What is a decent IA rate for the HRE?

[HydroAC]

I'm doing a Austrian HRE run using 1.21, since forum comments suggest later versions are buggy. My main question is how fast should I be enacting HRE reforms? What is normal? What is a good objective for enacting reforms?

It is 1510 and so far I've enacted two reforms. My IA seems decent at 0.20 month (is this decent?) when the princes aren't beating each other's brains in and ~0.1/month when they are. I currently have Imperial Ambition and Supportive Elector modifiers (+20% total). I've added a few provinces to the HRE.

Following the advice of excellent guides on Austria: :

• Got the expected PUs on Bohemia and Hungary
• Got the Burgundian Inheritance for the first time ever. It fired in ~1495, so just under the wire
• Stopped the Shadow Kingdom, although Rome is not in the HRE since he moved his capital to Provence.
• Moved my trade node to Venice. Trade income stinks, though.
• Elected a von Hapsburg on the throne in Poland (my candidates keep dying...ack), and another has the throne in Spain. Lots of RM SPAM to medium sized countries, but no luck in other dynasty spread.
• Diplo is done and 5 of 7 of Religious are done
• The Reformation started in 1505. I declared a no-CB war to eliminate one Center, and took another and conversion will be completed in 1513. A third Center is inconveniently in Denmark (allied to Muscovy). Can't touch that one now since my navy is pathetic. I've declared on small HRE members that converted (and taken their gold and forced conversion). As I recall, Reform Centers should show up shortly, maybe 1515?
• My AE is sky high (50+) in much of the HRE and a smallish coalition formed since I've taken a few provinces in the HRE as outposts for CB claims and deus vult. I'm improving relations where I can.
• Warned princes to be nice - they ignore my warnings. They should know that only the Emperor may declare war the HRE
• 57 princes currently, many of whom I've released through Unlawful Territory or forcing release

It seems to be going OK - but IA seems to proceed SO slowly...

 

[Vetgirig]

HRE works fine in 1.24.1 imho. The weak reformation should make it even easier to form HRE.


Yes 0.2 per month or about 2.5 per year is a decent rate. That means you can get 1 reform in like 20 years.

Note that if your ruler decides to abdicate and your heir gets elected you get 10 IA.

Adding one province gives 1 IA.

So those 2 latter sources gonna add up to plenty of new IA to enact decisions.

Remeber to keep your prestige close to 100 and you get faster AE reduction. So one way is to go to war to get prestige so you can abdicate and get 10 new IA.

Forcing an OPM to remove an rival gives 5 prestige - the same as forcing Ottoman to remove a rival - but its much easier to do. So always farm prestige as emperor.

 

[Phantorex]

It is worth to kill the King for more IA?

 

[bly08]

yes

 

[Ironside121]

It is worth to kill the King for more IA?

If it's a garbage king, yes.

Going from a decent adm king to a low adm king.. kinda not totally worth it- because it could possibly slow down your coring- meaning you're taking longer to add conquered land into the HRE.. it's a harder decision that way- but probably still worth it.

 

[jahodaradek]

Also integrate Hungary as soon as you can but wait with adding provinces until you enact HRE peace so you have IA boost by adding those provinces and you will shorten the time between no-HRE-war and religious peace.
There are some princes like Modena or Thuringia that you should release at start. Urbino shuld get released too, maybe as a vassal if you have dip spot.
Denmark should be accessible by land throught Sweden, oyu just need some claim on Denmark land you can occupy like Holstein or next to it, and then you will get war score ticks by occupying it. Also Declare on Denmark allies not Denmark so you wont call muscovy.
Did full BI fired or was Burg forced to release Holand and brabant sooner? Maybe consider moving capital and trade center to Holland as English channel is godlike to milk money.

I think you should get about 0,25IA per tick if there is peace in HRE with ambition and supportive elector and about 0,17 when there is a war.

 

[Rocketskates]

it seems slow but even i could unify the HRE as brandenburg-prussia-imperial without any diplo ideas, religious unity, many small nations, free cities, provinces to add to the HRE, do not add them early, save em up, once you reach the disallow internal wars, you are golden

 

[HydroAC]

Thanks for the replies. Playing as Austria in the HRE is a very different game and I'm learning a lot.

It is now 1575. I've passed the 5th reform (no HRE wars), and at that time all Centers of Reformation on the mainland have been eliminated and all Electors are Catholic. Two Reform Centers are in England/Ireland, but that is OK for now.

Very recently an elector I named in Italy (Siena) flipped to Protestant for no reason that could be discerned. I named Siena an Elector since they are far from any Center of Reformation - all were in northern Germany, Denmark or England/Ireland. With wars disallowed in the HRE and one elector that is Protestant I am now set up for a Religious War, which really sucks. Siena is allied to Provence (HRE) and Ragusa. I'm just finished attacking Ragusa, and I left the Ragusa with 1 province so I can attack them again in 10 years to draw in Siena to Force Religion. I hope the Religious Wars don't fire by then.

Anyway, BI did fire and for the first time even I got . I kept all the high-development lands for myself, making some of them States. I'm not sure I want to release any of them since I have only 13 states and autonomy is finally going down. I understand there will be Low Country revolts soon.

As to trade, I'm focusing on Venice/Constantinople/Alexandria. My first war with the Ottos is done, so Constantinople is next. Or maybe I should go after Alexandria, then drive to the Red Sea, Jerusalem, and Mecca/Medina? More missionaries to convert Heathens would be very handy in the near future

I recently finished integrating Hungary so I can add those lands to the HRE, potentially getting the 6th Reform. My reputation is pretty low right now (4.16, normally it is 9) due to integration of Hungary and over extension from lands taken from Tunis and Ottos. I'll wait until for 2 more years until the integration -3 reputation malus goes away so the princes will agree.

For my current IA, I'm getting 0.22/month due to 1 province outside the HRE, 51 princes, and 4 heretics. When I passed Reform #5 there was 1 heretic prince, but they keep flipping, including Siena. The Papal State moved their capital to Provence (outside the HRE), so Rome is outside the HRE. I'll attack them to take Provence, forcing the pope's capital back to Rome and inside the HRE. I'll look got provinces in Hungary that I can release after I add them to the HRE for more electors. Hungary has lower development, so it may be worth it to lose a few of those provinces.

As for Denmark, I attacked them before Reform #5 to get and eliminate the 3rd Protestant Center of Reformation. I took Norway as a Vassal and have been sniping their lands. Sweden is independent.

As Austria I'm in constant motion. With Reform #5 passed my focus is outside the HRE. I've released Novgorod as a vassal and forced to Catholic, so I'll use those permanent claims to weaken Russia. Other objectives: vassalilze Muslim Portugal to get my first colonizer under my control, integrate Switzerland, drive to Constantinople/Alexandria. Longer term: claim thrones in Spain, Poland (if they go to a monarchy), and Scotland (now von Hapsburg).

 

[HydroAC]

Quick update. In 1577 my reputation improved when coring was done and I was able to pass Reform #6. With the abolition of elective HRE we have religious peace and NO religious war!

**Whew!**

Now, on to prune Russia!