How to manage holdings efficiently and more read Guide on Holdings
The base of the economy in Crusader Kings II are holdings - great medieval castles, temples, trade posts and medieval cities. These are present in each province, or county, and you can build new ones.
Holdings come in 4 types:
| Icon | Description |
Modifiers |
|---|---|---|
 City, managed by mayors |
Cities are managed by mayors, who are usually elected and change from time to time. Cities are good for taxes and income, not so much for raising levies. |
tax_income = 12 light_infantry = 75 archers = 40 galleys = 5 fort_level = 0 land_organisation=0.2 |
 Castle |
Castles are great defensive structures, able to raise the most soldiers for your wars, though they are not so good for taxes. Castles are owned by barons or a liege. | tax_income = 4 fort_level = 3 light_infantry = 60 heavy_infantry = 150 light_cavalry = 15 galleys = 3 levy_reinforce_rate = 1.25 land_organisation = 0.2 |
 Bishopric, church, temple |
Bishopric, or temples are owned by bishops, and are good for troops and tax income, though only on a moderate scale. | tax_income = 8 heavy_infantry = 45 light_infantry = 45 archers = 40 galleys = 2 levy_reinforce_rate = 0.25 land_organisation = 0.2 |
 |
Trade posts are micro settlements that are located on the frontiers of your exploration. A little income, no army and no defence. | tax_income = 2 fort_level = 0 levy_size = 0 land_organisation = 0.2 |
All holdings can be upgraded, and follow the focus on what they are already good at. Cities and Churches also have buildings designed to boost research, and cities can build a harbor, more gold and ships, if they are coastal.
If a holding is owned by the wrong type of character, for instance a mayor owning a Castle, a "wrong type" holding penalty is applied, reducing its efficiency.