A Nation Guide by Sliver Legion

[sliver legion]

This is a nice little guide to help a player choose nations for a game of Eu2. Read the excerpts and make a choice. I have put then in order of best to worst with the bad ones at the bottom of the page.

The Great Powers

These are basically the countries that are suggested for play basic, strong, and good platforms for learning the game. Almost all of them can be played into a number one finish. They are for the most part easy to win with and I consider them to make great tutorials.

Spain; This country starts with a good position and has a lot of potential. With hordes of explorers, traders, and colonists coming in regularly it is almost impossible to not have a thriving economy. Spain has the ability to invest huge amounts of money into the military, and therefore can be a force to be reckoned with. I have heard of player keeping 100k plus armies around while playing as Spain. The nation begins to decline in the later years and the colonial empire may slip away, but Iberia itself will be well furnished by this point in the game. It can be easy to raise inflation though. It is usually best to keep profits in the early years of the game small so you can have normal prices later on when you have promotions to make. Recommended for beginners you can make a huge error and still expect to win the game or make a top five finish. A player should we wary of France as it has a land border with your home land and a power full military. Portugal should also be kept in check as it can threaten your colonies.

France; France has some of the richest provinces in the game at its disposal While its early years can be hard to get through once the hundred years war is over life will be good. Explorers start to come in to your service. While you most likely will not acquire as many colonies as Spain you can still get quite a few. France usually has money to burn and like Spain can field huge armies. Its position is also great for expansion. If you can deal with Austria the German States make great pickings. Another similarity to Spain is that French can become powerful near the end of the game, and some nasty events sometimes cripple your empire. For the most part I recommend France to all players as it can be challenging if you take to many wrong turns.

England; This is an interesting country to play and takes some work to perfect. Don't worry about the early French holding to much a good player will survive without them. England starts weak and steadily if played right gains power. Armies should not be over glorified as a strong navy will make or break England. If you do manage to hold onto the French land you can expand rapidly and become rich fast. Considering you don't hold onto those lands life is still easy with a huge empire something like the American becoming free drops your income from 500 ducats per month down to 450 per month. This country is great for beginners as it can take a hit and still prosper. Kind of a bore for experienced players though.

Poland; this country has an ideal situation on the map. German Minors to the west the Balkans to the south and a weak Russia to the north. If a player can overcome some basic obstacles (Austria manly) they can prosper. While your provinces are not to rich with just a little expansion you can support larger armies than even France. One vital aspect of any Poland game is diplomacy. Late in the game Austria and Russia will jump on you when ever they get a chance so a player has to make deals and find way to play the powers against each other. At times you may get poor or even bankrupt but in the scale of things these are minor events and will not phase a strong polish empire. In the later parts of the game you may find your tech lagging behind that of your foes as well. Merely because of Austria and Russia I suggest that a player have basic knowledge of the game before playing Poland.

Austria; This country offers allot a variety and quite a bit of work to succeed at. Don't get me wrong it is not that hard to play as. Weak German to the north Italian minors to the south. Expansion is key without it your country will falter. One of the best things about a game as Austria is that it does not historically enter its decline which keeps the events on the good side. Huge armies and high land tech are necessary. Austria has some inheritance events that make it much stronger. The navy for the most part can be ignored unless you plan on colonial expansion which is rare for Austria. Your fortune lies in Europe not in the distant oceans. Lash out on all sides find a good ally and Austria is invincible.

Ottoman Empire; The rich lands of Persia await you if you can unite the basic lands of Turkey which is quite simple. You gain a CoT have some good leaders and monarchs, and weak annoying neighbors on all sides. Try creating a good under standing with Russia as they can become a threat in the late game. One of the best aspect of this country is multiple CoTs are not out of the question you get 1 early on and 3 more and within striking distance. Rapid expansion is key because if you wait on it in the early years your neighbors will be ready for you. The bad of play the OE begins to emerge in the late game. Bad monarchs and massive revolts become the norm. Try to hold on and a top 5 finish is almost a guaranteed. I recommend any level player as the difficulty depends on you approach.

