Best Balancer?

[maidros]

What is the country that is ideally suited to prevent the usual European suspects from blobbing, without becoming a blob yourself? I mean - if you wanted to prevent Castile, Sweden, France, Austria, Burgundy and Britain from blobbing, what is the best country that you can play (without being one of them, yourself)? I have tried doing it with Aragon, allied to a whole host of smaller powers (Brittany, Savoy, Bavaria, Wurtemburg, Palatinate, Hesse and Brandenburg, were the more prominent - I had 20+ allies, mostly those I released from the usually blobbers), and while it is possible, it is also painful in the extreme. Austria and France seem to be over aggressive (without an iota of strategy). I broke up Austria into just their country without Tyrol and Styria, put these two nations in my sphere of influence and they were still stupidly trying to attack their neighbours, only to get kicked in the teeth. But what is the best country suited for balancing Europe without blobbing yourself?

 

[maidros]

So you want to prevent Castile, Sweden, France, Austria, Burgundy and Britain from blobbing, without becoming a blob yourself.
To do this your strategy is more important than the starting nation.

What you could do was play as a trading nation and dominate Europe by being richer than everyone, Venice, Genoa, Hansa, Switzerland and Holland are suited to trading. Using the money to develop your provinces and to buy mercenaries.

Now, this is certainly a good idea - going as a good trader with mercenaries. Aragon is certainly not well equipped to do this, so your suggestion has great merit.

As for my playing style, I am only going to get those provinces for which I have a legitimate cause (this is the way I play all my games, in any case). If I vassalise a country, it is only because I was able to diplomatically vassalise them, or got a mission/cause to vassalise them. I never ever vassalise a country that I fought a war against. I break up countries, release their constituent parts, put their neighbours in my sphere of influence, but don't vassalise.

 

[TAMBOURINESNAKE]

Now, this is certainly a good idea - going as a good trader with mercenaries. Aragon is certainly not well equipped to do this, so your suggestion has great merit.

Mercenaries only have morale from maintenance and technology, which is something to keep in mind.