Playing as Scotlands

**KinGstoN_16** · April 01, 2009, 07:21 AM

So how to start scotland and where I should conquer first ? I am playing at SS 6.1. I need help how to start them good bec if I'll don't take more cities and will keep my 3 which I recived on start, england and other factions will become so powerfull for me in future so please tell me your's strategy for them.

Best Regards, Kingston

**Aristarchus** · April 01, 2009, 07:57 PM

Not sure about SS, I play the LTC mod, where I find Scotland is the most challenging faction to play (VH/VH). Got to expand early or go bankrupt, relying on generals for cavalry and necessary force in the beginning with weak units. I could not afford ships in the beginning, so Denmark and England expanded more quickly to take nearby rebel settlements. My first game, I tried going farther across the Baltic into Russia, but the distance made both finance and force difficult to manage and I lost. Second game I made friendly with England and moved my armies by sea down to Africa, where fighting the Moors improves Christian status, and leads to the deep Saharan territories with very rich trade resources. That worked. Historically, there are very early connections between North Africa and the British Isles. The distance is very doable.

**Viking Prince** · April 02, 2009, 03:19 AM

I am not certain about SS, but the usual problem is to constrain where England and other factions will first try to take the rebel held regions. When smaller than the oposition, you need to wait and grow where you can and wait for the larger powers to start bumping into each other. When one shows a bit of weakness, try to grab one or even better two settlements at the same time. Just be certain, any war you start you need to finish with a ceasefire or faction elimination.

The key is to either grab the revenue producers or the castles. Cripple the economy or eliminate the ability for the enemy to produce more professional units. At least you are not in Italy where castles are not needed and all factions are adjacant to the world. If this was vanilla, there is only England and not Ireland. This should not complicate anything though. Just less rebel regions to contest. England only has Nottingham in the Isles to produce castle troops. Castles on the continent are not going to be a problem.

Good luck and keep us informed. Learn the ropes and write up a guide on what you learned!

**Mithrane** · April 02, 2009, 05:33 AM

In SS6.1, the best way for Scotland to grow fast is to look elsewhere than the isles. If you can quickly get Caernarvon and York, you have a chance at getting by with just the isles, but the odds of beating England to those is very very small.

However, Bruges, Antwerp, and Groningen are a great place to set up a second home. If you make an early alliance with England and send ALL of your forces to Antwerp, then split them between Bruges and Groningen, you'll have a very secure power and economic base on both the Isles and the mainland.

The beauty is in SS6.1, alliances are simply not broken lightly. You really have to tick them off. Thus, you'll not need to worry about England until you're prepared to take them out in 1 turn (to avoid papal reaction). Once you do that, it is your choice if you expand by sea into Ireland and Scandinavia or continue the mainland push against France and HRE.

One key thing, though, is that reputation is very important. Make sure you end your alliances before you attack or you'll be beset by lots more enemies.

**KinGstoN_16** · April 02, 2009, 08:23 AM

Good luck and keep us informed. Learn the ropes and write up a guide on what you learned!

Okay so First what I did was grow to Large City in Edinburgh and Castle in Inverness. Why ? So in large city in Militia Drill Square I can recruit Heavy Pike Militia (They are so powerfull

) and in castle I can recruit first archers with long range missle. Then I recruited 2 full armies mixed with this pike militia and archers + general and border horses for fast elimiminate England archers. So I continued slowly marching to Nothingam bec this is strategic point so I conquered it. If england tried to siege York (I had there only militia + general) I took my second army and destroyed them slowly and when they was out of soldiers on england island I attacked London and now it is mine, now they have only Caen, Bruges, Winchester and Exeter. Of course pope excomunicated me during this war but I didn't care bec I have max number of priests so he fast backed me to his arms. I will continue it today. I think now all be good now. I am not playing on VH/VH, not yet only medium/high at the moment so please respect it and don't call me noob ;P.

**Fearghus The Killer** · October 08, 2009, 02:30 PM

I've never had a problem getting York and Caenarvon right away, but I play as Scotland a lot. My first game in SS6.1, I destroyed the English faction around move 35 and the game crashed. I reinstalled and tried it again to see if it was a bug. Game 2, destroyed England again and thankfully it kept playing fine.

If you ally yourself with England, go after provinces they covet, and they will evenutally betray you and by then you'll have them virtually surrounded.

**Viking Prince** · April 02, 2009, 02:13 PM

Sounds like a great start>

**avion365** · April 03, 2009, 06:00 AM

When i play i always just expand fast, but i also raise an army of 10 pikemen(usally the best i can afford), 5 archers and 4 cav. finnaly a genral. this allows me to hold the line and use the pikes holding ablility in a firestorm of death from my archers. this allowed my scots to go and capture the entire british isles and Caen.

**park2086** · September 08, 2009, 05:05 AM

in SS6.1, I get York real quick and always get the city attacked by English countless times. Seems like they have endless money that allows them to build full stacks of army every turn.
I should try to take the mainland first as an above post, and be friends with England.

If there's anybody know how to defend York from endless English army, please give me some tips. Thank you

**MooseUpNorth** · September 08, 2009, 05:32 AM

Originally Posted by park2086

If there's anybody know how to defend York from endless English army, please give me some tips. Thank you

Let them have York. Take London instead. York is now defended from endless English armies.

**park2086** · September 08, 2009, 09:51 PM

ohhhh i see~~~~~~~~~~~~
....wait a second.....
lol

**MooseUpNorth** · September 10, 2009, 04:34 AM

Heh. My answer wasn't flip. Not entirely, anyway.

If you have the strength to take only one city, take the city the enemy needs most. By taking London, the English then suddenly has to rely on what York can produce (not much) and what they already have in the field.

Suddenly, the English are no longer _able_ to produce vast armies (and if they can still afford it, they'll be mostly peasant-based.) You can ensure this happens by dismantling York before letting the English take it. If you find you can't hold onto London, dismantle it before abandoning it.

Don't be afraid to give ground when necessary. You can almost always take it back later.