[Image Guide] EU IV Advanced Strategies

[Khanor]

So I just uploaded my guide for experienced/advanced players of EU IV yesterday. It's an image album on imgur.com covering five topics I've explored in depth in my previous EU IV campaigns. The topics are:

• Colonization and subject nations
  
  
• Special diplomatic actions
  
  
• Policies, attrition and warfare
  
  
• Advanced rebel supporting
  
  
• Combat and battles

And if you copy the topics (without the dots), you can search for the ones that interests you the most with ctrl + f, just remember to open all the images first. The idea was that while experienced and good players would probably know some or many of these, even those players would find something new to learn from it. Without further ado, here's the guide.

I'll also link the reddit thread here, in case anyone wants to head over there to join the comment section, though I'm of course not against comments here as well.

 

[Kaisermaulwurf]

I read this when you posted it on reddit- thanks for making it, I picked up a few things.

 

[Khanor]

I read this when you posted it on reddit- thanks for making it, I picked up a few things.

Thanks for the feedback, good to hear that this was useful for some people. I don't really know if experienced players frequent the guide forum much, but I might as well put it here too, just in case. Likely not all Paradox forumers are on reddit (and some might be in r/paradoxplaza instead of r/eu4 where I posted this, I guess).

Anyways, if people are interested, I probably have enough material for a second guide some time in the future. The subjects next time will, among others, be: First/early wars as a small nation, survival diplomacy when bordering a regional/great power who wants you dead, and judging when you're able to take said great power.

 

[Kaisermaulwurf]

Have you though about doing an advanced guide on development and building tall? I'm not sure where to find a transparent breakdown of the math behind development. But yeah I found your guide quite helpful, I had always overlooked the enforce peace and support rebels options for an example. It's amazing that I still feel like I have more to learn about this game after almost 1k hours.
I'm brand new to using the paradox forum but I came here specifically looking for advanced guides so I think its a good bet that others will too.

 

[Khanor]

Have you though about doing an advanced guide on development and building tall? I'm not sure where to find a transparent breakdown of the math behind development. But yeah I found your guide quite helpful, I had always overlooked the enforce peace and support rebels options for an example. It's amazing that I still feel like I have more to learn about this game after almost 1k hours.
I'm brand new to using the paradox forum but I came here specifically looking for advanced guides so I think its a good be that others will too.

Actually I hadn't thought about that part, maybe just the long term investment of development when you want to get the early institutions as a non-European nation (which is very often worth it). But I do like development (and playing a bit tall) and I'll say as much as this, you'd want to develop provinces in temperate climate (especially avoid arctic), and you'd want to finish economic ideas before you put too much into it. Go for farmlands/grasslands/drylands, and develop production in provinces with good expensive trade goods such as ivory, coffee, cocoa, and cloth. Republics are recommended (this guy on reddit did an awesome video on it, check it out), but monarchies can work if you disinherit/abdicate when you get terrible heirs/rulers respectively.

To get back to your question, maybe I'll do it, but I'd have to look into the math as you said, so that won't be the next edition at least. For now just follow the above guidelines. And look at the total cost of development before doing it. More developed provinces are more expensive, though it can still be worth it if they have a lot of modifiers making it cheaper and buildings making each point of development give you more stuff.

 

[AgeofKing]

Hi,

Thanks for this, I loved the style of the guide and was also able to pick up some useful things.

Hope to see some more Advanced ideas

Cheers

 

[IrishGirl]

Hi Khanor,

Just wanted to note that I read this in its entirety and it was very helpful. Thanks for posting it.

Irish

 

[Khanor]

Hi,

Thanks for this, I loved the style of the guide and was also able to pick up some useful things.

Hope to see some more Advanced ideas

Cheers

Hi, thanks for chiming in, it's still good to hear people found this useful. And I do have some screenshots from an Alodian playthrough, so maybe some time this summer I'll find the time/motivation to do a guide on early game wars, institutions, and maybe development. I'll probably make the next one a bit shorter though, as it can be a lot to read for people. It's also a good thing that you found the style of the guide decent, I was wondering about the formatting with pictures coming before their accompanying pieces of text, but if it works for people I'll keep it like it is.

Cheers!

Hi Khanor,

Just wanted to note that I read this in its entirety and it was very helpful. Thanks for posting it.

Irish

Hi Irish, thanks for commenting. Good to hear you found it helpful, this is what makes posting these guides worth it. (And since some people read through it all I guess it's also good that I went back to correct my spelling a few times after posting it. I'm pretty sure my first draft could be considered a crime against the English language. And possibly the Geneva convention >_>)

Khan

 

[Y. D. Dandy]

I already know most of this, but I did not know that units at the battle but in reserve take morale damage.

I finally understand how the Ottomans can consistently win battles during the Age of Reformation even when I have better morale, discipline, numbers, generals, and a terrain disadvantage. I thought it was the infantry CA from the Janissaries, combined with Anatolian unit pips, and this likely plays a role given they're much easier to beat earlier or later. But I now realize it's also because when I fight the Ottomans in early wars, I keep my stacks close together. This means that I reinforce immediately with all my stacks, and all my reserve units take morale damage. Meanwhile, the Ottomans keep bringing new stacks from across Anatolia with full morale. Future wars against the Ottomans in that awkward period when the Janissaries are at their peak should be slightly less painful as a result of knowing this.