Crusader Kings II: Complete Beginner-to-Advanced Guide

A guide to Paradox's medieval dynasty simulator: how the game actually works (you play a dynasty, not a country), a safe first campaign, succession and vassals, war and claims, the expansions, and the mistakes that end most first games.

Researched September 2026 — current as of patch 3.3.5.1 (September 2021), the final version. Live games change; check the linked sources if something differs.

Status in 2026

Crusader Kings II is finished. The base game has been free on Steam since 2019, and since February 2021 all expansions and content packs are available through a subscription (or can still be owned individually if you bought them). The last patch, 3.3.5.1 (September 2021), fixed issues with the Europa Universalis IV Converter and some mods. The sequel, Crusader Kings III (September 2020), is the actively developed game, but CK2 still has far more total content and a huge modding scene.

Quick Start

• You play a dynasty. When your character dies, you continue as their heir. If you have no eligible heir of your dynasty, it's game over.
• Your goal is prestige and survival. There's no fixed win condition. Many players set their own goals (unite a kingdom, form an empire, convert a region).
• Start as a count or duke. A small Christian realm in a quiet area is the best learning start. Ireland in 1066 is the classic beginner region. Iberia and Scandinavia are popular next steps.
• Succession is the most important law. Gavelkind splits your land between sons. Primogeniture keeps it together. Change succession laws when you can.
• Keep vassals happy. Opinion drives everything. Unhappy powerful vassals form factions and revolt.
• Your demesne limit matters. You can only hold a limited number of holdings personally. Give the rest to vassals.
• Claims are how you go to war. You need a casus belli (claim, holy war, de jure claim, etc.) to declare war on most targets.
• Educate your heirs. Assign a good guardian to your children to shape their stats and traits.
• Marry for stats and alliances. Good spouses give stats (in some cases) and alliances. Congenital traits like Genius or Strong pass to children.
• Pause often. Space pauses. The game rewards thinking before you click.

The Main Screens

Screen | What it's for

Character | Your stats, traits, claims, and family

Realm | Laws, succession, vassals, demesne

Council | Your five councillors and their jobs

Intrigue | Plots and factions

Diplomacy | Marriages, alliances, war

Military | Levies, retinues, armies

Technology | Research (military, economy, culture)

Stats and Traits

Five stats: Diplomacy, Martial, Stewardship, Intrigue, Learning.

Stat | What it does

Diplomacy | Vassal opinion and diplomatic actions

Martial | Army size (levies) and commanding

Stewardship | Income and demesne limit

Intrigue | Plots, defense against plots

Learning | Tech and religion

Traits: Positive (like Genius, Brave, Just, Diligent) and negative (like Slothful, Cruel, Craven). Congenital traits pass to children. Watch out for inbreeding.

Council

Five councillors: Chancellor (Diplomacy), Marshal (Martial), Steward (Stewardship), Spymaster (Intrigue), Court Chaplain (Learning). Each has jobs, like fabricating claims (Chancellor) or collecting taxes (Steward).

Tip: A powerful vassal on your council is happier. Give council seats to vassals who might otherwise cause trouble.

Succession Laws

Law | Effect

Gavelkind | Land is split between sons. Weakens realms. Default for many cultures

Feudal Elective (and Elective Gavelkind) | Electors choose the next ruler from eligible candidates

Primogeniture | Eldest son inherits the main titles. Keeps land together

Seniority | The oldest dynasty member inherits

Ultimogeniture | Youngest son inherits

Tanistry | Celtic elective variant

Rule of thumb: Move to Primogeniture as soon as you can. It needs High Crown Authority (or Late Feudal Administration if you have Conclave), and any succession change requires being at peace, not in a regency, having held the title tier for 10 years, and no direct vassals with zero or negative opinion of you. Muslim, tribal and most unreformed pagan rulers can't take it.

Vassals and Opinion

• Opinion from -100 to +100. Negative opinion leads to factions and revolts.
• Factions: unhappy vassals join factions to press claims or reduce crown authority.
• Council seats and titles increase opinion.
• Revoke titles carefully: it's a tyranny action that angers vassals.

War and Claims

Casus belli:

• Claim: you or your courtier has a claim.
• De jure claim: you're the de jure liege.
• Holy war: against other religions.
• Invasion / Crusade: special cases.

Fabricate claims with your Chancellor. It takes time and money.

Armies:

• Levies come from your vassals and demesne.
• Retinues are standing armies you pay for.
• Mercenaries can be hired for gold.

Warscore: gained by winning battles and holding territory.

Holdings, Demesne and Money

Every county has holdings:

Holding | Held by | Gives

Castle | Barons and feudal lords | Levies (troops)

City | Mayors (burghers) | Taxes

Temple | Bishops (clergy) | A mix; linked to the Church

Tribal | Tribal rulers | Levies and prestige; can be upgraded to a castle

• Demesne limit: holding more than your limit personally costs you taxes and levies. Stewardship, focus and laws raise it.
• Buildings: upgrade castles in your capital first. Walls and economy buildings pay back over decades, not years.
• Money: income comes from your own holdings plus vassal taxes. Taxes are set by laws for each vassal type.
• Crown authority: higher crown authority means stronger central control, but vassals dislike it and you need to be a king or emperor to push it far.

