Best potential prince

**Hupsel** · January 23, 2011, 04:28 AM

Hi guys,

I would like to know who is statistical wise the best potential prince for my princess to marry right at the start of the game.
So where do you guys ussually send your princesses?

Thanks

**Aldaris** · January 23, 2011, 06:11 AM

Which faction? What are your strategic goals?

to give an example: when I play as the HRE I usually send my princess to Hungary to secure an alliance with them early on. If I really want to cement it I try to nab their princess for my heir as well. A double marriage bond will make for a pretty reliable alliance if you keep your reputation at reliable or higher. I choose Hungary because we will have common enemies (Poland), and they're not on my expansion schedule as I figure my primary opponents will be Venice, Milan, France and eventually Poland.

Consider who likes or dislikes who, where you want to go, and who you won't likely come into conflict with over your plans for expansion. That is who you should ally with.

**Avatar** · January 23, 2011, 08:16 AM

Aside from what Aldaris said, its almost impossible to answer this due to the slightly random nature of stats at the beginning of the game. This is most obvious if you play catholic and look at the college of cardinals in turn one. Often the titles of its members will vary from game to game, even before making a move.

**eXistenZ** · January 23, 2011, 08:43 AM

I would say, try to marry their princess, so you win a daughter and don't ose one.

Other than that: make sure that you don't marry old farts. Enough girls in RL do that already

**Nefarious** · January 23, 2011, 10:58 AM

Originally Posted by Hupsel

Hi guys,
I would like to know who is statistical wise the best potential prince for my princess to marry right at the start of the game.
So where do you guys ussually send your princesses?
Thanks

Statistically, there is no best. There is merely preferred.
That said, I prefer to marry my girls to the most strategically placed ally. This, for my style of play, is a faction at least one(and possibly two) factions removed from my initial borders. Not a neighbor, but a faction on the opposite border of my future enemy. You should know whom you'll fight. You should know which territories you'll try and claim.

Examples:
1. England/France/Scotland: I'm looking to control the isles and Western Europe with a smidgen of Scandinavia for good measure. My once-removed options become HRE/Spain/Portugal. I avoid Denmark since they often target York and Antwerp. Those provinces are mine. Period. War with Denmark is, in my Northern campaigns, inevitable.

2. HRE/Italian States: I'm going for that chicken thigh and drumstick look.

England, Portugal or Russia will do nicely as trade/marriage alliances. All other Princess-carrying factions are potential targets.

The idea is for your marriage alliance to not be jeopardized by future expansion. And this alliance will, in turn, sandwich your enemies between a hammer and anvil.
It makes little sense to marry a Princess into a faction with whom you'll eventually conflict.
Far better to find her/ship her 1-2 factions away from your eventual borders.

Just one opinion.

**Hupsel** · January 23, 2011, 02:34 PM

Thanks for the answers, I didnt know stats were different every game. I thought that all the characters started with the same statistics every game.
As for the whole marriage thing to improve a relationship, its really not my thing. I always get into a fight with the entire map anyway.

**Shiina** · January 23, 2011, 03:24 PM

The stats are not different every game they are like they are written in The Descr_strat so they can't be different every game it's written

**Conchubhair** · January 24, 2011, 09:59 AM

I usually have my princess married to a worthy commander, don't see the point in lossing her when i'll probibly end up loosing the ally next time i go to war
e.g playing as Hre married into Denmark, Poland declares war but are also an ally of my ally, Denmark doesn't care about marrital bonds breaks our allience

**thespaniard** · January 24, 2011, 02:09 PM

yeah if you are going to get a general out of a princes make sure hes not over the age of 35 i got the best byzentine general and he died the next turn