Sweden; Not early on mind you. In the early year rather weak and fragile, but later on in the game. The nation becomes strong and the massive fleet you will compile allows you to strike into the south. With a firm homeland a CoT and good events on its side Sweden makes a great nation for learning the game. Denmark and Russia are you main enemies and must be dealt with soon or they may just attack together and crush you. Prussia should also be killed early on before it gathers strength. Use your knowledge of the times events in other countries happen to plan your war not one engagement in a sure win. I recommend beginner player and those with an intermediate skill as well seeing as Russia some times chews up the nation.

Portugal; Poor beginning provinces and a weak army are your curse in the early years, but be friendly with Spain send out explorers and colonize the world. Brazil is a good place to start colonizing though I prefer Africa. A bit more work, but with a huge pay off in the end. Secure strategic locations early on and the pacific will become you personal paradise. I will make one thing clear do not worry too much about land warfare. Ships are important to protect your assets and Spain will not bother you that much if you make nice and pay a little tribute. I would say this is an exceptionally easy country to play as long as your don't piss of the Spanish.

Russia; What is there to say about Russia. Really only that the east is your direction of choice and that the former hordes will fall easily to your armies. Invest carefully the navy is not that important but still should be watched after. Poland is really your only threat in the early and mid years of the game and even they can be bashed back in a good war. A CoT and vast expanse of unclaimed land under your control allow a player the potential to become an economic giant. I have found that it helps to make nice to the western powers and have them help you in war against the Ottomans. This country makes for a good fun game but can become tedious. No real skill preference as it depend how you play the game in the end.

China; I will make this simple a good player with China is unstoppable. Huge amounts of rich land, weak neighbors, and no pesky Europeans till late in the game what else can you ask? I don't really know about that, but I do realize that Nippon is the only threat you will face for a long time. After they are gone south East Asia is yours. Beat the Russians to Siberia and they will be kept in check if you don't they can be a mean enemy. Two possible CoTs and a unique religion are some other benefits of this far eastern giant. Near the games end massive revolts break out they sometimes cause new player to lose control of their country. A good player may not enjoy China as it is easy to take anything you want. It is however my personal favorite country to do world conquest with.

The Power of the First Rank

These are for the most part strong well rounded countries with the game on their side. They pose a larger challenge than the great powers, but can still be a rather easy game. A winning finish is a good possibility playing as any of these countries.

Prussia/Brademburg; These countries are considered Germany in most cases. They have a CoT within range and a decnet amount of avalible land upon which to build and empire. Germany must be united if you want to stand any chance at all and quick before the other nations take bits of it away form your grasp. Try to control European trade rather than expanding into the colonial empire thing. I would suggest putting your full effort into land tech and giving the navy the cold shoulder. While I can't seem to find the exact names of any a nice string of events in the games later years can greatly help your country. After you get all the one provence nations together try to beat up a superpower of two.

Netherlands; The Dutch have a lot going for them once they are united. A small mainland European base is one bad side, but the vast colonial empire usually makes up for this. When a player begins to gain colonial might Indonesia is usually their target. Simply because no one claims it for a while. The weak countries near the East Asian islands can make good prey. The Germans to your west in Europe make good pickings but Spain and France for the most part hate the Dutch so be careful. It is quite possible to become an economic giant and control world trade using the Netherlands. I recommend a basic grasp of the game seeing as France and Spain can be hard to beat.

The United States; When the colonies become free they have some work to do. First matter of work kick the Brits out of North America. After the first few nasty years of war with England things start to look up. Your Indian neighbors can be annexed fast and rapid expansion is totally possible. The French will almost give you Louisiana. The real threats are England who may strike from the north and Mexico who also is expanding fast. No need to worry about European politics though. I say that the US should be played once you have a little experience as the English can be annoying and tiresome.

