I have just taken the plunge and loaded XL. For my first campaign, I am thinking about using the Teutonic Order - they look a challenging faction and I have always loved the film of Alexander Nevsky!!
So I wondered if anybody had any thoughts about them? I will be starting in High period and always play on hard level and GA. I suppose the advice could extend on how to grow small factions.
To get into character I am thinking about walking about the house with a white sheet wrapped round me and a coal scuttle on my head!!

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Good choice, especially with regard to their POWERFUL military, but a difficult one also, especially because you'll get into contact with the horde soon (which gave me a real hell). Your initial neighbours won't bother you exceedingly, especially the Lithuanians have excellent generals but will ruin themselves in wars with Poland and the Novs. You should exploit these early conflicts to your advantage, so grab Novgorod if the opportunity shows up. Leave Estonia for now, it'll require quite a bit of garrison which can be used more effectively elsewhere.

Since your position is somewhat precarious in the face of the Horde (and you have no rivers or heavily forested battlegrounds), try to grab an emergency refuge from which you can rebuild your forces - Sweden ist the best possible choice, it's rich, it's quite safe and it has iron! Get rid of the Danes if they prove to be too annoying but stop expansion before getting into a war with the HRE or any other major power. It's not really rewarding at this stage, and the East should occupy your attention by now. One you've weathered the Horde (or whenever you feel strong enough) take Prussia and hold unto it. The +1v Teutonic knights you'll get from there IIRC are among the best cav units in the entire game.

A word to GA. Your goals are limited, and so will be your points count, so you may have to resort to the domination option (I did so in my TO GA game because France had built an unsurpassable lead in the count). GA means turtling at least for some time, but since your holdings likely won't be particularly large it also means that your king's influence will be somewhat low most of the time, making it difficult to get good heirs. They partly make up for their generally meagre quality by being excellent fighting machines (you'll probably honor those uber 40-men bodyguard units) but don't really make up for a good dynasty. Well, maybe you have a better way of dealing with that than I do....

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I agree with this absolutely. I have played the order in the past and in my opinion you must expand somewhere and grow. Estonia is right next to you, but if you can afford it bribe them as i believe they have a 4 star general which might be useful.

Sweden is one of the better provinces in the game and certainly in northern europe/baltic area. If you can get it then do it, however I do not like to conquest against other catholic nations unless they have been ex communicated.

So its really a role play choice.

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If you want to roleplay properly as the Teutonic Order: Loose 75% of all the battles and win 100% of all the sieges

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hey Odin, nice to still see you around! I just disagree in hindsight of Estonia, they're a rebellious lot and not subdued easily. So conquer them only if you can spare the men. Taking the province in the first couple of turns completely paralyzed my forces as they were tied up in suppressing the unrest in this dirt poor strip of land.

Taking Sweden is of course no good role-play but a strategically very sound decision. Without it, the Mongols will be somewhat tougher to beat since you'll have nowhere to retreat to....

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I am all in favor of taking sweden but its a strategic decision and not a historical/good game play one in my opinion. Sweden is a good first move, but if your not going to take it then by all means you must expand elsewhere. The immediate rebel provinces that border you should be the best place to start as in the XL mod, land is power, and land is florins.

Everything else in the baltic is a pain in the ass to grab and will take a big investment of new troops. Thats why I say if he has the florins, bribe estonia and take sweden, those three provinces together i believe give you 6 trading goods, 1 steel province and a copper mine.

From there you should be able to have sound footing for moving east.

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