Succeeding as Sweden?

[Warhammer: 3025]

I've attempted several starts as Sweden over the last couple of weeks, but can't seem to get much traction. Denmark continues to be my boss because I can't seem to win a war if my life depended on it. Even in battles where I appear to roughly equal or have numerical superiority I get crushed.

I can't seem to make any money, either. I turn off all of my forts at the start of the game, but that doesn't free up enough to hire any advisers, or to build much.

What am I doing wrong?

 

[TheSwayz]

Did you get any decent "support for independence"-allies to assist you? Whenever I played I tried to get support from England or Scotland. Usually in my experience they land a decent amount of troops in Norway and then deal with the Danish forces after occupying Norway. Your task during the war is to first stackwipe the Norwegian forces and then avoid getting killed by the Danish and their allies (at least that's how I've done it in the past).

Edit: Oh, and don't be afraid to take a few loans to keep going. You will accumulate enough money during coming wars.

 

[Harald Fairhair]

Get the Russians if you can. They can give you direct support unlike the British.

 

[makaramus]

a tip: dont focus on military
seriusly I know its alluring to have space marines version 2.0 but still what you need to focus is economy... pick quantity + economic , incrase your production income and take exploration. only colonize canada for starters when you can .

I managed to defeat denmark + muscovy + commonwealth one by one for double achivement in my last game. make sure you get narva and dont give any coastal province in baltic sea to muscovy this prevents him to have any trade ship to protect novgorod trade node. incrase production in there and make sure you can feed your army. find a good defensive ally that. you dont need to call them war just to make sure if someone dow you when you are allready in war

in my tall achivement game I managed to get entire baltic sea in my rule + conquered muscovy planning to colonize siberia after canada to bring riches of asia to lübeck/english trade node(depending if I conquer that node)

 

[schaedel]

I did a Sweden playthrough a few patches back, but the community says, Denmark tends to ally Muscowy or Poland very often now straight from the start, which makes things a bit harder of course.
From my experience, Scotland is willing to support you right from the start and England will also support you after only a little bit of improved Relations. In my game, that was more than enough. Denmark declared on Novgorod very early, I made sure, that all the provinces were occupied by me and so I was even granted 2 or 3 Novgorodian provinces. Denmark's only ally was Pommerania (ok, hard to get THAT lucky in the recent patch I think) I put focus on military, built 1 ore 2 above force-Limit (you have 12 or 14 in the beginning? Can't remember, sorry) and as soon as I reached Mil 4, I declared independence with England's and Scotland's support. Scotland did a nice job in Norway and England proved useful for once, as you desperately need their navy. Was a piece of cake, after that first war I could even ally Muscowy (of course that is only temporary, as I went for that Baltic Sea achievement) and pounced on Denmark in 2 ensuing wars before finally taking out Muscowy. But of course that was before Third Rome, so Muscowy was supposed to be clearly weaker than they are now...

 

[Ultima_Ratio]

Destroy all your forts and suddenly you make 2 ducats more during peace and 4 ducats more during war.

 

[makaramus]

Destroy all your forts and suddenly you make 2 ducats more during peace and 4 ducats more during war.

you may need those forts actually especially if denmark ally russia you cant hold all at once

 

[otaats]

Pick a start where Muscovy would help you out. If Muscovy supports your independence, that's half of the work done already. If you get both England and Muscovy, its GG. Just keep on trying.

 

[TenshiN]

Forts are crucial as Sweden, simply because your country is large at start, with many routes to your capital. Especially the one at Viborg, since Denmark really likes allying to Muscovy.
You basically gotta wait like 10-20-30 years, gather up support (usually it is either Scotland or England, Novgorod until it is rekt, and Lithuania if Poland decided to give you a chance and reject the union), develop Stockholm for rennaisance while you wait, which allows you to increase your army to about 20-23k when you declare independence, which is more than able to face Denmark off. If Denmark allied Muscovy, then wait until Muscovy inevitably gets into a large war, driving up its war exhaustion and depleting manpower, so it will decline the call to arms. With its agressiveness and tons of wrong-religion land, it is just a question of time.