Nippon; This is an interesting game with a CoT Nippon can have a decent economy. Another advantage is the island home land. Japan is ideal for taking over Indonesia. I find that China is the main problem. They are strong and may even invade the home islands. It is crucial with Nippon like England to maintain a large navy and understand how to use it properly. This country like so many others does have a period of massive revolts. Try to take some mainland provences to help offset these revolts. Some players can even stay at peace for most of the game with Nippon and finish decently. I suggest a basic grasp of game concepts. The reason China most more be said on the subject.

Persia; You start the game with some rich land but only a mediocre situation on the map. The OE usually starts to bug me early on in the game and an ill fated war can crush the country. It is best to grab what is left of the Mongol hordes and then fortify your situation. Revolts can become common if you don't watch yourself and near the end of the game a border with China might be created that is not good. India and its occupants can be trouble to in a Persia game. The Persian economy can be good as you do have a CoT and can compile quite a few merchants. I say that you should have a decent amount of experience before playing a Persia. The reason that you may find yourself in a multi front war.

Denmark; A good country to learn the ropes of war in my opinion. The Germans are your main prey and Sweden and Russia you enemies. Both strong countries deals must be made to protect you borders. You don't start the game with a CoT but there is one nearby ripe for the picking. The key to any game with Denmark is a good military and control of the Baltic Sea. With the military Germany is yours and with the Baltic control Russia is conquerable (at least in the early years.) Experience needed as you border two great powers and are bound to end up next to another.

Mughal Empire; This is basically the Indian power. A few good wars and the other nations on the subcontinent will fall. The basic advantages are the lack of a north flank and some decent value provinces. Disadvantages are the Europeans and China. You will have to fend of the colonists early or the empire might crumble. China is a worse situation you my have to pay a good amount of tribute to them if you want to avoid war. The south East Asian countries can be brought into empire and it is not out of the question to seize a CoT later in the game. Not much experience needed but a bit to deal with the Europeans.

Hungary; This is the lowest of the first rank powers. Austria and Poland on either side and no huge advantages work against you. The Austrian want you land but the Balkans make a good place to expand though if you do you may run into trouble with the OE. It really is a challenging situation, but it did not seem right to put it in with the next rank. My general opinion is that is you can keep what you have and do a little expansion then you should consider yourself a winner in the game. Your economy will suck as you don't get a CoT and your provinces are not comparable to say those of France. One suprise that is not good is that of Austia gaining control of your land via inheritence. Try to take some German land and keep up border defense. Moderate amount of experience just look at a map of the game with Hungary in it and you will know why.

Power of the Second Rank

These are countries with basic advantage such as CoTs and large land area. They are also those with bad events and risky positions on map. Due to this they make some of the best, but sometimes challenging games to play. I would not suggest that a totally new person to the game play one of these countries, but rather perfect their skill before playing. While a winning finish is still in the cards the signs are turning against you.

Venice; A good CoT and Italian minors to prey upon are among its good points that are commonly mentioned. The less talked about points are the risks that come from being nest to both the OE and Austria. Both admire Venice and will attack again and again, but you can usually survive. If you do the treat is a weak divided Italy. Experience needed but after a few games it is not out of the question for a new player.

Genoa; Like Venice a Cot and weak Italians to prey upon. The difference really only is that instead of OE and Austria DoWing you it is France and Austria. Yet again if you can survive and raise an army Italy is yours. Genoa also has the benefit of being with striking range of Switzerland and Germany.

Scotland; Postion is the bad part of this country. It has England to the south and nothing else. This means expansion is limited. I suppose if you can beat England than with a strong home land you can do allot in the way of colonization. The islands of Britian are great and a good area it is definatly a decent place to play a game. Land tech should be favored at first and then if you take all fo Britian then fovor the navy and build a huge fleet to defend. I suggest a moderate amount of knowlage is naval warfare before playing.

Mecklenburg; A single province with a CoT Mecklenburg is at the bottom of the Second rank. It does however have a position that can be used to unite Germany and attack HIRE. A hard game indeed once off and running Sweden and Demark will start to DoW you in hopes of taking what you have gained. Let them take a province now and then, but strike back and push them into their homelands once again. I will say now that the chances of winning a war against a great power will Mecklenburg are slim except to a good player. I suggest you have some decent victories a couple of games under your belt before attempting this country.

