Money while you're small
At the start you're offered financial support. Accept it and you receive 1,000-3,000 florins each turn while you hold fewer than 5 settlements (2,000 more with 3-4 settlements).
Recruiting as Scotland
Allies in Ireland
The first time an English army comes close to Duibhlinn (Dublin) while you hold 1-4 settlements, a free army of Galloglaich, Irish Kerns and Viking Raiders rises there for you.
Help when the capital falls
If Dùn Èideann (Edinburgh) is lost while you hold fewer than 8 settlements, the nobles send 5,000 florins every turn until you retake it.
Getting units faster
- Each settlement has a pool per unit. It fills slowly over time ("25t" means one new unit every 25 turns) up to a cap. You can only recruit what's waiting in the pool.
- Upgrade the building. Higher levels hold more units and refill faster: go down a unit's table to compare.
- Upgrades give a unit straight away. Finishing a building level adds its starting unit on top of whatever is already in the pool.
- Stack buildings. Pools for the same unit from different buildings in one settlement add together. Some special buildings (shown as +) only speed up the refill of another building's pool.
- Recruit where it's cheapest to wait. Many units refill faster in your homeland or in provinces of your religion. Check the conditions shown under each building in a unit's table.
- Reforms change rates. Each column of a unit's table is a stage of the campaign; pools often grow after a reform.
- Reform units take a while to appear. The starting unit is handed out when a building is finished, so when a reform unlocks a unit at a building you already own, its pool usually has to fill from zero. Expect up to the number of turns shown before the first one appears, or build the next level up to get one immediately.
Reforms
Scotland's own reforms. Each happens once its conditions are met; turns shown are typical.
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1 The Davidian Revolution
usually around turn 41 (~1152)
- Needs
- Past turn 30, holding Dùn Èideann.
- Fallback
- Past turn 50.
- Chance
- 40% per turn.
UnlocksMailed Knights
In-game event text
The Davidian Revolution is a name given by many scholars to the changes which took place in the Kingdom of Scotland during the reign of David I (1124–1153). These included his foundation of burghs, implementation of the ideals of Gregorian Reform, foundation of monasteries, Normanization of the Scottish government, and the introduction of feudalism through immigrant Norman and Anglo-Norman knights. GAME STRATEGY: Scotland military starts to be reformed in the Anglo-Norman style.
World events that change your army
Events that happen to everyone at a random point in their window, and what they change for Scotland.
18 events
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1 The Second Lateran Council
usually around turn 17 (~1140)
- Needs
- Happens in 1140.
UnlocksLevy Crossbowmen
In-game event text
The Church has finished another great meeting, rectifying a number of issues that have appeared as a result of the schism within the church and the appearance of the antipope, Anacletus II. New canon laws have been created, one of which will be of particular interest to the knights of Europe; it is now forbidden to host or engage in tournaments and jousts that endanger life, and violation of this law is punishable with the deprivation of a Catholic burial. In the military dimension, the Council condemned heavily the use of the crossbow. This signifies change in the technology: this device became widespread. This is probably the time when larger bodies of troops became equipped with it. GAME STRATEGY: From now on, the crossbow militia units are available from the cities in Western Europe.
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2 Seafaring Innovation
usually around turn 97 (~1180)
- Needs
- Happens in 1180.
In-game event text
Arabic sailors have successfully adopted an old seafaring trick from the Far East, using a plate of wood called a 'rudder' at the rear of a ship to change its path through the water. Some outlandish notions are being raised by some of the more eccentric military strategists that suggest that wars will one day be waged at sea, and that the rudder is a vital step toward their vision being realised. GAME STRATEGY: ports of the Muslim factions provide now more trade income.
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3 Heavy Mail
usually around turn 141 (~1202)
- Needs
- Happens at a random point between 1192 and 1212.
