Crusader Kings 3 Traditions Tier List: Ranking CK3 Cultural Practices

In Crusader Kings 3, players can explore a vast array of over 50 traditions, each designed to achieve specific goals such as enhancing your realm, fortifying your military, boosting your economy, or strengthening your faith. With so many choices available, it can be a challenge to determine which traditions to prioritize. To assist you, I’ve created a comprehensive tier list categorizing the traditions in CK3.

Top Traditions in CK3 Tier List (Crusader Kings 3)

Overview of all traditions in Crusader Kings 3. — Image courtesy of Pro Game Guides

I have organized each tradition into one of five tiers, from S-tier (top tier) to D-tier (lowest tier).

Tier	Tradition
S	Eastern Roman Legacy, Polders, Pastoralists, 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, Reverence 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 Travelers, 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

Tajik Culture featuring the Irrigation Tradition in CK3. — Image courtesy of Pro Game Guides

The S-tier traditions in Crusader Kings 3 are outstanding choices, and you should focus on obtaining them first. These traditions can significantly impact your economy, culture, and military, giving you an edge over rival realms. For example, the Eastern Roman Legacy tradition offers a 30% reduction in Men-At-Arms costs and increases your maximum Men-At-Arms regiment by +2, greatly enhancing your military strength.

Unless you have very specific needs within your realm, prioritize these top-tier traditions above all others. Personally, I often unlock the Industrious tradition first to gain a +25% Development boost early in the game, leading to a robust economy in the late stages.

Unlocking S-Tier Traditions

Below are the S-tier traditions along with their requirements for unlocking:

Tradition	Prerequisite	Optional Requirements
Eastern Roman Legacy	Must possess Byzantine tradition	Culture must include 50 De Jure Counties as part of the Byzantine Empire
Polders	Culture needs Dutch descent and be located in a coastal county; must not have Amharic Highlanders tradition	30% of culture is in coastal counties
Pastoralists	40% of your culture must be present in Plains or Steppe counties	60% of your culture must be in Plains or Steppe counties
Coastal Warriors	Requires Northern Lords DLC, must have North Germanic heritage; culture must be present in a coastal county; must not have Warrior Culture or Seafarers traditions	30% of culture is in coastal counties
Recognition of Talent	No prerequisites	10 prisoners with skill stats of at least 12
Only the Strong	Must not have the Egalitarian ethos	At least 6 knights with a Prowess score of 12
Industrious	No prerequisites	Your culture needs 5 Counts with the Diligent trait
Diasporic	Must be of Israelite ancestry; available only through Divergence	No prerequisites
Mystical Ancestors	Your culture needs to be descended from a culture that features this tradition	No prerequisites
By the Sword	Your Faith should not include the Pacifism tenet or Dharmic Pacifism tenet	Your culture must have 5 Counts with the Zealous trait
Horse Lords	Must have Mongolic or Turkic heritage	No prerequisites
Visigothic Codes	Must be of Basque or Visigothic descent; religion must be Christian	Your culture must have three male and three female Counts.
Lords of the Elephant	Requires Elephantry innovation	Your culture needs three level 2 Elephantry buildings

A-Tier Traditions in Crusader Kings 3

Greek Culture with Eastern Roman Legacy tradition in CK3. — Image courtesy of Pro Game Guides

A-tier traditions represent some of the finest choices available in CK3. Unlike many top-tier traditions that are often bound by culture-specific requirements or unique conditions, A-tier traditions are generally more accessible. For instance, the Cultural Blending tradition can be accessed by any Culture and reduces the cost of Hybrid Culture Creation by an impressive 75%, while enhancing Cultural Acceptance. This not only alleviates the long process of achieving 40% acceptance between cultures (which can take many years) but also fosters improved acceptance rates with surrounding cultures, thereby enhancing Development and Control within your dominion.

Several A-tier traditions, such as Byzantine Traditions, are critical as they serve as prerequisites for unlocking S-tier traditions like Eastern Roman Legacy, mentioned earlier. Depending on your culture, I recommend selecting the traditions needed for future upgrades.

B-Tier Traditions in Crusader Kings 3

Bulgarian culture utilizing the Stand and Fight tradition in CK3. — Image courtesy of Pro Game Guides

B-tier traditions cater to specific niche scenarios, making them more worthwhile only in certain contexts. If you lack superior traditions or are significantly weak in an aspect such as military or economy, only then should you contemplate these traditions. For instance, struggling with Cultural Acceptance in a sprawling realm might necessitate adding Xenophilic tradition, which grants an additional 25% Cultural Acceptance Gain, alongside Cultural Blending.

C-Tier Traditions in Crusader Kings 3

French culture incorporating the Chivalry tradition in CK3. — Image courtesy of Pro Game Guides

Traditions falling into the C-tier are generally ones to avoid. I typically only consider unlocking these once I’ve fully obtained all higher-tier traditions, which usually requires considerable time and effort. Most times, the benefits from these traditions are minimal. For example, unlocking the Loyal Subjects tradition offers a mere +5 Popular Opinion and +50% success rate for Schemes against Liege. Such a bonus is far less impactful than those found in higher-tiered traditions.

D-Tier Traditions in Crusader Kings 3

Norse culture featuring the Runestone Raiser tradition in CK3. — Image courtesy of Pro Game Guides

D-tier traditions rank among the least favorable options in Crusader Kings 3. Pursuing these traditions often proves wasteful, and they can even detriment your realm. Generally, I avoid unlocking any traditions from this tier. For instance, I once adopted the Life is just a Joke tradition, only to receive a trivial +5 Opinion from certain character traits. This also led to a 50% increase in AI Boldness, inciting greater hostile schemes against me and prompting declarations of war, complicating my gameplay experience.

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