There are over 50 different traditions in Crusader Kings 3, each with a different objective, whether it is to improve your realm, strengthen your army, bolster your economy, or even faith. With so many options, it can be tough to choose the right ones. So, I've compiled a complete traditions tier list for CK3.
Best Traditions in CK3 Tier List (Crusader Kings 3)
I've split each tradition into one of five tiers, ranging from S-tier (the best) to D-tier (the worst).
| Tier | Tradition |
|---|---|
| S | Eastern Roman Legacy, Polders, Pastorialists, Coastal Warriors, Recognition of Talent, Only the Strong, Industrious, Diasporic, Mystical Ancestors, By the Sword, Horse Lords, Visigothic Codes, Lords of the Elephant |
| A | Legalistic, Agrarian, Metal Workers, Cultural Blending, Family Business, Maritime Mercantilism, Malleable Subjects, Longbow Competitions, Malleable Invaders, Quarrelsome, Reverance for Veterans, Practiced Pirates, Chivalry, Ritualized Friendship, Philosopher Culture, Linguists, Culinary Artists, Chanson de Geste, Druzhina, Futuwaa, Byzantine Traditions |
| B | Monastic Communities, Castle Keepers, Esteemed Hospitality, State Ransoming, Garden Architects, Amharic Highlands, Warriors by Merit, Horse Breeders, Northern Stories, Avid Falconers, Martial Admiration, Xenophilic, Dexterous Fishermen, Storytellers, Forbearing, Expert Artisans, Frequent Festivities, Religious Patronage, Tabletop Warriors, Khadga Puja, Mountaineer Ruralism, Saharan Nomads, Ting-Meet, Mubarizun, Garuda Warriors |
| C | Ancient Miners, Republican Legacy, Dryland Dwellers, Collective Lands, Hill Dwellers, Martial Ceremonies, Court Eunuchs, Mountain Homes, Fervent Temple Builders, Wetlanders, Adaptive Skirmishers, Strength in Numbers, Stand and Fight!, Warriors of the Dry, Highland Warriors, Jungle Warriors, Loyal Subjects, Seafarers, Equitable, Performative Honor, Pacifists, Charismatic, Sacred Groves, Sacred Mountains, Merciful Blindings, Regional Blending, Medicinal Herbalists, Polygamous, Monogamous, Desert Travellers, Forest Wardens, Caucasian Wolves, Himalayan Settlers, Land of the Bow, Upland Skirmishing, Mountain Herding, Bush Hunting, Mountain Skirmishing, Defensive Tactics, Royal Army, Steppe Tolerance |
| D | Hidden Cities, City Keepers, Matriarchal, Hereditary Hierarchy, Astute Diplomats, Ruling Caste, Parochialism, Forest Folk, Tribal Unity, Isolationist, Equal Inheritance, Staunch Traditionalist, Jungle Dwellers, Mountaineers, Warrior Priests, Battlefield Looters, Forest Fighters, Formation Fighting Experts, Stalwart Defenders, Winter Warriors, Hit and Run Tactics, Swords for Hire, Frugal Armorers, Musical Theorists, Refined Poetry, Mendicant Mystics, Prolific Hunters, Vegetarian, The Right to Prove, Eye for an Eye, Spartan, Charitable, Life is just a Joke, Warrior Culture, Modest, Strong Believers, Bound by Faith, Sorcerous Metallurgy, Runestone Raisers, Concubines, Sacred Hunts, Konni Raids, Warrior Queens, Desert Ribats, Strong Kinship, Caravaneers, African Tolerance, Hirds, The Witenagemot |
S-Tier Traditions in Crusader Kings 3
These are the best traditions in Crusader Kings 3, and you should prioritize unlocking them before any other. Depending on the kind of tradition, these can provide a strong economic, cultural, or even militaristic boost that can help you get ahead of other realms. For example, the Eastern Roman Legacy tradition can reduce your Men-At-Arms costs by 30% while increasing your maximum Men-At-Arms regiment by +2, giving you a massive boost in military capabilities.
Unless you have other specific needs in your realm, you should prioritize these traditions before any other. I usually prefer unlocking the Industrious tradition first to get a +25% Development boost in the early game, which culminates with strong economic backing in the late game.
