With the latest Holy Fury DLC, Paradox Interactive's 2012 grand strategy game, Crusader Kings 2, now has 15 major expansions, and for someone who's either just getting into the game today or wants to pick it back up, it can be terribly daunting to try and figure out which, if any, of those expansion packs is worth the money and which ones are just going to add features that you'll never use. And while the answer to this is “depends on your playstyle”, there are nonetheless certain DLC packs that add so many great features to the game that it doesn't matter if you're playing as a Norse pagan in Sweden or a Brahmin in India, you're still going to love what the DLC has to offer. With that in mind, we'll go ahead and rank all 15 DLC releases from “if you don't have this DLC, you're missing out on the true value of the whole game” to “don't bother”. Essential DLC1. The Old GodsThis isn't just author bias: The Old Gods is the gateway DLC that makes just about all of the other major CK2 DLC packs that aren't about the monotheistic religions work. Want to play as the Mongols? If you want Tengri factions, the religion of the early inhabitants of that part of the world, you'll need The Old Gods. Want to play as a Lithuanian or a Finn with the Romuva or Suomenuosko faiths? Old Gods. Want to fight back the advance of Islam and restore Zoroastrianism in Persia? You guessed it, Old Gods. With this expansion, large swaths of the map become playable, and where there's large swaths of map, there's a need to get the DLC that unlocks them. The Old Gods expansion also provides an 867 AD start date, right at the height of the Viking Age; even though it's been largely superseded by Charlemagne's 769 start, it's still two centuries more of history per playthrough. This DLC is so much fun in its own right and unlocks so much fun in other DLC packs that tend to require it, that there's no reason not to get it. CK2 just isn't right without it. 2. CharlemagnePlaying CK2 without the 769 AD start date almost feels like heresy once you've had this DLC installed for a while. History develops across nearly 700 years, the initial setting is a fantastic one, and all kinds of old religions like Zoroastrianism aren't fringe yet. It's the perfect starting point for a campaign. Heck, this game stretches so far back that the Vikings have to wait 24 years before they get a crack at Lindisfarne. Besides the well-fleshed-out event chain for Charlemagne himself, this DLC introduces the Chronicle, which keeps track of the story of your faction and the world across all that history. On top of that, this also is the DLC that opens up “Create Kingdom” that isn't bound by geography. If you've got enough duchy titles, crown yourself king. Get enough kingdoms and make your own empire. It opens up player strategy in ways that the de jure system is sometimes at a loss to properly do. More strategic variety means more varied ways to play, and more varied ways to play means more fun. But even if this DLC did nothing but set the clock back at the start, it'd still be essential. 3. Holy FuryThis is the biggest pure content pack in terms of changing the way the game is played without adding a new start date or new factions to the game. In a nutshell, Holy Fury is less DLC and more overhaul mod. For one thing, it buffs pagans big-time. If you have Old Gods installed, you'll be able to play rulers with massive buffs from joining Warrior Lodges, all with a whole bunch of new flavor events. Christian rulers get new Crusade events, a Sainthood trait that buffs all the saint's descendants forevermore, coronations by clergy to bless the king's divine right in the eyes of God, and a new baptism mechanic to make conversion of the unsaved all the more satisfying. Plus, you get shattered and random worlds; no longer are you bound by the hard limits of history, so you can create a map you can play your way and explore your way. This is one of three revolutionary DLC packs for Crusader Kings 2. You can read my full review of the expansion, as well as my tips guide for getting started if you want to know more. 4. Way of LifeWay of Life brings Focus into the game, as every character, upon hitting adulthood, can now set the general trajectory of their lives. For rulers, this can be as mundane as +3 to Stewardship, as they try to become better rulers. However, for the intrigue-minded and lustful, this can be the Seduction trait, or “having sex with your courtiers' wives for fun, profit, and occasionally bastards.” For the bloodthirsty, the War traits can break a stalemate and generate more powerful armies. Even the tech-minded can engage in Learning-based traits, which are especially useful for Duke-level rulers and above. That's because they can use excess Learning to crank up the rate at which Knowledge Points are generated, which in turn can grant advantages in battle or more stable realms. And of course, with all these new ways of life come diplomatic options and event chains that put a bunch of character in your characters. This expansion makes such a huge change (for the better) to role-playing that no CK2 player should be without it. 5. Monks and MysticsThis is the DLC that adds Secret Societies to the game, giving a bunch of new flavor to playable characters. In addition, those religious societies grant buffs to characters that go way beyond mere role-playing. You can create some pretty strong rulers with this one. And not everything is monastic orders and worshipping the divine. There's outright devil worship (heavy metal sold separately) in the list of secret societies, where an evil-minded character can come up with all kinds of deliciously chaotic mischief. Even better, though, is the initiative that the DLC grants to courtiers. There's more to life than just your Big 5 on the council settling tribes and preaching to heathens while the marshal trains troops and the chancellor gins up fake claims for wars. Now, a talented councilor can be instructed more generally, and that means that occasionally, an event will fire that buffs your realm or the people in it. This is also the DLC that adds the Relic Treasury for yet more ways to build an economic powerhouse without worrying about a good province being inherited out from under you during a dynastic shakeup. Depends on Your Playstyle DLC6. Sword of