Recently I found every faction easy, then I try HRE High period-Hard in Wes Mod (with some modification: only guns, no other siege weapon, ships take 6 turns to build) . I only try HRE 1 or 2 before because it is too big to be fun
This turn to be fun after about everyone surround or not surround attack me, include the victorious Mongol and everyone touch Saxon by the sea No ally On top of that I have several rebels Finally I go with the rebel
This time I develop a new strategy: attack to defend. Because too many enemy, too many front, so the goal is to reduce enemy power while save my own troops. If the enemy advance and I think I will loose the battle, I just abandon the province. In the province I can't keep, I just put about 60-100 man to retreat and fight a castle defend, if the enemy attack. At some point I only keep Franconia (richest province), Saxon, Bavaria. The three have rivers to defense Even Saxon was lost to the Dane sometime. The enemy paid big when cross the rivers Only the Dane succeed one time to seize Saxon.
But this is not enough. From the secure borders I form a fire brigade with my best general and mounted several counter attacks with overwhelming forces and a much higher rank general than the foe If you let the enemy come to you, you may have little choice. But the enemy sometime let his army with no able general, so attack and destroy them
Finally, AI began to make peace and ally. The faraway Muslims begin first and the waring surround faction follow suit. HRE general become loyal and start with 3 stars The 2 HRE ships in the North Sea do wonder. They clear every enemy ship out of North Sea and continue fight even after Saxon is lost and no contact with HRE mainland They help stop the enemy trade route and the usually Dane expansion.Good game
I tried HRE the second at Late Again the surround enemies do the surround. Same strategy, but this time my navy is lost and I hold on to Austria because of the command bonus of several buildings there. Still Austria is captured by rebel, then Italia several year before I took it back. I still hold the Viena fortress and it is the first time to see a gun fortress assault battle
Try HRE in Wes Mod then you will know about challenge
