How to form Prussia from here?

[klingonadmiral]

I believe it’s been changed so now you can take the bonus of your tag before you formed Germany. You don’t need to wait.

Yes Germany can take the -20% fire damage received and an united HRE can take the +5 diplomatic reputation.

And it does not matter which country formed Germany/HRE. A Bavarian Germany can take the fire damage and a Hessian HRE can take the dip rep.

 

[EarlKonrad]

Russia is so weird, because they are genuinely very powerful, but I think it's in ways the AI doesn't understand. And since it's all arctic nothing up there, the AI also can't handle its manpower, so they literally lose manpower through existing once their armies get big enough. Catch 22; if Russia is buffed so the AI can handle it, they'll be Mughal-tier OP in human hands. If Russia isn't buffed so the AI can handle it, they never materialize as a proper threat outside of player control.

And yep, those truces you got nothing out of are exactly the kind of lessons that taught me to fanatically control any war my AI allies get into with my neighbours. Seems like a nice and healthy Prussia though, all in all - though consider expanding your armies at this point, unless you're just keeping them separate for attrition mitigation at peace.

... And also, see if you can somehow get into a war VS Russia and nab them as a vassal for the mega reconquest CB on the entire East.

Let's see why the AI struggle with Russia:

-It has low development, mostly mediocre provinces in the early game; it's provinces only start to make money once you get manufactures.
-AI doesn't know how to build up a strong economy.
-Is surrounded by enemies so constantly at war.
-None of their enemies had any high value provinces nor can give Russia a nice amount of ducats at peace deals.
-Terrible natural trading node and AI never changes it.
-Doesn't profit bfrom being in a node that naturally grows richer.
-Free army button + high FL means that the Russians will always be spending a lot on the military.
-All those wrong religion provinces make a tasty target for conversion, conversion costs loads of money.
-Having a big army and being surrounded by low dev, high attrition provinces means that AI will bleed manpower thus having to pay a lot of ducats to recover troops.
-Early eco is so bad that, as a matter of fact, Russia tends to get itself into a debt spiral.
-Has strong natural rivals and no one that it can bullies on a regular basis.
-Terrible Institution spread means that it will be wasting points away and being behind in tech against Ottomans.
-Has a huge territory so it is much easier for the AI to have its troops walk around doing absolutely nothing worthwhile.
-Maintains a lot of forts for no reason and most of them are borderline useless when at war.

I think that covers it. Overall Russia has a lot of potential in the hands of a player but also has all of the elements that the AI struggles with in one whole package.

 

[EarlKonrad]

It looks like you took my advice Seriously though, using the Ottomans as an ally is a catch 22. The more you fight with them, the larger you both will get and eventually you will be their only possible rival. The best way to avoid this is declaring the wars first. One trick I use: park some of your army in their territory. This way, if they manage to declare war first, you can occupy the provinces and not transfer occupation to them. This will stop them from taking a bunch of land and giving you just a little.

It really depends. If you are a small TAG and isn't directly in their conquest path, using them as an ally to punch up and expand is absolutely a good idea. It will take a long time before they rival you and, when they do, you don't really need them anymore.

Now, if you start near them and is in their conquest path, getting them as an ally and getting them to do all the heavy lifting becomes triply more important, and in this case you will want to pull the rug from under them before they get any funny ideas about doing so to you.

I do find the Ottomans to be one of the best allies there are for the simple fact that rivals get AE and allies only get half as much so it help a ton getting less AE with them.