IslamPlay as the Muslims and kick those crusader kings out of the Holy Land with Sword of Islam. This DLC, in addition to making the Muslims playable, also massively fleshes out Islamic factions with a Decadence system, the chance for Muslim rulers to have up to four wives, new Commander traits that make combat a whole lot more interesting, and a big ol' pile of new events. A whole slew of new religion-based casi belli make religious warfare a whole lot more fun, especially if you're playing as the two big players that the game's title implies; whether it's shouting Deus Vult!, or calling for a jihad, this will escalate the violence in the Middle East so fast you'd think there was an American president facing an election year. Granted, if you don't play much on the periphery of the Islamic world, or a Muslim ruler, there's not much here for you; however, just about every player crosses paths with the sons of the Prophet eventually. Having this DLC will make them more interesting foes. 7. Horse LordsWhat if, instead of waiting for the Mongols to show up, you decided to actually be the Mongols? That's the proposition on offer in Horse Lords, and it makes nomadic factions playable, with their own game mechanics and unique playstyle. This is also the other DLC that's going to get anything out of Jade Dragon. The societies of the steppes aren't settled feudal societies. They're not even tribes. Instead, they're populations from which armies are raised and who are hard to conquer. Also included is the Silk Road and the landless adventurer. Fighting the adventurer off is a challenge for all but the most well-developed kingdom. While this is built for those who play nomadic, an argument can be made that it's a beneficial DLC for those who don't play it as well -- and a reason to give the playstyle a try. 8. The RepublicIn The Republic, you're less crusader king and more Merchant of Venice, as the emphasis shifts from pure warfare to something more trade-oriented. This is where factions like the Hanseatic League, Gotland, Genoa, Venice, and Pisa live, constructing trading posts and moving goods and money all over the Mediterranean and Baltic. This changes the game big-time; you're no longer a king or an emperor but rather a Patrician. You're trying not to rule the world with a giant demesne and lots of soldiers but with the title of Doge and many prestige and much coins. If you prefer your conquests with armies, or you don't like playing seaborne factions, this isn't going to be much for you, but if you love cloak and dagger, this is a must-have. 9. Legacy of RomeWhat Sons of Abraham did for Catholics, Legacy of Rome does for Orthodox factions in general and the Byzantines in particular. This is also the DLC that introduces the factional system into the basegame, making it much more of a universal DLC for all playstyles, not just for the titular “Eastern Roman Empire.” Factions will revolt and start civil wars as they try to seize whatever it is they were spawned to do, whether it's forcing a change in the realm's laws, forming a breakaway state, or even installing a usurper on the throne for a game over. This DLC also offers Orthodox Patriarchs the opportunity to match up with the Catholic Cardinals to the west, which is essential for playing any of the factions in southeastern Europe or in Russia. And there's even a nice little perk where rulers can get ambitions to improve their weaknesses, which tend to trigger event chains leading toward that goal. But the real joy here is in Retinues. These are standing armies that don't cost upkeep except when losses are replenished. Once you have a big enough realm and sufficient military technology, those standing armies can be big enough and strong enough to take on levies three times their size, and they don't have to be disbanded like levies do for declarations of war. The only time you'll ever have to raise your levies again is if you're fighting a super-strong enemy, and even then, your superior retinue can tilt the tide of battle. Even if you don't play in Orthodox territory, there's a lot to like about this DLC, and it's only five bucks at full price. 10. Sons of AbrahamFor Christian rulers, Sons of Abraham is the first of three DLC packs (Legacy of Rome and Conclave are the other two) that gives them a ton of new stuff to play with. Particularly, this DLC opens up new opportunities for a Jewish ruler, where either through Ruler Designer or through choosing a Jewish faction to start the game, you can restore the Kingdom of Israel to Biblical glory. The real shining star of this DLC, though, is the Catholics, because additional Papacy and College of Cardinals gameplay options create a new way for an ambitious Western ruler to gain outsized power and influence over all of Western Europe. Even the Muslims get a bit of stuff to play with, too, as an event chain involving the Hajj makes an appearance. If you play Crusader Kings as an actual crusader king, this is going to be a must-have, but if you don't, this is “stuff for other people.” 11. Rajas of IndiaThere's a lot to like here if you're the kind of player who wants to give the Buddhist, Jain, and Hindu religions a try, and culturally, India provides a massively different game flow from typical scenarios. Karma replaces Piety, events and decisions are radically different in India than they are in Europe, and if you do happen to have Jade Dragon, this is one of the DLC packs that brings out and makes use of its features. If you have an interest in the cultures of the East, and especially if you have one of the DLC packs that enables an earlier start date, there's a lot to like here. But if you prefer your CK2 experience more traditional with actual Crusades and Vikings and European feudalism, this is just going to push the map out without giving you anything to actually play with while you're there. Don't Bother DLC12. ConclaveConclave makes Crusader Kings 2 a bit more frustrating if you're the type of player that prefers to rule with an iron fist, as there is now a council of nobles that must be appeased in order to achieve the level of centralization required to run an empire smoothly. There's also a new education system with a lot more events for molding children into good adults, a new diplomatic system that makes strategic marriages much more important, and a buff to mercenary companies that makes them get better commanders. That said.. that's all you get here. Nothing truly game-changing, just a few tweaks to existing systems. 