Strategy for playing Sweden

[viper37]

I'll finished my first ever complete GC with France (the other two crashed before the end, this one never did), and I have decided I'll try my hands at Sweden in the latest IGC. Should be a better challenge, given that you start as a Vassal

Now, I'm used to play colonial powers and I always developped a colonial empire in the Americas, but with Sweden:

will I get colonial dynamism?
should I eliminate Denmark asap or should I wait to get a few good leaders?
What religion should I choose? (historical I think it is Protestant, can't remember)
What sould be my position toward Russia once I get back my core provinces? Finished 'em off or ally with them to take on P-L?

any other suggestions welcome...

 

[ACrusader]

First thing I do

Well, I've played a GC as Sweden (haven't finished it yet) and the first thing i did was declare war on Denmark RIGHT AWAY before they have a chace to ally with Russia. Take Skane and if you can another province, then get peace right away so you can start to build an army and promote baliffs. Chances are, Denmark will ally with the Russian Alliance after that so you have to bide your time to attack them again. What I did was get an alliance of Sweden, Hansa, Pommerania, and Brandenburg. They will put some pressure on Denmark from the south for you. I got lucky because Russia declared war and Denmark dishonored it. While they were alone, I declared war again and took 3 more provinces. I don't remember how long it took, but I eventually took over all of Denmark and annexed it.

As for colonial expansion, It didn't happen for me. If I could have annexed Denmark sooner, I could probably have used Iceland as a stepping stone to try it. I just got there too late.

Dealing with Russia. I was more concerned with Denmark and then Norther Europe that I didn't do much with Russia. If I were to do it again, I'd wait until Poland attacked them and try to take a couple provinces from them to keep them from getting too strong. If you can take Kola and Far Karelia, you can turn them into cities pretty easily so that's cool. Ingermland is a good one to take and make sure Russia stays landlocked.

Hope this helps

 

[viper37]

Thanks a lot! I'll give it a try tonight most probably.

 

[ACrusader]

You're more then welcome. Oh yeah, and become Protestant when it becomes available. Most Swede provinces are anyway and it helps you in the long run.

 

[Savant]

Just manage small wars and small acquisitions

until 1620 or so and then come 1630 make sure you have large armies as you will get the best leaders imaginable and you can romp all over Europe - ala Gustav Adolphus.

 

[viper37]

Re: Just manage small wars and small acquisitions

Originally posted by Savant
until 1620 or so and then come 1630 make sure you have large armies as you will get the best leaders imaginable and you can romp all over Europe - ala Gustav Adolphus.

I've heard about him, but I'v never met him in battle tough

The Swedes seems to be referring to him as a kind of Demi-God in the game. I'm eager to start my game

 

[unmerged(2238)]

He is-- 6-6-6 as I recall. Or something close to that.

 

[viper37]

Originally posted by John_Keats
He is-- 6-6-6 as I recall. Or something close to that.

Then he is a Demi-God from Hell?

 

[unmerged(5115)]

6-6-6 !
Wow ! What has done IRL ?
For that price he should have been a Swedish Napoleon or Charlemagne.

 

[unmerged(1631)]

In my last GC the Swedish AI had him wasting away in India with under 1000 troops waiting for a boat to come pick him up.
Never faced him in battle though... I've been whupped by that darned German fellow though so I imagine he's pretty much the same.

 

[Savant]

Originally posted by astafyr
6-6-6 !
Wow ! What has done IRL ?
For that price he should have been a Swedish Napoleon or Charlemagne.

To the Swedes, he was just that. Look at how many Swedish boys were named Gustavus after him. He also merited a fair portion of the accolades because given the logistics of movement at the time, his sweeping through Germany was quite extraordinary.

He was probably more akin to a Swedish Charlemagne. The Swedish Napoleon would be Charles XII (Lion of the North).

 

[Carolus Rex]

Gustavus Adolphus was the Lion of the North.

Important, YES!

 

[Orm]

Historically Gustav II Adolf was surpassed in greatness by Karl X Gustav. He was regarded as unbeatable by those who met him on the battlefield.

 

[Orm]

Originally posted by Savant


To the Swedes, he was just that. Look at how many Swedish boys were named Gustavus after him. He also merited a fair portion of the accolades because given the logistics of movement at the time, his sweeping through Germany was quite extraordinary.

One sweep, then he was killed.
The greatest Swedish general of the TYW was Lennart Torstensson.