UnlocksFeudal KnightsUrban Spear MilitiaScots SpearmenNoble's RetinueFeudal Foot Knights
In-game event text
New techniques in production of mail have reduced its cost, and now full body suits of mail armor are common. (c. 13th century)
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4 Concentric Castles
usually around turn 277 (~1270)
- Needs
- Happens at a random point between 1255 and 1285.
UnlocksBill Militia
In-game event text
The design of fortifications has entered a new era with the building of castles based on concentric layers of defenses. Unlike older square keeps castles, concentric castles had no central keep, but a very heavily defended entrance, and a central core defended by a series of curtain walls. The outer curtain wall has the smallest height, with the inner curtain wall nearest to the castle being the highest, so giving the defenders the maximum advantage over those attempting to take over the castle. GAME STRATEGY: The Sicilian faction and a few factions in South Italy can build now upper levels of the Norman Stronghold buildings (Castel in many provinces, Palazzo dei Normani in Palermo, Maschio Angioino in Naples).
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5 The Trade Wars of the Hanseatic League
usually around turn 285 (~1274)
UnlocksHolk
In-game event text
In the second part of 13th century, Lübeck and other Hanseatic cities started waging common wars. The strategies were being agreed at the Hanseatic Diets. The growing power of the merchants allowed them to negotiate lucrative deals with the far-away rulers. In particular, in 1266, Henry III of England granted the Lübeck and Hamburg Hansa a charter for operations in England, and the Cologne Hansa joined them in 1282 to form the most powerful Hanseatic colony in London. GAME STRATEGY: Four Hanseatic Kontors is available to be built in the special cities. The recruitment of units will improve, either through access to new units, or through faster regeneration of the recruitment pools.
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6 English Archers
usually around turn 303 (~1283)
RetiresLevy Archers
In-game event text
The English have made practice with the Longbow compulsory, banning all sports but archery on Sundays. This has ensured that their king can call upon a large pool of expert archers at any time, thus providing them with an edge in whatever conflicts may come.
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7 A New Era Begins
usually around turn 337 (~1300)
- Needs
- Happens in 1300.
UnlocksMen At ArmsFoot Men At Arms
In-game event text
War, famine, and disease have gripped the lands of Christendom for too long, and in an effort to provide the many wearied souls with a reprieve, Pope Boniface VIII has declared the year 1300 a year of Jubilee! For those with heavy hearts, they are asked to confess their sins with true penitence, and to undertake a pilgrimage to the basilicas of St. Peter and St. Paul in Rome, after which they will be granted "the most full, pardon of all their sins". Such pardon will do little to lessen their sufferings in this world, but it will ease their passage into the next, and is there anything a true Christian could wish for more? In the larger world outside of Christendom, the tides of history are also changing. Regular contact with the Islamic world, and civilizations even farther east, has allowed for a massive transfer of knowledge and skills between the Orient and Occident. New technologies are leading to newer weapons, newer armors, and newer ways of living and cultivating the land. Now begins what later eras will call the Late Middle Ages, a time of chivalry and exchange, but also a time of blood and war. New mercenaries are now available, and expanded building and recruitment options will arise in the coming years.
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8 Coat of Plates
usually around turn 341 (~1302)
- Needs
- Happens at a random point between 1292 and 1312.
UnlocksChivalric KnightsChivalric Foot Knights
RetiresMailed KnightsSword Mailed Foot Knights
In-game event text
Single plates of metal armor are now being worn over a full mail haubergeon in order to protect vulnerable areas. (c. Mid 13th century)
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9 Pavise Shields
usually around turn 381 (~1322)
- Needs
- Happens at a random point between 1312 and 1332.
UnlocksArbalest Militia
RetiresLevy Crossbowmen
In-game event text
The use of a large oblong convex shield, said to be designed in the northern Italian city of Pavia, is becoming popular. Used mainly by archers and crossbowmen to protect themselves from enemy fire (especially during sieges), a typical feature is a central groove on the inside to hold a stake that can inserted in the ground to act as a prop (c. 14th century)
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10 The Wars of Scottish Independence
usually around turn 401 (~1332)
- Needs
- Happens at a random point between 1322 and 1342.
