Castile - how to win the colonyrace?

[mrjohndoe]

Hello,

I had played several starts in EU4 with Castile. My goal was the domination in colonisation. But everytime I tried to take cape verde portugal was before me.
I had followed the following strategiy:

1. +2 councelor everywhere
2. vassalize navarra
3. retake grenada
4. wait for administrative tech
5. take exploration idea --> level idea as fast as I can
6. buy explorer and conquistadore. go to cape verde with them and sigh ...

Can you give me tipps?
Thanks alot

 

[Chimerae]

How not to win colony race? Just annex POR before they are even able to colonize.

 

[CaptainChiatrol]

Why not murder Portugal take their stuff and then begin the race against the people that are left but not as good at it as Portugal.

Even I can beat a dead man in a race.

 

[CyberianK]

imho killing Portugal is actually the most important thing when playing Castille, after not being eaten by France

 

[Korburss]

Eat Portugal, ally France and beat up England together, back stab/PU France. Just watch out for Norway, Russia, etc getting colony happy.

 

[Lord Romanus II]

Even if you don't kill Portugal outright, you'll be fine. Let them colonize and destroy them repeatedly in wars (although it is possible they get good allies) and eat their culture accepted colonies for free. Or try to PU them.

 

[Hari ganesh]

Dont destroy portugal let them colonize then attack them and take thier colonies.

 

[shoki]

If i play castille i normaly vassalize portugal and conquer the coastal provinces of france. With that 2 of 3 colonial powers are gone.

 

[CaptainChiatrol]

Dont destroy portugal let them colonize then attack them and take thier colonies.

That sounds like waiting for them to ally france.

 

[Denkt]

Destroy the competion is always the best thing to do if you want to win.

 

[mrjohndoe]

OK, thats a tactic I didn't choose so far. But will Aragorn not form a alliance with portugal at the start of the game?

 

[Ultrix Prime]

OK, thats a tactic I didn't choose so far. But will Aragorn not form a alliance with portugal at the start of the game?

Ally Portugal, destroy Aragon or wait for the Iberian Wedding and simply have them. When the time is right, drop the alliance with Portugal and smash them to pieces.

Frankly, the simpler strategy is to take North Africa as well as take and destroy France. between manpower and trade power, the resultant blob along with the Iberian wedding means you can do whatever you feel like including smash Portugal, take over the HRE, demand world peace, end hunger, what have you.

 

[Hari ganesh]

That sounds like waiting for them to ally france.

They usually get involved in the HYW and the ones following it this sours the relationship enough and anyway they are already allied with england and if you too ally them until backstabbing them the great power allies factor comes into play and prevents a french alliance.

 

[Freudia]

Kill Portugal. Iberia belongs under one ruler!

 

[Castrolol]

While I never play the Iberians (or any of the default lucky nations) it would make the most sense to keep the Portuguese around.
They'll help to push trade into Sevilia without you having to dedicate a large amount of your fleet to trade. They also don't have a massive presence in Sevilla if you shave a couple of provinces off them. Finally Portugal, being weak, can also be easily "milked" for colonises by sniping nearly completed colonies allowing you to colonise at a much faster rate (especially useful in Africa and blocking the other colonisers from the Cape).

 

[AurochsAway]

Don't vassalise Navarra! It's such a waste of a diplo slot. Just conquer them. OPM vassals are pointless.