Europa Universalis III

[Cultured Drizzt fan]

I am extremely glad I got this!


Its 1450, and King James the first of England has just been named the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire!


I Allied early on with Burgandy, because from prior knowledge I know I can not take France with my manpower I made a powerfull web of allies, and due to that France has not to this day declared war on me. I sold Gascony and the other French mainland province, keeping Calais. From here I Decided I would focus on forming GB. Saw my chance in Connaught, which was allied with only Scotland! I allied with the other two Irish nations, even managing to Vassalize Munster at this point.

Used my army to smash Scotland to pieces, Took it all, but held back on a peace deal till my army finished off Connaught, and annexed it. Took everything but its capitol from Scotland, and then sat back to wait for a bit.

Let my Reputation fall down to zero again, getting my economy in order. I got pulled into a few wars from Portugal, mostly with Morroco and Granada. Got my hands on Gibraltar that way, thought a port down there will help me when I start colonizing my way to India. And then the news came, I was leading a personal union with Portugal! That was pretty awesome.


After that I had little to do in the warfare department, as France allied with Castille..... The two of them together are tougher then anything I can throw at them, and with my Manpower my armies are really a Glass cannon. So I sat pretty and once again worked out my economy.


I vassalized all of Ireland, not knowing when I annexed them I would take a hit to centralization, which is a pain, but I got to live with it. (at this point 2/3 are annexed, just waiting on Tyrone..... Have the mission unite ireland, so as soon as he is annexed I have a core on all of them), the biggest problem I face is the fact the remnants of Scotland were vassalized and then annexed by France...... That is going to be a pain to get a hold of.



From here I saw that I was the papal Controller, which has given me all sorts of options. I Decided I was going to vassalize Western Germany. All of Western Germany. The plan is to form a power base that can help me take on France. I used my abilities to excommunicate a single available target, then declared war. This would normally mean I had to fight 3 or so small minors, and the Emperor. With my allies and my big army I was able to roll down them, Vassalize each independently (remembering to get a peace deal with the leader of the alliance last of course) and take what money I can. Each time I captured and Vassalized the Emperor a new was elected, and after 5 wars like this (with about 10 years between each for my armies to recuperate and my manpower to go back up) I have pretty much all of the Electors vassalized and most of far western Germnay. (only nations I was already friendly to me or those I can't get by excommunication or alliance of an excommunication, are left free) After the latest war, I am now Emperor, and I hope the extra manpower helps my fragile armies

(this last war was a tough one, got me down to my lastr legs trying to take out them all. from the 34000 I had, about 7000 are left)


While this was happening Burgandy was reduced to almost nothingness, and forced to give up Flanders..... Uhh ohh. I was not even allowed to join in, because they were wars done by Castille on Aragon, who I am not allied with.)

So my main buffer state is pretty much gone.


I am now waiting for my cores to finally show up on Scotland, I am hoping this will speed up my research, which is agonizingly slow. I have not even been able to get Trade seven yet, so no Quest for the new world. That should happen in a year or so, and then I can start colonizing slowly.


In all a wonderful game, Took me many false starts, but I think I knwo what I am doing now.


Edit:
I just looked at my new Manpower. 64,000 should be good....... From 13k, that is fine for me.