This guide will focus on specific steps you can take to get a vassal, when it is not worth going for vassalization, and why you would want a vassal. I am a youtuber, and there is a video form of my guide on youtube.
Youtube Link
How do you vassalize?
1) Beat up their armies until you about twice as much strength as they do, and occupy a couple colonies
2) Pay them 300 energy and ask for them to become your vassal instead of offering a peace deal (red didn’t give up at turn 49.. Not really worth the 300 gold to run that small empire into a vassal. I can easily conquer all of those colonies, and get my guys back in time for the other wars. Yellow gives in on turn 64, which I will show off in the video)
3) I’m sure you can get a vassal peacefully, but the odds of you allying up with an AI that gets decimated by another is fairly low and therefore less likely that getting one through war, which benefits various playstyles.
When is it better to not vassalize?
1) Vassalizing takes time, and you mean need your armies elsewhere
2) You get more out of a territory by controlling it yourself, so if you can afford to absorb or migrate it all, you should.
Why would you want a vassal?
1) If you are getting close to the domination victory by owning lots of sectors, then having a vassal AI holding onto some of those sectors can be a good way to get strength without entering the final stages of the game (a 10 turn countdown in which all non-allied commanders become hostile)
2) If you think you may need some extra armies to help you take on the other commanders.
3) If you don’t want to micormangage all of the battles in your wars.
4) If you start crushing a commander all the other commanders may team up on the losing commander to try to get some of their colonies. By forcing the AI into vassalage, you get to “keep” the sectors that you earned.
5) When you end a war with vassalage, all of the territory that you have occupied (that is colonies being absorbed or migrated) with instantly complete their transition into your empire.
6) You get the territory you are absorbing that turn without having to siege down their entire empire or defeating the enemy commander (taking their capital and killing the commander).
7) You get a passive income of 10% of your vassal’s energy and research income. On turn 64, it cost me 300 energy to end a war 5 or so turns early, and I got about +44 income per turn my vassal during the next few turns. The passive research gain is fairly negligible.
8) You can help out in each others wars without even being hostile to the same commanders if you position your armies correctly.
9) Calling in your vassal on higher difficulties will make wars easier, but it is not necessary. My vassal did declare war on the last AI commander in the last 10 turns of the match, and started moving some large armies over to help out with that commander. So you don’t need to spend influence to get an advantage out of your vassal’s military.
By WinSlaya