13. Jade DragonThe Chinese make an appearance with playable Taoist and Han religion and culture, and players who enjoy the wilds of the East will now be able to beef up their economy and make the best use of the Silk Road. But here's where you start to see why so much CK2 DLC is for-a-certain-kind-of-player-only stuff. If you don't like to play in India or Transoxiana (or you don't have the Rajas of India or Old Gods DLC), you're going to have nothing here that contributes in any way to your actual game. A lot of CK2 fans were hoping this would finally stretch the map all the way across the Eurasian continent, but instead, what we got was an expansion that is highly niche-focused and simply not very well fleshed out. 14. The Reaper's DueThe biggest value-add in this DLC is the addition of a Court Physician, a special job that helps cut down on the capriciously random deaths from illness that tend to crop up in a playthrough. Get a courtier with a high enough Knowledge skill and they can rescue infants who would otherwise have died a horrible death in infancy, and they can even be the difference between life and death for a ruler. You can also build hospitals in your provinces if you have a feudal government, and disease resistance now grants advantages to those clever enough to maximize it. But for 10 bucks, there are no groundbreaking gameplay changes that aren't just tweaks to existing systems. That's too steep an ask for what the DLC offers. 15. Sunset InvasionThe whipping boy DLC of the franchise, Sunset Invasion answers the question “what would happen if the Mesoamerican civilization pulled a Columbus and set sail across the Atlantic with a horde to invade Western Europe?” While it certainly adds a heck of a threat to the midgame, it throws the balance entirely out of whack; the Aztecs are massively overpowered, and the Mesoamerican disease mechanics render the early-game pointless, severely curtailing the fun factor of a playthrough. This is partially mitigated if you're playing a faction in the ever-expanding eastern territory of the map, or if you get to watch from the fringes of the conflict on a perch in Africa or Finland or Poland, but compared to other DLC, the content here offers very little for actual players to tinker with and enjoy. --- In truth, all 15 DLC packs for Crusader Kings 2 have at least something to offer, especially if you can get them on sale, and with Steam's annual blowout extravaganza happening right now, this is the perfect time to open up your wallet and start in on completing your collection.
Posted by2 years ago
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So a number of people have been asking me how to have such a large income as a feudal lord in Crusader Kings 2 lately, and I thought I'd try to answer as best as I can in a single post.
The first thing you want to do is make sure you have as many county titles as possible, and further ensure that every subholding underneath is filled with cities and cities only. Example 1, example 2.
Some people have some strange delusions about filling their capital county with baronies and having huge levies through the capital county and marshal train troops bonus. Apparently through this method they can 'make huge money off their baronies by collecting taxes with their stewards.' I mean, if that's what you want knock yourself out, but don't blame me when you're making a quarter of what you could be making because of your poor life decisions.
Secondly, you want maximum tax in both burgher and church obligations. The troops they provide are insignificant to the money they will give you, and you can get your vassal levies from your nobles as it was meant to be.
Thirdly, you want there to be a trade post in every single coastal holding you possess. As you can see in this screenshot, my cities are getting a 40.8% bonus to taxation from simply being connected to the trade zone, which extends around the whole island. This also increases your vassals' taxes, which will get you more and save you money in the long run if you like investing money in their development.
To create a merchant republic vassal is extraordinarily simple. All you have to do is possess a county and duchy, and first give that county (likely the capital barony of the county) to a mayor beneath that county. Then they'll become a lord mayor or something or another, which is when you grant them the duchy title to which that title is de jure. It doesn't have to be de jure, but try to keep things neat is what I like to say. If you possess both the capital barony and city title of that province, you can simply flip the city to be the capital holding of that county, create a baron vassal and only give the mayor the city if you want to limit their power. This is useful in the early game, since the -20 opinion modifier of grand mayors means they're more likely to revolt. Don't be afraid to revoke that city beforehand to make it happen, if you think this will be a problem.
It's good to have small merchant republics, because the benefits you're getting from them are mostly from the trade posts and not really from direct taxation, since Patricians get a 50% tax reduction to lieges. So grant them for example the Duchy of Man (size 1), rather than of Lancaster (size 4).
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As you can see here, a large number of my mayors are paying me more in taxes than the Grand Mayors of Cornwall and Ynysoedd Gogledd. Lazy bums.
The next thing you can do is minimize the number of tiers of vassals between your non-direct mayor vassals and yourself. As you can see in this screenshot I employ (a most beautifully de jure) ducal viceroyalty system. The way taxation works in ck2 is that each liege gets a fraction of their vassals taxes. So if you're the emperor and you have a King under you and you have max taxation (40%, though I have it set at 10%) and assuming ideally that the King also has 40% taxation from their dukes and the dukes have 40% taxes from their counts and the counts have 50% taxes from their mayors, you're essentially getting in the ideal scenario 3.2% of the mayors' income in taxes.
