My Greyjoys are Beggars

**Darron Drakehallow** · October 06, 2011, 09:22 PM

So the one faction (well besides the Lannisters) I'd expect not having to worry about money is the Greyjoys. The trouble is my ports don't trade with each other. Only with another faction iirc. So my ironmen are basically farmers and tax collectors. This is a problem.

So is this working as intended or an oversight no one has come across?

Sorry to start off with a negative. This is one of my favorite all-time mods. My heart stopped the first time I played as the Starks. Luckily a buddy was on stand-by with a defribrillater. I'm so looking forward to the next version release.

**Heartsbane** · October 06, 2011, 10:19 PM

Balon Greyjoy, the " Begger King"

**Gurkhal** · October 07, 2011, 12:34 AM

Well, there's a reason that the Ironmen invented the Old Way, so the best way is probably to start looting and sacking some settlements for you to get the cash flowing.

**Heartsbane** · October 07, 2011, 01:55 AM

This is true sadly. The Iron Islands don't have much in the way of natural resources aside from iron and they lack arable land for growing crops. What do they really have to trade? I cant help but feel that the "Old Way" would have benefited the Iron Men more if the Islands were located East of Westeros. Plenty of slaves to be gained from plunder to trade at Slavers Bay or directly to the Free Cities. Either way, fire and steel is what you want for your Greyjoys just as the Drowned God intended. Plenty of thralls and a nice salt wife or 2 will make up for the lack of copper.

**Lordinquisitor** · October 07, 2011, 07:13 AM

As Heartsbane explained the Greyjoys are supposed to be poor. The best way to gain money, aside from conquering Casterly rock, is to sack rich cities. (And by sacking i mean totally sacking them- Upon conquering you choose sack, and then you demolish every building and leave again.)

**Heart of Madness** · October 07, 2011, 08:02 AM

The same tactic for the Starks and Stannis as well. They both seem to run out of money rather quickly.

**History_Buff** · October 07, 2011, 02:17 PM

I notice that to. It does not help that, for me at least, their seems to be a period immediately after the game starts and extending for a few turns where no matter how many men you recruit, you cannot go into debt. I think it is supposed to simulate the calling up of the banners, but it is also good for luring you into a false sense of security. I have played as the Greyjoy's before and have been able to muster the force to take on the Lannisters, Starks, Tully's, and even Dorne all at the same time using this glitch. Granted, Dagmar Cleftjaw's attack on Dorne begins after the fall of the Lannisters many times, but it is still strange that I can muster the men to take on three Great houses at the same time and win.

**Darron Drakehallow** · October 10, 2011, 10:15 PM

Thanks for the replies, I'll see what I can do. I just feel hampered by the game mechanics for trying to stay true to the Greyjoy's motto: "We Do Not Sow." *looks at farms in shame* Might be I will just have to pull up all my stakes and swing at Lannisport to get the proverbial ball rolling. Also a semi-random question: does blockading actually add revenue? Never had a chance to test it.

**Timur Amir** · October 10, 2011, 11:35 PM

also, burning Oldtown is always a good way to start your economy, although there is the problem of getting there...

**Darron Drakehallow** · October 11, 2011, 12:16 AM

Originally Posted by Timur Amir

also, burning Oldtown is always a good way to start your economy, although there is the problem of getting there...

Yep I just discovered the veritable dragon-hoard of pillagery that is Oldtown. The iron price has been paid many fold.

**Unsullied** · October 12, 2011, 12:33 PM

Darron I just tried the Greyjoys too and came here looking for the same questions you had. Playing on Hard/Hard I was in the red from basically turn 2 on and despite capturing the close rebel settlements I was in a consistent deficit. Not able to buy any troops, it was just a matter of time before I got sandwiched by the Starks and Lannisters.

I discovered the Oldtown bonanza playing Dorne - I think I'll restart Greyjoy and scoot on down there.

**Darron Drakehallow** · October 12, 2011, 08:50 PM

Originally Posted by Unsullied

Darron I just tried the Greyjoys too and came here looking for the same questions you had. Playing on Hard/Hard I was in the red from basically turn 2 on and despite capturing the close rebel settlements I was in a consistent deficit. Not able to buy any troops, it was just a matter of time before I got sandwiched by the Starks and Lannisters.

I discovered the Oldtown bonanza playing Dorne - I think I'll restart Greyjoy and scoot on down there.

I just bunched up all my starting troops and swung down the coast, hitting anything with 6 or less garrison units. Among them was Lannisport. I didn't start training until after the first or second time I sacked Lannisport. Just pop back out when the Lannisters (or Tyrells) summon a large enough force to be a threat. After the 3rd time of sacking my first cash cow, I moved down to Oldtown. By then I had a second stack to keep pestering the Lannisters and the Tullies/Arryns/Starks to the Northeast. As suggested, destroy anything you won't be using. If you're milling a settlement like I did, it will hamper the owner faction, by making them waste time and money rebuilding the structures you tore down. The Lannisters are flat broke right now.

It seriously felt like cheating and probably was but no one ever accused viking raiders of being fair, did they?

**Toho** · October 12, 2011, 08:55 PM

it appears that we need a garrison script or at least some house rules if people will be attacking major cities like this because of the retarded AI, and also the Iron Islands were not exacly rich buddy so i doubt the ironmen can field too many troops initially.

