Good strategies for Switzerland?

[Bragi]

OK guys, I think I'm going to play Switzerland, the first time in EUIV for me. With the new changes, I decided to give it a shot. It always seemed a little boring for me before AoW, but IDK.. maybe the changes.. well, changed that

1) What are your suggestions for expansion? Rather towards Germany, Italy or France?

2) Which Ideagroups fit best?

3) Any hints to diplomatic relations? Something I have to care specifically?

4) Funny tips?


My aim for this run is to become a major player in West Europe to toss around the other diplomatically (well, at least try to), rather than domination through pure military power.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Denkt]

I would try to get into the sea and make the wealth of asia to mine.
Ideas could be, exploration, expansion, trade, quality maybe abandon exploration, maybe you only had to Quest of the new world anyway.
Maritime, quantity or something like that.

You can use this wealth to dominate europe or maybe found your growing colonial empire.

Europe don't care that you take over rest of the world.

 

[Sousuke123]

Well i only made quick run with them once and i did:
1. Day 1 DOW Savoy with reconquest CB
2. Ally Austria and France or one of them
3. Vassalize Savoy some years later and grab Nice to fabricate claims on Provence, Liguria and seize them in right time
4. Vassalize Milan and use reconquest CB on Venice take Bresica for them
or
4. Use alliance to smack Burgundy and take Franche-Comte at least for yourself
5. Try to annihilate Baden, Alsace, Wurttenberg, Ulm so on

In my run i switched to Noble Republic so i could take Aristocracy but my first idea was Humanist for a change then i stopped playing them but from that point you can use France to annex Burgundy or if France is weakened try cut through them

 

[Bragi]

In my run i switched to Noble Republic so i could take Aristocracy but my first idea was Humanist for a change then i stopped playing them but from that point you can use France to annex Burgundy or if France is weakened try cut through them

Hm, didn't thought of such a switch, interesting idea! Thanks!

 

[Viperswhip]

Hm, didn't thought of such a switch, interesting idea! Thanks!

Can't Switzerland marry Burgundy, work on getting a border province (with Burgundy) right quick, get France into a war with Austria, release Styria while Burgundy takes Calais and wherever, then get France to declare on Burgundy, inherit the Netherlands!

It's my favourite thing to do with Spain, it's actually, in one way, easier to get the inheritance as an HRE minor.

 

[User29]

Can't Switzerland marry Burgundy

Republics have a hard time doing that.

 

[Freudia]

Republics have a hard time doing that.

In his defense, Noble Republics can marry. So can Oligarchic ones, I think. With that said, though, Switzerland is an Administrative Republic, which cannot marry.

 

[dstarsboy]

Ally France and conquer NORTH not SOUTH or else France will break alliance and trounce you into oblivion when it gets its "Conquer Italy" mission. After that mission passes, conquer wherever you want.

I recommend dropping your republic for a monarchy and vassalizing the HRE before attempting to turn on France.

 

[Oepfel]

Make France your ally at all cost. France can defend you against Austria but not the other way around.
Expand into Italy, but be careful not to trip on the Alliance net. if south isn't an option you can carefully expand into the north. if you have the chance grab Tirol for the Gold. Venice is your safest bet to expand.
Make use of all those nice mountains and the extra fort defence. Attrition is your friend. If you invest some money in forts your enemies will have an eternity to siege them down.
Don't forget you are between France, Burgundy and Austria and all of them can start hating you at every second.

to expand a little on this:
As Switzerland you start out as stronger small nation but you are surrounded by similar strong nations in the south (which hate your guts), and between way stronger nations in west and east and, finally, smaller nations in the north. But as a general rule of thumb you will always fight stronger nations and you will have to gnaw your way out and it will not be easy. You will always have less forcelimit and manpower. At least what I do, as avid Switzerland player, is to start with the defensive and quantity idea and follow with quality and offensive idea. this may look as overkill, but as underdog you can't be choosy. word of caution: don't take savoy except your two cores if you wish to be friend with France.

 

[Viperswhip]

In his defense, Noble Republics can marry. So can Oligarchic ones, I think. With that said, though, Switzerland is an Administrative Republic, which cannot marry.

Oh, ya, sorry, I've never actually played Switzerland, which is strange, but plenty of other HRE minors but not the theocracies or anyone else who can't RM.

 

[AndreasPhokas]

Get defensive ideas, laugh as your enemies die in your unsiegable mountains Be opportunistic, BE CAREFUL GOING INTO ITALY, savoy is usually fairly easy to vassal annex, get friends with france, if not france then Austria, Austria has a tendency to try and conquer you or the germans immediately to the north(I guess to connect their one province to Austria proper).

eventually you will wind up fighting france or Austria, Bavaria if you can manage it is a solid conquest opportunity those areas have toooooooooooons of base tax