Uniting Ireland/ How to End a War

[unmerged(76220)]

Howdy, EU3 forums. With the new expansion, I've moved onto this from Rome, which I really liked. I'm still getting my head around the new mechanics, but it's going pretty well so far.

So here's my question. I've begun the grand campaign in 1399 as Connaught, because I like a challenge. It's about fifty years later, and I managed to conquer Munster and Leinster, the two southern Irish nations. England conquered Ulster during that time. During that time also, Burgundy took a large chunk of Europe and managed to inherit Scotland as well. So when Burgundy went to war with England, I jumped in, too, and conquered Meath and Ulster, the last two provinces in Ireland.

Now my problem is I can't figure out a way to end the war. I'm familiar with warscore and everything from Rome, and I'm sitting at 8%, while each province individually would require around 15%. It's all a moot point anyway, since England won't even accept a white peace anymore. They're winning their war with Burgundy, but I counted as a separate war anyway, since they broke my alliance with Burgundy a few years back by excommunicating me. I'm not sure if one war would influence the other.

So my question is, is there any way to reunite Ireland? Where I'm sitting it seems kind of hopeless, since although I've physically had control of the entire island for a few years, England has seemingly no intention of ever giving it up. Is my only solution to somehow invade England to drive the warscore up? That seems a little unreasonable for a little kingdom that's only winning so far by nipping at their heels. Or is there some way I can claim a province if I control it long enough?

As a side question, how do I get re-communicated, or de-excommunicated, or whatever that verb should be?

 

[sapi]

So my question is, is there any way to reunite Ireland? Where I'm sitting it seems kind of hopeless, since although I've physically had control of the entire island for a few years, England has seemingly no intention of ever giving it up. Is my only solution to somehow invade England to drive the warscore up? That seems a little unreasonable for a little kingdom that's only winning so far by nipping at their heels. Or is there some way I can claim a province if I control it long enough?

From memory, if you're lucky there's an event that can cause the provinces to defect if you have a war exhaustion of <5, and they have one of >15. But you have to get lucky.

One thing you can do is keep giving tiny peace offers that they refuse. If it has the little bracketed text saying that people would be upset if they refused, then offer it, and their refusal will drop their stability. Do that a few times - once they're on -3 stability and dealing with rebels everywhere, they seem to be a bit nicer to deal with

As a side question, how do I get re-communicated, or de-excommunicated, or whatever that verb should be?

Only on ruler death, or when the current papal controller decides to do so. You can't become controller when you're excommunicated (which is annoying - I've had 5/6 cardinals and still not had control -.-) but if your ally does they might save you.

 

[Victarion]

Taking those provinces is not impossible, but it will take some luck, skill and patience. Generally large nations will be reluctant to accept unfavourable peace with smaller nations, for several reasons. I have found that there are three factors that are important to the settling of a war. The first is warscore, quite obviously. You will never be able to settle a peace for more than 10% over your current warscore in points. If you can not directly take provinces, your only hopes of getting warscore is using navies to blockade (not feasible against england, and requires navy tech) and war exhaustion which will mount naturall over time. The second is the computers ability and will to fight. Low manpower, war exhaustion, rebels and multiple wars will all make the computer more willing to accept bad settlements. An opponent who is not stretched and has a lot of soldiers that are ready and able to fight will not accept an unfavourable peace since they know they can take those provinces back in time if they just stay in the war. The third is quite simply time. In an early undecided war the computer will want a much better deal than the warscore would imply, but as the conflict keeps going they will eventually be prepared to take a white peace and finally when a long time has gone by with neither part having been able to decidedly settle the conflict they will be prepared to take a slightly disfavourable peace treaty.

In your case, if the brits have enough transports and men to get troops over to you then your are probably fucked. If not, just tough it out and eventually you will be able to grab one of the provinces in the settlement. You will have to fight another separate war to claim the other one. For your final question, the excommunication fades when your leader dies or is replaced.

 

[unmerged(76220)]

Thanks, guys. I guess I'm in it for the long haul. Now I'm just worried about when I get around to taking the final province, since I'll be in the same situation with half the score.

 

[Trin Tragula]

Not sure what version you're using but I find that spies are allways important when uniting Ireland. Make life difficult for the English and they'll be more willing to back out of the war.

 

[unmerged(76220)]

I'm using whatever the most recent version of httt is. As an update, they eventually gave me Meath once Burgundy started drubbing them in their war. Then Ulster rebelled and reformed Tyrone, so I just up and invaded them. Now all I need to fight is our 15% inflation rate. Oops.

 

[Trin Tragula]

Atleast that will be a lot easier when you've taken the decision to form Ireland 15% inflation isn't that bad.

You will need to do something more permanent about England later on though, they will keep invading you and unless you weaken them they'll have the advantage.

 

[wraitii]

I see you eventually got there... Now I think there are two things important to know about the british:

- when they got to the tech level where they can change their tranports ( ex : flyte to merchantman ), they disband their whole transport fleet...
That's the time for a DOW as Ireland, since you don't risk an invasion and the British tend to keep a little army in peace time. If you're fast enough, you get them unprepared on their territory, and you can just conquer whole GB.

-However, if you don't reduce them, their might be a time where they will just DOW you with a transport fleet... Land 20,000 men in your island, and that would be game over if you do not manage to get some continental possessions.

In order to crush the british easily, try to get scotland as an ally. If you don't want any of the british provinces, take cornwall / wales / whatever, and release them as a vassal in peace time, then sell other provinces to them. Or just get GB to 15+ WE, wait a bit till they bankrupt ( always happen with their huge fleet ) once or twice ( make sure not to fall in the " forced WP " trap )... And here you go, they'll just collapse.

Also, if you can, DOW while they are at war with the French with their army on the continent.

 

[TimurLank]

My friend, as I got it , you are in war with England captured two of their provinces, and with probably low WE since no1 attacks you. At this point just keep those 2 occupied, and their WE will go too high so they gonna get lot of rebels. No AI can handle big amount of rebels and their government gonna collapse. So at your place, I'd just keep those provinces for years, even a decade, you have nothing to loose. Also after all those craps going around their own country, it is likeable that they went bancrupcy, and that means it's possible their disband their navy. Rest is, as you know, easy.

 

[The_Pursuader]

I united Ireland once by using spies. First I conquered the rest of the Irish provinces till only Meath was left. Then I traded and minted till I had enough gold to send 5 spies (fund patriots) at once to Meath. By sending so many spies at once the amount of rebels in Meath will make it nearly impossible for the brittish to get it back if they don't have military access on your land. Once they succesfully sieged Meath they'll stay there to defend it until it defects to you and in the end the rebels (and their generals) will become yours.

Spies can do wonders, especially when you're next to a huge rival that is too strong for you. When playing as Byz it's the key to success against the Ottoman monster

My friend, as I got it , you are in war with England captured two of their provinces, and with probably low WE since no1 attacks you. At this point just keep those 2 occupied, and their WE will go too high so they gonna get lot of rebels. No AI can handle big amount of rebels and their government gonna collapse. So at your place, I'd just keep those provinces for years, even a decade, you have nothing to loose. Also after all those craps going around their own country, it is likeable that they went bancrupcy, and that means it's possible their disband their navy. Rest is, as you know, easy.

When using this strategy you should keep in mind that after 5 years of non-active war there'll be an auto-white peace, leaving you with nothing for your efforts. In order to prevent this you could send a ship on a suicide mission (or try to retreat on time) every 4 years orso..