Is support rebels ever worth it?

[CaptainChiatrol]

I should make clear that I only supported the rebels after they revolted so I could tell if they had a chance of success (two 18-21 stacks compared to Sweden's 18). At that point, I only did it to keep them from sieging my territory and so that Finland would be friendly to me instead of wanting to throw me in a ditch.

I also had the advantage that I could monitor the rebellion as it was a border region...

There are times when it's worth it and times when it's not. I wouldn't do the same for Ruthenian rebels in Lithuania or Breton rebels in France.

However, this has basically allowed me to dominate both Sweden and Norway easily, so it's a strategic boon for me as Russia. I'm debating if I even will take Crimea now...

I tried that. Maybe it's a recent patch change but I have already rebelling rebels greyed out for me when I try.

I also spent a while trying to support rebels for a Hindustan game I was trying to play right after someone took a bunch of territory which should mean overextension and nationalism for easy revolt but nothing happened.

 

[Widukind_86]

I agree with the OP. Playing as Bohemia, I also fully explored the espionage idea group and in addition to that, got another temporary +50% 'support rebels' bonus from an event (giving a total of +100%). Seemed like a good time for some skullduggery. I found an opportune target in Brandenburg, who had been expanding on my northern borders for some time and as a result had three provinces with relatively high unrest (something like 7%, 5% and 1%). Fully supporting these nationalist rebels (+8 unrest per province) should give this rebel group a total of like 35%, which seemed decent to me. After having supported these rebels with all of my income for almost 10 years though, nothing has happened still. To make matters worse, the native unrest levels are dropping, so my efforts are becoming less and less effective every year. And still, I have no idea how close I actually am to a revolt. This is where I stand now; I think I'll just load a savegame from 10 years earlier and actually do something usefull with all that money.

I think supporting rebels can be quite good as it is in theory, but it needs some changes. Firstly and most importantly, you should be able to see the rebellion progress, maybe in combination with 'infiltrate administration'. Secondly, it needs to be a hell of a lot cheaper, say 50% of what it is now.

Something I was wondering: if your diplomat supporting rebels gets caught and sent back and, as a result, the provincial unrest levels associated with the supported rebel group all return above zero, does that mean the rebel progress is immediately lost?

 

[Umbosch]

I have support rebells many times. Either i was catch (high stability, nobility and spydefense) or nothing happen. Most time is waste of money. Only twice i have luck with rebells. One time they revolt and claim the province at the end of the world for me. But i don't have notice this. The other rebells have help me in a war. But as i stop the support they attack me. What we need is a infobar for the rebell progress.

 

[AP85]

Supporting Rebs is absolutely worth it in 1.8. Especially late game, when you're rich, and you've just thrashed a rival in a long war and tanked their MP. Use their War Reparations to pay for their rebs and sit back and laugh as their country breaks.

 

[amonraa]

in the game i am playing the ottomans. it is fairly early (spain has not emerged) and i have sent large amounts of troops to secure the straits of gibraltar and hopefully the canary islands. i have been at war with portugal, castille, and aragon for many years since i enforced peace in morroco and captured cueta where i have stationed my 40 stack army with my massive 100 stack fleet blocking the straits. first i fought aragon in sicily and meditereanean islands all fell i forced aragon to peace and nullify its treaty with portugal. this i hope will open up a naval landing across the straits of gibraltar. unfortunately granada has already fallen but they have already had patriots rise up there once. i am going to try this this weekend: 'support rebels' granada patrios in granada and hope they spring up so i can land my troops across the straits and capture cadiz and use this as a bridgehead to attack deeper into portugal to disrupt their ability to colonize.

on my eastern front i am facing the opposite dilemma where i am fighting the golden horde-kazan-timurids with my crimean ally. i have managed to beat them down but just as i gained control three armies of rebels have spawned that i must defeat now. however only a few years earlier in my previous war against golden horde defending my crimean ally i captured three provinces that crimea would not buy from me. i cannot core them so i wanted to let them go. i noticed that the crimean patriots were rising up so i let them rise up and capture the three provinces. for a trade of i think was some prestige i was able to give crimea three provinces and i think the crimean patriot armies merged with crimean armies. this action helped save the day when the second horde war started because crimea then had as large an army as i did and we were able to beat down the horde/kazan/timurids in short order recapturing all lost provinces and capturing three of theirs before the kazan rebels popped up on us.

rebels can be great if they are used well. lets take genoa for example. we can weaken genoa considerably in the crimean region if we support rebels there. pretty much most of my game so far genoa has been endlessy fighting rebels in that region which keeps them weakened and i do not have to worry about them while i am fighting the hordes.

my answer is yes sometimes supporting rebels can have strategic and tactical effects if used well.

 

[vranasm]

I agree with the OP. Playing as Bohemia, I also fully explored the espionage idea group and in addition to that, got another temporary +50% 'support rebels' bonus from an event (giving a total of +100%). Seemed like a good time for some skullduggery. I found an opportune target in Brandenburg, who had been expanding on my northern borders for some time and as a result had three provinces with relatively high unrest (something like 7%, 5% and 1%). Fully supporting these nationalist rebels (+8 unrest per province) should give this rebel group a total of like 35%, which seemed decent to me. After having supported these rebels with all of my income for almost 10 years though, nothing has happened still. To make matters worse, the native unrest levels are dropping, so my efforts are becoming less and less effective every year. And still, I have no idea how close I actually am to a revolt. This is where I stand now; I think I'll just load a savegame from 10 years earlier and actually do something usefull with all that money.

I think supporting rebels can be quite good as it is in theory, but it needs some changes. Firstly and most importantly, you should be able to see the rebellion progress, maybe in combination with 'infiltrate administration'. Secondly, it needs to be a hell of a lot cheaper, say 50% of what it is now.

Something I was wondering: if your diplomat supporting rebels gets caught and sent back and, as a result, the provincial unrest levels associated with the supported rebel group all return above zero, does that mean the rebel progress is immediately lost?

most probably yes... it depends if there is still some province with a chance to rebel or not (it's track per rebel type though, so some type of rebels rebel in some provinces and some in other). Once for some type of rebels you go under 0 the progress is completely lost.
Btw that's a good tip for your own manipulations of rebels too ;-)