Orthodox Ruthenia --> HRE run

[Palatinus Germanicus]

Considering doing the following run: Play as Lithuania (1st time for me), switch to Orthodox right at the beginning (send missionary to unaccepted Ryazanian province... submit & convert). Can still ally Poland... but just marry them, so I can force a Union. Also ally Muscovy right from the beginning, when converted. (restart if they rivaled me)

Eventually I'll do a culture shift, form Ruthenia... and then I want to become emperor, and eventually form the (Orthodox) HRE. I just can't figure out what is the best way to pull off that part. Peace of Westphalia seems to be the only way. But apparently it rarely fires... more likely to get a white peace before it actually happens.



Anyway, another potential opening move:
Ally Poland (for a while, at least), rival T.O. and L.O., and take the mission to 'crush Livonian Order.' They start w/ 98% total cost. Use all means (merchant spy mechanic, advisor, rival bonus, etc.) to get a claim on Memel ASAP. DoW the T.O., and promise Poland some land. Make L.O. a co-belligerent, and take them out first. Digest those cores, then peace w/ T.O. --and then maybe break w/ Poland to prepare for force PU war.

MAYbe wait until after this first war against the 2 orders, to convert. That way less AE w/ Catholics. Then go buddy up w/ Muscovy & eat Novgorod. Anyway, I'm getting carried away. How should/can I form an Orthodox HRE?

 

[gia257]

you have to be catholic first or hope peace of westphalia triggers on its own

 

[bly08]

It's much easier to become emperor first then convert to Orthodox after the religious peace reform.

 

[PrimeYuri]

you can become any religion after the 6th reform. So you could first do that.

 

[ShahanShah]

Don't rm Poland or you will be put into a union, you don't accept ryazanian culture at the start, and culture shifting is very easy anyway.

 

[netherlink]

more likely to get a white peace before it actually happens

A white peace in the league war does result in the peace of westphalia, though.

As well as any other treaty does, which doesn't contain "religious supremacy" as demand. So as long as you are leading one of both sides, you should be able to enforce it.

So one way would be to stay catholic, become emperor, "win" (but definitely fight!) the league war and don't demand supremacy, switch to orthodox.

*EDIT* to not double post:

Don't rm Poland or you will be put into a union

just no. RM with Poland does NOT put you in a union with them automatically by any means.

 

[Rikissa]

Poland won't get the union over Lithuania if Lith is player-controlled

 

[Maldazar]

If you don't mind a light exploit, you could put the starting date to 1820, go back to 1444, then start, this results in the religous peace in the empire already being active, so you can already try and go for the title from the start. BUT that is an exploit, of course. (but works with Iron Man/Achievements etc) I don't like exploits that give me unfair advantages, but since the peace of westphalia can be so random from time to time, I prefer using this if I really have a specific plan of going for the HRE with a diferent religion.

 

[Gnostek]

If you don't mind a light exploit, you could put the starting date to 1820, go back to 1444, then start, this results in the religous peace in the empire already being active, so you can already try and go for the title from the start. BUT that is an exploit, of course. (but works with Iron Man/Achievements etc) I don't like exploits that give me unfair advantages, but since the peace of westphalia can be so random from time to time, I prefer using this if I really have a specific plan of going for the HRE with a diferent religion.

I was going to mention this. It has some massive benefits to HRE: anyone can become emperor, venice is part of the HRE. On the downside, it might bug things out a little, cores and such.