Master of India - Help

[Andrei Cuza]

I'm having some doubts about completing this one in time.



It's 1634, started the conquering in 1600 and so far it's been going pretty slow. The only thing holding me back is the OE and coring cost. Those high BT provinces are killing me.



My ideas aren't really suited for fast conquering/coring but I'm working on it. Although it may take some time to unlock Adaptability (reduced coring cost). I'm also thinking of getting Diplo for the reduced warscore cost of provinces. I've pursued other achievements in the mean time and I reckoned 200 years should be more than enough to conquer all of India. Then again I thought India to be much smaller than it actually is.

Bordergore in the spoiler below.

Spoiler

Atm I'm stumped. I can't make protectorates seeing how they're useless in this case. I still have states that I don't have a truce/aren't in a coalition against me but the OE penalty is annoying. I'm wondering if it's best to tank the OE and accept to rebel demands or not.

Any tips would be appreciated. I'd hate to start a new run just for this achievement alone.

 

[oblio-]

You can definitely do it. National focus on ADM, then increase your power projection above 50 (get tons of cash from trade, then: send privateers against rivals, support rebels in their countries, embargo them, humiliate them whenever possible).
Also vassalize a nearby horde and use its CBs to grab land at low war cost, low AE. Feed it and start integrating it at least 50 years before the end of the game, just to be sure. If there's no horde nearby, use a Muslim tech neighbor, it's a decent substitute.
Get Diplomatic ideas and possibly Aristocratic ideas and start mass-claiming. Claims reduce coring cost


Oh - make sure to check the region map mode to be sure that you're conquering everything - don't forget islands!

 

[kente]

i'm trying this achievement at the moment. I had almost completed before i lost my clouds saves
so this is my second run with 1.8 (i tryed it in 1.7 as well, failing).
Your main problem of course will be France as fast as they get "Gain Indian foothold" mission. If you are allied with you, they will broke the alliance and DoW on you sooner or later. If the war will go bad for you expect the same with GB and maybe Portugal (and Netherland maybe, i can't see if it is formed).
Anyway if you can beat France take all of India will be pretty easy. I started around 1550, my strategy: DoW the large country take 100 WS (you can annex the little allies separetely if you want), ask for release (new) countries. With the new countries you will have only 5 years truce so you can DoW them while you wait the truce with the other country ends. If some country westernize, DoW and vassalize it, so you can vassal-feeding it and then annex it. In this way you can partially dip point and partially adm point.
One problem is Ottoman normally are Defender of the Faith of Sunni and in India there are some Sunni countries (Timurids normally take some provinces in the north), so you should wait until Ottoman are in some other wars or you are big enough to destroy them.
Anyway i didn't ever go over 80%-90% OE, you will have enough time to take all of them, but you should not take any other provinces outside India region (or at least only for your CNs, so you don't take the OE).

Oh - make sure to check the region map mode to be sure that you're conquering everything - don't forget islands!

the only island in the Indian region is Ceylon (so you don't need to take Maldive or the others little islands in Indian ocean), anyway check often the map, to be sure you have take all the provinces

i hope this will help you

ps: if you want to restart i suggest you focus the first 100 years in destroy the France and colonize Africe instead America (maybe just one CNs)

 

[Andrei Cuza]

oblio-
You can definitely do it. National focus on ADM, then increase your power projection above 50 (get tons of cash from trade, then: send privateers against rivals, support rebels in their countries, embargo them, humiliate them whenever possible).
Also vassalize a nearby horde and use its CBs to grab land at low war cost, low AE. Feed it and start integrating it at least 50 years before the end of the game, just to be sure. If there's no horde nearby, use a Muslim tech neighbor, it's a decent substitute.
Get Diplomatic ideas and possibly Aristocratic ideas and start mass-claiming. Claims reduce coring cost

I can't national focus because I don't own any of the dlcs. I'd love to have that feature but let's just say I don't always agree with the pricing on Paradox products My trade income is pretty low considering the CN I have. The max income I had was about 44 ducats. Seems pretty low to me but then again Portugal with its ideas dominate the trade. I will try to get my PP up though.

Thanks for the tips. I had no idea you get horde CB if you vassalize them. And I'll keep an eye out for muslim tech. As for claims I was already doing that but I allowed myself to get some provinces that I didn't have claims on, just to same some time.

kente

Your main problem of course will be France as fast as they get "Gain Indian foothold" mission. If you are allied with you, they will broke the alliance and DoW on you sooner or later. If the war will go bad for you expect the same with GB and maybe Portugal (and Netherland maybe, i can't see if it is formed).

France is my main concern in Europe atm. Austria lost several wars to France and has crumbled while France got even bigger. GB is no threat since my army/navy is bigger than theirs. They have me as their rival and I've permanently moved a diplomat to then ever since Also the only country so far to venture into India was GB who for some reason didn't take any provinces.

Thanks for the tips guys, I'll keep a look out for a good vassal to feed just to make things easier.