Astrakhan; You have a CoT, and that is all the advantages. With some work your economy can turn out decent and then the hordes are targets worth considering, but later on problems start. There is Russia who will want more land. They can be mean fighters so don't expect to win every war, instead try to hold a defensive line. Survival is your objective if you can do that then congratulations. I suggest a moderate amount of skill before playing.

Oman; A CoT and a stable position are some benefits. Downsides are low man power and greedy neighbors who want your land. The country will change but the direction of attack will not they come from the north Iran mainly. I would say tray to fend them off but increase your holdings in Africa so when you lose a province it is not too much of a shock to your economy. A hard country but if you strike Iran when the revolts are going on and get some decent manpower provinces a good nation to play with. A suggest only a small amount of skill because the nearest big threat is the OE who tends not to be interested.

Lithuania; A new player might look at this country and say wow that big I will play that country. Well the truth is they are in for a hard game. For starters you are Poland’s vassal and you had better obey or they will crush you. The Poles don't value your friend ship to them you are nothing more than a shield against the Russians who by the why admire your land. Sure the country is big but the provinces don't yield too much income and the large size makes your borders hard to protect. Only a decent skill needed but I warn you it is a boring game in which you will fight the same people over and over again.

Ak Koylunlu; In later campaign they have Iran under their control the game is similar to that of Persia with the exception of having to fight the OE more often and having more revolts rip the country into pieces. You must also deal with religious differences, and Delhi’s plans for expansion. I don't see to many opportunities other than the Mongol hordes which are a decent distance away from your capital and hard to control and annexation. Decent level of skill required be ready to face the OE in war and to deal with internal turmoil.

Mameluks; Now I suppose this is rather low a category to put this country into but I had my reason. Despite the nice pickings to the east and south the OE wants your land. They will stop at nothing if they don’t get you directly they will close the noose and capture all you neighbors first. Admitted you have a CoT and a good land base. After the initial expansion the country becomes hard to control and religious problems spring up. Then suddenly there is no more space to expand into and you are stuck. This is when the Turks have you caught. Kind of easy to play but has a few handicaps.

Byzumtim; Not sure I spelt that right, but close enough. In the GC this nation is hanging on by a thread. It is unlikely that a new player will be able to cantain the anger the OE. If you can than the game becomes similar to that of a OE one with soem exceptions here and there. The provences you stand to get are fairly rich and can bring in a profit if used right. Try to control land tech and creat a huge army. I would not suggest a new player even try this nation for a long time. It is among one of the most fun and interesting natons to play.

Manchu; Good land base no room for expansion south. If you manage to get Siberia explored then great beat the crap out of the Russians and have a fun game. Considering you don't which usually happens. All you have to look forward to is China. They will bite the head off your country and that is it for you. I will be truthful to anyone other than a veteran beating China has a slim chance of happening. Korea can be taken and with some work Nippon is not out of the question at all. I feel that this actually deserves the nest rank down but put it here after reading some AARs about a few games with it. Moderate to advanced skill required.

Delhi; I really don't want to repeat myself twice, because this is pretty much the same as another country higher up on the scale. The difference is that Delhi has more work to do in order to unite India. Also China is growing strong fast and is not yet influenced by the Europeans at this point. There for they are a more challenging enemy. Decent Skill needed for success no more need be said.

Mexico; A former colony of Spain bordering Spain. Who is still a force to be reckoned with so watch your step. More bad news if you don't have a border with Spain then have one with the US just as potent an enemy. Good points now. Gold and quite a bit of it, and you border on two oceans and can get some land
along the Pacific coast. Makes for a challenge I say good luck and rather advanced skill needed.

