European Allies for the Reich

[Mgundry]

Hello,

Just curious if anyone had some recommendations for puppets and allies in Europe for the Reich. Do you make attempts to create a strong Hungary with items like splitting Czech and Yugo with them? Or do you prefer to create Slovakia, create Croatia etc? Is there a benefit to Slovakia and Croatia?

What does it take to get Sweden to Ally?

Does anyone bring on Yugo as an ally? If no, how much of Yugo do you keep for Germany?

After BP, does anyone release any of the Baltic states?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Pioniere]

As Germany, I tend to invaded what I can. I often invaded Spain in 36 and then liberates N.spain very useful vs. FRA/UK and sometimes as support troops on the eastern front.
Sweden can be a useful puppet in the north. With Croatia, they can aid you in keeping look out on Balkan. Puppet or not Hungary is necessary on the eastern front. I keep Slovakia, but you could give them to Hungary. I have Portugal and Ireland in axis as well for fighting vs UK. Italy often used to push out the UK from Africa, but they fail when US gets moving. For Romania, I often wait with because I have them as buffer if USSR gets to strong. I have Argentina in my coalition, but im not sure how much they help. Switzerland I use as winter troops vs soviets sometimes. Past 45 I invites Japan.
Vichy can do some good in Africa and as cannonfodder in the east. However, in the 1.11 patch you can skip Vichy when France fall and liberate nationalist-France in 1944 it is a more radical version of Vichy.

 

[Pang Bingxun]

Do you make attempts to create a strong Hungary with items like splitting Czech and Yugo with them? Or do you prefer to create Slovakia, create Croatia etc? Is there a benefit to Slovakia and Croatia?

The merit of croatia is that you get it via event and thus for free, no dissent involved and instead you get additional divisions. So given the limited usefulness of smaller puppet this one is a good one.

Slovakia is a bad choice. Always go for Hungary instead.

Does anyone bring on Yugo as an ally?

No. About the only good thing about it is that it unleashes an event chain for Yugoslavia to break the alliance and join the allies instead, which means being at war with you. So that needs to be timed wisely and can of course be substituted by a regular declaration of war.

What does it take to get Sweden to Ally?

It takes no less than being declared on by soviet union. This is assuming that finland is part of axis, the solidarity of sweden is aimed at scandinavian countries.

Praktically speaking it might be better to simply make sweden into a right wing dictatorship by instigating a coup. This will cost you. So may be it really is best to simply let Sweden remain neutral. That is what it is supposed to be.

 

[Pioniere]

You should never liberate Yugoslavia, but you could try to have Greece as a puppet unless you would give the land to Italy. England is perhapes Germanys strongest puppet if it wins over UK.

 

[Pang Bingxun]

Greece can join axis as a regular member.

 

[Mgundry]

Thanks for the responses! Croatia it is. You guys keep Belgrade for yourself and a line of provinces up to Germany? Whats the best way to ensure Hungry is a productive ally? Do most people ally Japan, or leave them be?

 

[MJF]

Thanks for the responses! Croatia it is. You guys keep Belgrade for yourself and a line of provinces up to Germany? Whats the best way to ensure Hungry is a productive ally? Do most people ally Japan, or leave them be?

Here's my 2 cents - from a current game:

Everything you see here is in the Reich except Vichy, Sweden, Switzerland & Turkey - and the USSR, or course. I go for the alliance with Hungary, trigger Vichy, take the British Isles, liberating England, take & liberate N Spain, take Romania, seduce Bulgaria & Finland, and (this time) liberate & expand Ukraine.

As for the USA, I believe best is you liberate the whole country under Fritz Kuhn, and then make sure you take military control before its IC gets bigger than yours, and it doesn't give it to you! Sometimes I liberate the CSA & CA, just for the heck of it.

 

[Mr_B0narpte]

The larger the puppets, the better. After that, the more puppets the better. I used the Improved Mod which changes the dynamics as resources actually become important in that mod, therefore puppets become even more significant. It also adds the dynamic of you might end up preferring puppets that are resource rich but low in IC; Malaysia is the perfect example; Flanders is the opposite. But even then you can just let the puppet starve of IC to get even more of its other resources.