Here's how you raid in Crusader Kings 3

Crusader Kings 3 has a lot of different gameplay options that are locked behind certain religions, cultures, and actions, meaning every playthrough in the game can be massively different. So if you're looking for an explanation about raiding to secure yourself some loot, we've got you covered.  

How do you start a raid?

Before you can raid in Crusader Kings 3, you will need to make sure you are a character that actually can raid. There are three things that grant you the ability to raid: belonging to an Unreformed Pagan religion, being a Tribal Leader, or having the Legacy of Piracy dynasty modifier. 

An Unreformed Pagan religion is just any religion that isn't Abrahamic or Easter in origin, and you can check this by clicking the religion menu at the bottom right. Tribal Leaders are rulers who have the Tribal government system, which is prominent in the 867 start date due to cultures not developing Feudalism.

You can check the government type by clicking the green crown logo on the right menu. Lastly, the Legacy of Piracy dynasty modifier is granted to a dynasty for 100 years if they establish the Kingdom of Mann & the Isles.

As long as you meet one of the above criteria, you will be able to conduct raids in nearby provinces. To do this, navigate to the red military icon on the right menu, and at the top of the new window, select 'Raise all as raiders.' This will begin to raise your levies and men-at-arms. Once they have been raised, you can direct them toward a neighbouring province with a holding, and they will begin raiding automatically. 

Raiding an enemy holding will reward you with gold if it is successful, but you will need to move your armies back to your own provinces to add the gold to your own. If the enemy you raided raises an army and defeats you before this, they will take their gold back. Successful raids will also have negative effects on the province's building construction time, taxes, levies, and development growth. 

If you conduct a raid with an army led by your own character, there is a 30% chance that you can then sack the province after. This will reward you even more gold, prestige, and sometimes slaves, which can increase the development growth of your capital holding. After a raid is conducted, you cannot raid the same province for another five years, and sacked provinces cannot be sacked again for 20 years. 

It's also worth noting that if your character leads your army on 20 successful raids, you then have a chance of getting the Raider trait upon every subsequent raid. This rewards your character with the following benefits: 

• +2 Martial
• +3 Prowess
• +0.3 Monthly Prestige
• +5 same trait opinion
• 50% chance to sack a province after leading a raid

We also have a breakdown of the Crusader Kings 3 best starts, which covers some of the top rulers to begin a game with.