However, if you just have a duke in between you two, it'll be 40% of 50% of your taxes which is 20%. So you want dukes to hold every holding in their de jure duchy. This will make your vassals powerful, but at this point I can't be bothered to care since literally everyone loves me. Literally. I wish I could expand this page. But it will be a problem when your position as emperor is less solidified.
Ck2 How To Make Money As Norse
Obviously the numbers will not actually be 20%, since your dukes' taxation laws will not be optimized, but you get the point. Also, this same is true for levies. Doubly so if your counts hate your duke and won't give him the maximum amount.
Now here comes the most important part. I will admit here this is not my original idea and I learned it from someone else in the sub, but I can't find the conversation where I originally got it from so I can't credit the beautiful man (sorry T_T)
Here comes the most important part, so listen carefully. EVERY DIRECT MAYOR VASSAL BENEATH YOU SHOULD HAVE MULTIPLE CITY TITLES, OF WHICH ALL BUT THE PRIMARY TITLE SHOULD BE OUTSIDE YOUR REALM. OUTSIDE YOUR REALM. OUTSIDE YOUR REALM. You hear that? It has to be where? That's right. Outside. Your. Realm.
Allow me to elaborate. Direct city vassals give you 50% of their income, so it is ideal to try to optimize their income rather than anyone else's, like your dukes. So whenever your pope goes full retard and declares a Crusade for Gujarat (or anywhere else you don't want to keep direct control of - I have holdings in all the usual places: Mesopotamia, Lithuania, Mauretania and Mali, etc.). So what you do after you win all those holdings is that you grant the cities to the mayors who need more cities, bishoprics to the bishops who need more holdings, and then give the county to some ambitious foreign heathen and set them independent. They'll be devoured soon enough by the people who originally held that land or other neighbors, but your cities and bishoprics will be safe.
The reason why I believe 3 is the optimal number is because your city vassals will have a base 1 demesne size, and it's not very likely to get larger than two. So if you give them too many holdings, the over the demesne limit income penalty is likely to hurt you more than it helps.
The reason why they have to be outside your realm is that if both the mayor and the de jure holder of that city is within your realm, they de jure holder will declare war on the mayor to take it back. But if they are outside your realm, they'll have to fight you directly for its control. Obviously, that's never going to happen.
It is further possible to give bishops other bishoprics, and you can always turn one of your barony subholdings (the one that doesn't net you any income) into something a mayor is holding, and have that mayor have two cities outside your realm and a barony inside so as to gain the benefits of city taxation but this isn't something I personally experimented with. Feel free to give it a shot.
Oh, and tech up your town infrastructure. Not only does it improve your taxation, it lets your mayors build more taxation and economic tech buildings.
And that's how you make 290 gold per month as a feudal lord. Feel free to ask me any questions related to the topic
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It’s a rare strategy game that’s still receiving major expansions so many years after release. The fact that Crusader Kings II is one of those few represents just one of the aspects that makes it special. But with all that extra stuff comes a hefty, extra price tag. Across 15+ DLCs (if we’re just counting the major, gameplay-altering ones), you can expect to pay nearly $200 on top of the base game (at full price) to acquire the “full” experience.
We have guides for Paradox's other grand-strategy titles as well, namely Europa Universalis 4 & Stellaris - check them out!
Steam sales and combo bundles can easily knock more than half of that off, but it’s still tough to digest if you’re just getting started. So, we’ve broken down every gameplay DLC, and whether we think it's worth your money.
SWORD OF ISLAM (2012) - $9.99![]()
Highlights:
Unlocks Muslim rulers (base CK2 only allows you to select Christian characters) with loads of new mechanics
Is it worth it?
As you’re going to discover with many CK2 expansions, it depends highly on whether or not you are interested in playing the new content it unlocks. You can play non-Muslim rulers forever and the fact that you don’t have this DLC installed will have no effect on you at all. They are a rather large, distinct, and interesting sphere of CK2’s world, however, and quite worth giving a spin if you’re looking for something different from feudal Catholic Europe.
LEGACY OF ROME (2012) - $4.99
Highlights:
Is it worth it?
Absolutely. It’s only $5, and retinues are such an essential element of late game CK2 that you’re basically handicapping yourself by not having access to them. The other features are fairly specific to Byzantium and other Eastern Orthodox rulers, but retinues alone put Legacy of Rome on the essential list - especially since it tends to go for under $3 on sale.
SUNSET INVASION (2012) - $4.99
Highlights:
Is it worth it?
As probably CK2’s most controversial expansion, and the only highly anachronistic one, that’s a bit of a loaded question. It’s probably the least essential expansion, and I play with it turned off the vast majority of the time. That being said, there is enjoyment to be had if you go in knowing you want an unrealistic and almost silly campaign that’s quite a bit different from what CK2 has to offer otherwise. It also puts pressure on Western Europe at a time when things can start to feel static, similar to the role the Mongols play in Eastern Europe.
THE REPUBLIC (2013) - $9.99
Highlights:
Is it worth it?
