Reforming a culture is expensive, diverging a culture is more expensive, the best choices is to hybridize with the right culture! On this page, you’ll find the best cultures to hybridize in CK3.
Culture hybridization doesn’t cost much prestige, but it requires certain prerequisites. First of all, you need to own a piece of land from the culture you need to hybridize. Then, you must increase cultural acceptance up to point 40. It can be done promote cultural acceptance action via your steward or by participating in a grand tour with cultural festival option. Also, don’t forget to hire a cultural ambassador as your travel entourage to get even more cultural acceptance.
Once you hybridize cultures, you can choose ethos, traditions, heritage, language, martial custom, military equipment, naming practice, architecture, fashion, and coat of arms from both sides. What’s more, you get all the discovered innovations of both. So, hybridize your culture, choose what’s best for you from both sides, and create what is the most optimal.
1. Basque
It does have Visigothic Codes tradition which lets you enact the High Partition succession law. It’s very powerful, especially if you’ve started in 867. When I play a Norse character with confederate partition law, I always hybridize with Basque.
Basque also have culture exclusive light horse unit called Caballeros. It’s improved version of regular light horse men-at-arms.
Ritualized friendship tradition is also great. It unlocks befriend scheme which is pretty good for keeping your relations high with powerful vassals.
2. Norse
Norse is a one hell of a culture thanks to its superior traditions! Especially the Coastal Warriors tradition which is unlocking Varangian Veterans, Huscarls, Vigmen, and Bondi. So, you can hybridize with Norse for unique succession law or military power.
If you’re Norse, you want to hybridize with another culture instead of sticking with the Norse for two reasons. One is to get good traditions and acceptance after you conquer or varangian adventure distant lands. Second, tribal Norse culture does not have many innovations. Remember, when you hybridize cultures, you get all the innovations unlocked by both parties.
3. French
French is a great knight centric culture to hybridize for increasing your military power. Also, its chivalry tradition allows you to earn bunch of renown that is really hard to get in the early game. Pretty OP to be honest.
I mean, doing a varangian adventure to duchy of Neustra (Normandy) and forming French + Norse culture which is Norman is fun and historically accurate.
Are you playing as a French ruler? You want to hybridize too. Because French culture only has 3 traditions, that means you can get 3 more nearly for free.
4. Dutch
Mix French and Dutch to create Flemish culture with all the Dutch traits to build tall, and the French chanson de geste and chivalry for knight bonuses. What you create is basically the tall space marines.
All in all, if you want to play tall, play as Dutch or hybridize with Dutch culture for maximum amount of ROI (return of investment).
5. Welsh
Welsh culture does have some interesting traditions like Concubines and Refined Poetry. But the most OP thing about is the Longbow Competitions.
You can recruit Longbowmen men-at-arms which is the best archer men-at-arms regiment in the late game. They increase in power with the technological era you’re in. It’s a unique mechanic exclusive to the Longbowmen regiments.
I like concubines as well for role-playing purposes. What’s better than capturing your rival’s wife and taking her as a concubine! Ha ha.
6. Andalusian
Forming a hybrid culture with Andalusian as a Norse will instantly unlock all the tribal era civic innovations. That’ll allow you and your subjects to adopt feudal ways easier. I’ll take free innovations every day even if you’re not interested to rule in tribal counties.
What’s more, Andalusian culture has 5 traditions. They’re not OP but certainly above average. I’ll take them any day and replace with superior traditions every 50 years.
7. Greek
Greek culture is an interesting one. First of all, it has Eastern Roman Legacy which is unlocking the best heavy cavalry regiment in the game called Cataphracts. Check CK3 strongest men-at-arms for more information on that topic. Another tradition is legalistic which is increasing the vassal limit by +30. It’s OP if you’re intend to rule huge empires.
Formation Fighting Experts and Byzantine Traditions cultures are not my favorite. But Byzantine Traditions has a huge role-palying value because it allows you to castrate and blind your prisoners.
8. Polish
If you’re not a Polish character, you want to merge with Polish for Konni Raids tradition. It’s one of the best men-at-arms regiments ever. Why? Because Konni has huge pursuit bonus. In case you didn’t know, pursuit kills the enemies in battles. If you have high pursuit, you can stack-wipe anyone!
If you’re following Polish culture, you need to hybridize too. Because it doesn’t have any good tradition other than Konni raids. Polish ethos is Ceremonious, it sucks too. Check out CK3 best culture ethos guide.
It’s going to be hard to hybridize because of the Staunch Traditionalists tradition but totally worth the effort.
9. Sinhala
You can varangian adventure all the way to India and merge Asatru with Sinhala for the best men-at-arms composition which is Varangian Adventurers + War Elephants.
I choose Sinhala because it’s in the perfect position for a newcomer. Lambakanna Kingdom is a great powerhouse and a good foothold.
The region also has pre-build university and gold mines in 867. What more you can ask for?
10. Egyptian
Walk like an Egyptian! Why I like to merge with Egpytian culture? Egyptian lands are also super rich, therefore it’s a good powerbase for those who want to play in the Middle East as Christian, Asatru, Muslim, etc. Just don’t forget to take the Arabic heritage of Egyptian culture will help you tremendously in that region.
Also, don’t forget special man-at-arms units like Mubarizun and Camel Riders, they’re great!