Teutonic Order. This country is tucked in along the Baltic coast. The position is not bad it is just what a person can get themselves into. Unless a strike north is almost immediately organized when Russia is weak them it will almost totally overtake you. Poland to the south is out of your league and its attacking it vassal will give it a good excuse to take some land. The provinces you start with are not exactly rich, but in an early campaign you have a CoT unfortunately that sometimes goes away. The key to any game is to expand fast while it is still possible and to be observant the only time you can possible win a war against Poland is when it is already in a bad spot. Good amount of experience is required to be truly successful.

Powers of the Third Rank

This is where you start to think the game is evil and plotting against your country. For the most part it is a lack of advantages not a vast number of disadvantages if that makes any sense that will place a country at this level. Players should have a good grasp of all aspects of the game especially how to handle an economy and fight decisive wars.

Uzbek Kaganate, Nogia, Golden Horde, Sibir, Crimea, and Khazak Horde

This may seem like a lot of nations to do at one time but they all deserve a similar rating baddish. The positions are not that bad at first but once the OE and Russia expands they become risky fast. The Golden Horde will face problems with its internal affairs and will be the first of the above nations to have to put up with Russia. The other Mongol remnants are rather weak but if united stand a decent chance of success. The more southern of these countries will have to put up with whoever controls Iran trying to invade all the time. The countries are just poor weak and unorganized but in a good players hand not a totally lost cause. I say that a player should have a largish amount of experience before attempting these hordes.

Naples, The Papal States, and Tuscany; The aspect of the game similar in all these countries is the amount of trouble you can get yourself into if you make a wrong turn. Your position is somewhere in Italy depending upon which nation you chose. If in the northern part then Austria will be likely to attack your lands. In the south Spain is fond of invading. The reason is that the Italian provinces are decently wealthy and a nice target for expansion. I even suggested this in some of my other country reviews. Considering you fend of the Spanish and Austrians and unite Italy what then? France to you west Austria to the north and the Med. Sea everywhere else. Face it being successful in a war against any of these powers will be a slim possibility. Decent amount of skill and a few games played as minor nations prior to the game are my suggestions on who should attempt these countries.

Morocco, Algiers, and Tunisia; All these countries are in a similar location meaning North Africa. Their main problem is the OE. The empire is not an initial threat, but later on it is a force to be reckoned with. Morocco is less likely to take a beating from the OE and more likely to get DoWed by Spain. One disadvantage is the lack of ways to expand either left of right make a choice. Morocco has some open land to its west but Portugal wants that. With a good strategy to push back the OE any of these countries can be rather successful. I would say that a reasonable amount of experience is usually needed to have to good game with any of the lands.

Qura Koyonda; The trukish black sheep is in an odd postion. I find that it is often hard to make a break through in the global stage. Try to take over eastern Turkey befor the OE or well your pretty much dead. If you can't manage to rapidly expand to the east or west then you will find yourself sandwhiched bettween two huge nations whatever they may be. I would say that the European CoTs are off limits as you will make little or no profit. One final point that should be stressed is that the army is your only worry and the navy as you are land locked should be ignored. Basic to general idea of how the game works needed to do rather well.

Indian Minors; This includes about seven nations look at a game map to see which ones. Far to lazy to list them all here. The basic thing to know is that you are in for a ride. Your trapped in your position Delhi is to the north and if you push just a little to the west China will start to annoy you. The beginning provinces for the most part are decently wealthy and can spur on a good economy. Don't get too attached to your nice land though because England, France, and Portugal all start to colonize your land. This will weaken your hold on power unless you burn the trade posts early on in the game. Try to conquer Southwest Asia and don't let the European get comfortable or you will have trouble kicking them out latter in the game. Moderate amount of experience needed.

French Minors; These nations are the fargments that are around before the 100 years war. Try simpley to dominate you french foes and unite everything. This is a hard game as France has a good base on which to blow you away. I would say ally with either the French or the Engllish and try to hold your ground. If you can do that than become France and follow the normal path for her. This is a decently hard game and needs a large amount of skill with land armies.