 

[PatMaster]

He was the one that made Sweden to an European superpower, even if the first steps to that was made by Erik XIV/Johan III with their overtaking of Estonia.
After the TYW, Sweden was seen as the protector of protestantism in Europe just like Spain was the protector of catholism. Swedish forces fought battles as far south as Switzerland and some regements even reached Vienna wich made the Emperor to flee from the city convinced that it was lost (they was fought back later).
They took and plundered one half of Prague and siezed the other half wich was just about to fall when the peace agreement arrived.
All that was possible by the superb tactics formed by Gustavus II Adolfus the Great.

 

[unmerged(234)]

The 6-6-6 rating of Gustavus Adolphus is not a invention from Paradox.
In the originall boardgame he and Fredrick the great was the only two who had a 6-6-6 rating, and that was made by a frenchman.

 

[Carolus Rex]

Originally posted by beowulf
Historically Gustav II Adolf was surpassed in greatness by Karl X Gustav. He was regarded as unbeatable by those who met him on the battlefield.

He never lost a battle.
Or did he?
He withdrew from a battle against Poles, only to come back and beat them next week or so.

IMHO, the greatest King was Carl XII. Dont ask me why, he just is to me.
The best general, non king, is probably Torstensson. I also loved the style of Banér.
Once he was so drunk he was out for 2 weeks. The French diplomats who were there had to wait. He had to get sober first.

The best thru out IMHO still is Calle Dussin(Carl XII).

 

[Orm]

Originally posted by PatMaster
He was the one that made Sweden to an European superpower, even if the first steps to that was made by Erik XIV/Johan III with their overtaking of Estonia.
After the TYW, Sweden was seen as the protector of protestantism in Europe just like Spain was the protector of catholism. Swedish forces fought battles as far south as Switzerland and some regements even reached Vienna wich made the Emperor to flee from the city convinced that it was lost (they was fought back later).
They took and plundered one half of Prague and siezed the other half wich was just about to fall when the peace agreement arrived.
All that was possible by the superb tactics formed by Gustavus II Adolfus the Great.

Taking over Estonia was hardly a great step towards greatness.
And that superb tactic was only new for a couple of years, then the imperial forces had them too, by which time GIIA was dead.
What made Sweden a super-power was substantial funds from France, a country with an administration that was geared for war to the maximum and the determination to get satisfaction for their efforts in the TYW. The last two were mostly the work of Axel Oxenstierna.
Karl X Gustav consolidated Swedens position with his wars against Poland and Denmark (with a bit of luck he could have been king of Poland-Lithuania and succeeded in annexing all of Denmark).

 

[Orm]

Originally posted by Carolus Rex


IMHO, the greatest King was Carl XII. Dont ask me why, he just is to me.

He was a good general, I don't think he lost a battle as a commander. He was present at Poltava but he was not in command in the way he usually was (ie. on his horse in the middle of the battle) since he had been wounded and had a fever, the battle could have been a great victory if he had been, possibly ending that war in Swedens favour.
At that time in history Sweden was fighting a loosing battle against time however. A country of 2-3 million people can not keep it's super-power status very long. The next war against Russia would probably have been lost even if Karl XII had won at Poltava.

 

[PatMaster]

Yes, Napoleon sayed that he was one of the six (or something) military commanders that everyone running an army should study.

Oh, yes I almost forgot, tactics for Sweden.
In the IGC, Sweden is so strong at the beginning that you can annex Denmark the first thing you do. Just make sure to declare war as soon you gat an diplomat and take Östlandet and Skåne before the new fortress there is finished (they always expand fortresses in those provinces) and keep on building troops all the time and send your navy to prevent the Danes of sending troops over Öresund.
After that build up your army and go for your core provinces at the Teutons. An easy kill usually.
After that, build up armies to go after Russia.
Make good relations with the Poles, you dont want them to declare war at you while dealing with Russia, perhaps ally with them.
When P-L and Russia have a war against each other, wait a year or two, so that the Russian army will get smaller kicking those 75k P-L armies or by attrition and then declare war on a weakened enemy.
You should always declare war on Russia just when the winter is over and draw back your forces when it begins to avoid the horrible winter attrition there.
Build 2 pretty big armies and a small 2000 infantery unit. The first army to go directly to Moscow, the other one to an other Russian province (Novgorod got a nice CoT ) and the 2k infantery to take Onega (no fortress) and get a quick peace.
Then an alliance with P-L is needed.
Repeat and get one or two provinces per peace offer and eventually annex it all if you get the opportunity (I annexed Russia before 1600).
Sweden alwas get good leaders, make sure to use them .
By now, you are the badboy and everyone hates you, so you wont have to declare war on anyone, the wars comes to you, be sure to grab the moment when it gets to you.

In my last game I annexed England (free Ireland thought), Portugal Russia, Denmark, most of northern Germany and built up a colonial empire in NA before the damn game crashed.