How to Increase Military Power in Crusader Kings 3

Crusader Kings 3is a strategy game that focuses on politics, intrigue, and power. Players are expected to create alliances, consolidate power or engage in schemes so they can create their ideal civilization. As with several civilization-type games, the player’s military is a very important aspect of their realm.

Be it for future wars or as a deterrent to neighboring powers, players will want to understand how to increase their military power. Because while making alliances is a viable option for gaining additional military aid, the best way to ensure that the player has access to a strong military is to build up their own forces.

Invest in the Martial Lifestyle and Use the Marshal in Crusader Kings 3

One way players can immediately give themselves an edge in any conflict is by dedicating their character to the martial lifestyle. Invest a few perk points in any of the skill trees and the player can gain anything from more soldiers and better knights to cheaper army maintenance.

But regardless of the lifestyle choice, players should always make use of their marshal and military tab to develop their forces. Look at the military tab and make sure the ruler has the maximum number of levies in reserve. If the realm only has a portion of them available, then go over to the council and have the marshal set to “Organize Levies”.  This option will increase the levy, garrison, and reinforcement rate. Eventually, the number of levies the ruler has in reserve will reach its maximum amount. This maximum number of potential levies can be raised if the player renegotiates the feudal contract of any of their vassals or builds certain buildings.

With the levies now being organized, it is now time for the player to focus on developing its knights by selecting the marshal’s “Train Commanders” option. In addition to reducing the maintenance cost for men-at-arms, this option will give the player the chance to improve or find one of their knights. Knights are the elite members of an army, and it is these individuals who are likely to injure or capture named opponents when the player enters a war.

They can also gain traits like “Aggressive Attacker” which can increase the army’s combat effectiveness overall by giving them certain bonuses. So developing knights to their full potential can be very worthwhile. This is especially true if the player has an heir who is a knight. Need to make sure the ruler’s successor stays alive and all that.

Buy Men-At-Arms and Build Certain Buildings in Crusader Kings 3

Just as important as levies and knights are a kingdom’s men-at-arms. These military units are acquired by spending gold in the military tab. Once bought, the player will need to deal with their maintenance fees in order to keep them around. Each men-at-arms unit has its own array of strengths and weaknesses when it comes to how well they fight in certain terrains or conditions. So players are advised to take their local terrain—or the terrain of their enemy—into account when selecting a unit.

Additionally, building certain structures in the player’s holdings can also increase an army’s effectiveness. These effects can range from enabling the player to house more levies, a defender advantage, or giving additional attack power for specific men-at-arms units. Take the Archery Grounds, for instance. If the player has a lot of bowmen units, this one building can greatly increase their damage output. These buildings are upgradable too, which will allow a player to invest gold in a building for enhanced effects.

Crusader Kings 3 is available on PC

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