Aztec Empire; Gold is what your asset is and that about it. Your neighbors can be taken down but after that all you have to do is colonize a little land and wait around for Spain. Then once they arrive I can promise you many wars in which you may win or lose depends how you play. Unless you enjoy facing the same enemy over and over again then well don't play the Aztecs. I can't really think much more to say about this except that you only need a little experience, but a lot a patience to have fun.

Powers of the Fourth Rank

Well this is where the countries start to tip towards bad. Disadvantages are there, but can be overcome. These include position, events and hostile neighbors. I would not suggest in the least that a new player start with one of these nations out right rather perfect your skill before attempting.

Mali, Songhai, and Ashanti; This group is bound together mostly by the region where they are located meaning the Sahel of Africa. This historically was terrible as the Europeans will exploit and annoy you. I find that if you unify the other independent nations around one them the chances of a decent finish raise allot. The problem is after that what do you do the coasts of Africa are the only place expansion is really going to happens and this is slow. It will also eventually mean war with Portugal (Spain.) Make changes to the DP slider as soon as you can to favor more trade and land warfare as these will be needed to live. I do not suggest trying to trade in any other place than Benin as it usually does not fill up with European trader to fast. Finally I would suggest to all players that you concentrate on your armies and ignore the navy as they have no real practical purpose. A good skill level and experience with non-Christian non-European nations needed.

The Hedjaz, Nubia and Aden; These countries are centered around the Middle East and at all points of the game have a rather large power nearby. The power will change depending upon who owns Egypt, but will stay in the same are. Your tech group makes research harder than other nations, and for the most part you have low manpower provinces. It is needed that one must take some highly populated land or defense of your lands is near impossible. I would suggest the holly land our Egypt. Expansion is very limited meaning only to the south in most cases and only if you have a navy. Trade is difficult and should be kept around only as insurance that you pay debt. Land tech is most important as is favoring land DP setting offensive doctrine and land. I would suggest a large knowledge of minor nations and how to manipulate your enemy’s disadvantages.\

North American Natives; This is a couple of nation actually six I think. Note this does not include Navaho, Zapotec, and Dakota. The main disadvantage for the included nations is the Europeans who come and destroy all that you have tried to create. I would strongly suggest not letting them get a foothold anywhere at all. Try to make tech as affordable as possible because your tech group makes gains almost unknown. Warfare is usually on a small scale and annoying. If you can find the money to colonize land then you are in a fine spot with lots of area to expand into other than that you are stuck. One personal suggestion is to not get caught up with the European type of game and expect to have the same time in North America it is much different. It makes for a boring game as any of these nations almost no politics and limited warfare sounds like a snore to me.

Taungu, Myanmar, Arakan, Assan, Vientiane, and Dia Viet; These are all nations in southwest Asia with inland of strong costal positions. The main factor that makes a game as any of these nations suck is China. It is a giant and can crush you even combined at any time. I would put trade into Malacca and go out of you way to burn Portuguese and Dutch trade posts as they will corrode your countries later on in the game. Indonesia can be colonized but this is costly slow and will aggravate the Portuguese not a good thing to do in most cases. India can be attacked but his too is a hard path to follow I would say the best thing to do is unite the area and hold fast. Not a particularly interesting game as you will face China or Portugal over and over again. I would suggest having a good to almost flawless knowledge of warfare for all but the most southern of these countries.

Powers of the Fifth Rank

I am not saying that these countries are the worst. I am merely showing that they are the hardest and sometimes the most interesting to play. Several nations in this rank such a Saxony belong at sligtly higher ranking, but really do fit best here for the sack of generalization. Watch out for chances to get the jump on the AI is most likely the only important thing I can say.

German Minors; These are the tiny one province nations that inhabit Germany and the eastern France. The game is difficult as you must unite all of the one province nations to even have a small chance of a win. This takes ages even longer if you don't want to ignite BB wars. Then if united you border two first rank powers and three great powers not a good place to be. Once in one peace do not consider more European expansion to be high on your priority. Instead build up your economy and try to expand overseas perhaps in Indonesia. I would not suggest that a person try to do anything to odd or challenging with these nations as you will face numerous hardships. Some other problems that you will be faced with are the protestant conversion and massive revolts if your peasants get to angry with policy. Try to make Germany the greatest land power in the world with massive armies and high tech. I would say a large amount of skill is needed to be very good with any of these nations. German minors make a great and interesting game may there are many AARs being made around Germany now check one out for details.

