Tips for Forming the Holy Roman Empire?

[smc1493]

I'm fairly new to this game and was wondering if any experienced players could give me advice for forming the HRE as quickly as possible. I tried as Bohemia and only had three reforms by 1530, provoking much laughter from my more experienced friends. I could not seem to hold on to authority, especially after the dawn of the Protestant Reformation. Any tips?

 

[harmonic42]

1) The protestant and reformed movements are a great opportunity for the emperor to rack up ungodly Imperial authority. All you have to do is force your lambs to convert to your religion, doesn't matter which. (Well, it has to be christian.)
2) Always conquer the provinces from the "Imperial Ban" causus Belli. If you don't want all those provinces, you can often release a bunch of imperial princes for more authority.
3) Always answer the call to war.
4) Make use of "Imperial Liberation" causus Belli to liberate imperial princes.

The problem is usually getting the imperial princes to agree with the reforms, not getting Imperial Authority. Make sure your lambs love you to death, have royal marriages with you, and are the same religion as you before you waste authority on reforms that fail. Also, take your time. Try and make a beautiful borders HRE, don't rush it. After you form the HRE, you will have 50 years of chaos trying to keep your new country together, and then you have an unstoppable superpower that rules the world and can destroy anything with minimal effort and you win the game. I usually like to delay the last couple reforms simply because afterwards is far too easy and anticlimactic.

 

[Valynor]

First of all, make sure you have 0 infamy when you try a reform.
Then, at least until the last two, have only the imperial authority you need. So that, when you pass the reform, you have 0 authority left.
This way, every prince converted on a wrong religion is an opportunity to gain more authority. When you have enough of them to collect the next 50 authority points, lower your BB and convert them and pass the next reform.

 

[unmerged(301604)]

One suggestion for the 2 latest reforms and imperial authority, that I've been lacking more than good relations with members: in my game, I've almost been stuck for those two reforms, because the whole HRE was already christian, some great parts of it were already vassilized, and there is no more imperial authority gained from succession. So:

- don't spend to much of imperial authority on improving you relations, you could regret that...

- For Renovatio Imperii, I'd suggest you keep at least 5 parts of your territory you could release as vassals. Then, the last 2 reforms can be done immediately. If you free them before being sure to get the last reform passed, you can wait for decades before getting close to the 50 Imperial Authority points required.

- Be really careful not to spend Imperial Authority on attempting to pass a reform when you're not sure...

Then:

After you form the HRE, you will have 50 years of chaos trying to keep your new country together

It seems that all the countries which are allies when Renovatio Imperii is asked are ending as cores. To be confirmed?

Sorry about my poor english...

 

[Balzemonn]

When trying to unite the HRE strong neighbors are a good thing. They give you chances (as emperor) to build imperial authority. You want to stop them from encroaching on the empire but you don't want to break them.

In a game where I have been trying to do that England broke France early and it has never recovered. I am playing Austria and the eastern borders are almost entirely my own. The Ottomans have retired from Europe and Lithuania seems to want to go only eastwards. Without a strong nation nearby there is very little outside interference. I keep hoping for a series of 5-10 emperors but all I seem to get are 50 year reigns.

Ba'alzemon
d#%n typos!

 

[Kokosmakroon]

If you gain illegal provinces from 'naughty agressive nations' release them as vassals. It will make you ridiculously popular!

 

[unmerged(303218)]

I have no problem with authority and passing the reforms, but on the second last one (Revoke Privilegia) the whole HRE declares war on me. Which is especially strange since many are my ally vassals.
Before that reform I was allied to basically the whole thing, with vassalized electors (former, since I passed Erbkaisertum ) and many other vassals. To the point I didn't have to move a finger in the latest wars against foreign powers. o Now the problem I got is that the decision [Revoke Privilegia] was passed, but then everyone (including my vassals) DoWed me, but these appeared as Wars of Bohemian agression (I'm Bohemia). Other than WTF and ragequitting (I might win the HRE wars but all their provinces left; also even though I still have 20 Authority) I couldn't d anything else, not even understand the situation.
I'm looking forward to either an explanation or advice on how to avoid the war (I could win it but Infamy would reach 1000 )

 

[TAMBOURINESNAKE]

If you gain illegal provinces from 'naughty agressive nations' release them as vassals. It will make you ridiculously popular!

