Brunswick AAR alias "How to go big as a German minor"

**Maggix** · 10-02-2012 15:54

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Zwischen Harz und Heideland
Da gibt's 'ne Stadt die ist bekannt
In den Farben blau und gelb
Den schönsten Farben dieser Welt
Ein roter Löwe auf der Brust
Jedem Mann wird's jetzt bewusst
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Hey guys. In the next weeks I'm going to make an after-action-report of my recent game as Brunswick. It’ll be as well a How-to guide for German minors, showing the steps to survive and become a Great Power. The AAR will be divided into three steps and a smaller part for the “special” German minors (the South German ones and Hannover).
The reason I chose Brunswick is mainly my ancestry but also the simple fact that Brunswick isn’t the hardest one. You might ask now: “So what is the hardest German minor to play?” Answering this question is kind of tricky since it highly depends on the circumstances of your own game.
If you want to play as either Bavaria or Hannover you’ll have to wait till I come to step two, speaking of Wurttemberg, Saxony and Baden I’ll make an extra part.

**Maggix** · 10-02-2012 15:54

Step 1) the basics:

The first aim in your game is gaining a second region to become a Great Power, which is necessary since most German minors start off with only 1 province.
But first of all, your finances: Generally education spending can be kept at zero since most German minors start off with +80% literacy, which is more than enough at the beginning. Also I recommend keeping the national stockpile low unless you can recruit new brigades, or when you are at war.

Next step can be done by choice. Especially at the start Capitalists are usually lazy f**k’s who aren’t even building factories when being promoted and low taxed. That’s why I tend to building them myself by switching to the reactionary party right at the start.

Your research should be focused on getting prestige, which is why you should start with Romanticism.

The next really important step is determining your first target to achieve your main goal: Getting a second region to become a Great Power.

Looking at this map you might think that Denmark and the Netherlands are good targets, but I have to disappoint you: You won’t be able to create a CB against Denmark before either Austria or Prussia beat them up, leaving (eventually) only Jylland for you which isn’t worth it since it A) makes your literacy drop and B) gives you a region without any of your accepted culture and not a lot of people in it.
The Netherlands will usually be allied with half of the world before you’ve even halfway created a valid CB against them – in addition to this Great Britain will intervene in most of your wars.
Cutting out those nations there is only one possibility left: Taking a chunk of the Austrian Spherelings Bavaria, Baden and Wurttemberg.

Even though you'll think taking Niederbayern from Bavaria might be the most rewarding goal I have to disappoint you about making it come true. Austria will be allied with them before you’re finished creating a CB. In addition to this achieving ~15 war score against an alliance of Austria and Bavaria only with Prussia by your side is really hard and Prussia is most likely going to white peace out – as long as you don’t occupy all of Bavaria. This leaves Baden, Württemberg and Saxony for you.
This is the perfect moment to check your political screen:

On your question “Why?” there is an easy answer: Some German minors* start off with South German as accepted culture, which might makes Wurttemberg and Baden better objectives for you than Saxony. As you can see Brunswick’s doesn’t have South German as accepted culture, which is why I chose to attack Saxony.
*Hesse-Nassau; Hesse-Darmstadt; Hesse-Kassel; Saxe-Coburg-Gotha; Saxe-Weimar
If either Prussia or you take control over all the provinces of the nation you are fighting it’ll be annexed, making a white peace with Austria possible.

**calvinhobbeslik** · 10-02-2012 20:05

Why not attack another Prussian sphereling? Then it'll just be Prussia and you vs them(this is possible, since Dutch players can ally with the UK against Belgium in 1836).

**Maggix** · 10-02-2012 21:01

Originally Posted by calvinhobbeslik

Why not attack another Prussian sphereling? Then it'll just be Prussia and you vs them(this is possible, since Dutch players can ally with the UK against Belgium in 1836).

Because you can't attacl nations that are in the same sphere.

**Heroicnoodles** · 11-02-2012 00:04

Very interesting, I shall observe.

**Maggix** · 11-02-2012 19:59

Step 2) becoming a Great Power

This step also applies to Bavaria and Hannover.
Now that you own two regions you’re halfway safe. Prussia might be able to form the NGF and thus annex you, but it has become really rare in AHD. In all my test games Austria grabbed Holstein, making a NGF impossible.
The next step is becoming a Great Power. This is a fairly easy step; it should only take you two or three years.
First, do this:

Select Hannover as one of the nations you can receive messages from. You might ask: “Why?” Simple answer, Hannover will e eventually break free from Great B retain, making itself a fancy objective for your armies. Prussia won’t be able to intervene in the war since it’s your sphere leader, only Great Britain will (maybe) help them. While waiting for the event to happen you can try to increase your relations with Great Britain, which might change their mind about intervening in the war.
Your research should be kept focused on farming prestige, which is why I recommend focusing on the two framed technology trees. Both Romanticism and Realism give you together about 120 prestige, which makes your position about rank 7-8.

Other than that you might also want to grab the second chemistry technology.

Once Hannover isn’t a puppet of Great Britain anymore, things will get serious. Use your diplomatic points to decrease your relations to them (unless they aren’t already below 50) and create an Acquire-State-CB.

As soon as the CB is created, go immediately at war with them.

If you don’t have a direct land connection, ask Prussia for military access (before the war started!) and rush them. Usually you should have at least one general with a decent attack attributes.
As you declare war, remind one thing. Lower Elbe is a lot better than Gottingen. Not only because of the port and the bigger population, but also because of the 7% clergyman in Luneburg. But whatever you do, don’t go over the infamy limit by also asking for Gottingen, if you’re planning on becoming a Great Power. Other countries will usually rape you once you aren’t protected by Prussia anymore, especially France. There’s also the possibility of delaying your rise and staying within Prussia’s sphere, waiting for your infamy to cool down, in case you took Gottingen, but usually I go straight for Great Power status, making things a bit easier.

... and a few years later ...

**BootOnFace** · 11-02-2012 20:21

Most of your pictures are broken.

**yodaime** · 11-02-2012 22:30

Pictures are working fine for me, but Prussia won't join war on my side against Saxony no matter what and by the time Conquest CB is generated Saxony is already allied with Austria and Bavaria. Sadface.