strategy as England for Surrender of Maine + BI
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Here's an update on my reenactment of 1984
The Forever War continues
Look at the dates. This the 100-years-war 2: Pirate Boogaloo
I'm blockading everything I can without loosing ships to attrition. I've tried a few Marine landings, however the decentralized state of France actually works in their favour, since French forces are spread out. If I land in Castille, Spanish armies are quick to respond, and likewise In France in the Dutch areas. Armagnac is right between them but has its own army to respond with. If France own everything, I could probably land a decoy army in say, Galicia to draw French attention while landing other armies in the Netherlands a bit latter.
I'm privateering Bordeaux, and going to experiment privateering in the English Channel(If my economy can take it, I'm positive I can overcome the possible revenue loss)
Pros from being in eternal war with France/Castille:
+France and Castille are blocked from colonizing (Castille from being subject nation, France from being at war/no range/no colonizing missions)
+France is diplomatically isolated in Europe (no allies due to being at war)
+France cannot pick rivals and thus cannot gain PP (is in war)
+France cannot declare wars (I'm pretty sure the AI never declares a war if already in a war)
+France cannot integrate vassals/Castille (Being in war means France can only inherit Castille "naturally")
+The AI going full war economy should stall any economic development(army and fort maintenance and rebuilding ships) as well as focus on military buildings (not sure about this one and AI preferences)
+Austria and every other continental power grows stronger since France cannot challenge anything due to being at war
Cons from being at war with France:
-Cannot upgrade CoT (Neither can France, but maybe the AI never does this anyway)
-Cannot form Great Britain (does not really matter since I'm trying to make this war last as long as possible)
-Cannot pick new rivals (I'm stuck with Denmark and France)
-Must occasionally buy down WE (Calais is occupied and I can't really make a dent in France - however, this might be a blessing in disguise since the AI sees this as a war it's winning and thus it wants to continue fighting)
-Cannot get allies (I'm England so not the biggest problem, after all, big ships are all the allies I need)
Here's my colonial empire
As you can see I've got 4 colonial nations set up, and Quebec is nearing completion, furthermore I'm colonizing a bit of West Africa. This is dangerous since France/Castille might get enough Mil Access to get down there sieging my trade company land, however, this might in turn allow me to land in France proper. also, attrition to any doonstack venturing down there is fine by me.
So, I'm growing stronger with every province colonized, while France is locked in a sort of stasis with regards to expansion.
Is there any way I can hurt France even more?
As mentioned, I'm going to experiment privateering the English Channel. I need a way to get access to Southern France/Iberia without losing ships to attrition, so I can blockade down there as well.
Is there any other consequences of being at eternal war with France that I've overlooked? Or something you guys would suggest I should do?
The Forever War continues
Look at the dates. This the 100-years-war 2: Pirate Boogaloo
I'm blockading everything I can without loosing ships to attrition. I've tried a few Marine landings, however the decentralized state of France actually works in their favour, since French forces are spread out. If I land in Castille, Spanish armies are quick to respond, and likewise In France in the Dutch areas. Armagnac is right between them but has its own army to respond with. If France own everything, I could probably land a decoy army in say, Galicia to draw French attention while landing other armies in the Netherlands a bit latter.
I'm privateering Bordeaux, and going to experiment privateering in the English Channel(If my economy can take it, I'm positive I can overcome the possible revenue loss)
Pros from being in eternal war with France/Castille:
+France and Castille are blocked from colonizing (Castille from being subject nation, France from being at war/no range/no colonizing missions)
+France is diplomatically isolated in Europe (no allies due to being at war)
+France cannot pick rivals and thus cannot gain PP (is in war)
+France cannot declare wars (I'm pretty sure the AI never declares a war if already in a war)
+France cannot integrate vassals/Castille (Being in war means France can only inherit Castille "naturally")
+The AI going full war economy should stall any economic development(army and fort maintenance and rebuilding ships) as well as focus on military buildings (not sure about this one and AI preferences)
+Austria and every other continental power grows stronger since France cannot challenge anything due to being at war
Cons from being at war with France:
-Cannot upgrade CoT (Neither can France, but maybe the AI never does this anyway)
-Cannot form Great Britain (does not really matter since I'm trying to make this war last as long as possible)
-Cannot pick new rivals (I'm stuck with Denmark and France)
-Must occasionally buy down WE (Calais is occupied and I can't really make a dent in France - however, this might be a blessing in disguise since the AI sees this as a war it's winning and thus it wants to continue fighting)
-Cannot get allies (I'm England so not the biggest problem, after all, big ships are all the allies I need)
Here's my colonial empire
As you can see I've got 4 colonial nations set up, and Quebec is nearing completion, furthermore I'm colonizing a bit of West Africa. This is dangerous since France/Castille might get enough Mil Access to get down there sieging my trade company land, however, this might in turn allow me to land in France proper. also, attrition to any doonstack venturing down there is fine by me.