 

[makaramus]

what will I add: starting with quantity idea helps you a lot! Your armies are strong but you may have trouble at filling ranks (combat width) and it helps simply a lot. when combined with economic you can max to force limit with ease

 

[Warhammer: 3025]

develop Stockholm for rennaisance while you wait, which allows you to increase your army to about 20-23k when you declare independence, which is more than able to face Denmark off.

What can I do to "import" the Renaissance faster?

 

[TenshiN]

What can I do to "import" the Renaissance faster?

Use monarchpoints for province development, since the monthly ticking rennaisance is also affected by province development, and having it in your capital will be enough to be able to embrace it. My rule of thumb when playing in Europe is to develop your capital until you get rennaisance ticking for +1/month.

 

[TenshiN]

what will I add: starting with quantity idea helps you a lot! Your armies are strong but you may have trouble at filling ranks (combat width) and it helps simply a lot. when combined with economic you can max to force limit with ease

Actually not really, since you will be able to afford quite a few of infantry mercenaries from the get-go, since you have a merc maintenance discount in the Sweden's starting ideas.
I prefer to start with Quality, followed by Innovative and their associated +20% Infantry CA to have +50% total Inf CA bonus before 1550

 

[schondetta]

You can win independence within the first couple years. You have to first not be afraid of taking loans though. Build 3 to 4 heavies and than you'll have naval superiority .leave Denmark's troops trapped on an island province and siege down there Sweden side forts and take care of Norway. You'll have enough ws to take a couple provinces and succeed withou having to engage Denmark. You'll quickly stabalize your economy by time your ready for round 2 . its pretty simple actually

 

[SKOTy]

Change your monarch focus to mil, milk nobility estate for 150 points and tech to mil tech 4 asap, the difference between 3 and 4 is huge.

Then it depends on whom you get to support your independence, in my recent playthrough for Lion of the North and Sweden is not Overpowered I got support from Lithuania and Scotland while Denmark was allied to Muscovy. Lithuania pretty much distracted Muscovy to the point where I was able to white peace them as I've declared was while they were attacking Novgorod so their war exhaustion and debts were already running, then I've pretty much destroyed Denmark and Norway thanks to my mil tech advantage.
I've destroyed 2 of my forts for extra cash (kept the one near St. Petersburg and in Kalmar (on the border with Denmark)).

And don't be afraid to take a loan or two.

 

[makaramus]

Actually not really, since you will be able to afford quite a few of infantry mercenaries from the get-go, since you have a merc maintenance discount in the Sweden's starting ideas.
I prefer to start with Quality, followed by Innovative and their associated +20% Infantry CA to have +50% total Inf CA bonus before 1550

seriusly... its huge "no-need" unless you are roleplaying... I was allready able to crush ANYONE in my way with a mere right click by attacking mountains.
sure sweden got discount on mercs but this gonna mean nothing while your income is 0.5 ducat each month.
also your army is strong enought more inf combat abilty is just overkill... instead you need resources.

 

[ChloePech]

You can get independence easily, even without allies. The trick? When Denmark is unsieging their fort in Gotland, they'll mothball their forts. Snipe one by declaring at the start of the month. I've beat Denmark allied with the Teutons without any assistance that way. After that war, delete all your forts, ally someone (best is Muscovy, but more reasonably Poland) and breeze through it with your insane troops.

 

[schondetta]

seriusly... its huge "no-need" unless you are roleplaying... I was allready able to crush ANYONE in my way with a mere right click by attacking mountains.
sure sweden got discount on mercs but this gonna mean nothing while your income is 0.5 ducat each month.
also your army is strong enought more inf combat abilty is just overkill... instead you need resources.

Manpower is non issue when you stackwipe every encounter. Quantity as a whole is essentially useless on the second half the game where things like force limit and manpower become arbitrary. Quality is just better overall

 

[Aethis]

Is it possible to get Austria to help you? I've seen Denmark rival them but never Austria rivaling Denmark. You could then join the HRE once free.

 

[Blust]

Ask help from Muscovy, England is a cool +, then go to war