Viking raid tactics?

[.L.]

Does anyone use them? Personally I dislike them since I usually end up capturing the settlements, but if I'm say Portugal, and at war with Russia for whatever reason, I may send a raiding team to stir up some mayhem, but if I'm close to the settlement, I usually don't raid it.

[Double A]

It's only a good idea if you're really, really low on cash and your enemy has a bunch of barely defended settlements. Very, very situational.

[Diamond]

I use them when I just want to give my opponent a setback. I.E. As Spain fighting England, I'll send an invasion force of a few armies to take whatever castles they have, sack the city, dismantle every building in the castle, and leave.

[The Kybrothilian]

I think it could be a good tactic, when you want to weaken your main enemy's allies. (for ex. as England, you'd have Scotland as main enemy, who has Denmark as an ally, and you'd want to weaken Denmark to prevent support for Scotland.)

[Nazgûl Killer]

As AA said, it's pretty much case-by-case, as you can easily tell by the number of different uses people make of this tactic. I rarely, if ever, use this tactic unless there is absolutely no strategical value in taking settlement A or B, then I'd just ransack them. The only few times I actually did do that, were during a crusade where I had passed through enemy lands and wanted to pester them.

[Kalinin]

I find that raiding cities is only ever useful when you're crusading and you just walk past a badly defended settlement due to the fact that you can't really hold that settlement due to lack of garrison, governor etc.

[Påsan]

Speak for yourselves, sending a raid party by boat to the other side of the map to pillage and loot is an excellent financial investment. (Particularly when playing as England, Denmark or Norway who are all at the edge of the map surrounded by powerful catholic factions) Cruise down to the Mediterranean with some quality ships, catapults and good heavy infantry (cavalry are not needed as you'll be focusing on sieges) when you're down there start capturing some big city like Constantinople, demolish all the buildings, sell it to the Pope. Then leave, next settlement (Alexandria?) repeat.

It also gives you the opportunity to fight enemies you would not have met in a long time otherwise witch is fun (Killing feudal knights and sergeant spearmen get boring after a while), and most of the time you can completely avoid the man in Rome constantly hatin' on your war efforts. Be careful with crusades though, a Crusading army from the north heading to Jerusalem seldom makes it past Spain without the army disbanding due to the "We are sailing the wrong way!" thing

[Diamond]

Speak for yourselves, sending a raid party by boat to the other side of the map to pillage and loot is an excellent financial investment. (Particularly when playing as England, Denmark or Norway who are all at the edge of the map surrounded by powerful catholic factions) Cruise down to the Mediterranean with some quality ships, catapults and good heavy infantry (cavalry are not needed as you'll be focusing on sieges) when you're down there start capturing some big city like Constantinople, demolish all the buildings, sell it to the Pope. Then leave, next settlement (Alexandria?) repeat.

It also gives you the opportunity to fight enemies you would not have met in a long time otherwise witch is fun (Killing feudal knights and sergeant spearmen get boring after a while), and most of the time you can completely avoid the man in Rome constantly hatin' on your war efforts. Be careful with crusades though, a Crusading army from the north heading to Jerusalem seldom makes it past Spain without the army disbanding due to the "We are sailing the wrong way!" thing

Agree.
I love random raids, they're a big money maker and they're like crippling when they're major recruitment or financial centers to your enemies.

[.L.]

Speak for yourselves, sending a raid party by boat to the other side of the map to pillage and loot is an excellent financial investment. (Particularly when playing as England, Denmark or Norway who are all at the edge of the map surrounded by powerful catholic factions) Cruise down to the Mediterranean with some quality ships, catapults and good heavy infantry (cavalry are not needed as you'll be focusing on sieges) when you're down there start capturing some big city like Constantinople, demolish all the buildings, sell it to the Pope. Then leave, next settlement (Alexandria?) repeat.

It also gives you the opportunity to fight enemies you would not have met in a long time otherwise witch is fun (Killing feudal knights and sergeant spearmen get boring after a while), and most of the time you can completely avoid the man in Rome constantly hatin' on your war efforts. Be careful with crusades though, a Crusading army from the north heading to Jerusalem seldom makes it past Spain without the army disbanding due to the "We are sailing the wrong way!" thing

Yeah, I just walk through France then get a couple of mercenary ships, maybe go throuogh Italy to get those giant crosses.

[Double A]

As AA said, it's pretty much case-by-case, as you can easily tell by the number of different uses people make of this tactic. I rarely, if ever, use this tactic unless there is absolutely no strategical value in taking settlement A or B, then I'd just ransack them. The only few times I actually did do that, were during a crusade where I had passed through enemy lands and wanted to pester them.

Even when I do that, I just take the settlement and buy some units (because they're built when you hit end turn and rebellions happen on the Rebels' turn) the turn I leave. I'd rather collect the taxes from it for a few turns than outright abandon it. Hell, I could still probably hang onto it if it has walls and I can build at least 1/3 as many units as the enemy sends my way. There's just no reason in breaking stuff you'll just get back later or can keep. Plus, there's no such thing as no strategical value whatsoever if it makes money.

[Heathen Storm]

Hahaha it's my favorite tactic. What some of the other people have said is absolutely true; make sure it's not somewhere that you'll need later for victory conditions. But you can make a LOT of money by raiding a well developed settlement!

[Double A]

You can make even more if you hold on to it for 20-50 turns.

[Påsan]

Not if its constantly under siege by angry people who want their capital city back and with no hope of reinforcements since you are on the wrong side of the map.

[Double A]

Not if its constantly under siege by angry people who want their capital city back and with no hope of reinforcements since you are on the wrong side of the map.

Then hold on to it till you get screwed and then destroy all the buildings.

Or, you know, just conquer a castle.

[.L.]

It's a good "Red herring" though, if an army is barreling towards you and you have an objective in mind, just raid a settlement and they will drop everything they're doing to capture it back, even better if you leave a weak mercenary unit like a frankish axeman to defend it and make them prolong the siege.

[Påsan]

The Viking way is attack, pillage, disappear out on the sea, attack the defenceless city that just sent all its forces to retake the other city.

[Double A]

That would work better if your enemy was a human.

[Påsan]

Yeah, the theory behind Viking raids in game is just send a fleet and attack sparsely defended settlements along the coast, sack, demolish buildings and then be gone all in one turn. Helps you and damages the enemy (and everyone else in the region that trades with that settlement) Good targets are the Ortodox and Muslim factions so you don't piss off the Pope too much. You don't really trade or fight with those factions if you're in Northern Europe anyway.

As a bonus its even historically accurate The king Sigurd Jorsdalsfare did just that at his "Crusade" who was more like a giant Viking raid on the Muslim world. He brought home to poor Norway huge riches sacked from the east, and even a splinter from the Cross of Christ which is in Norway to this day. He must be among the most successful "crusaders" in history.

[Double A]

I'm sure William the Conqueror constantly raided Lower Egypt.

[eugenioso]

the raid

advantages:

_lots of money from destroyed buildings and from looting the city

_can really set back an enemy faction


disadvantages:

_if captured too soon after a raid the city might be worthless.

_having a whole army attacking cities can become expensive.