Like Sword of Islam, this one is entirely situational. You won’t see any of its effects if you only ever play feudal rulers. And given that there are a fairly small number of republics in the game’s timeframe, it opens up fewer, new options than most of the character-unlocking DLCs. Still, republics offer a rather unique way to play the game that can help keep things from feeling stale, especially for players who love to amass gold and spend it on cool stuff.
THE OLD GODS (2013) - $14.99
Highlights:
Is it worth it?
Absolutely. This is still probably my overall favorite CK2 expansion, though I admit that I’m heavily biased towards all things Norse pagan. World of warships historical flags for sale. The 867 start date is far more volatile and dynamic than 1066, with greater ahistorical possibilities, while not straying so far out of the feudal age that it feels like a bad fit for CK2’s mechanics -- which is the impression I often get from the even earlier 769 start added in the Charlemagne expansion, which we will discuss below. Pagans and Zoroastrians are a ton of fun, as are their respective mechanics for cementing their places in history.
SONS OF ABRAHAM (2013) - $9.99
Highlights:
Is it worth it?
This is the first major expansion to expand on Catholic Europe, the area the game focused on at release. If that’s your thing, this one is borderline essential. The new holy orders make a big difference in making some previously bare bones religions feel fleshed-out. Judaism gets some pretty cool stuff, like being able to restore the Kingdom of Israel, which makes for a fun playthrough. And the new Muslim mechanics offer an interesting trade-off, allowing you to continue the scientific revolution of medieval Islam at the risk of potentially offending some of your more devout coreligionists. There’s something for everyone, but Muslim, Christian, and Jewish characters will get the most out of it.
RAJAS OF INDIA (2014) - $14.99
Highights:
Is it worth it?
This one is very easy to ignore if you’re not particularly interested in the Indian subcontinent, especially given its relative distance and isolation from the rest of the map. The Indian religions are each flavorful and interesting, but to this day still feel less fleshed-out and more disconnected from the rest of the map. There’s plenty of enjoyment to be had, but it’s definitely among the least essential DLCs.
CHARLEMAGNE (2014) - $14.99
Highlights:
Is it worth it?
I have mixed feelings about Charlemagne. At first, I loved the 769 start. But the more I’ve played it, the more two issues become apparent. One: CK2 was not designed to handle this time period. Two: 700 years (769 - 1444) is just too long to play a single campaign. I almost always get bored long before I’m finished, which makes the extra centuries more of a burden than a boon. The story events with Charlemagne are a lot of fun to play through a time or two, but leave the dozens of subsequent generations feeling less dramatic and dynamic. I find it hard to say this expansion isn’t worth ever getting. Quite the contrary. But I don’t consider it nearly as essential as I once did.
WAY OF LIFE (2014) - $7.99
Highlights:
Is it worth it?
It doesn’t sound like much, but the answer is definitely yes. No matter what kind of character you’re playing focuses can break up the monotony and add a greater sense of reality to the world, while helping to break up the long chunks of time when there might be nothing politically interesting going on. Some of the best events in CK2 came out of this DLC, and I’d have a hard time making myself play without it.
HORSE LORDS (2015) - $14.99
Highlights:
Is it worth it?
We’re back in firmly situational territory here. The hordes can be a ton of fun to play, but are really emblematic of what I see as the developers trying to “hack” CK2’s systems and make them do things they were never intended for. The somewhat awkward management of nomad holdings and governments can get you to wondering why they didn’t just make a new game about horse nomads, instead of trying to shoehorn them into a feudal incest simulator. If you don’t plan on playing as a horse nomad tribe or holding land along the Silk Road, you can definitely skip this one.
CONCLAVE (2016) - $14.99
Highlights:
Is it worth it?
For my money, absolutely. It was one of the more controversial expansions at launch due to the addition of some questionable features (and I was one of the loudest complainers!) that have since been revised and/or made toggleable game options. But the core of it, the new council mechanics, is fantastic. It brings new depth and strategy to internal politics, makes playing a vassal of a higher ruler much more fun, and more realistically simulates the simple fact that most rulers in the middle ages were not even close to being unchallenged, absolute monarchs. Getting your way is a lot more satisfying when you have to manipulate a bunch of people to do so.
THE REAPER’S DUE (2016) - $9.99
Highlights:
Is it worth it?
Before Reaper’s Due, I was always complaining about how one of the most momentous, continent-changing events of the Middle Ages, the Black Death, was barely represented in CK2. Now, it’s much more of a world event with fanfare and unique mechanics. And while it still doesn’t trigger the kinds of cascading historical changes it did in the real world, it’s still nice to see it getting more recognition. The court physician and prosperity systems are also useful and interesting no matter whom you’re playing.
MONKS AND MYSTICS (2016) - $14.99
Highlights:
Is it worth it?
Some of the societies are really cool, but also nearly as unrealistic as Sunset Invasion at the higher levels. So if you want a purely historical playthrough, it’s probably safe to skip this one. The new events are really the highlight of it all. They’re well-written and often shocking, and combined with those added in previous expansions like Reaper’s Due and Way of Life, really give your character enough to do that you can play CK2 almost as an RPG or a visual novel instead of a strategy game about conquest. At least, until they start to get repetitive - which they definitely will if you stay with the same society for long enough,
Jade Dragon (2017) - $14.99
Highlights:
Is it worth it?