Releasing Imperial vassals is cheese, but a good way to get cheap authority. Also, Unam Sanctum after the Reformation is great, too, for forcing heretic princes to bow to your religion for free authority.

 

[suncrush]

I have an embarrassingly basic question. I am trying to form the HRE as Austria, starting in 1399. I am having incredible trouble getting past Bohemia's bonuses for already holding the crown, and getting myself elected. Any tips?

 

[unmerged(80402)]

I have an embarrassingly basic question. I am trying to form the HRE as Austria, starting in 1399. I am having incredible trouble getting past Bohemia's bonuses for already holding the crown, and getting myself elected. Any tips?

Make huge army. Attack bohemia with CB or some hre country without CB. Uterly crush bohemia army, and if you will fight with some electors vassalize them. Take moravia and sudety from bohemia, make them relase silesia, and spawn patriot rebels in their country. Make as much electors voting for you as possible. With bohemia geting crushed, they should not longer be an emperor, and if they even stay, as such you can vassalize them. Then they will no longer be an emperor, and you will be able to take their possition.

 

[suncrush]

Cheers

 

[Junuxx]

Make sure you border a couple of horde nations. In my last game I bordered three, and every five years I'd rush in, assault a province and demand concede concessions. That would give 30 Imperial Authority every five years.

Still have to figure out a better way to increase relations across the empire though. Sending out dozens of gifts is terribly boring micromanagement.

 

[herrhals]

It seems, that defending HRE nations against foreign aggressors increases relations.

 

[ikki]

i have an ungodly idea... start out orthodox, or conveniently lose a war to become one. After that the whole of HRE is in need of religious cleansing

 

[Munashiimaru]

I have an embarrassingly basic question. I am trying to form the HRE as Austria, starting in 1399. I am having incredible trouble getting past Bohemia's bonuses for already holding the crown, and getting myself elected. Any tips?

I got it by getting good relations (alliances/royal marriages mostly) with the electors and expanding slightly (northern italy or rome (guarantee urbino) or anywhere else that's easy/have cb for) so that you'll get +100 points for large empire instead of +50.

 

[Dryclean_Only]

Releasing Imperial vassals is cheese, but a good way to get cheap authority. Also, Unam Sanctum after the Reformation is great, too, for forcing heretic princes to bow to your religion for free authority.

I don't see how this is free. In my experience, any country I enforce religion on to gain 10 authority already cost me 10 authority when they converted away from catholic. Unless you're speaking of converting yourself and then enforcing your new religion.

 

[Junuxx]

i have an ungodly idea... start out orthodox, or conveniently lose a war to become one. After that the whole of HRE is in need of religious cleansing

You can't offer to convert in a losing peace deal, you can only do it to the AI!
But you can give in to Orthodox rebels. That would make uniting the HRE with Poland even easier I guess

 

[grommile]

I don't see how this is free. In my experience, any country I enforce religion on to gain 10 authority already cost me 10 authority when they converted away from catholic. Unless you're speaking of converting yourself and then enforcing your new religion.

The important point is that Imperial Authority is always at least zero. Even when something that costs IA happens while you're at zero IA.

 

[herrhals]

You can't offer to convert in a losing peace deal, you can only do it to the AI!
But you can give in to Orthodox rebels. That would make uniting the HRE with Poland even easier I guess

Nope. You can be converted to any heretic religion by offering it through a peace deal. No stab hit and minimal prestige loss from giving in the zealots. No foreign relation loss or gain. I did it in my AAR...
By all means, get yourself converted, and convert all the newly heretic electors and monopolize the crown for eternity. You could probably form HRE by 1430 with this method.
Quite ungodly.

 

[Junuxx]

Nope. You can be converted to any heretic religion by offering it through a peace deal. No stab hit and minimal prestige loss from giving in the zealots. No foreign relation loss or gain. I did it in my AAR...
By all means, get yourself converted, and convert all the newly heretic electors and monopolize the crown for eternity. You could probably form HRE by 1430 with this method.
Quite ungodly.

You can, really? Guess I haven't been paying attention