**Captain Zoran** · October 13, 2011, 04:07 AM

Originally Posted by Toho

it appears that we need a garrison script or at least some house rules if people will be attacking major cities like this because of the retarded AI, and also the Iron Islands were not exacly rich buddy so i doubt the ironmen can field too many troops initially.

Yep, garrison scripts would be an good idea, atleast for the larger cities. And these should mostly consist of levies, enough to perhaps hold their ground for an amount of time, but not against a serious assualt.

**Merula** · October 13, 2011, 04:25 AM

My tips for the Greyjoy's;

Do not spend any of your starting money on the kingship claim, or buildings, just recruit troops, (ironborn warriors and raiders).

You should have enough troops to have two near full stacks, put some of the generals together, you will need them all to fight, not govern!

Attack and capture Seaguard first, it is rarely defended well, then the next term sack it, and destroy all the buildings. Move that army north and take The Twins.

With your other army sail over to the Lannister coast and sack the closest undefended settlement there.

Bring your first army down the Lannister coast as well, sacking and destroying towns all the way down (you may not want to sack each city in order, the AI rushes troops to hotspots, so just get back on your ships and sail further down the coast, you can come back for that settlement any time!)

After you have destroyed the Lannisters on their own coast (I left Casterly Rock untouched as it was consistently garrisoned heavily) then move down the coast towards the Tyrrels.

Promptly sack Oldtown and all the other surrounding tyrrel cities and castles. If you want to hang onto the Arbor thats fine, it may be used as a springboard for further conquests.

At the start, never hold any cities on the mainland, only islands, as you can not hope to face armoured knights.

If you have played your cards right you should now have about 100,000 monehs!!! I did exactly this and got this amount, oh and i didnt fight a single battle myself, only autoresolved! This stupid AI!

From here, what i did was send one army back up towards home, sacking sacked cities as i went, to start a war with the northmen, the other kept travelling around the contenent (sacking as they went) to attack the northmen from the other side of Westeros.

Even though the Greyjoy's say "we do not sow" it is still a good idea (when you have enough) to invest in farms, the little money they get you is not to be scoffed at! Also when you are offered the sellsword guild (you have to have over 10,000) get it, the heavy horse that you get eventually is very helpful when invading the continent for good, and the spearmen are nice for bringing down those self righteous knights! And build a bigger fleet, always build a bigger fleet!

That's about all really, happy plundering!

Oh and i played on hard, just so you know

**Gurkhal** · October 13, 2011, 08:16 AM

My tips for the Greyjoy's;

Do not spend any of your starting money on the kingship claim, or buildings, just recruit troops, (ironborn warriors and raiders).

You should have enough troops to have two near full stacks, put some of the generals together, you will need them all to fight, not govern!

Attack and capture Seaguard first, it is rarely defended well, then the next term sack it, and destroy all the buildings. Move that army north and take The Twins.

With your other army sail over to the Lannister coast and sack the closest undefended settlement there.

Bring your first army down the Lannister coast as well, sacking and destroying towns all the way down (you may not want to sack each city in order, the AI rushes troops to hotspots, so just get back on your ships and sail further down the coast, you can come back for that settlement any time!)

After you have destroyed the Lannisters on their own coast (I left Casterly Rock untouched as it was consistently garrisoned heavily) then move down the coast towards the Tyrrels.

Promptly sack Oldtown and all the other surrounding tyrrel cities and castles. If you want to hang onto the Arbor thats fine, it may be used as a springboard for further conquests.

At the start, never hold any cities on the mainland, only islands, as you can not hope to face armoured knights.

If you have played your cards right you should now have about 100,000 monehs!!! I did exactly this and got this amount, oh and i didnt fight a single battle myself, only autoresolved! This stupid AI!

From here, what i did was send one army back up towards home, sacking sacked cities as i went, to start a war with the northmen, the other kept travelling around the contenent (sacking as they went) to attack the northmen from the other side of Westeros.

Even though the Greyjoy's say "we do not sow" it is still a good idea (when you have enough) to invest in farms, the little money they get you is not to be scoffed at! Also when you are offered the sellsword guild (you have to have over 10,000) get it, the heavy horse that you get eventually is very helpful when invading the continent for good, and the spearmen are nice for bringing down those self righteous knights! And build a bigger fleet, always build a bigger fleet!

That's about all really, happy plundering!

Oh and i played on hard, just so you know

Hellyeah! That's the way to do it! Let the wetlanders feel the return of the Old Way. Good working man.

**Merula** · October 14, 2011, 12:16 AM

Haha yeah, i thought to myself when i started the campaign "hmmm, who should i ally with.... SCREW IT! BURN THEM ALL!! "

hehe

**achudnow** · October 17, 2011, 02:06 PM

The AI never seems to garrison Lannisport, I found Kevan Lannister there with only his bodyguard one time. Poor Kevan, didn't even inflict a single casualty. xD

**Danscall** · October 17, 2011, 03:09 PM

I actually have the least economic trouble with the Greyjoys. The AI doesn't seem to factor in the possibility of seaborne raids, or at the very least isn't concerned that you'll be able to hold the ground you can take. Which makes all the difference; sacking each of the western shores cities in turn generates huge amounts of revenue in my experience.