Rally points and the new CBs are nice, all-around quality of life features. But what will really determine how much bang you get for your buck with Jade Dragon is how often you like to play on the Eastern edge of the map. Having the Chinese Emperor to deal with makes the region feel very different, both in terms of opportunities and challenges. The huge number of new events and diplomatic options tied to China liven things up as well. Obviously, however, the further from China your realm is located, the less any of this is going to matter.
Holy Fury (2018) - $19.99 (Review)
Highlights
Is it worth it?
It’s a strong yes, although there’s an equally strong caveat. Holy Fury manages to breathe new life into the wider game thanks to the Random/Shattered world options. Much like the Random New World from EU4, your mileage on this may vary, but Holy Fury also manages to completely revitalise the Christian game specifically on more standard map settings through new Crusade and Character mechanics. We didn’t think CK2 could do it again, but by gosh, it’s done it again.
CAVEAT: Unfortunately, if you lack DLCs like Sword of Islam, Sons of Abraham, and Rajas of India you may accidentally run into several ‘Game Over’ states if you switch your character to a religion you’re not allowed to play as. Check our review for more details. Also, the free patch once again proves to be as strong, if not stronger, than the DLC itself.
MINOR DLCs:![]()
Ruler Designer ($4.99) - Allows you to create a ruler from scratch, selecting traits, appearance, culture, religion, and stats. They will replace any character in the historical map you choose. This is a fun, worthwhile little DLC… but keep in mind that in a game you will likely play for over a dozen generations, the character you create will only be a small part of the story.
Customization Pack ($4.99) - Allows you to change the hair and beard of a character any time you want, as well as rename any of your titles. While by no means essential, I’d definitely miss being able to call the empire I just founded whatever I damn well please if I were to play without it.
Europa Universalis IV Save Converter ($9.99) - In theory, this is one of my single favourite pieces of DLC Paradox has ever put out. Being able to continue my medieval shenanigans into the renaissance, potentially completing an epic, 1100-year-long mega-campaign makes me drool just thinking about it. The only reason this one doesn’t get my unreserved endorsement is that support for it is spotty. The team in charge of maintaining the converter is far too small (basically one guy, from what I understand), to keep up with the major changes being made to both games on a regular basis. Sometimes, it’s in great working shape. At other times, it’s largely nonfunctional with little concept of when a new update might get it up and running again. I’m so, so, so glad it exists, and it’s a wonder to behold when it’s in top form. I just wish it got the love it deserved to be an integral part of PDS’s grand strategy equation.
THE BREAKDOWN
Essential Expansions for Everyone:
Situational Expansions (In No Particular Order):
Got any other thoughts on the Crusader Kings II DLCs? Let us know in the comments below!
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I’ve been hanging around with a bad crowd, staying up all night, attending weird orgies and torturing rivals until they embrace the teachings of Lucifer. Last night I ate my cousin because the Devil told me to do it. Crusader Kings 2 [official site] has always had a bit of a dark side, but with the new Monks and Mystics DLC, it’s been cranked up to 666.
Ostensibly, Monks and Mystics is all about opening up new roleplaying possibilities in regards to faith. You can join a variety of societies, including monastic orders, secret organisations and devilish cults. These sects offer new ways to interact with the religious side of medieval society and for the adventurous can offer strange powers, forbidden knowledge, and the ability to champion heretical religions. Guess which path I followed?
Though more rooted in history than the Sunset Invasion expansion, which allows the Aztecs to invade Europe, there are still plenty of weird novelties, especially if you go down the seductive path of worshipping devils. Most faith groups get their own version of a dark, underworld religion, from Kali worship to serving Hel and the Jotuns, and the more you spread their influence, the more power you get. Curses, demonic possession, unholy impregnation – all the horrible highlights.
Less unpleasant secret societies can be joined immediately, but if you fancy dancing around with goats and murdering people in the name of the Dark Lord, you’ve got to prove yourself a bit. And that’s why I, Duke Laszlo of Transylvania, find myself discussing the inadequacies of God with an eccentric crone, a witch, in my castle. She gives me a leather pouch with some chicken in it. That’s how members of Lucifer’s Own let you know that they like you.
Over the course of a year I get closer and closer to joining the cult. There are messages smeared across my bedroom in blood, cryptic notes and eventually a representative, the Queen of Scotland no less, arrives to tell me that I’m in the club. To seal the deal we have some very spooky sex while Satan presumably watches from inside the closet.
When you join a society like Lucifer’s Own, you start on the lowest rung on the ladder. There’s a hierarchy, you see, and with each rank, you get more abilities that represent your growing power. To work your way up the ranks, you need to perform missions as well as generally spreading the influence of your underground organisation.
As a new initiate, an Abjurer, I can sacrifice prisoners to Lucifer in exchange for the dark power that will allow me to both increase my standing and perform some dark magic. Noticing that I’m currently the only member of the sect in Hungary, where my duchy is situated, I decide to focus on building our organisation, making new allies amid the mostly Catholic population. I instigate some casual chats with my vassals to figure out if they’re right for the job.