PS: I've colonized so randomly just to get some achievements. Namely "Isn't this the way to India?", "The Five Colonies", "A Pile of Gold" and "Down Under". The last two I've yet to get but I'm almost there.

I might even DoW Portugal near the end for the "No Pirates in my Carribbean".

 

[AurochsAway]

Thanks for the tips. I had no idea you get horde CB if you vassalize them.

You can't without DLC. Just keep conquering areas with claims, and if anyone westernises, vassalise them.

 

[Andrei Cuza]

You can't without DLC. Just keep conquering areas with claims, and if anyone westernises, vassalise them.

Damn. What DLC is that by the way ?

 

[calvinhobbeslik]

Damn. What DLC is that by the way ?

With Art of War, you can use your subjects' CB's to declare war. Unfortunately, you cannot use your subjects' territory to fabricate claims on provinces that only neighbor them and not you.

 

[UristMcLocal]

when you get admin efficiency and the imperialism CB, things will get a whole lot simpler.

 

[kente]

Also the only country so far to venture into India was GB who for some reason didn't take any provinces.

if they can't core, they will not take any provinces. That's why i prefered to colonize Africa, instead America, i just cut every other nation to get enough core range to gain core in India (anyway late in the game the will come from Americas-> Pacific islands)

PS: I've colonized so randomly just to get some achievements. Namely "Isn't this the way to India?", "The Five Colonies", "A Pile of Gold" and "Down Under". The last two I've yet to get but I'm almost there.

I might even DoW Portugal near the end for the "No Pirates in my Carribbean".

in my first attempt i tryed the same and i got some achievements, but before complete Master of India, France DoW and beat me so hard then i just quit. So maybe in your game you will succeed, but if you fail, retry it with the only focus to get this achievement

 

[oblio-]

You can't without DLC. Just keep conquering areas with claims, and if anyone westernises, vassalise them.

Can he transfer occupation without AoW? If he can, a Muslim tech vassal is still useful.

 

[AurochsAway]

Can he transfer occupation without AoW? If he can, a Muslim tech vassal is still useful.

No. All the new military add-ons are AoW.

 

[oblio-]

No. All the new military add-ons are AoW.

Res Publica and Art of War, literally pay-to-win.

 

[AurochsAway]

Res Publica and Art of War, literally pay-to-win.

Pay-to-optimise rather.

 

[Andrei Cuza]

Update

I've managed to get a muslim tech vassal. Force fed a decent amount of provinces and if I'm not mistaken most, if not all of north-western India is in the bag.

In regards to transferring occupation I just get the provinces I want fed and sell them to my vassals. I do get the AE but it's better than nothing. I'd love these new "optimizing" features from the DLCs, hopefully they'll be on the steam winter sale.

So far so good, the way things are going I'm confident I can make it, provided France doesn't go ragemode and decides it wants my provinces for no apparent reason .

 

[AurochsAway]

Update

I've managed to get a muslim tech vassal. Force fed a decent amount of provinces and if I'm not mistaken most, if not all of north-western India is in the bag.

In regards to transferring occupation I just get the provinces I want fed and sell them to my vassals. I do get the AE but it's better than nothing. I'd love these new "optimizing" features from the DLCs, hopefully they'll be on the steam winter sale.

So far so good, the way things are going I'm confident I can make it, provided France doesn't go ragemode and decides it wants my provinces for no apparent reason .

Who cares about France. If all you want to do is the India achievement then all you have to do is conquer India. Europe has less relevancy. Res Publica is 50% off now on the paradox website, yet 75% off on Steam. Paradox sales never fail to surprise.

 

[oblio-]

Who cares about France. If all you want to do is the India achievement then all you have to do is conquer India. Europe has less relevancy. Res Publica is 50% off now on the paradox website, yet 75% off on Steam. Paradox sales never fail to surprise.

Yeah, IMO get Res Publica, National Focus is definitely worth it. And 2E or 1.5E is a bargain anyway, basically 1 beer

 

[kente]

Who cares about France. If all you want to do is the India achievement then all you have to do is conquer India.

there is just one big problem: the mission "gain a foothold in India", they will attack you anyway, any time you will be off guards.
It is something you can manage, but anyway something you should take care

 

[Andrei Cuza]

Weird, I have these DLCs on my wishlist but I didn't see anything from Steam telling me they're on sale...

Thanks for the heads up guys. Really appreciate it

Should I get WoN as well ?

 

[oblio-]

Weird, I have these DLCs on my wishlist but I didn't see anything from Steam telling me they're on sale...

Thanks for the heads up guys. Really appreciate it

Should I get WoN as well ?

WoN gives privateers, which help boost power projection, and a very nifty mechanic for the Reformed religion. Basically any game where I can convert to Reformed, I do it, it's the coolest religion now. If it's cheap, yeah, sure, get WoN as well.

IMO Art of War is also definitely worth it, but it's probably much more expensive.

 

[Andrei Cuza]

AoW sadly isn't on sale but it can wait. On the other hand I'm excited about the new 1.9 achievements.

I'm guessing my vanilla Ironman save isn't compatible with the new DLCs ?