Military Fundamentals
Understanding levies vs professional armies, combat mechanics, sieging forts, and avoiding devastating attrition.
Levies vs Professional Armies
Levies (Early Game)
Advantages:
- • Free to raise from primary and accepted culture pops
- • Good for defensive wars
- • Available immediately at game start
Critical Limitations:
- • CANNOT refill garrison (impossible to capture forts!)
- • Die rapidly to attrition without supply lines
- • Shrink after each use and with population loss
Professional Armies (Mid-Game+)
Unlocked:
Renaissance advance "Organized Military" (1370s-1380s)
Advantages:
- • CAN refill garrison (capture forts!)
- • Better supply management with camp followers
- • Maintain consistent strength
- • Required for offensive conquest
Cost:
Monthly maintenance (adjust via Army Maintenance slider)
Transition Timeline
For most nations (Castile, England): Transition to professional armies in 1370s-1380s
Exception: France's noble levies are so powerful they can rely on them until Renaissance era without transitioning early
Critical Combat Lessons
What NOT to Do (Avoid These Disasters)
- ✗NEVER Assault Forts
Example: Lost 1,800 men to kill 96 defenders. Always siege—patience saves thousands of lives.
- ✗NEVER Siege Inland Without Supply Agreements
Example: Lost 20K troops to attrition sieging Morocco inland. Attrition will wipe your entire army.
- ✗Don't Use Levies for Offensive Wars
Levies cannot refill garrison = cannot capture forts = cannot win offensive wars. Defensive only!
- ✗Don't Exceed Supply Limit
Armies over supply limit suffer constant attrition. Split into smaller stacks for sieges.
Use Naval Superiority for Coastal Sieges
Ships can resupply coastal forts. Assign fleets to patrol nearby sea tiles for supply access during sieges.
Attach Camp Followers to Reduce Attrition
Professional armies with camp followers have better supply management and take less attrition damage during campaigns.
Keep Armies Under Supply Limit
Check province supply limit (visible when hovering over province). Split large armies into multiple stacks for sieges.
Negotiate Supply Agreements Before Inland Wars
Diplomacy → Request Military Access + Supply Agreement. Without this, inland sieges = death by attrition.
Fort Management
Delete Unnecessary Forts (Opening Move)
Keep ONLY provincial capital forts. Each fort costs ~2 ducats/month maintenance—save money for marketplaces.
Exception: France needs defensive line toward England. Don't delete all forts if you're vulnerable.
Forts Block Enemy Movement
Enemies must siege forts before advancing deeper. Strategic fort placement creates defensive chokepoints.
Coastal Forts Can Be Resupplied by Ships
Assign naval fleets to patrol nearby sea tiles. This provides maritime presence and supply access during sieges.
Fort Upgrades Increase Defense
Higher-level forts take longer to siege and cause more attrition to attackers. Upgrade border forts first.
Naval Strategy
Maritime Presence System
Ships stationed in sea tiles reduce proximity cost for coastal provinces. Creates 20-ship fleets and assign each to patrol 4 sea tiles using "patrol seas" objective.
Assign Family Member as Admiral
Family member commanding fleet grants +25% crown power (crown power multiplies trade income). This is a massive economic bonus!
Naval Superiority for Coastal Wars
Control sea tiles to resupply coastal sieges. Example: Controlling both sides of Gibraltar strait is strategically critical for Iberian nations.
Fleet Composition
Early game: Light ships for trade and patrol. Mid-game: Heavy ships for naval combat superiority. Balance based on strategic needs.
Advanced Military Mechanics
Related Topics
Diplomacy & Expansion
Learn when to declare war and manage coalitions
Country Guides
Nation-specific military strategies and compositions