“So… that God fella… he’s not that great, is he?” A few of them seem, at first, to be interested, but then when I try to give them their very own leather pouch of chicken, they freak out and I have to avoid them. Why won’t anyone accept my chicken pouches? It’s all a bit dispiriting. I cheer myself up by arranging the abduction of some courtiers and personally murdering them in the name of my new besty. The Queen of Scotland also pays me another visit, leading to a three-day-long drug and sex binge that ends with the death of an innocent bystander. After she leaves, the High Priest of our order gets in touch and tells me that I need to sacrifice a priest.
There’s a mountain of events and missions that may occur while you’re working for a secret society, but you will often see the same ones repeated. For instance, the abduction events are almost all the same, with the only major difference being success or failure. And if you fail, you get more chances to get it right next time. However, there’s always the added risk of being discovered, which can lead to some major difficulties down the line.
All the work I’m doing for Lucifer has put a strain on my marriage. It probably didn’t help that my wife is super-confused because I tried to give her, yes, you’ve guessed it, a bag of chicken. Anyway, it turns out that she’s been having an affair. Marriage counselling doesn’t seem very Satanic, so I chuck her in prison where her poor treatment ends in her untimely demise. I, Fraser, feel pretty awful about the whole thing, but Laszlo is unfazed.
I’ve got a new wife, a Princess of France, but she doesn’t want to join the cult either. It’s exasperating. At least a few members of my court have decided that my gang is the best gang, and I’ve got a lot of new pals all over the world. One of them needs my help, in fact. A priest in Marmaros is playing at being Dean Winchester, hunting demons and demon worshippers, and I agree to take him out. I go on holiday to Marmaros, where my chum and I beat the priest to death. It doesn’t end there, though. I then disguise myself as the priest and spread a twisted version of the gospel throughout the region. When I leave, it’s become a heretic stronghold and there’s an increased risk of revolt. Not bad for a vacation.
Upon my return to Transylvania, the High Priest has another mission for me. Our beloved horny goat wants a virgin sacrifice. I send out my minions to abduct a child, who we promptly murder. Remember when this was all sex and chicken? I miss those days, before I started killing children. All this terrible stuff has left its mark on my soul. Societies not only give you new paths to go down and events to flesh out your character, they also give you traits. My latest one is the possessed trait, leaving me less rational, but more capable in both personal combat and battle. I’m one scary guy.
All the hard work I’ve been doing has given me enough dark power to get a new rank, that of Conjurer. This is where things get interesting. I can now use black magic to taint my enemies, spreading disease; I can summon an animal familiar that increases specific stats, like a raven or a cat; and I can conjure a demon that can possess someone, turning them into my ally, but also a bit of a lunatic.
People are starting to get suspicious, though. All of these missing folk, villagers being slaughtered and tormented, rumours of orgies – it all points to my friends and I. The more I use my power and exert my influence, the more dangerous it becomes. If I’m outed as an actual Satanist, it doesn’t quite mean the end for me, as I’m still a Duke and Prince of Hungary, but it does give people an excuse to have me imprisoned or executed if they see me as a rival.
My second wife has been caught having an affair, which unfortunately means it’s time for another sacrifice. This is becoming a habit. My third wife is only 10, so she’s actually my betrothed until she comes of age. She will be the Queen of Hungary, though, and if I can turn her, she’ll be a powerful ally. And yes, she’s a relative. Blue bloods are peculiar.
Too many people know about my dark proclivities, which has started to affect my influence at court. I’m no longer the Regent of Hungary, and even my own council hates me. Enough is enough, I decide, and I begin a campaign of getting demons to possess or corrupt everyone. By the time I marry the Queen of Hungary, my council and most of my court is loyal, but also entirely insane. They cause all sorts of problems, stealing money and plotting, but at least they like me.
This is where things start to get a little confusing. Monks & Mystics has given more power to things like the Lollard heresy, a heretical Catholic group. The result is that, if you want, you can secretly support a heresy and, eventually, officially convert and make it your nation’s religion. I don’t want to do that, of course, but I’ve still somehow become a Lollard, and now Jesus is talking to me. It’s a conflict that the game doesn’t really acknowledge.
On the plus side, I’m now a werewolf and spend my evenings chasing balls and eating peasants. I’ve also developed a taste for human flesh even when I’m not a wolf, and make frequent trips to the dungeon to snack on my prisoners. Neither of these traits is exclusive to Monks and Mystics, but they are rather fitting. It’s a good thing that most of the nobles in Transylvania are now bonkers, or I might be in trouble.
My third wife is having an affair and gosh why does this keep happening to me? Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I’m an insane, morbidly obese werewolf who worships Satan? I decide to have an affair too. I sleep with men, women, a centaur and a demon. I also end up with a bastard that I refuse to acknowledge after sleeping with a courtier, Csillag. That won’t lead to any problems down the line, I’m sure.