South Africa Nations; These countries are regarded as some of the worst in the entire game. A combination of reason makes this opinion. Technology comes slow armies are hard to rise. Expansion is very limited and only until the Europeans come along. Then you will have to defend against the giants of Europe to defend your homeland. Trade yields almost no money and don't forget that there is really very little to do. The number of countries you are able to interact with is not that many. Besides being a bitter hard game it usually tends to be a rather boring one. I would not suggest this game to anyone of any skill level that is unless they want a unique type of game.

Dakota, Navaho, and Zapotec; These three Indian nations are either small weak or isolated. You will have to contend with one European nation or another wanting your land and spending long periods of time doing nothing at all in these games. Another disadvantage is the tech group you are in that makes gains of any kind painfully slow. It is all about long tern gain you must be able to think about the extreme long tern with any of these nations in order to have a moderate amount of success. I would recommend that these countries only be played when you have nothing better to do and are not interested in a very exciting game.

Oceania; I am referring to the cluster of nations that are in Indonesia here. They are weak and have very little to draw upon. Without a strong navy you are helpless are the Europeans will demolish you in no time flat. I would suggest a policy of rapid expansion rather than perfection. It is also important to understand that the areas CoTs will be hard to gain access into and will yield little gain. If you are the type of player who enjoys a struggle to survive than great you will vastly enjoy yourself once the Dutch arrive on your doorstep. In order to do anything at all with these countries a player must have a varied and unique approach than the ones usually used with European nations. I suggest a large knowledge of the game before playing.

Balkan States; Small and unpurified you are dead. The OE will sweep in and break down your nation. The idea is to very quickly create a union of states and hold fast. Once you have the Balkans if you can do that at all you will have one goal stay alive. Seems simple, but it is not you will have to counter numerous OE and Austrian attacks to preserve the fragile country you have made. Take Veneto if you can, but considering you can’t try to control trade in that area. Ignore the navy and focus upon the army as it is the only thing that can defend against hostile neighbors. I would suggest a fair to moderate amount of experience in Eu2 before playing.

Conclusion

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I believe this guide is complete let me know of any errors now while I can still edit and I will fix then post haste. Enjoy and may this make the game more easy for newbie’s to understand. I bid you farewell and thanks for the advice. I am sorry for all errors this blob I have created seems to have become very large.

Thanks Sliver Legion (Sarah)

[Philip II]

I understand that what i think makes a good country is not neccessarily what you may also think.

While i do think this is a very decent thread and idea, i dont especially like the way you grouped countries into particular ranks. Its not the ranks themselves which i dislike.....i actually think that is a good idea.....its the fact that you pretty much said every other nation was better than the German minors (excluding mecklenburg)

You neglected to mention anything of Prussia or Brandenburg....countries that are often considered potential super powers. You also didnt take into account that most german minors have incredible potential. Lorraine has both French and german culture ~ a deadly combination which, if used correctly, could result in a very powerful country.

You also didnt mention anything about burgundy....a country which has limitless potential.

[Van Engel]

Originally Posted by Philip II

I understand that what i think makes a good country is not neccessarily what you may also think.

While i do think this is a very decent thread and idea, i dont especially like the way you grouped countries into particular ranks. Its not the ranks themselves which i dislike.....i actually think that is a good idea.....its the fact that you pretty much said every other nation was better than the German minors (excluding mecklenburg)

You neglected to mention anything of Prussia or Brandenburg....countries that are often considered potential super powers. You also didnt take into account that most german minors have incredible potential. Lorraine has both French and german culture ~ a deadly combination which, if used correctly, could result in a very powerful country.

You also didnt mention anything about burgundy....a country which has limitless potential.

