Buffer State Strategy

[AwesomeKeith]

I had the thought that, as Prussia, I should try form Germany and only stay within traditionally German, Polish, and Czech lands, and then realized my long-ass border with Russia (my constant enemy) and my border with France both existing were security risks. So my question is this: Is it a better idea to release Belarus, the Baltics, Ukraine, etc., as buffer states, or is it better to just outright seize Russian land?

 

[Savolainen5]

Depends on what you want to do. Or maybe it just depends on how realistic or roleplay-y you want to be. If you get them released as puppet states, Russia might be less likely to declare war on you because your puppets hold its cores, and it's not possible to declare war on a puppet. On the other hand, if you take the territory, you'll get more POPs and RGOs and industry, but it's not a guarantee that Russia won't declare endless wars because they have so much land and such a high population.

 

[Woifee]

I did it with Austria, Ukraine and polish puppet state. Russia now is always switching between GP and SP, bit ukraine might become a GP too and then I lose them as vassal as well as my spherling. Also I have cores of them, so as soon the alliances is broken he will never ally me again.

 

[panda_Express12]

I would release Poland and Ukraine as buffer states. Russian states are low literacy and Germany already has a massive population. I also like seeing more nations on the map.

 

[AwesomeKeith]

I would release Poland and Ukraine as buffer states. Russian states are low literacy and Germany already has a massive population. I also like seeing more nations on the map.

I prefer to take Polish territory and Polish territory exclusively, really. Poles are good meatshields and tend to be loyal (at least for me).

 

[General WVPM]

If this is MP, the russian player could just DOW you, as for france, I don't think there are buffer states for that.
In singleplayer, once you form Germany, you are basically emperor of the universe in all but name.
So I doubt you'd need buffer states unless you are going for a pacifist Germany with little to no military techs or you want to roleplay.
I'd recommend byelorussia and the baltic states as buffers, since they are unlikely to become GP.
Finland is also nice.

 

[AwesomeKeith]

If this is MP, the russian player could just DOW you, as for france, I don't think there are buffer states for that.
In singleplayer, once you form Germany, you are basically emperor of the universe in all but name.
So I doubt you'd need buffer states unless you are going for a pacifist Germany with little to no military techs or you want to roleplay.
I'd recommend byelorussia and the baltic states as buffers, since they are unlikely to become GP.
Finland is also nice.

I need them because I'm bad at managing more than one front, so if Russia's busy invading my eastern allies, testing has shown that I can knock France mostly out of the war before looking east.

 

[iosys2]

I need them because I'm bad at managing more than one front, so if Russia's busy invading my eastern allies, testing has shown that I can knock France mostly out of the war before looking east.

Mah i m sure is not the best strategy butyou do not need to manage multiple front, I concentrate the whole army to a single front/target at once and kick him out of war asap. Starting from the smaller of course. Just a small army to counter siege to make the enemy lose time.
last war as Italy alone I kicked out Netherlander -> Swiss -> France -> England -> and finally Germany
I did not mobilize and at the time I concentrate with Germany half Italy was already occupied.
If I would have mobilized I would use it to siege France once the main army was destroyed sending the professional army against Germany, but I wanted to try the hard way

 

[EmpireMagnis]

Wait, if you take polish land and release them as a puppet, wont it take the Polish-Prussian land aswell?

 

[Woifee]

CB fir releasing one state as polish, wait till someone ends your sphering, CB for vassalizing.

Later war with russia force rest of poland.

 

[grimkm]

Ukraine is always good to realse..tons of good rgo's straight in your sphere, keep russia backwards.But for a 'traditional' germany..belarus would probably be better, as well as some baltic states. Just kill France proper once and she will be in perpetual revolution and easy to kill again..as will Russia for that matter. AI takes a beatdown really bad..so sad.