Quick Links
InCrusader Kings 3, levies represent the conscripted peasants thatmedieval kings and emperors forced to fight their many wars. Men-at-arms regiments represent the professional soldiers that many rulers trained or hired to be the backbone or spear-tip of their forces.
Because of the wayCrusader Kings 3calculates combat values, men-at-arms regiments can contribute far more to a battle than their numbers would suggest. So, while it costs a lot of Gold to create, maintain, and raise men-at-arms regiments, especially compared to levies, these regiments are worth every last penny players spend on them.
How to Create and Use Men-at-Arms Regiments
The first step to creating a new men-at-arms regiment is to select the Military menu. This button is on the right of the screen, and its icon is a red shield and a pair of crossed swords. Right below the icons for realm levies and knights is the list of men-at-arms regiments that the player ruler controls.
The number of regiments a ruler can create at any one time depends on a few factors:
Just below the list of men-at-arms regiments is a button labeled “Create Men-at-Arms Regiment.” Click this to bring up a new menu that shows every kind of regiment the player ruler can create. Each one costs Gold to create and expand,or Prestige if the ruler is tribal. These regiments also cost Gold or Prestige to maintain, even when they aren’t raised.
Players can also increase the size of each regiment by clicking on their picture. On their info menu, players will see two buttons that say “Increase Size” and “Decrease Size.” Increasing the size of a regiment comes with an up-front cost each time players press the button, and it increases the maintenance cost. Decreasing the size doesn’t give a refund, but it does decrease the maintenance cost. Players can also destroy the regiment by pressing the big X button on this menu.
Every Culture in every Era has access to a basic list of men-at-arms regiments, but several more are locked behindCultural Traditions, Innovations, and regional access. Many of these are improvements on the basic regiment types, but a few are in their own unique categories.
Hills, Mountains, Desert Mountains, Normal and Harsh Winter
Wetlands, Mountains, Desert Mountains, Normal and Harsh Winter
Siege Engines
None, contributes to Siege Progress instead
Note that these values only apply to the basic version of each regiment type. Special regiment types often get different terrain bonuses along with better basic stat values. Terrain bonuses and penalties apply a flat modifier to the regiment’s stats while they’re in a holding with a valid terrain type.
A well-rounded army that can face anything in any terrain should include regiments of every basic type the ruler has access to, but players fighting defensively or against enemies with a known set of regiments can build their army around the counters to those regiments and make the most of their limited funds.
Other Ways to Get Men-at-Arms Regiments
Mercenaries, Holy Orders, and Inheritance
There are other ways to get access to men-at-arms regiments besides the ones rulers must create and maintain themselves. In the Military menu, players can select the “Mercenaries” tab to see a list of mercenary bands they can hire. Even the small bands are expensive, but they provide instant access to several hundred to several thousand soldiers for 3 years at a time. This access includes up to three men-at-arms regiments, a few knights, and a special Captain commanderwith a reasonably good Marital stat.
The last tab is for Holy Orders. Holy Orders can be even bigger than mercenary bands based on the size of the Faith that created them, and they cost Pietyinstead of Gold to hire. If the player ruler allows the Holy Order to create a headquarters in their personal domain they can hire them for free (though this costs the ruler any revenue they would have taken in from the rented holding). However, the Holy Order will only join a war against a ruler of a Hostile or Evil Faith.
Holy Orders can have many more regiments than any mercenary band,assuming they and their Faith are big enough. They tend to focus heavily on one type of regiment, which is either good or bad depending on the enemy culture and the expected terrain.
Still, any type of regiment tends to be better than basic levies, especially when playersStation them in a holdingand get extra buffs from its buildings. Once players can afford enough men-at-arms to create a small army, they can crush much larger armies no matter what terrain type or enemy regiments are present.
Should your player heir be landed and have Men-At-Arms of their own, they will inherit your Men-At-Arms and keep theirs after you die. This is basically free troops, though be mindful of how much maintenance goes into them. Typically, the successor inherits a lower income than the previous ruler, so you may not be able to maintain this new army without some account balancing.
Crusader Kings 3is available now on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
Crusader Kings 3
WHERE TO PLAY
Your legacy awaits. Choose your noble house and lead your dynasty to greatness in a Middle Ages epic that spans generations. War is but one of many tools to establish your reign, as real strategy requires expert diplomatic skill, mastery of your realm, and truecunning.Crusader Kings IIIcontinues the popular series made by Paradox Development Studio, featuring the widely acclaimed marriage of immersive grand strategy and deep, dramatic medieval roleplaying.Take command of your house and expand your dynasty through a meticulously researched Middle Ages. Begin in 867 or 1066 and claim lands, titles, and vassals to secure a realm worthy of your royal blood. Your death is only a footnote as your lineage continues with new playable heirs, either planned… or not.Discover a sprawling simulated world teeming with peasants and knights, courtiers, spies, knaves and jesters, and secret love affairs. An extensive cast of historical characters can be romanced, betrayed, executed, or subtly influenced.Explore a vast medieval map stretching from the snowswept Nordic lands to the Horn of Africa, and the British Isles in the west to the exotic riches of Burma in the east. Claim, conquer, and rule thousands of unique counties, duchies, kingdoms, and empires.