UnlocksScots Pike MilitiaScots Pikemen
RetiresLevy Spearmen
In-game event text
The Wars of Scottish Independence were a series of military campaigns fought between the Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England in the late 13th and early 14th centuries. The First War (1296–1328) began with the English invasion of Scotland in 1296 and ended with the signing of the Treaty of Edinburgh–Northampton in 1328. The Second War (1332–1357) began with the English-supported invasion by Edward Balliol and the 'Disinherited' in 1332 and ended in 1357 with the signing of the Treaty of Berwick. The wars were part of a great crisis for Scotland and the period became one of the most defining times in its history. At the end of both wars, Scotland retained its status as an independent state. The wars were important for other reasons, such as the emergence of the longbow as a key weapon in medieval warfare. GAME STRATEGY: Scotland’s military starts to be reformed in the modern style.
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11 Man-Made Inferno!
usually around turn 401 (~1332)
- Needs
- Happens in 1332.
In-game event text
A new way of working metal has been developed in the village of Lapphyttan in Sweden, and it is now being adopted across western Europe. Housed in a great building, mighty water-driven bellows blast air into a furnace that produces a blaze so fierce and unworldly that the iron from within the ore flows out as a stream of molten metal! Even though the raw iron that pours from this new furnace is very brittle, vast amounts of the stuff can be made with relative ease, which a learned smith can then easily treat to produce incredibly resilient weapons and armor. GAME STRATEGY: The mines will be more productive in the Latin Europe. However, what's probably more important, the Bombards will be possible to be constructed!
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12 The beginning of the Hundred Years' War
usually around turn 413 (~1338)
- Needs
- Happens in 1338.
UnlocksMortar
In-game event text
Open hostilities broke out as French ships began ravaging coastal settlements on the English Channel. The French King Philip VI reclaimed the Gascon fief, citing feudal law, and said that Edward had broken his oath (a felony) by not attending to the needs and demands of his lord. King Edward III responded by saying he is in fact the rightful heir to the French throne, and on All Saints' Day, Henry Burghersh, Bishop of Lincoln, arrived in Paris with the defiance of the king of England. War has been declared.
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13 Partial Plate Armor
usually around turn 441 (~1352)
- Needs
- Happens at a random point between 1342 and 1362.
UnlocksHalberd Militia
In-game event text
Coverage of metal plates increases, with mail now often used only to protect vulnerable joints. (c. 14th century)
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14 Full Plate Armor
usually around turn 521 (~1392)
- Needs
- Happens at a random point between 1382 and 1402.
UnlocksHalberdiersHalberd Men at ArmsScots LongbowmenScots Guard
RetiresUrban Spear Militia
In-game event text
Larger and more complete full plates of armor had been developed. Many of them are masterpieces of workmanship and design. (c. Late 14th century)
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15 Matchlock Developed
usually around turn 597 (~1430)
- Needs
- Happens at a random point between 1420 and 1440.
UnlocksArquebusiers
RetiresFeudal KnightsFeudal Foot KnightsSergeant Archers
In-game event text
A simple matchlock (often called a serpentine) is essentially an "S" shaped piece of metal with a central pivot which is attached to the side of a gun. By pulling on the bottom half of the pivot, the upper half, which holds a burning slow match (hemp or cotton rope soaked in saltpetre), is lowered into a pan containing a priming charge of powder to fire the gun. This allows the shooter to place the weapon on his shoulder and use both hands to aim, thus allowing him to concentrate on firing, rather than a match. The firearm that utilizes this device is known as the Arquebus. (c. Mid 15th century) A separate variety of matchlocks (called the snapping matchlock) has also been developed. In these, the serpentine is strongly spring-loaded, and released by pressing a button, pulling a trigger, or pulling a short string passing into the mechanism. As the match is often extinguished after its relatively violent collision with the flash pan, this type of matchlock has quickly fallen out of favour with regular soldiers, but is still often used in fine target weapons.
