For any given character in Crusader Kings 3, players can choose from one of five Lifestyles, although it is often best to select the one in which the character was educated as a child, as they will progress through it faster. Like any Lifestyle, there are three focuses and three Perk trees for the Martial Lifestyle.
While players can choose one of the Martial Perk trees and complete it until they unlock the corresponding Lifestyle Trait, they will still have to think about the order in which they unlock specific Perks, or they may choose to dip into other trees periodically. For these two reasons, it is important to consider which are the strongest Martial Perks in Crusader Kings 3​​​​​.
7 Organized March
No matter how strong an army is, if they can't catch up with a fleeing enemy there will never be a battle. The +15% movement speed that Organized March provides among other things, helps alleviate this problem to a degree.
Naturally, Organized March is also advantageous when players themselves are in a hurry to leave, and the buffs to screening help players avoid further losses in a retreat. With the increase in regular travel speed, players can also spend less time under a regency as they can return from activities quicker.
6 Bellum Justum
If players know they will be waging war a lot in Crusader Kings 3 then it is a no-brainer to pick up the Bellum Justum Perk, the first in the Strategist tree. This will basically cut the cost of starting a war in half, no matter how large the base sum or if it costs Prestige or Piety.
Over the course of a warmonger's lifetime, this will save a ton of either resource, allowing players to allocate them elsewhere, or simply start more wars.
5 Serve The Crown
Serve the Crown is the first Perk in the Overseer tree, and yet provides so much. First of all, it provides the character with +15 Natural Dread, which helps players intimidate their vassals and rule through fear.
The second thing Serve the Crown does is to provide +0.3 Monthly Control Growth, which essentially speeds up the rate at which counties become more stable, providing the owner with more tax and levies. Seeing as counties have extremely low Control after being won in war, this Perk is great for players looking to expand their borders and simultaneously make their new lands profitable.
4 Engineered For Destruction
While decisive battles can be hugely instrumental in winning wars in CK3, sieges are arguably more important, and without siege weapon men-at-arms units, they will take a long time.
This is where the Engineered for Destruction Perk comes in handy as it makes siege weapons even more effective, allowing players to win their wars faster and ultimately save time and gold. It is in the second row of the Strategist tree, and therefore easy to acquire even for players who don't want the rest of the Strategist tree. Engineered for Destruction also gives a boost to naval speed, which is more beneficial for rulers with access to the sea or for those looking to conquer overseas.
3 Stalwart Leader
Stalwart Leader is the first Perk to be unlocked in the Gallant tree, and even just the +4 Prowess would make it a worthwhile option to dip into even if players are focusing on other Martial Lifestyle trees.
The fact that it also helps players avoid injury or death in battle is naturally a huge plus, especially for managing the succession in Crusader Kings 3. It also helps players level up the Hastiluder Foot Trait, which will make them a better tourney knight.
2 Peacemaker
The Peacemaker Perk is the last in the Gallant tree before the Gallant Trait is unlocked, and easily one of the best Martial Perks in CK3. It simply makes peace acceptance easier, which can make a huge difference as wars can sometimes get stuck at a high war score.
As the war often needs another successful siege to secure victory, the Peacemaker Perk not only guarantees success but also saves a lot of time, and thus also gold, as raised armies are extremely costly. While players will be hoping to use Peacemaker for gains, it is also a saving grace in defensive wars, for example, when disgruntled vassals form factions and rise up in rebellion.
1 Prepared Conscription
There are many ways to earn and save gold in Crusader Kings 3, and one of them is with the Prepared Conscription Perk, one of the last Perks in the Overseer tree. By lowering the army's gold maintenance, players can have larger armies at a cheaper price.
The reinforcement rate in friendly territory also doubles, meaning that if players are diligent with their wars and take time to return their amies home for short periods, they can keep their numbers topped up.
Crusader Kings 3 is available on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.