Sweden - A Baltic Quest

My Baltic empire is coming along nicely now. I still need to get my hands on ten more provinces to complete my goal. The next obvious target is Brandenburg/Prussia. They own the nice provinces of Memel and Prussia, even if they weren't part of the goal and separating Danzig from the rest of my empire they'd still be tempting due to their richness anyway. I now have to wait for an excuse to get medieval on Brandenburg.

The remaining areas to capture

Did I mention that Sweden gets nice leaders during this period?


I get an event relating to my role in German religious wars. I opt to stay out of the mess. A stab point is valuable and a CB against Austria useless. Plus when you're Sweden who cares about relations I don't mind if I'm hated the world over, as long as I get my Baltic empire.


Remember that excuse I was waiting for?

Brandenburg delivers in only two years

And so without waiting around I head straight to war. The alliance against me is reasonably big. I don't call Mecklenburg, they have no army at the moment and will only be a liability.


I invade Memel and Prussia simultaneously.


Torstensson makes short work on the Brandenburgian defenders.


Leaving only the sieges to complete.


I send Gustav across the Baltic and using Mecklenburg as a safe beachhead I invade Brandenburg proper.

Feedback coming later.


England soons puts their navy and reasonable size army to use. This could have been a bit of a hurdle for me, had they used it properly.


England decides the best way to stop Sweden is to invade the northern snow covered provinces. Bremen joins in too.


I, on the other hand, decide it better to capture useful provinces, like say Magdeburg and Prussia.


During this time Brandenburg only made a few attempts at dislodging my troops. Needless to say they were unsuccessful. So it was with quite some surprise that I lost my first battle of the war, and even possibly of the whole game, despite numerical superiority and a fantastic leader.

Brandenburg winning, Sweden losing? Is this a bug?

In the end though it is an afterthought as Memel falls and I head further into Brandenburg's territory to rack up the warscore.



Sure enough, the capture of Anhalt does the trick and Brandenburg kindly gives up all I wanted. How obliging of them.


The end of the war in Brandenburg is not the end of all the war though. I am still at war with Bremen, England and the Netherlands. Bremen, beside whom my now freed up troops are positioned presents a tempting target.


In another nice stroke of luck the rebels in Hannover had already done most of the siege. All I had to do was waltz in, chuck them out and sit still for a month.

Stealing the rebels siege in Hannover

England at last mounts an offensive in the right location and using their strong point, their navy. Unfortunately for them my navy is even stronger.

Sweden rules the waves and don't you forget it.

Bremen soon falls and I settle for Hannover. Not a Baltic province but it is rich and gives me a land border with Mecklenburg. Mecklenburg then accept diploannexation and I am able to cross one more province of the list.




I border the Netherlands but have no interest in their provinces yet. I send them a white peace which they gladly accept. This leaves my diplomatic relations looking somewhat empty.

The entire diplomatic relations of Sweden. Sicily joined the war somewhere along the way.

Then I get a sad event. Gustav II Vasa and his wonderful leadership abilities pass forever from the game. But then I shouldn't be too worried, look at his replacement.

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