Protestant Emperor

[Tallyhoo]

Can i be emperor even if i convert to protestant? My situation is like this: I play Brandenburg, somehow i became Emperor and event. of inheratence of burgundy happened so i rule over Antwerpen region too (did not know that some one else than France and Austria can divide burgundy ).
Now the point: When i started this game i just wanted to form Prussia and i still do but i have to convert to Protestant or Reformed. Can i still keep my emperor title or i will lose it cuz different religion than most of my HRE electors?

 

[Xara]

Electors are less likely to vote for a heretic but nothing hard-stops you.

 

[unmerged(804580)]

Case by case. You will have malus with the non-Protestant electors but it does not automatically disqualify you. I'm seeing an AI Brandenburg Emperor and at least they're keeping it for two emperors in a row.

 

[BoleslavLev]

Just convert and then convert some electors too - they will vote for you and catholics would have the malus instead of you.

 

[joelzhl]

If you have more than 150 vote difference between you and the next contender, switching should not change the next election. From my own experience, going protestant is actually much easier in keeping the imperial throne because you will constantly get IA from princes converting. You only have to survive the initial few years until your IA goes through the roof.

 

[raspel]

I have just done it in my current Brandenburg/Prussia game. I became an Emeror as a catholic, then switched to protestant and formed Prussia. Bestowing Imperial Grace helped me to keep relations with electors high enough to be reelected, thou all of them were catholics (exept of Bogemia, but they voted for themself). But then I got a female ruler... So I had to take an Espionage NI group and sabotage Austria's reputation to become an Emperor again (I didn't want to turn HRE into bloodbath with vassalizing electors). And now it is harder for me to pass imperial reforms, because of cathoic princes.

In brief, you can be protestant Emperor of catholic HRE, but it is harder and takes more time to pass reforms. It depends of what do you want more: to become Prussia, or to unite HRE? If first, become protestant; if second, remain catholic.

 

[Comradebot]

Aye, in my first ever EUIV game I held off converting as Bohemia until right after I won my election. And then I promptly forced all the electors I could into become Protestants as well, locking Catholic Austria out of the discussion.

 

[Eyestabber]

Bohemia and Brandenburg always convert to protestant. The other electors seem to be random. I had a game as protestant Prussia/HRE Emperor, but I stole the throne via vassalization. A peaceful protestant Emperor is probably in for a headache, I guess.

 

[Xara]

Bohemia and Brandenburg always convert to protestant.

It's actually the Czech provinces that will continually attempt to convert to Protestant IF the owner of them is Catholic, it's not due to Bohemia itself. This can cause Austria (or whoever) some problems if they start encroaching on those lands.

 

[BoleslavLev]

I think it´s semi-historic based. With Czechs I am sure of it, the AI Bohemia converts every time. Historically Bohemia + northern Germany was protestant. As for electors all secular electors tend to convert to protestantism to some degree. Bohemia always, Brandenburg and Saxony usually (but Saxony sometimes convert to reformed) and Palatinate just from time to time.

 

[Calbrenar]

I'm about to become Emperor as Protestant Commonwealth. Just vassalize some electors. Easy

 

[Contiguous]

Austria just switched to Protestant in my game.