Strategies for prussia in 1.8

[Steve.Joe]

I am starting a MP as Prussia, with human players in England, France, Spain, Portugal, Denmark, Polen, Austria, Russia, ... leaving me only limited room for expansion.

With those huge numbers of new provinces colonization seems to be even more important in 1.8.

I am considering to colonize as well, especially since I could replace exploration at a later point of time, with denmark or england as potential allies.

What is your opinion, and in case colonization in which area? Western Africa, northern Americas?

 

[Ranjid]

Brandenburg->Prussia or TO->Prussia? TO will be quite hard if the Polish and Austrian players don't like you. Even Brandenburg might struggle against Poland with just Denmark as an ally. Colonization isn't that important if you can't benefit from the trade. So the only applicable approach would be North America -> North Sea -> Lübeck. But honestly, I wouldn't even bother. The english player will steer enough trade there. So just nab the extra coins from him. The baltics are now so filthy rich that you actually don't have to do even that.

 

[Steve.Joe]

You are right with North American trade. I just wondered, whether west africa coul be a targrt. Do military buildings in a west african colony increase your force limit? And in afric a you could make use of timbuktu inland node ...

 

[Ranjid]

What'd you do with the Timbuktu node? It feeds into Safi and Ivory Coast. You'd have to steer trade from Ivory Coast->Carribean->Chesapeake Bay-> St. Lawrence->North Sea. Your merchants are better off steering elsewhere.

 

[RobRoy3]

To be honest, with the possible exception of Poland and Austria, you're in the worst position to colonize and you have a lot of intelligent humans to compete with. I'd focus on stuff at home - see if you can reach some sort of modus vivendi or triple alliance with Austria and Poland.

 

[Steve.Joe]

One player dropped, leaving Skandinavia open. Seems to give me some opportunities.

B.t.w. my interest in africa was more to get additional provinces for military buildings and forcelimit.

 

[Ranjid]

Due to the 75% LA in colonies you'll get almost nothing from them. Just conquer some more land on your continent.

 

[Owl Raider]

Brandenburg and TO are both very vulnerable early on in MP, so you need to get good alliances to survive against tough human opposition. Once you survive the early game however and form Prussia you start to become a powerhouse. Once you get some of your NIs going your armies are going to be significantly stronger than those of your human opponents, so I would really try to get Muscovy/Russia as your ally and crush Austria and Poland(whether they're allied to each other or not). Scandinavia is great to have if they dropped, but only as long as Russia is on your side, you really don't want to fight Russia over Finland and the rest of it. Prussia+Russia is an unstoppable force if both players are any good, can hold off the rest of Europe on their own assuming you're crushed Poland and Austria first. France will be your biggest enemy, but your troops are better thanks to your NIs and Russia has more than enough troops to support you against them and Spain. Portugal and England shouldn't be troublesome at all as they typically have smaller armies than the other GPs and their NIs don't help their armies at all, so they'll be inferior to the rest too.