Religion, the Pope and Crusades

• Piety is the religious currency. It's earned from religious events and decisions, holy wars, pilgrimages, and pious traits.
• Catholic rulers deal with the Pope: he can grant claims, excommunicate rulers, and call Crusades. Keep a good opinion with him.
• Crusades give a massive war against a target, with land going to the participant who contributes most. Participating builds prestige and piety.
• Heresies can appear and spread. A heretic ruler or vassal is a problem for public order and relations.
• Holy Fury adds pagan reformation, crusades against other targets, and bloodlines.

Plots and Intrigue

• Plots: join or start plots to kill rivals, claim titles, or raise your status. Other characters can join, which increases the chance of success.
• The Spymaster: discovers plots against you. Keep a competent spymaster.
• Assassinations have consequences if discovered. The victim's family might want revenge.
• Secret societies (Monks and Mystics): add group-based schemes and bonuses.

Ruler Types

Type | Plays like | DLC

Feudal | Standard Christian lords | Base game

Iqta | Muslim rulers with their own rules | Sword of Islam

Merchant Republic | Trade posts, family palaces and elections | The Republic

Tribal and pagan | Raiding and prestige | The Old Gods

Nomad | Clans and population-based armies | Horse Lords

A Safe First Campaign (Ireland, 1066)

Ireland is the classic learning region: it's isolated, fragmented and has no huge neighbors at the start.

• Start as a count or duke in Ireland.
• Fabricate claims on your neighbors with your Chancellor.
• Build up your demesne and council. Marry your heir well.
• Create the Kingdom of Ireland once you hold enough of its de jure land (the title's creation cost is shown on the title screen; save gold for it).
• Change succession to Primogeniture when possible. Until then, try to limit how many sons you have with land claims.
• Expand to Scotland or Wales carefully. England after the Norman conquest is a much bigger enemy.

Other good starts:

• Spain / Iberia: Christian kingdoms fighting Muslim neighbors, with clear holy war targets.
• Scandinavia (The Old Gods): raiding and conversion.
• Byzantium: a large empire with complex internal politics.

Expansions (DLC)

DLC | Adds

Sword of Islam | Play Muslim rulers

Legacy of Rome | Byzantine gameplay improvements

Sunset Invasion | Alternate history Aztec invasion

The Republic | Merchant republics

The Old Gods | Pagan rulers and an earlier start (867)

Sons of Abraham | Jewish rulers and religious orders

Rajas of India | India

Charlemagne | Earlier start (769)

Way of Life | Focus and lifestyle events

Horse Lords | Nomads and the Silk Road

Conclave | Council power and education changes

The Reaper's Due | Plague and health

Monks and Mystics | Secret societies

Jade Dragon | China

Holy Fury | Pagan reformation, crusades, bloodlines

Which to get first? If you're not subscribing: Holy Fury, The Old Gods, Way of Life and Conclave are popular picks.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Ignoring succession. Under Gavelkind, every son gets land. Your kingdom can split in one death.
• Upsetting powerful vassals. A duke with more troops than you shouldn't be ignored.
• Starting too big. A big empire has more problems than a small count.
• Neglecting your heir's education. An uneducated heir with bad traits can doom a dynasty.
• Declaring wars you can't win. Check the enemy's allies and army size first.
• Forgetting about inbreeding. Marrying close family leads to bad congenital traits.
• Holding too many titles personally. Exceeding demesne limit hurts taxes and opinion.
• Leaving your heir unmarried. No heir, no dynasty.

Advanced Tips

• Manage crown authority: increasing it lets you change succession and reduce vassal power.
• Split duchies wisely: don't hand out more than one duchy to the same vassal. Keep powerful vassals small.
• Use your spymaster: plots can remove enemies. Kill a bad heir in a plot only if you're sure it won't be discovered.
• Marriage alliances: marry your children to powerful rulers for alliances. Matrilineal marriages keep the children in your dynasty.
• Diplomatic tactics: use your chancellor to improve relations and fabricate claims.
• Keep a bank of gold: mercenaries and holy orders can save a war.
• Ironman and achievements: achievements need Ironman mode and an unmodded game.
• Mods: CK2 has a huge modding scene: A Game of Thrones, Elder Kings and more.
• EU4 converter: export your save to Europa Universalis IV.

FAQ

Is Crusader Kings II free? The base game is free. DLC via subscription or purchase.

Is CK2 still updated? No. The last patch was 3.3.5.1 in September 2021.

CK2 or CK3? CK3 is more modern and approachable. CK2 has more content and mods.

What's the best start? Ireland in 1066.

How do I win? There's no win condition. Survive and grow your dynasty.

What happens if my dynasty dies? Game over.

Sources

• Crusader Kings II on Steam
• Hotfix Patch 3.3.5.1 (Steam, 2021-09-28)
• CKII Subscription Service (Steam, 2021-02-18)
• Crusader Kings II on Wikipedia
• CK2 Wiki (Paradox Wikis)
• Succession (CK2 Wiki)