Simply abandoning the continent as England ?

[G_Morgan]

There is not even a need for marches to defeat the Iberians powers once you have seized a couple of islands (canarias, baleares) :no navy in game is a match for the Royal Navy, even without naval ideas. (With naval ideas, it's an exercice on how quickly you can sink their fleets)

I'm just thinking about vassals I can pretty much leave to fight the continental wars. Obviously I could drop off my troops but this isn't the British way. The British way is to stand off the coast and watch other people fight. Then once victory is assured you land in force and dictate terms to all the exhausted parties.

 

[AurochsAway]

Abandoning the mainland does make colonial wars way more easy. 1530, the first big colonial war is in it's fifth year and the Royal Navy is litteraly choking to death Portugal and Spain while their colonies are taken one by one by minuscule armies. I even took Madeira and the Baléares to secure more choke (future) choke points. The war is not exactly going swiftly, but it's an extremely economic war for England thus far....

(In my games with France-UK, 60k or even 80k were not enough to cope with Spain/Portugal. In this game, the home defence is limited to ONE 20 k army, and the front is so secure that I can afford to ship it to the New World for destroying colonial armies.)

This confuses me greatly. France not able to cope with Spain/Portugal? Not at all my experience. Especially when you can send backup.

 

[BaronNoir]

No, annexated France.

 

[Owl Raider]

Depends on your goals really. If you want to paint the map British red than you'll obviously want to annex France. If you want to focus on your economy and colonial wars than abandoning France and relying on your navy to hold off everyone else(like Britain did in real life) is the better strategy. Since EUIV, and all other Paradox titles for that matter, are Sandbox games, there simply isn't a right and wrong answer. It all depends on your goals and what you choose to do.

 

[BBBD316]

Well if I was good enough to win the HYW I would, as I am not. I generally immediately DOW on Scotland and peace out with France giving them what they want, then use my armies to vassalise the Scots and wait for Burgundy to go Calais and get me some sweet dutch provinces.

 

[awelltrainedfer]

Isn't this a mute point now? Since 1.8, France is now able to ally other nations and call them in, while you are not. I made several attempts yesterday at winning the 100year war (I've done it easily in past version), but it's impossible now because every single time France calls in both Hungary and Venice, while nobody can help you because you have a -6000 modifier. All the mercs in the world cannot win that war.

 

[mtgdjs]

I tried this new approach. Income is a bit low initially, but there is truly nothing that can oppose England (even if forces limits are a bit low...like really low)

That is why you should always take Quantity as England. Any fully build military buildings, since each province can thus add +4 force limits just from buildings later in the game.

 

[BaronNoir]

As in real life, it should be added that France is incredibly easy to ''deal'' with as UK. Once, as in real life, I secured the Baléares as a naval base, France is rather easy to blockade....and thanks to France blobbing tendancies, her allies are not numerous.

 

[Emiliana]

Perhaps you should switch your attention to France. IIRC many of the Kings of England at the time saw France as more valuable than England and really never set foot in England. Move your capital to Paris and essentially reduce England to one big colony.

Did they? In real life? I've never heard this. Do you mean during HYW? not after, right?

Isn't this a mute point now? Since 1.8, France is now able to ally other nations and call them in, while you are not. I made several attempts yesterday at winning the 100year war (I've done it easily in past version), but it's impossible now because every single time France calls in both Hungary and Venice, while nobody can help you because you have a -6000 modifier. All the mercs in the world cannot win that war.

For the record, every game I've played, portugal has joined england.

I know that isn't a big help P: haha but, still, it is someone.

 

[nAssailant]

Isn't this a mute point now? Since 1.8, France is now able to ally other nations and call them in, while you are not. I made several attempts yesterday at winning the 100year war (I've done it easily in past version), but it's impossible now because every single time France calls in both Hungary and Venice, while nobody can help you because you have a -6000 modifier. All the mercs in the world cannot win that war.

I actually won the HYW on Ironman for the first time in my EU career today. I had to deal with Provence and Milan, but Hungary (even though they were called) didn't even send any troops. I called Portugal in immediately and went for the Bearn-defense strategy. The HYW was actually a simple defensive fight that I won due to a bit of luck and pro-active offensives against France's allies (to peace them out of the war). My biggest issue was Burgundy declaring war on me for Calais and the War of the Roses event firing all around the same time. I had to give up Calais and Picardie and found myself fighting at least 50k rebel York troops with mostly mercenaries after forcing the PU on France.

After the end of the HYW and War of the Roses in 1457:


Present-Day 1533:


France has 3 times now risen up to declare independence, the first 2 with the support of Castille, and each time I've taken at least 1 coastal territory from them to weaken them a bit. Spain just formed and for some reason that has made it easier to keep them in check and prevent them from supporting an independent France. I have the largest income by-far, so I'm not afraid to buy mercenaries to deal with France (since it is so difficult to keep my manpower sustained). Austria, Brittany, and Holland are allies, though Austria lost the empire to Bohemia two emperors ago.

 

[Hari ganesh]

Step 1 -Make henry a general a make sure he dies.
Step 2 -Give france all your continental land except calais.
Step 3- Colonise everthing from australia to greenland while france still fights over brittany and franche comte.

 

[Beagá]

That´s the boring and easy approach.

 

[InFerroVeritas]

Isn't this a mute point now? Since 1.8, France is now able to ally other nations and call them in, while you are not. I made several attempts yesterday at winning the 100year war (I've done it easily in past version), but it's impossible now because every single time France calls in both Hungary and Venice, while nobody can help you because you have a -6000 modifier. All the mercs in the world cannot win that war.

Watched someone win it on Twitch yesterday. As long as France doesn't call in any major powers like Hungary, you're fine. France sometimes opts for people like Savoy or Genoa. They're much more manageable.