I'm a bit worried about France.

**al Roumi** · 05-30-2009, 15:14

It's not like you need to worry about an invasion of GB or your caribean islands, so send everyone to your danger area -Canada and the 13 colonies.

How are your alliances? I've always treasured my Alliance with the Iroquoi and they've stuck by me. Make sure you give them millitary access to your provinces.

As the game begins, you should have enough troops from your European army to allow you launch a naval invasion of Quebec. As of then, you've got them on the back foot in NA.

The other threat to you in NA is the Cherokee. I've normally dispatched them before taking Quebec & Montreal in my games, so if they haven't already DoW'd on the 13 colonies, it may happen soon...

Good luck!

**Didz** · 05-30-2009, 15:36

Originally Posted by alh_p

It's not like you need to worry about an invasion of GB or your caribean islands, so send everyone to your danger area -Canada and the 13 colonies.

They are already there. In fact my only army is currently in New York led by my only General (The 69 year old McDowell, hero of the Indian Wars.). I have nothing in Britain except a few militia units, and only two regiments of regular infantry. The 1st (Royal) Foot is all alone in Holland showing the flag and providing moral support to my Dutch Allies, and the 2nd (Queens) is in New York. Everything else is colonial, or mercenary.

No, the only thing that worries me in Europe is the possibility of losing control of The Channel, and having all my trade terminated. If that happens it will be almost instant bankruptcy and 'game over'.

Originally Posted by alh_p

How are your alliances? I've always treasured my Alliance with the Iroquoi and they've stuck by me. Make sure you give them millitary access to your provinces.

The Cherokee and Iroquios are gone. Neither of them would listen to reason and constantly raided my American colonies, in the end they overan Georgia and the Carolina's and so I had to send German mercenaries from Ruperts Land and raise Colonials in Jamaica to recover them, and finish the native threat off for good. Only the Huron remain a threat but having overun Ruperts Land they have been pretty docile since even though they refuse to make peace.

I don't have many Alliances and tend to be a bit wary of making them as in my experience your Allies just get you involved in 'dumb wars'. But I do have a little mutually supporting pact in the United Provinces, Hannover and Westphalia which has held solid without any problems for a while even though the Dutch are at war with France.

The Thirteen Colonies are still my protectorate of course, although there are only two left.

Originally Posted by alh_p

As the game begins, you should have enough troops from your European army to allow you launch a naval invasion of Quebec. As of then, you've got them on the back foot in NA.

That would only work if you didn't self-limit your troop transport to one unit per trade vessel. Building up a fleet of 16 trade vessels and not actually using them for trade is not really an option early in the game.

In fact, what I did was raise Colonial troops in Jamaica and hired German Mercenaries in Ruperts Land and then used the East Indiamen I was building locally to transport them to Georgia and drop them off one regiment at a time before the ships continued on their way to the Trade Theatres.

That gradually enabled me to build up a full army in North America, which was then supplemented with Native mercenaries once I had a decent foothold. But, as things stand I still don't have access to proper troop training buildings on the American continent. So, for example I have no way to recruit artillery and would have to find trade ships to transport it in of I need it.

Wow! just had a nasty shock....ended my turn and suddenly the 'Bankruptcy' message popped up, and I thought the French fleet was out. But it turned out I had just forgotten to turn the tax on for England, and as London is the only city keeping my Empire solvent I'd just run out of cash.

This is actually quite good fun, as I'm having to squeeze every once of benefit out of what little revenue I get each turn.

Oxford have just finished researching 'Naval Architecture' so I can now build Portsmouth Drydock next turn as long as I delay developing the port at Yorktown. At the same time all the Gentlemen at Oxford have just been sent to Cambridge now that they have completed their critical naval research, as Cambridge is researching 'Fire by Ranks' which I'm hoping will give my army an edge over the French.

Meanwhile, the French army in New England is gaining one new regiment every turn and will be at full strength in three more turns. I'm sure France isn't planning to leave it sitting around doing nothing after that. My current thinking is that I might abandon New York when the French attack and fall back to Maryland. There is a large colonial army in Maryland and it would be better to face the French together if we have to, thats assuming that the Colonial Army doesn't march to assist me in New York of course.

The only good news is that Austria just declared war on Spain. God knows why. They are already at war with France, Russia, Prussia, The Ottoman Empire and Poland, so perhaps they are just trying to collect a full set. However, they do have a tiny navy in the Adriatic, so Spain might detach a few ships to protect Naples.

Lol! (Next Turn) Austria declares war on Westphalia, which effectively means my little Northern Alliance (Britain, Hannover, United Provinces and Westphalia) are now at war with Austria. So, yes they are going for a full set. Though interestingly the only way they can reach Westphalia is through Bavaria, which is an ally but has refused to join the war. Anyway, the 1st Foot have marched to Cologne ready to help defend the Westphalian capital if necessary.

**Servius** · 05-30-2009, 16:33

Cut the head off and destroy the faction. Build and load up 2-3 stacks, take Paris and Loraine, faction disappears, problem solved.

**Didz** · 05-30-2009, 17:19

Originally Posted by Servius1234

Cut the head off and destroy the faction. Build and load up 2-3 stacks, take Paris and Loraine, faction disappears, problem solved.

Very true, but I've never been interested in playing TW games that way. I'm still very much a wargamer by nature, and I still live in hope that CA or someone will produce a decent computer wargame before I die.

**FactionHeir** · 05-30-2009, 20:35

France has 2 regions in Europe. Build two 3/4 stacks and take em out.
Military access isn't hard to get.

In fact, 1 full stack taking out France (region) is enough already to then offer them peace for several of their American holdings.
Same story with Spain, just take out their main region and they'll happily sell you their Euro and/or American regions for a simple peace treaty. Regardless of unrest in those regions.

So yes, I'm very much with Servius and that's what I did as the Dutch when they declared war on me.

**Didz** · 05-30-2009, 20:59

Well they haven't actually declared war on me yet, and to be honest I think they have left it too late now and missed their opportunity.

I have my drydock at Portsmouth and my channel fleet already has an Admiral and three 3rd Rates on the slips being built. Plus my troops now know how to 'Fire by Ranks' and I have explosive shells, so I think my army and navy can now hold their own.

More importantly the 'Tax Holiday' I had given all my provinces in order to encourage growth has done its job and most of them are now fully populated and the tax is being switched back on as the last village is created. So my revenue is beginning to rise and I'm able to afford to increase the size of my trade fleet, army and navy.

On top of that my protestant missionaries have been doing excellent work in the America's and the number of Catholic's in French held provinces has dropped to a minority or dissappeared altogether, and they don't seem too happy with French rule, as I notice that France has had to increase its garrisons significantly.

Add to the that a rather nice gesture by the Dutch who have parked their main fleet in the channel and are now raiding the French trade lane, and things are not looking as hopeful for the French.

However, I do like your idea, not least because all my best training facilities are in England and the channel is quite narrow. So, I can probably mass a decent army in the Netherlands far easier than I can in America and if I take Alsace_Lorraine and can trade it for New England I'll be more than happy to rinse and repeat until I get everything I want, and if Spain get bolchy I'll take FLanders and give it to the Dutch.