to the British Isles. I had one frustrating Lithuanian campaign where I didn't, and I was constantly plagued with income and religion problems (meaning, poor settlements in the area and too many wandering priests to deal with). Next campaign, I decided to move in to England. I conquered the English, Scottish and Irish. My island is all 90%+ pagan now, with no random priests coming by to bother me. And we all know the British Isles are great for income (I've converted all to cities except former Nottingham, now New Vilnius my capital). Now I get to terrorize the northern coast of Europe at my leisure, with my high-tier army, at turn 80 from an early campaign. I like that they have so many units with the 'Frightens Foot' ability, it's fun knowing that my army is just so damned scary. Hands down my most fun 'evil' campaign (as apposed to my 'good' campaigns, where I actually worry about my reputation).

[Ashburn]

Here's my suggestion: Migrate to the British Isles. I had one frustrating Lithuanian campaign where I didn't, and I was constantly plagued with income and religion problems (meaning, poor settlements in the area and too many wandering priests to deal with). Next campaign, I decided to move in to England. I conquered the English, Scottish and Irish. My island is all 90%+ pagan now, with no random priests coming by to bother me. And we all know the British Isles are great for income (I've converted all to cities except former Nottingham, now New Vilnius my capital). Now I get to terrorize the northern coast of Europe at my leisure, with my high-tier army, at turn 80 from an early campaign. I like that they have so many units with the 'Frightens Foot' ability, it's fun knowing that my army is just so damned scary. Hands down my most fun 'evil' campaign (as apposed to my 'good' campaigns, where I actually worry about my reputation).

I hear you Mune, but that is why I can't play with the English anymore. Their starting position is just too easy. I wanted to try a Lithuania campaign for the difficulty and so that I could fight Novgorod and the Teutons. Throw in some Kiev and Poland too. Oh, and maybe some Denmark if they get uppity.

[Zephyranthes]

Humm Ashburn, are you early or late campaign?

[Ashburn]

Early, why?

[Zephyranthes]

Oh, it is a lot harder if you did a Late campaign. The Order is very hard to stop since their units are much stronger.

You are early, you do not have to worry about the order just yet.

Make sure in your cities you make Alter of Dievas Or Guiltine (sp?), those units will dominate on the battlefield depending whether you like heavy axe or heavy cav.

You must take over Visby and the eastern coast of Scandinavia before the Danes take them (not too early, not too late), they are excellent cash cows. The armies of norway and denmark will fail a few times before suceeding, making the seige easier for you.

Be sure to take that general with the vilnius +2 dread trait out of there, that is a very slow castle to raise.

Don't fret about religion, it does infact take a very long time to make it over 75%. Try to get assassins as soon as possible, and practice those assassination skills on rebel armies to make them your defensive weapons.

My advice is to take Haylch early, it is the biggest castle to take over. Usually ungarrisoned, and will cripple Poland for the whole game. Poland without the main castle is much easier to deal with, than Kiev and their endless militias.

Just my experience, correct me if I am wrong = ]

[The Noble Lord]

Thats true, it would be sensible from you to take Haylch first and then proceed to the west slowly.