My usual Danish strategy is to start slow-ish. First target is Sweden, preferably forcing a battle by attacking small so the rebels don't flee Norway. Then I tend to turtle up while building up to ships in Denmark and armoury/metalsmiths in Sweden. I will take Norway eventually, but it's a bit of a drain until you get a trade network set up so I wait a while. Saxony is an option if the HRE is in disarray (and when is it ever
not in disarray!), since it works as a chokepoint just like Denmark and can help your income. After that, I just crank out ships, tech up, and enjoy the trade cash for a while.
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I noticed that, plenty of decent prince generals. My only problems now are:
My empire is a bit disconnected in parts, so that could affect loyalty at some point.
Hold Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Norsogod, Livonia, Lithuania, all of the British Isles, Ireland, Flanders, Britany (bribed it) Friesland, Portugal, Tuscany, Genoa, Venice, Sicily, Sardinia and Corsica (these I grabbed for ship building as decent tech, and to keep an eye on areas on there in the earlier game before I kicked the Sicilians out of the Italian provinces), and Constanople ( the English held it, but after battling them when they attacked my navy, found it was easy to take).
I noticed my GA point totals are lower than the Turks and the Spanish (who are huge, they extend from Aquatine all the way to Tripoli with a few rebel provinces here and there)
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I've found that you can't really stay small for too long though, as your influence won't grow, your heirs get fat and lazy, and your generals start grumbling. The Danes also tend to fill up with heirs, the maintenance costs of those bodyguard units can take a huge cut from your profits. I usually target the British Isles next, but that can change depending on the cost to trade via alliances. If the English are too valuable, Ireland is usually still rebels, it's costly to garrison but can cut ship maintenance costs to offset that and gallowglasses are entertaining. The Iberian peninsula can also be a target to offset ship maintenance costs of the Med trade.
Once the treasury fills up, I generally lose self-control, start taking advantage of weak spots and wars, and somehow end up with most of Western/Central Europe with only the Baltic and Med trade left. And excommunicated. And actively searching for provinces with Chapter Houses to raze when they drop a cross on you.
What can I say, the Danes are fun.
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