All Europe has me as rival

[Telenil]

Playing my first eu4 game, I'm France in the late 1600s. Currently great power #2 I have 5 nations picking me as rival: England, Muscovy, Bohemia, Portugal, Ottoman. The Emperor is Denmark, and would be easy prey if he wasn't allied to the Russian, turning any attempt to expand in a bloodbath against 100k+ Russian. Even Milan (which I should have conquered a centuty ago...) is allied to the Ottoman.

So I'm pretty much stuck. I'm allied with a couple of minor powers, but nothing that can beat Denmark-Muscovy or the Ottoman. I could potentially conquer Portugal, because I'm allied with Castille, but I'm trying to expand to the East.

Any idea to get out of this box?

 

[gia257]

conquer portugal

 

[byebytoad]

Playing my first eu4 game, I'm France in the late 1600s. Currently great power #2 I have 5 nations picking me as rival: England, Muscovy, Bohemia, Portugal, Ottoman. The Emperor is Denmark, and would be easy prey if he wasn't allied to the Russian, turning any attempt to expand in a bloodbath against 100k+ Russian. Even Milan (which I should have conquered a centuty ago...) is allied to the Ottoman.

So I'm pretty much stuck. I'm allied with a couple of minor powers, but nothing that can beat Denmark-Muscovy or the Ottoman. I could potentially conquer Portugal, because I'm allied with Castille, but I'm trying to expand to the East.

Any idea to get out of this box?

Usually, although frustrating, waiting is the best thing to do. Within 10 years something for sure will happen (I mean a major war) near your borders and you can get advantage from it.

But in general if I were you I'd try to bring down one of your rivals, preferably England. Assuming you own all France, you should be able to reduce their threat to 0 with one single war.
Wars with Russia are very complicated and exhausting. And eventually you won't get much rewards even if you win the war because it'd be nearly impossible to get a score against Russia that would let you make a separate peace with them.

 

[Rocketskates]

you stepped on everyones toe, lay off the conquest a bit in europe, you probably have the religious wars going on or the aftermath of it, venture into north africa (if your ally havent already)

 

[Telenil]

So, basically, expanding in any direction where I won't run into a wall and wait for some of the hostile alliances to break down or fight each other?

 

[Shatter12]

Yes, there’s not much for you to expand in.
Alternatively, you could try and beat England as they have minimal alliances. Maybe portugal.

 

[R.Graymarch]

Or could you attack an ally of Denmark and don't put it (Denmark's ally) as co-belligerant? In this case, Russia won't join and you may get (for extra DIP cost) some Denmark territories.
But yes generally, avoid attacking in the same direction to reduce coalitions.
You may also lose rivals if you are too strong or too weak versus them

 

[Telenil]

Or could you attack an ally of Denmark and don't put it (Denmark) as co-belligerant? In this case, Russia won't join and you may get (for extra DIP cost) some Denmark territories.
But yes generally, avoid attacking in the same direction to reduce coalitions.
You may also lose rivals if you are too strong or too weak versus them

I'm not facing coalition in the game's sense, "only" a bunch of rivals and their regular alliances.

Attacking an ally of Denmark is a good idea, if I can find one outside the HRE. With any luck, the electors will then pick someone not allied with Muscovy.

 

[Incompetent]

Any idea to get out of this box?

Conquer Portugal, then go into trade company land for the sweet ducats.

Some of your rivals will become potential allies again once you've established dominance by eclipsing them.

 

[Lord Zsinj]

What military ideas, if any, does Ivan have? You have built in +morale, and with say offensive/quality, you won’t quite have Space Marines, but they won’t be push overs. Should be better than anything Ivan can field.

 

[Vityviktor]

I'm France in the late 1600s.

That explains everything.

Now seriously, i would wait and try to grow tall (developing provinces, tech, hoarding money and/or points, improving your army and maybe also your navy), and try to improve diplomatic relations with some of your rivals. I would keep doing that until the situation changes and you manage to remove some of the rivalries (and maybe even get some allies). In any case, you're France, if you have any problem with any of your rivals, you can handle it.

 

[Big Bad France]

I'm not facing coalition in the game's sense, "only" a bunch of rivals and their regular alliances.

Attacking an ally of Denmark is a good idea, if I can find one outside the HRE. With any luck, the electors will then pick someone not allied with Muscovy.

When you make separate peace with Denmark, just demand they annul all treaties with Muscovy. Then you can attack into the HRE after the truce timer is up.

 

[Telenil]

So, here is how I got out of it:
- Urbino is allied with Denmark and Muscovy
- Aragon was allied with Urbino but no one else

I attacked Aragon, conquered Urbino and forced it to break all alliances except with Denmark. Now I'm attacking Urbino, and Denmark is coming to their help. I'm going to have Denmark break alliance with Muscovy, and then I will expand into the HRE. Thanks everyone, it helped!