King Canute Valdemarsen

**King Canute Valdemarsen** (**Canute VII, King of Denmark** in game) is the initially king of the Kingdom of Denmark. He starts as the lord of Lund. He is one of the two powerful lord with 2400 renown, the other is Emir Mohammed I Idn Nasr.

He is also known for being a fair ruler, for he prefers to give out towns and castles to vassals who've captured them. Moreover, he is usually willing to accept the opinions of others. He is also relatively generous, so as long as he keeps hold of his fief, he does not keep excessive fiefs for himself.

His army size grows over time. Left unchecked, he can amass a warband of over 470 troops, by far the largest single army in the game.

You may fight him as you help King Erik Abelssøn, the corresponding claimant, overthrow him and gain control of the kingdom.

## Background

Canute VII was born as **Canute Valdemarsen** in 25 May 1226 to King Valdemar II of Denmark of the House of Estridsen in Vordingborg Castle, the city of under the same name of the Kingdom of Denmark. During his childhood to his accession as King, he had expression of feminine traits of a female. During the reigns of his older brothers, Kings Eric IV Valdemarsen (r. 1232 – 1241, 1241 – 1250), Abel Valdemarsen (r. 1250 – 1252), and Christoffer Valdemarsen (r. 1252), Canute had become active as a Danish prince, and was governed Swinaburgh, a castle in present day Southern Denmark region.

In 1252, after his brother Christopher become king, the King was assassinated. Canute didn't expected to be king, and was twenty-six at the time, was elected king. To be sure that his sexuality might caused his rule, he had his feminine behavior and treats hidden and only a few trusted close to the king to knew his sexuality. He was crowned King of Denmark on Christmas Day, 25 December 1252, a few weeks after his accession.

During his four or five year reign and counting, Canute was the popular Scandinavian monarch, he also reconciled with the kings of Norway and Sweden which had been provoked by Abel's interventions which gained fame and popular in both Norway and Sweden, respectfully. His cousin, Eric I, Duke of Schleswig[confirmation needed] a family feud between Eric and Canute rose that the King refused to install him as duke after his trusted vassal lord Valdemar III, Duke of Schleswig.[confirmation needed]

## Tactics

Canute is an unique NPCs in the game, which is the only monarch to do this in game. The tactics are also unique in a way, just like monarchs and subjects, they intent the one-line forward march while stops here and there, and other useless tactics. Canute however, when a group of either an enemy or an Army, he makes his infantry troops go on the left side, protecting the archers/crossbowman troops, while the cavalry go on the other side or far left on the map. When the enemy gets closer, he let her cavalry and infantry attack, while the archers/crossbowman are on either on top or hanging from a hill/cliff of the hill to get better advanced on the enemy, or stay put which the archery had some free time to go.

In sieges, if Canute is a marshal, his siege tactics are different then any NPC marshals. When the siege starts, Canute then put the archery back, while both cavalry and infantry troops also on their position, while waiting that the enemy's garrison, and archers are defeated before charging both cavalry and infantry troops.

Other sieges included the same, but archers does the same, while cavalry and infantry troops waits until the siege tower bridge is down. But he orders the cavalry and infantry troops to wait, while the archery troops defeating any enemy of defending. Once less enemy troops trying to keep the Norwegian's troops away on sieging, both cavalry and infantry troops attack and either break through into the walls, or don't. While Archery troops also followed by she orders a position to fire upon the enemy's archers or help the cavalry and infantry into battle.

## Notes

1. ↑ Canute is the only NPC in the game who acts differently to other monarchs. He is known for giving fiefs who had the most supporters and was loyal to Canute. As he still holding or lost his starting fief by rival factions, he is either giving himself a another town or a mere castle and/or a village.

* In earlier version, his name was King Canute Valdemarsen.