Poland is not the easiest faction to start with.9 provinces (including 2 initial - Krakow & Halych - I guess) in turn 50 is not really impressive...However, now in turn 50 I have the largest country (9 provinces) including Prag and Nuremberg.
Watch my video which shows how to expand Poland to 8 provinces in turn 6 and to 10 provinces in turn 11:
Part 1 shows turns 1 - 6 and part 2 (not yet on You Tube but I will post it soon) turns 6 - 11:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEWb8yPSmsk
All of this took place without neglecting economy - I still had enough money to fully improve my economy each turn.
No - just keep staying neutral with Hungarians (alliance is not necessary). To do this - do not conquer Iasi (in the video above I did - because this is one of provinces which can be captured very early, in turn 4 - but in my real, recent Poland's campaign I didn't conquer Iasi and left it for Hungarians - by doing so I still have peace with Hungary despite year 1300 and turn 111).Try getting alliance with Hungarians and with Germans. This will protect your flanks.
It is not possible to remain in alliance with Germans for longer time I think - so don't even try (in the video above I signed alliance & marriage with Germany in turn 4 - but I don't think it will last long, maybe if I decide to continue this campaign it will turn out).
In my current Poland's campaign (not the one from this video - which is just a guide showing how to conquer quickly during initial turns of the campaign) there is turn 111 (year 1300). I have conquered everything to the east and north of this line (included):
Oslo - Arhus - Hamburg - Magdeburg - Breslau - Prague - Krakow - Halych - Kiev - Caffa - Sarkel
Including all these settlements. Russia is destroyed of course.
I also conquered:
Aleppo, Edessa, Baghdad and Mosul (in the Holy Lands),
Marrakesh, Timbuktu and Arguin (in western Africa),
London and Nottingham (in England)
And I only fought against Russia (destroying it), Denmark (after conquering their capital they asked for peace - I agreed) and HRE (war continues on).
I also fought against Egypt (crusade vs Antioch), Mongols (two battles for Aleppo), Moors (my "expedition" for gold and ivory) and England.
England (excommunicated) carried out a sea blockade of my port, starting war - so I asked the Pope to organize a crusade on London, he agreed.
Against HRE I keep 3 nearly stack (14 - 17 units) armies (in Hamburg, Magdeburg and Prague) - this halts their every attempt of conquest. When I see they coming closer to either of these settlements, I just send there reinforcements (to make this army full stack).
BTW - if they attack, they usually attack Prague (because this is a city - while the other two are castles).
I have alliance with Sicily and Venice (they asked me for alliance - I didn't ask anyone) and good relations with Hungary and Denmark (their faction heirs asked me to kill their kings - and by completing these missions I improved my relations). I also have superb relations with the Pope.
France is also quite friendly - I have lucrative trade with them.
In order not to provoke Hungary, I decided not to conquer Iasi (Moldavia) - which is usually conquered by Poland very early in the campaign. It worked well - I still have peace with Hungary (while normally Hungary attacks Poland sometimes even earlier than HRE and Russia).
Besides - Hungary conquered Iasi only after few dozen turns - it was more interested in expansion vs Byzantines.
Soon entire England is going to be conquered...
I will spare Scotland... maybe.
You should convert any settlement to city. Keep as castles only those settlements which are near your borders.Keep Halycz as castle and Krakow as a city.
Cities produce much more income and also you can keep a garrison inside them for free - no upkeep cost (militia units).
That's why I usually keep as castles only settlements near my borders - and not even all of them.
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