Completing Raids in Crusader Kings 3: A How-To Guide

A significant part of Crusader Kings 3 revolves around growing your kingdom, whether through territorial expansion or enhancing the lands you already control. However, different realms operate under different rules, and the notion of honorable warfare isn’t universal. Many players choose to accumulate wealth through raiding instead.

Raiding stands out as a distinct system that allows you to scour the world for treasure without needing to declare a formal war. This system has its intricacies, including who is eligible to raid and how frequently you can plunder a location. Let’s break down the elements of raiding to better understand how it functions and when it’s best to engage in this practice.

What Is Raiding?

Raiding is a straightforward process. If you’re able to raid, simply navigate to the military screen and raise your armies as Raiders. You can do this with your full army, local forces, or Men-at-Arms, just as you would in a regular war.

Since you don’t need a formal war declaration for raiding, you can set out with your troops and raid any area you choose. This means your army will be regarded as hostile towards everyone, and any group can engage you in battle. It’s essential to keep this in mind to avoid running into a stronger enemy unexpectedly.

The raiding process itself resembles a siege. You position your forces in the location you wish to raid and wait to take control. Once successful, you’ll gather Loot based on the development level of the location you raided. However, this Loot doesn’t convert to Gold immediately. Your Raiders must return to friendly territory to deposit their Loot, which will then become Gold.

Your army can only carry a limited amount of Loot, which you can check by selecting them. Attempting to raid while at full capacity won’t yield any additional Loot, so make sure to return home when you’re at your limit. If your army is defeated during a raid, the Loot will be lost to the victor, so it’s wise to play it safe.

Once a Holding has been raided, it cannot be raided again for five years, so it’s wise to diversify your raiding targets.

Who Can Perform Raids?

A Norse leader in Crusader Kings 3

Raiding can be especially profitable, particularly in the early stages of the game. For that reason, it’s limited to specific groups to prevent an endless cycle of looting. The following groups are able to raid:

• Any ruler adhering to an unreformed Faith.
• Tribal governments.
• Any culture with the Practiced Pirates tradition.
• The Frontier Administrative government type.

Apart from these groups, most other factions, especially throughout Europe, are vulnerable to raids without protection. The Steppes also present a prime opportunity for raiders, especially as you push deeper into Central Europe.

Tips For Raiding

Although raiding is generally simple, there are still several strategies to maximize your Loot and enhance your character’s abilities while bolstering your realm’s development.

First off, consider focusing on using Men-at-Arms instead of your entire army. While this may limit the total Loot you can carry, it can deceive the AI into perceiving you as weaker, allowing for quicker victories and more rapid raids.

It’s also beneficial to have your actual Ruler lead the raid. Vikings appreciate glory, and having your Ruler command during a raid can help develop the Raider trait, which can be achieved after raiding 20 Holdings.

The benefits of having your Ruler lead a raid extend beyond the Raider trait. You may also gain the option to sack a County after a raid, with this chance increasing as you develop the Raider trait. This can lead to additional Gold and prestige, or even acquiring slaves and increasing the development level of your capital if it’s below 15. However, this will mean that the County can’t be raided again for 20 years.