So, I'm growing stronger with every province colonized, while France is locked in a sort of stasis with regards to expansion.
Is there any way I can hurt France even more?
As mentioned, I'm going to experiment privateering the English Channel. I need a way to get access to Southern France/Iberia without losing ships to attrition, so I can blockade down there as well.
Is there any other consequences of being at eternal war with France that I've overlooked? Or something you guys would suggest I should do?
If you try the way of colonization, for me the best way it's feeding Aragon and Austria. Their policy it's more European than you and with this, also you can keep Castile and France more weaker. Because Aragon has claims on Castile and Austria with the HRE, can fight France.
One of my favourite things in several runs lately has been:
Attack Denmark to take Norway, use a Norwegian claim to attack Novgorod and vassalize them (or take a province and release them when Muscovy otherwise annexes them) then use reconquest to get Novgorod itself and prevent Russia from forming.
For England (or anyone else in Northern Europe), you can then backfill the Baltic and Lubeck nodes for a good boost to trade. You can also seize Reykjavik for colonial range.
It gives avenues to expand avoiding the HRE or other AE hell.
As anyone in Eastern Europe it cripples Muscovy for the future So you don’t need to worry about Russia.
Not necessarily a world conquest strat, but I find it a nice boost early.
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And so it ends.
This is almost 150 years of phoney war and low intensity engagements, where my occasional incursions into French/Castillian coasts keep the war timer going so no white peace could ensue. (France was also winning, on paper, with 30% warscore)
As previously mentioned I was winning in the grand scheme of things. I've got most of the Americas colonized and only have Portugal to deal with over there. France on the other hand has been locked out of continental European diplomacy for almost 150 years. And haven't even been able to consolidate their French vassals.
How did the war end. Well besides Austria forcing a white peace and bankrupting France, I sort of accidentally did this myself.
See those catholic rebels in Calais. They spawned and I happily assumed the French would engage them and take back their war goal, however they never did. The let those rebels sit there, whereby the French warscore tanked from 30% to 3%, this in turn, made the French AI start sending me white peace peace offers.
The question then becomes. Did the French AI let those rebels sit there on purpose? I seems like a way too sneaky play for an AI, however this is a mere 12 rebel stack, which France would have no problem dealing with.
This was an interesting experiment. Which I suppose other island nations can do as well. Japan, Brunei or whoever you conquer Madagascar with comes to mind.
Now I'm able to form alliances again, become Great Britain and choose some new rivals.
I'm going to keep pirating Bordeaux, and sending spies to France(slander merchants, supporting rebels and so forth) in order to keep putting pressure on their economy.
This is almost 150 years of phoney war and low intensity engagements, where my occasional incursions into French/Castillian coasts keep the war timer going so no white peace could ensue. (France was also winning, on paper, with 30% warscore)
As previously mentioned I was winning in the grand scheme of things. I've got most of the Americas colonized and only have Portugal to deal with over there. France on the other hand has been locked out of continental European diplomacy for almost 150 years. And haven't even been able to consolidate their French vassals.
How did the war end. Well besides Austria forcing a white peace and bankrupting France, I sort of accidentally did this myself.
See those catholic rebels in Calais. They spawned and I happily assumed the French would engage them and take back their war goal, however they never did. The let those rebels sit there, whereby the French warscore tanked from 30% to 3%, this in turn, made the French AI start sending me white peace peace offers.
The question then becomes. Did the French AI let those rebels sit there on purpose? I seems like a way too sneaky play for an AI, however this is a mere 12 rebel stack, which France would have no problem dealing with.
This was an interesting experiment. Which I suppose other island nations can do as well. Japan, Brunei or whoever you conquer Madagascar with comes to mind.
Now I'm able to form alliances again, become Great Britain and choose some new rivals.
I'm going to keep pirating Bordeaux, and sending spies to France(slander merchants, supporting rebels and so forth) in order to keep putting pressure on their economy.
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