Strategy for Brandenburg in MP

[Krask]

Need some help.

I've chosen brandenberg in an upcoming multiplayer game, but i've only ever played brandenberg in mods such as D&T. I figured I best load up some vanilla and try out brandenberg so I have some sort of strategy for the game start.

The issue i'm having is that brandenberg seems to be screwed from the offset, i'm stuck in a union that i'm unable to leave unless the king dies. My missions give me orders to attack places in bohemia (lol yeah right). And any of the smaller countries, for instance pommerania, that I try to union with are guarenteed by the TO, Poland and whoever else wants to join in.

Obviously multiplayer can go either way, depending on how diplomatic I can be and will largely depend on what the austria player plans to do.

What strategy would you guys recommend? Brandenburg has a very low income, my merchants appear to get kicked out of lubeck before they ever make back their placement cost (even with my first slider being -> Free trade)

I just can't see what to do without getting into a war with someone who will come and plow my 8k soldiers into the dirt with ease.

 

[Nessaj]

You could do a slider move towards centralization and hope for pretender rebels and just let them win to prematurely end the PU. I don't know what other countries there are in the game but if there's no Poland or Sweden/Denmark you could attack the TO since they usually end up getting ganged by the Scandinavians and Russians. Plus, Danzig is a great province. Otherwise I would suggest getting into meaningless (such as trade league) wars with other HRE minors and just mass vassalize.

 

[n0thin]

As far as I know, you usually just build your troops up, bring them to Luxembourg and then just declare stomp them. Since they are your union leader they will be war leader => instakill Luxembourg without a cb, so the emperor can't destroy you (Bohemia will usually also just get DoWed by Austria or Poland quite early due to PU enforcement). You will get out of your union in about 2 years after game start and it only costs you 2 infamy and -2 stab.
After that all depends on what the other players are. If there is a Poland e.g. you're gonna have a bad time, at least early on. Generally speaking, expanding in the east and vassalizing big parts of the HRE is the way to go.

 

[Krask]

Thanks for the advise, i'l run a few trial games and try out the new strategies.

 

[unmerged(499943)]

Thanks for the advise, i'l run a few trial games and try out the new strategies.

And don't forget to suck up to people. You'll need a protector, ideally somebody skilled, reliable and powerful with solid geostrategical interests to invest in your strength.

 

[Krask]

I've come up with a strategy that seems to work in singleplayer.

Screw BBerg, go Teutonic order instead.

No PUs till I form prussia in 1500s, but it's starting position, income, sliders, armies, ability to send my hochmeisters to war constantly without regard for their safety. Most of all though, their missions.

 

[apsycobear]

If there's a Russia, Poland, Sweden, or Denmark in that multiplayer game you're as good as dead as the TO. TO's potential compared to that of BB is kind of pathetic due to the lack of pu's and the inability to wage war in the HRE for mass vassals, since if you attempt it you will have to deal with Bohemia over and over again (or worse, Austria if the player gets HRE quick enough). Your only hope would be to convince one of the eastern nations to team up with you, which is unlikely since they would all benefit from you dying.

 

[Nunn45]

As BB Its best to Ally with Austria or if they are not strong enough then go to France/Burgundy, then its just a matter of safely expanding around and hoping no one squashes you before your strong enough