While I have a whole host of negative traits, these are balanced out by things like my aforementioned familiar, a raven, and also relics. These are a new feature in Crusader Kings 2 and are kept in the treasury, essentially an RPG inventory. Relics are religious or mystical artefacts, like the finger of an Apostle, that grant stat bonuses when discovered. If you’re playing as a member of the Hermetic society rather than Lucifer’s Own, you’ll also be able to collect reagents and ingredients for alchemical elixirs, but unexpectedly they don’t actually do anything at this time. Apparently they’ll see use after a patch.
But that’s not my greatest concern right now because back in Transylvania, I may have made a terrible mistake. My heir, the son of myself and the Queen of Hungary, and thus the child who will inherit both my Duchy and the kingdom itself, is dead. He died of nightmares, I’m told, but I know the real reason. My bastard killed him with magic. He’s not just my son, it turns out; he’s the son of Lucifer.
As a newly ordained Priest of Lucifer’s Own, with the power to get Satan to let me divorce my wife through dark magic (and her death), the ability to heal myself with the Devil’s blessing, and the option to bring other members of the cult to court, I feel pretty powerful. But, really, I now exist to protect my evil son. I murder every plotter that seeks his demise, while he systematically slaughters all of my other children. When my wife tries to have him killed, I give her cancer through magic, and then I marry her heir, my sister-in-law, in the hopes that we can have a child who will inherit the kingdom of Hungary. None of that is possible, though; not while my bastard lives.
All of my plans are falling apart. I’ve been flung in jail because my wife discovered all the terrible things I’ve done. I escape, finally, thanks to my buddy Lucifer, but I’m still in trouble. Maybe if I can become the High Priest of Lucifer’s Own things will get better? Maybe then I can control my son.
I’m too late. The Spawn of Satan has grown into a monster of a man. He’s killed all ten of my children, hates me, and Lucifer’s Own now formally recognises him as the bringer of Armageddon. He’s given the mantle of High Priest and I… well I’m lying on a battlefield in the middle of nowhere, dying from a wound that even my black magic can’t heal. This is the end.
The occasional strange conflict and the missing alchemy feature aside, Monks & Mystics is undoubtedly one of Crusader Kings 2’s strongest pieces of DLC. It leans heavily towards the game’s roleplaying aspect, its best feature, and produces some of the game’s most bizarre stories. Essentially, you’re playing two characters. You have your public face and your secret one, so there are very few moments where you’re waiting around for something to happen. Indeed, you can almost ignore the traditional intrigue and realm management, if you want, in favour of playing a member of one of these secret sects or hunting them down to save your kingdom.
Even though it launched five years ago, Crusader Kings 2 still feels new, and that’s an impressive feat.
Monks and Mystics requires the base game to play and is available now, for £10.99, via Steam.
About how much moneys the count can provide decides not only the fact of possession but also level of development and existing laws (look: Laws: General laws). Important is a number of castles, cities and bishoprics and their development. Every from the mentioned structure provides other profits. Fortresses guarantee lot of warriors but not lot of money whereas cities provides lot of gold and big fleet but only few soldiers. Bishoprics are in between, assuring both gold and warriors.
To build a new structure you have to mark the count and then click on the empty place in the province screen.
In every county (also dependent on indirectly) you may construct new structures, but every next will be pricier about 100 coins. Usually it's worth to develop your counties as much as you can, thanks to which you may create strong country. But remember not to award your subordinates with too many expanded lands at once (it's preferably that one character doesn't have more than one city/castle/church) because sooner or later it will be dangerous. What is important, it's more profitable to develop your lands than those belonging to your vassals. In such way you avoid middlemen, what maximizes your incomes.
The main structure is always the most important one, upgrading its is very profitable.
Built cities, bishoprics and castles may be developed on various ways. Different cultures and religions have other bonuses and structures, but all are depended on the technological level of the county. The higher it is, the better (and pricier) buildings you may have and the longer time it takes to construct them. If you don't have lot of money, you should focus on upgrading those existing structures, because many of them are cheap and very useful. Particularly it's worth to upgrade main structures (in the right upper corner of the county window, screen above) because they are ascribed directly to the player and can't rebel. It's crucial during civil wars, since it let you generate high incomes and big armies despite war chaos.
If the vassal rebelled and was defeated during the war, you can take away one of his land.
But sometimes happens that despite advancement and structures, the income from the county isn't satisfactory. Reasons can be various. You need to remember, that if the estate belongs to the vassal, your incomes will be always smaller. Even so, it's not always good idea to take the land from the vassal, because it may end with a rebellion or a civil war. The problem doesn't exist if the character was a traitor and attacked you. In such case you can rob him without any consequences (look at: Intrigues: Prisoners).
Game always informs you what the incomes are low.
Other factors that affect incomes from the province, are internal reasons like culture, religion and dissatisfaction. If the county was recently conquered, the citizens won't want pay to the new ruler. Similarly, when your culture or religion is different. Problem with war solves automatically: after some time peasants get used to you. It's a bit worse in case of religion. To convert citizens you have to send there a court chaplain to begin proper actions (Head Local Inquisition). While with the culture you can do nothing. Sometimes population will take your customs, but it's rare. Alternatively you may send there a steward who has a same culture as the citizens, but it's dangerous. During a war, he will have a strong support there.
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