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16 Gothic Plate Armor
usually around turn 641 (~1452)
- Needs
- Happens at a random point between 1442 and 1462.
UnlocksCulverin
In-game event text
New designs for plate armor include reworked helmet and neckguard plans. Many of these new armors are masterpieces of workmanship and refinement. Examples of these different styles can be found made by the Italians of Milan, English of Greenwich, Serbians of Novo Brdo and Kotor, and of course in southern Germany (especially in Nuremberg) where the style is called Gothic. (c. Early 15th century)
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17 Portable Clock
usually around turn 757 (~1510)
- Needs
- Happens in 1510.
UnlocksDemi LancersMounted CalivermenCalivermen
In-game event text
At last an inventor has found a means to create a portable timepiece! Peter Henlein, a locksmith from Nuremberg, has created a small clock being dubbed the 'Nuremberg Egg' for its oval shape. Once the spring mechanism inside its shell is wound, the 'egg' will display the hour, for almost two full days! Despite still being large enough to leave an incredibly unseemly lump in one's pocket, being seen in possession of one of Henlein's Nuremberg Eggs has become 'the' trinket to be seen to possess - for the few that can afford one.
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18 The Rise of Shot
usually around turn 841 (~1552)
- Needs
- Happens at a random point between 1550 and 1555.
RetiresHalberd Men at Arms
In-game event text
The number of firearms in European armies begins to rise, and those who previously dismissed the weapon are being forced to re-evaluate their decisions. Strength and steel are becoming less important as fire and lead begin to reign supreme.
The crown: Crown of the Normans
Getting your king crowned stabilises the realm but costs 20,000 florins plus 5,000 a turn. How crowns work for every faction.
Crowned in
- Scottish Lowlands (Dùn Èideann) with Edinburgh Castell or better
Lands you must hold
Essex (London) Mercia (Lincoln) East Anglia (Norwich) Northumbria (York) Wessex (Bristol) Wales (Kaerenarvon) Scottish Lowlands (Dùn Èideann) Scottish Highlands (Obar Dheathain) Ireland (Duibhlinn)
Not needed with a Strong Legacy.
AI version (7 settlements)
Essex (London), Mercia (Lincoln), East Anglia (Norwich), Northumbria (York), Wales (Kaerenarvon), Scottish Lowlands (Dùn Èideann), Scottish Highlands (Obar Dheathain)
Shared crown: England can win the same one, and once someone holds it nobody else can.
Buildings that depend on the crown
| Building | Effect | Uncrowned | Crowned |
|---|---|---|---|
| MintFinance | Needs a crowned king to buildOr instead: after the Bardi Bank event, Muslim factions, Byzantium | ||
| BankFinance | Needs a crowned king to build | ||
| Sanct Margarites ChapeleThe Rock | Law | +1 | +2 |
| Sanct Margarites ChapeleThe Rock | Population growth | +1 | +2 |
| Rampardes of Edinburgh CastellThe Rock | Law | +1 | +2 |
| Rampardes of Edinburgh CastellThe Rock | Population growth | +1 | +2 |
| Edinburgh CastellThe Rock | Law | +2 | +3 |
| Edinburgh CastellThe Rock | Population growth | +2 | +3 |
Units
Sorted by when they unlock, then cheapest first. Click a unit for abilities, full stats and where to recruit it.
Cavalry
Missile cavalry
Spear & pike infantry
Melee infantry
Missile infantry
Siege & artillery
* still recruitable at a few special buildings afterwards; see the unit's table.
No units match.
Generals' bodyguards
Not recruited from buildings; these come with your generals and family members.
Regional units & mercenaries
Conquered provinces can give you local troops, and generals can hire mercenaries. These are shared by every faction and have their own pages.
Regional units
Near Scotland: British Isles
Mercenaries
Near Scotland: British Isles