Event troops are special, non-reinforcing armies that aren't subject to the usual limitations on levies, mercenaries or retinues. They are created as a result of events in certain wars, and also appear for some characters in historical starts.
Each type of event troops has a "maintenance multiplier" between 0 and 1. Most event troops cost less to maintain than levies, and many types are free. Some automatically disband at the end of a war or under other conditions.
There are a few types:
- Rebels and loyalists may randomly appear on the side of the vassals or the liege in a faction war. They are more likely to join outnumbered sides, and are less likely to join a human-controlled character. They disappear upon the end of the war.
- Landless invasions: All wars involving a landless character invading a realm (peasant, heretic, religious and nationalist revolts; adventurers; decadence invasions; Rise of the Shia Caliphate) give the attacker a large event troop army. Except in the case of decadence invasions, the army persists upon victory.
- Hordes such as the Mongols get giant, attrition-free armies ("doomstacks"). The Mongols can periodically get reinforcements as well.
- Tribal rulers can get event troops from tribal council missions and (when
Legacy of Rome is not enabled) tribal unit decisions. - Prepared Invasion troops
- Minor clan uprisings can spawn huge numbers of event troops depending on the target Khagan's realm size. If the minor clan succeeds in the uprising, the event troops do not disband, and remain under the control of the new khan.
List of characters with event troops
In some historical starts, characters have their levies pre-raised, but at several times their normal size. Notably, all three participants in the Norman Conquest in 1066 have pre-raised levies. Since these event troops count as levies, characters cannot declare wars without dismissing them.
The amount of soldiers available is defined as a multiplier of the character's levies. Since the character's levies vary depending on his and his vassal's randomly-generated traits, the number of troops can vary significantly in different new games.
Other characters get permanent soldiers (and in some cases, ships) at start. These tend to be smaller than the above, but they last until depleted in battle.
- 769 - CHARLEMAGNE
- Purgyal Trisong Detsen of Tibet: 2800
- King Aurelio of Asturias: 1950
- 867 - OLD GODS
- Vandad of Karen Satrapy: 4608
- Marzopan Washudan of Gilan: 5013
- King of Magyars: 9000
- Khan Manasseh of Khazaria: 843
- Khan of Cumania: 333
- Khan of Pechenegs: 1299
- High Chief of Bulgars: 525
- High Chief of Yagbuids: 525
- Rurik of Holmgarđr: 676
- Dyre the Stranger of Könugarđr: 1078
- Haesteinn of Nantes: 1716
- Harald Fairhair of Ostlandet: 465
- Ivar the Boneless of Suthreyar: 5889
- Halfdan Whiteshirt of Jorvik: 11604
- Shah Ya'qub of Baluchistan: 975
- Shah Nasr of Khiva: 2091
- 1066 - STAMFORD BRIDGE
- William the Bastard of Normandy: 10092
- Harold Godwinson of England: 200
- Harald Hardrada of Norway: 11781
- Vijayabahu of Rohana: 21234
- 1081 - THE ALEXIAD
- 1187 - THIRD CRUSADE
- 1204 - THE LATIN EMPIRE
- Baudouin of the Latin Empire: 10296
- 1216
- Baudouin of the Latin Empire: 30072
- 1220 - THE MONGOLS
- Genghis Khan of the Mongol Khanate: 50856
- 1241 - THE RISE OF HANSA
- Khagan Hulegu of the Ilkhanate: 98496
- Khagan Batu of the Golden Horde: 98496
- 1337 - HUNDRED YEARS WAR