Crusader Kings III – A.E.I.O.U. and Me Achievement Guide

To unlock the A.E.I.O.U. and Me achievement in Crusader Kings III, which entails starting as the Habsburgs, governing the Archduchy of Austria, organizing 5 or more Grand Weddings, and refraining from engaging in warfare, this guide provides step-by-step instructions.

Details of the Achievement

The A.E.I.O.U. and Me achievement in Crusader Kings III is notably distinct. This guide outlines a strategy to obtain the achievement by utilizing a moderate amount of random chance and save scumming.

The achievement’s requirements are relatively straightforward: Commence as the Count of Aargau in 1066, progress towards becoming the ruler of the Archduchy of Austria, orchestrate a minimum of 5 Grand Weddings, and abstain from initiating any wars.

De Strategie

Count Werner of Aargau in 1066 faces a challenging position within the Holy Roman Empire at the beginning of the game. He possesses an unpressed claim on the duchy of Upper Lorraine, alongside a 6-year-old son and a 2-year-old daughter. In case you are unable to locate Aargau on the map, it is situated in the northeastern region of the kingdom of Burgundy.

Gelukkig, there are a few factors that make this achievement more manageable than it initially appears. Although offensive wars where you are the primary attacker are prohibited, there are several valid types of warfare. These include revoking titles, defending against factions, participating in crusades, and joining as a secondary attacker in your ally’s offensive war. I engaged in all of these wars and still succeeded in obtaining the achievement.

There are multiple approaches to become the Archduke of Austria, but the strategy I found most effective revolves around utilizing the Petition Liege decision and employing the Befriend scheme.

Om te beginnen, select the Diplomacy->Foreign Affairs lifestyle focus and specialize in the Befriend skill, optionally acquiring Benevolent Intent as well. Count Werner begins with a level 2 martial education, which we can safely disregard.

Eerst, adjust your vassal contract with Kaiser Heinrich IV, changing from No Levies to Low Levies while ensuring Council Rights are guaranteed. The choice of Chancellor will facilitate securing marriages, but this is a matter of personal preference.

Immediately initiate the sway scheme on Kaiser Heinrich IV, and once the success rate of the befriend scheme is sufficiently high, begin it as well. Arrange betrothals between your children and the most powerful Dukes or Allies available. Instruct your Realm Priest to fabricate a claim on the county of Wien, but decline until you acquire a claim for the entire duchy. alternatief, after successfully befriending Heinrich, sway the Pope and request a claim on either the duchy of Austria or Steyermark.

After befriending Heinrich, wait for him to increase the Crown Authority to level 2. This typically occurs within the first few years of his reign, but if Heinrich is weak, you may need to restart or rely on luck.

Select the Petition Liege decision and choose the Transfer Claim option. The Transfer Claim feature should automatically grant you the most substantial duchy claim you currently possess (in your case, the Duchy of Upper Lorraine), but we will utilize it to obtain the other necessary duchies as well.

If Heinrich rejects your request, either wait for the cooldown period or force quit the game using the task manager and reload the save (savescum).

Optioneel, retract your vassals’ titles to establish a more manageable domain. When they revolt, rally your allies and decisively defeat them.

After successfully acquiring a claim on the Duchy of Austria or Steyermark, proceed to repeat the Petition Liege->Transfer Claim request. This will result in the granting of the duchy, and Heinbro will provide you with the required vassals. If there is a county you need that is located within another duchy, include that duchy in your list of targets and repeat the process as needed.

Having achieved the status of Duke of Austria and Steyermark, you have completed the challenging part of the process. Nu, your focus should shift towards accumulating the necessary funds to create the Archduchy. Persoonlijk, I recommend revoking the county of Wien to take advantage of its productive farmlands.

When you are nearing the fulfillment of the decision requirements, make the decision to quit the council. Assume the position of the spymaster and select the Intrigue->Skulduggery focus, specializing in the Truth is Relative skill. Proceed to fabricate a hook on your Liege and utilize save scumming to ensure the success event of the scheme results in obtaining a strong hook.

Op dit punt, all that remains is to marry and subsequently divorce a few economically disadvantaged women, and you will successfully attain the achievement.

Caveats and Considerations

There is an advantageous scenario where, if you happen to become the Holy Roman Emperor, you can execute a strategy involving the revocation of the duchies of Austria and Steyermark. By engaging in conflicts, imprisoning rebellious vassals, and revoking their titles, you can effectively manage the situation. Eventueel, you can abdicate by surrendering to a revolt driven by tyranny.

For those who are interested, here is the code for the achievement:

# 19. A.E.I.O.U & Me
ep2_19_a_e_i_o_u_and_me_achievement = {
possible = {
exists = global_var:started_a_e_i_o_u_and_me_achievement
has_ep2_dlc_trigger = yes
}
happened = {
custom_description = {
text = a_e_i_o_u_and_me_achievement_trigger
NOT = { exists = global_var:player_declared_war }
has_title = title:k_austria
dynasty ?= {
has_variable = a_e_i_o_u_and_me_achievement_grand_wedding_tally
var:a_e_i_o_u_and_me_achievement_grand_wedding_tally >= 5
}
}
}
}
And here's the code that defines "starting a war":
on_war_started = {
effect = {
scope:attacker = {
...
# Prestaties.
## Track whether the player has ever started a war — for various pacifist achievements.
if = {
limit = { is_ai = no }
set_global_variable = {
name = player_declared_war
value = yes
}
}
}
...
}
}