Hardest nation to play as in Europe?

[Sharples88]

I'm looking for a challenge in Europe and there are a lot of challenges in them if you can imagine it.

I will also count nations that aren't in the game in 1444 but can be released on the first day, i.e Wales.

I also wouldn't want it in the HRE, since almost all nations in the HRE are easy.

 

[ericyuen]

Duchies in France, Navarra, Albania, ...

 

[Freudia]

Albania, probably. Theodoro is kind of a hard start, but a lot of the difficulty of that start relies on not getting ganked by Crimea within the first three years. Yaroslavl and Tver are probably pretty hard too.

 

[Sharples88]

I've already done one of the games with Orleans in France, I might try Bourbonnais or Foix next.

Although Yaroslavl does seem like a very hard nation to play as.

Also I think Albania is dependent on getting the first siege in Bosnia, if you do that then let the Ottomans siege your capital, they'll automatically ask for money/concede defeat because they can't get past Serbia for some reason. You'll have a very slow start but they're pretty easy when the Ottoman war is over.

 

[Castrolol]

Landlocked OPMs vassal states surrounded by a lucky country is likely the hardest. The Russian minors might hold this prestigious title due to them being eastern tech with little amount of possible independence support, however they do get unique national ideas which the French minors don't.

 

[herrhals]

Ryazan, Trebizond, Dulkadir,

 

[Rey]

What about the minor that it's completely surrounded by Burgundy?

 

[Freudia]

What about the minor that it's completely surrounded by Burgundy?

Liege? I assume you do the usual 'ally France, invade Burgundy' nonsense that you do with all the minors in that part of the map.

 

[kente]

Liege is a member of HRE. I think Albania, Yaroslav, Auvergne are the hardest and maybe Gotland

 

[Nikolaz72]

I tried Ulm. I played Albania pretty well and easily, Ulm was harder for me than Albania.

Attack any neighbor: Austria jumps you.
Wait too long: Bavaria eats you.
Do nothing: Have fun waiting hundreds of years doing nothing.

 

[fridabina]

I tried Ulm. I played Albania pretty well and easily, Ulm was harder for me than Albania.

Attack any neighbor: Austria jumps you.
Wait too long: Bavaria eats you.
Do nothing: Have fun waiting hundreds of years doing nothing.

Playing in the HRE is a different experience that much is true, but if you can manage to get a alliance with some big nations (preferably Austria.) it's not so different from other parts of the world.

 

[AlphaSonic]

Try Catalunya, Lancaster or York, have fun trying to release them.

 

[Rey]

Liege? I assume you do the usual 'ally France, invade Burgundy' nonsense that you do with all the minors in that part of the map.

Yeah, Burgundy often chooses a mission to annex them right at the start.

 

[Santoes]

Ratibor for the win.

 

[oblio-]

If the country is in the HRE, it's not a hard start.

The hardest starts are the vassals of lucky nations. The hardest ones are the ones that can't get good support for independence.
They are harder if they're also poor and have a lower tech group.

 

[Krajzen]

Albania - poor OPM starting in a war with Ottomans. Good luck.

 

[in heaven]

I think French vassals and Muscovian vassals are hardest.

 

[WilburS]

Granada is pretty difficult. I've tried it a few times with little success.

 

[Aries666]

Try Cyprus, you might not start as a vassal but Venice, Otttomans and Mamluks all want to annex you. Though if you no cb jump Byz its just a byz strat with lower starting income and FL.

No one has mentioned Riga which could be a toughy as well.

 

[Freudia]

No one has mentioned Riga which could be a toughy as well.

Riga is just a slightly worse Livonian Order start, and Livonian Order start is join HRE into go ham on Teutons/Novgorod. Only risk is getting declared on by Denmark.