Min/Max Portugal

[Albino_M3xican]

I've always loved playing Spain and have only used Castille since their the strongest and easiest, but I have played only castille after the Golden Century update and DLC, I was thinking would it be worth playing Portugal to take advantage of their early trade bonuses that Golden Century provide through the missions, and the age bonus. It's obvious that Portugal gets better bonuses to colonize early.

So my idea was to Play as Portugal till about 1550 at max, making my way to trade company areas and conquer Iberia by that time to then create Spain once I've milked the most out of Portugal's claims and bonuses.

Anyone see this as a good strategy, are there tips or trick you may have to offer. I was thinking of just taking Granada, and Moroccos coast with the help of Castille till about 1480 where I call them in to a Head smash war and make them lose their Manpower then using France favors to attack Castille and take the land I need to form Spain.

 

[jamal bakr]

build a light flagship super early (within the first 2 years or so) with the portuguese explorer flagship modification to discover america early and start racking up splendor points. Just grab tangiers + humiliate in first war as well, so you don't get stomped by gigantic rebellions + religious diversity early in the game. Be careful if you crush Morocco before he integrates his vassal swarm; if all three are still up they can form a coalition against you and bring in tunis, other ppl and give you a long ugly war with few upsides.

First age ability get portuguese colonization obviously, second one get transfer subject. Use it against Aragon to steal naples. Steal the african gold mines in Mali. If you intend to stay portuguese go reformed and get DoTF because your soldiers suck. Otherwise it might be interesting to go portugal --> steal naples --> form italy. Forming spain seems kinda pointless... why not just start as castile then lol.

 

[spacepengu]

it depends how much you want to blob in iberia and africa bc you don't really need to. takin sevilla+cadiz and the states of ceuta is enough to have almost all of the trade power in that region, you just need a little bit of gold to develop it. That's only 2 states so it is much easier to grow just that much and focus on your colonies while depleting castille in the long-run. Since if they cannot gain trade income they will be much weaker as the game progreses while her colonization efforts are more beneficial for you. She will steer all trade to the sevilla node(yours) and help you to gain more gold in sevilla compared to bordeux and the channel. This way it allows for more sevilla node influence and you can war castille when you are dominating economically and than taking the colonies of castille as well.
If you want to head your self in to castille for not having to deal with iberian wedding it's gonna be more tough as you want exploration ideas and use your age bonueses to full advantage as early as possible with the early morale of armies that spanish troops have you don't have any mil advantage except quick attacking them the moment you get 4th mill tech. Castille starts with a abysimall 0-0-0 and you will increase your mill tech first and the first 2 techs are super relevant to win wars. i'd say change you national focus to military and hunt castille in 4th and 5th mill tech power spikes.
If you are passed this point where you neither get the state of sevilla or decipated castille with the help of aragon before event firing then you need to focus on africa to increase your land and naval force limit.
I think iberia is not that useful as youll be having porto+lisbon+tangiers from the get go and can easly get a quick win over castille to secure sevilla.That nets you 2 more trade center in the same state to the total of 5 tarde centers. By using the trade increase state policy, upgrading your centers and adding markets you dominate trade easly and at that point you will want castille to be alive and aid you on your colonial ambitions. He will be your rival since you'll be having some of her cores but i don't think they will be a challenge to you later on without having decent trade income. Increase mercantilism, embargo castille and you'll se how small amount of gold castille will get from the node.
Its much more worth it to get coast of africa+carabbean+south india+west indies than bothering with european affairs if you already have a good trading node which you can easly dominate.

 

[evilcat]

It could be difficulty to do all Portugalese mission before 1550 and conquere Iberia. It may take a bit longer. But you can only do take best parts, that would be a good idea.
The age of discovery colonial bonus is nice and massive, so it is good to use it in full extend.
To conquere claims and colonize you need money, to convert you need money. You do not have money.

Some random tips:
England is good for missions claims, after that they will get you in trouble, and tell your wars are too far away. They make good rival to take florida.
France is the dream ally, but it could be hard to get it and keep it.
Papal State, is an ally, and will help you with wars with Tunis and such.
Barbarians, make sometimes good one war ally.
Castillian favors are great to conqere Maroco, or farm Tunis for money or Humilation (monarch points)
Gettin to Cape of Good Hope nets free merchant with one province, that is bergain.
Malacas and Molucas generate great trade money, and are "easy" to control. Especially with trade bonus light flag ship.
Cuba, Brazil, Columbia also generate good trade money with minimal effort. You can colonize 3, and conqere 2 provinces from natives.
Other colonizers are not that big deal, unless you get important provinces yourself (and you will since have head start). You can always take colonies in peace deal. And castilian is your home culture.
Export moor to the poor, it is cheaper than converting or having normal colonist.
Accepting marocan culture will make life easier. Less rebels, more manpower.
One of makaresh countries makes great vassal . Take you claims and give it to vassal. Convert vassal around tech 10, it is much easier to convert using couterreformation zeal.
From Castille you need Sevillar, that will secure your trade dominance. But you get it later. You need first some trade money to come.
You may convert to Spain later, when you are "done" with colonization. Spanish idea group is "better" in long run.
You can always make a good ignoring of the call, when Spain goes to war with Ottomans. That will generally wreck them.

But... opportuniyy may strike you, and you may end with PU over Naples or vassal Irish. You never know. Have fun.