/gsg/ - Grand Strategy General

Alright, so I've found that being a vassal sucks ass. The new system is made to really fuck up a vassal, it's expensive to upgrade and better yourself, making it a lot harder to suddenly pop up under the feet of your liege.

Also, the AI ain't afraid of Jewing your money… fucking Burgundy.

I'm lucky enough to have a random group of pretender rebels spawn, so hopefully I can become a free spirit, and start making a name for myself.

Damn this board really is dead…

Won't stop me from shitting up the place though!

The pretender rebels won, and put a 0/4/4 in charge, which was better than the Burgundian king. unfortunately he also gave me a 3/1/0 heir… male at least, so I can send him to die in glorious battle.

I've gone for trade and naval ideas, long term good, but I bet I'll regret it in the coming wars to unify the Netherlands.

And Burgundy just fucked up, so we might see a free Flanders and a free Brabant… maybe good, maybe not so much. I have Austria and France backing me up though.

It seems a Dutch Republic is inbound!

I was just minding my own business, when the Bishopric of Utrecht attacked!

Unfortunately for them, I have friends in high places. And those friends aided me by sending 40.000 troops to die at the ramparts in Utrecht. I full annexed Utrecht, although I only had a claim to their capital. No biggie though, since core creation has been remodelled to the development system, so having a claim only reduces the cost by 10%. I had to pay some 350 ADM points to core two provinces needed to form the Netherlands.

The coalition that raped Burgundy released Hainaut and Brabant. I fabricated a claim on Antwerp in the hopes of them being released too, but no such luck. Instead I went for Brabant, which is necessary to form the Netherlands. Brabant had no allies and mine weren't willing, so I relied on my superior tactics to carry the war.

Friesland, who are a Free City, chose to be predatory and try to have their way with me, which resulted in Austria to side with me, along with France. It's a real streak of luck for me, since the emperor will always side with the Free City if I wanted to attack them.

So now I hope to seize Friesland and Brabant (vassalizing the rest of the duchy) and then form the Netherlands.

I got greedy. France and Austria warded me from the first coalition war, but just about everyone in the HRE hated me, what sealed my fate was Brandenburg dragging Poland and Lithuania into the fray and France deciding to abandon me in my hour of need.

Lost control of Utrecht, Gelre and Friesland. But I retain cores on them. So it's only a matter of waiting out a 15 year truce, and then I'll be back on track.

The loss of overlordship over Brabant was a bad thing though.

I've also taken a look at going for the Netherlands. When I form it, I'll become a king instead of a duke, but I'll have to leave the HRE, since only dukes are allowed there. So my best bet at getting control of the Lowlands is to stay a duchy until I control the Lowlands, and then I'll create the netherlands.

>>3745

I'm working on it, but I've had a series of unfortunate war happen to my allies, so I was economically not able for a couple of years.

Alright, so I've sorted my affairs with Austria, who've been completely curbstomped by the Southern Island Jew. I'll have to rely fully on France from now on, since the Eastern part of the HRE is doomed.

I managed to place the Duke of Hainaut under my overlordship, but I'm dangerously close to another HRE-wide coalition. I could just form the Netherlands right away, since the emperor has been cut down to size…

Also, I'm going to go ahead and put my full attention to colonization so I can get some ducats into the English Channel. So far, France Britain, Portugal and I, are the only colonizers.

I've rivalled Britain, so in time I'll conquer England and install a Dutch Republic client state…

Also, is allowing Jewry, I mean usury, against Protestant beliefs?

So, in the year of our lord 1575, Perfidious Alboin declared war upon the emperor, starting the 30 year war. This luckily provides most of the European great and middle powers with a distraction, so that I can grab me some more clay in the Lowlands. The war ended in the Peace of Westphalia, with neither side being able to destroy the other.

With 1581 coming ever closer, King Willem VII decided to declare himself king of the Netherlands! Upon his death, a Republic was declared!

I've grabbed Antwerp, providing me with much needed ducats, and I've grabbed the colonies of Brittany, so now I'll be able to establish the Dutch West Indies.

Europe hasn't really gone full retard yet, although Aragon is a great eyesore for me.

>>3753

No Papist scum within my own country, but many of the major powers still adhere to their sick and twisted idol worship! Jesus saves mang!

As for protestantism, I almost converted right away, and got myself 10% production efficiency, 5% development cost reduction and +15 yearly colonists.

Here's a quick update on the theaters I've engaged myself with.

I'm looking to start a war with Portugal, for the Cape, so I can establish full control over the charter.

Verenigde Staten and Dutch West Indies fares well. I've conquered all British possessions in the Carribean, so now there's only France and me left for the showdown I can foresee.

I'm still on the fence about Rethel and Artois. Is that rightful clay? Certainly it's Walloon and Walloons are an accepted culture…

I got a mission to take Kochin, so I envision an expansion into Asia as soon as I've dealt with Portugal.

Anyone tried putting together the best possible idea set yet for custom nations? I'll be hosting multiplayer with some friends soon, and I'd like an edge if anyone has any tips with the new mechanics and ideas.

>>3815

He may have fucked up, but you can't say he doesn't have common sense!

>>3816

CAAAARLOOOOS!

>>3818

>a blobbing France, that has a personal union with Spain

This sentence makes my heart sink with terror.

>>3790

Alright, I'll give what is probably the second last update with pictures from this game.

Before 1821 I hope to have a larger chunk of Asia under me, especially some of the Chinese clay.

N. America is a quagmire, with several of the worlds great powers being former colonial powers. And all of my own colonial nations are very close to rebelling, I've spent between 600 and 1000 ADM points on appeasement and lowering tariffs.

And Africa is pretty much fine as it is, I've almost got 51% of trade power in every charter, so that I can funnel my ill gotten gains in Asia safely to Europe.

Also, does anyone know how to make my satellite in England less shit? It's got almost no fleet, and 50k troops that I might need if France or Spain come a'knockin

>>3818

You can't piggyback on France to fend off Brandenburg? Did Austria dieded? What development level do you have in Nuremberg?

>>3865

I couldn't ally France because they rivaled me, so I had to tread carefully between France and Brandenburg.

However, I found my opportunity to strike a blow against France when they were at war with both Brandenburg and Scandinavia. I called all my allies into a war against them, and we managed to occupy most of France, and lower their prestige to -80. In the peace, I took a few provinces from France, and had them cough up Burgundy.

Only a few years later, France was unable to hold onto its personal union with Spain because of their abysmal prestige. France is allied to Brandenburg now, but at least Spain isn't a problem anymore.

The development in Nuremberg is 61. I raised it to 60 myself, and then an event popped for 1 extra base tax.