After trying it out, I confirm : England LOSING the HYW is quite beneficial

[Alerias]

Its playable but winning it is clearly more beneficial. You know what's better than the channel?

France as a junior PU.

Even if you never integrate it, you'll never fear a military threat again and have one less serious colonial rival. You can literally declare war on Iberia at will, do nothing, and France will occupy it all for you.

 

[BaronNoir]

Except when the PU break.

 

[Beagá]

How often it happens? Did anyone actually win the war in AOW in Ironman?

I for one would only try to go for the PU if I got a commandant or the guy who gives +10% morale. Else, it´s a complete pain in the ass to win the war in 1.8, and you will probably have to tolerate the lollards - which, IIRC reduces relations with France even futher...

 

[Alerias]

Except when the PU break.

Risk is low. Keep positive prestige and once you get your colonial empire rolling you will soon become vastly stronger than PUd France.

If it breaks, you just trash them with the restoration cb.

I won it in 1.8. Making fight in mountains can work, as can an attrition strategy. England is now much richer from the better trade node, and can sustain an impressive merc army.

 

[BaronNoir]

How often it happens? Did anyone actually win the war in AOW in Ironman?

I for one would only try to go for the PU if I got a commandant or the guy who gives +10% morale. Else, it´s a complete pain in the ass to win the war in 1.8, and you will probably have to tolerate the lollards - which, IIRC reduces relations with France even futher...

I'm going to be honest : the war is very hard to win without save scumming

(It was perfectly winnable in EUIII, for a very good reason : good prince Harry !

 

[Nunn45]

Combination of luck and gameplay exploits to win it

 

[Bijeli Kamen]

Was really a pain. Not ironman, but to drain the French MP Pool took me a while, even though scorched earth helped a lot. Hungary came also to the war. And Burgundy also joined. Had so many loans for mercs that in the end of all wars i was bankrupt. But at least I could give France its provinces from provence what increased their opinion towards me alot. The king of burgundy died in the end of their war against me, although they had +18 Warscore against me Luckily my king died with an heir being 14 years old and having 3/6/2 stats (new heir is 5/5/2). Then after the negative effects of the bankruptcy (1458-1468) I had the mission to vassalize scotland, all the irish minors joined. Result, all of the British Isles is mine now Then I was a bit angry again that the iberian wedding happened, but luckily aragon lost naples before. BUT then came the best part which I ever had. Portugal had RM and Alliance with me, and their King died without Heir ==> Succession war between France+England+Scotland+Portugal against Castille (defender)+Aragon+Brittany+Provence. In the beginning there were many casulties as france had only mil tech 6, portugal mil tech 5 and only me (2 years ahead of time) mil tech 7. Castille also had mil tech 7. But in the end they could not stand this alliance. Now not only I secured the canaries and arguin for portugal, I also gave Portugal Andalusia, Cadiz, Gibraltar, Galicia and Navarra+Avignon to France. With their high WE and bankruptcy rebels popped up in castille ==> supported them, so they had over 50k Troops => 4 andalusian provinces are now granada and viscaya is now navarra. As I have Influence as my first Idea group, and this already filled up I had the special event decreasing AE so that all this together caused only 28 AE towards Castille.

Now I have nothing to "fear" except Austria. But I will take care of them as soon as Iberia, the Gulf of Genoa and Southern Italy are in control. Then nothing should stop me.

Even though I was so short of quitting/restarting as everything was against me the first 5-10 years, I'm now happy that I continued as this could easily be my most powerful start ever