solypsist
11-17-2002, 09:30
Any long-term player of MTW knows the importance of Sweden: It holds vast wealth and and is detached enough from the mainland to be highly defensible, yet the AI tends to largely ignore Sweden.
Here is a mixed bag of ideas for the Early Game, for people who aren't playing the Danes:
1. If playing a Catholic nation, you probably won't be able to launch a crusade to Sweden since it's barely Christian enough to not be an option. You can, however, launch one to one of the northernmost rebel provinces like Livonia, and take it easily (provided you're allied to the countries you must pass through) once your staging ground is established (a fort, a dock and a shipyard with ship is all you need to build to get there.) Use one of the banners from your Crusade for the attack on Sweden. This tactice works well for far-away Euro factions like Italy and Spain.
2. Sweden is very susceptible to rebellion for a few years after conquest, so just bribing the rebel vikings that occupy it usually won't work unless you supplement with five or six friendly units at the same time (a decent tactic for the English, who can have ships from the homelands to Sweden in maybe 9 years).
3. You can build longboats on Sweden, which cheaply gets you on the water and into oceanic trade. All ocean areas surrounding Sweden are good, but the goal for the area is the English Channel.
4. Try and avoid the temptation to attack the Danes, since you can trade with them from your own ocean territory, and they make a nice buffer from foreign attack. They're weak anough that any aggression from the Danish can probably be beat back if you're fortified with a few archer and spear units.
5. Build build build. First the obligatory border fort, then 20% crops, then trading post, dock, mines and upgrades, and then trading post upgrades. Remember your staging ground (ie. Livonia) should be producing more boats occasionally during this time, so Sweden doesn't have to bother with a shipyard and can focus on upgrading the trading.
6. After you have a dock in Sweden, try and have a spy or assassin from a homeland province (with a dock) and transfer him/them over. Sweden, for some strange reason, really attracts enemy agents who use it as a traffic-heavy waypoint; your agents will catch enemies and gain valor which can be used for real missions later. If you can, send a princess to marry the conquering general and a bishop to start converting the population, too.
7. Norway can be tough, send a full-combat banner to take it if you decide to conquer it; preferably cavalry. Norway rebels may attack Sweden if they get too large.
8. If your faction is southern Euro, you can use Sweden as a staging ground for attacks on England, without having to fight your way through the mainland continent (ie. France and HRE) or bring a ring of boats around Iberia (very slow and expensive.) Once you attack England, your homelands are safe from English retaliation (unless they somehow border your lands) and your Swedish navy should prevent an attack on Sweden. A good way to take Scotland, if you feel you must.
9. When the Mongol horde shows up, and looks like it's going to wipe out your northern oupost (ie. Livonia or wherever), take all your men to Sweded via port, and then sell off the buildings. Your army is now safe from the Horde, unless the Horde takes Denmark.
okay, so let's see what everyone else has to say.
Here is a mixed bag of ideas for the Early Game, for people who aren't playing the Danes:
1. If playing a Catholic nation, you probably won't be able to launch a crusade to Sweden since it's barely Christian enough to not be an option. You can, however, launch one to one of the northernmost rebel provinces like Livonia, and take it easily (provided you're allied to the countries you must pass through) once your staging ground is established (a fort, a dock and a shipyard with ship is all you need to build to get there.) Use one of the banners from your Crusade for the attack on Sweden. This tactice works well for far-away Euro factions like Italy and Spain.
2. Sweden is very susceptible to rebellion for a few years after conquest, so just bribing the rebel vikings that occupy it usually won't work unless you supplement with five or six friendly units at the same time (a decent tactic for the English, who can have ships from the homelands to Sweden in maybe 9 years).
3. You can build longboats on Sweden, which cheaply gets you on the water and into oceanic trade. All ocean areas surrounding Sweden are good, but the goal for the area is the English Channel.
4. Try and avoid the temptation to attack the Danes, since you can trade with them from your own ocean territory, and they make a nice buffer from foreign attack. They're weak anough that any aggression from the Danish can probably be beat back if you're fortified with a few archer and spear units.
5. Build build build. First the obligatory border fort, then 20% crops, then trading post, dock, mines and upgrades, and then trading post upgrades. Remember your staging ground (ie. Livonia) should be producing more boats occasionally during this time, so Sweden doesn't have to bother with a shipyard and can focus on upgrading the trading.
6. After you have a dock in Sweden, try and have a spy or assassin from a homeland province (with a dock) and transfer him/them over. Sweden, for some strange reason, really attracts enemy agents who use it as a traffic-heavy waypoint; your agents will catch enemies and gain valor which can be used for real missions later. If you can, send a princess to marry the conquering general and a bishop to start converting the population, too.
7. Norway can be tough, send a full-combat banner to take it if you decide to conquer it; preferably cavalry. Norway rebels may attack Sweden if they get too large.
8. If your faction is southern Euro, you can use Sweden as a staging ground for attacks on England, without having to fight your way through the mainland continent (ie. France and HRE) or bring a ring of boats around Iberia (very slow and expensive.) Once you attack England, your homelands are safe from English retaliation (unless they somehow border your lands) and your Swedish navy should prevent an attack on Sweden. A good way to take Scotland, if you feel you must.
9. When the Mongol horde shows up, and looks like it's going to wipe out your northern oupost (ie. Livonia or wherever), take all your men to Sweded via port, and then sell off the buildings. Your army is now safe from the Horde, unless the Horde takes Denmark.
okay, so let's see what everyone else has to say.