How to unlock S-Tier Traditions
Here are all the S-tier traditions that require certain prerequisites to be unlocked:
| Tradition | Prerequisite | Optional Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Eastern Roman Legacy | Must have Byzantine tradition | Culture has 50 De Jure Counties as part of the Byzantine Empire |
| Polders | Must be a culture of Dutch descent Must be present in a coastal county Should not have Amharic Highlanders tradition | 30% of culture is present in coastal counties |
| Pastoralists | 40% of your culture is present in Counties located in Plains or Steppe | 60% of your culture is present in Counties located in Plains or Steppe |
| Coastal Warriors | Must have Northern Lords DLC Must be of North Germanic heritage Culture must be present in a coastal county Should not have Warrior Culture tradition Should not have Seafarers tradition | 30% of culture is present in coastal counties |
| Recognition of Talent | None | 10 Prisoners with skill stats of at least 12 |
| Only the Strong | Should not have the Egalitarian ethos | Have at least 6 knights with Prowess 12 |
| Industrious | None | Your culture has 5 Counts with the Diligent trait |
| Diasporic | Must be of Israelite heritage Can only be selected via Divergence | None |
| Mystical Ancestors | Your culture must descend from a culture that had this tradition | None |
| By the Sword | Your Faith should not have the Pacifism tenet Your Faith should not have the Dharmic Pacifism tenet | Your culture has 5 Counts with the Zealous trait |
| Horse Lords | Must be of Mongolic or Turkic heritage | None |
| Visigothic Codes | Must be of Basque or Visigothic descent Should have Christian religion | Your culture has three male and three female Counts. |
| Lords of the Elephant | Must have the Elephantry innovation | Your culture has three level 2 Elephantry buildings |
A-Tier Traditions in Crusader Kings 3
The traditions listed in the A-tier are some of the better ones you can unlock in CK3. While most top-tier traditions are either bound by Cultures or some unique prerequisite, most here don't have those shackles and are much easier to unlock. For example, the Culture Blending tradition can be unlocked by any Culture and reduces the Hybrid Culture Creation Cost by a staggering 75% while also boosting Cultural Acceptance. This not only saves you the hassle of gaining 40% acceptance between your desired cultures (which can take decades) but also improves acceptance with other cultures, promoting better Development and Control within your realm.
Certain traditions in this tier, like Byzantine Traditions, are also quite essential since they are a prerequisite for unlocking various S-tier traditions, like Eastern Roman Legacy, as mentioned in the above table. Depending on the culture, I try to pick out the traditions that I'll need to unlock better ones down the line.
B-Tier Traditions in Crusader Kings 3
The B-tier traditions are more niche traditions that you should unlock only in certain situations. If you don't have any better tradition to unlock or heavily lack in a certain aspect like economy or military strength, only then are these traditions worth considering. For example, if you're struggling with Cultural Acceptance in a large realm, getting the Culture Blending tradition won't be enough. In such cases, adding the Xenophilic tradition on top of that would work wonders, as it provides an additional 25% Cultural Acceptance Gain.
C-Tier Traditions in Crusader Kings 3
The traditions listed in the C-tier should generally be avoided. I only get any tradition from this tier when I've completed unlocking every tradition in the tiers listed above, which usually takes a long time. In most cases, unlocking these traditions will not be worth the time and effort. For example, if you're considering unlocking the Loyal Subjects tradition, it will only provide +5 Popular Opinion and +50% success towards Schemes against Liege. This perk gets completely overshadowed by any tradition listed on a higher tier.
D-Tier Traditions in Crusader Kings 3
The D-tier traditions are the worst picks in Crusader Kings 3. Unlocking them would not only be a waste of time, and you may end up with detrimental effects on your realm. I generally don't unlock any of these traditions, and try my best to avoid them. For example, I had unlocked the Life is just a Joke tradition to gain a minuscule +5 Opinion (and only from characters with certain traits). This tradition also raised the AI Boldness by +50, which led to increased Schemes against my character and War declarations, making the playthrough much harder.
For more on Crusader Kings 3, check out CK3 Traits Tier List – Crusader Kings 3 on Pro Game Guides.
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