I'm sure instead of whinning you could write them yourself...

[doktarr]

Originally Posted by Philip II

While i do think this is a very decent thread and idea, i dont especially like the way you grouped countries into particular ranks. Its not the ranks themselves which i dislike.....i actually think that is a good idea.....its the fact that you pretty much said every other nation was better than the German minors (excluding mecklenburg)

Seriously. Let's play 2-player MP, you take Nippon (1st rank) and I'll take Lorraine (5th rank). There's a small chance I'll be dead in the first 20 years, but very small. After that, the only question is whether I'll conquer you before the game ends. Tech groups are a huge factor in this game, and your breakdown seems to ignore this.

A very rough rundown of how *I* would rank the nations, in order of ease of winning a VP count from a 1419 or 1492 start:

1st rank: England, France, Castille/Spain
2nd rank: Ottomans, Portugal, Burgundy, Austria, Muscovy/Russia, China, Venice
3rd Rank: Poland, Hungary, Genoa, Sweeden, Aragon
4th Rank: Denmark, Papal States, Bohemia, Timurid/Mughals (1492), Persia, Lithuania, any 2+ province latin European nations
5th Rank: All remaining latin European minors, Japan, Delhi, Bengal, Oman, Mamelukes
6th Rank: Russian minors, White Sheep, Malacca, Golden Horde, remaining orthodox tech minors, other large Muslim tech nations
7th rank: Vijayanagar, muslim tech minors, most of SE Asia, Inca, Aztec
8th Rank: the rest

[sliver legion]

Argh, I knew this would happen. Did anyone read what I said in my post at the end to cantact me with errors the draft can still be shifted you know. Well the ranks were not meant to give any praticular better than worse than perception my scale is based upon how hard a time a newbie generally has with a country. Burgandy is an error and wiill be added. Also forgive my other error, but there is a huge number of countries in this game my mistake to forget two. I an not pleased with the ranks myself but used them as my idea was a large project. Feedback welcome. Not to seem rude, but if you are only going to merely insult my work and not be constructive I aggre with Van Engel.

Sarah

[Maverick_NE]

Having just started playing EU2 myself, I found this list to be most helpful. The extremely large number of countries available to a newbie can be quite overwhelming and it was nice to see a breakdown of the various nationalities. This will make things much easier for me as I continue to put more time into the game. I don't know what Philip's problem is, but I think you did a great job sliver. Thanks again.

[Joe000000]

Originally Posted by doktarr

Seriously. Let's play 2-player MP, you take Nippon (1st rank) and I'll take Lorraine (5th rank). There's a small chance I'll be dead in the first 20 years, but very small. After that, the only question is whether I'll conquer you before the game ends. Tech groups are a huge factor in this game, and your breakdown seems to ignore this.

I agree that tech groups are important for becoming #1 in VPs or expanding across the world, but a country with a low tech group in India can still dominate India, and get high VP score. Lorraine probably could do well against a country like Japan but not before Japan could expand to make a huge, rich empire.

[sliver legion]

Yes my guide is based upon many things I do not take into tech group if the country is only going to see countries in the same one as it. Also if anyone read half of the guide they might see that I did read tech groups as a factor in rank.

Sarah

[doktarr]

Originally Posted by sliver legion

Argh, I knew this would happen. Did anyone read what I said in my post at the end to cantact me with errors the draft can still be shifted you know. Well the ranks were not meant to give any praticular better than worse than perception my scale is based upon how hard a time a newbie generally has with a country.

Well in that case, there are still many inaccuracies. Most new players will quit the game in frustration dealing with the Chinese revolts in the 1600s. The USA, while bursting with potential, requires a reasonably skilled hand to make it out of the Revolutionary war successfully. And it's actually fairly easy to stay alive the whole game and build a healthy little empire as either Zimbabwe or Maratam (both 6th rank).

Originally Posted by sliver legion

Burgandy is an error and wiill be added. Also forgive my other error, but there is a huge number of countries in this game my mistake to forget two. I an not pleased with the ranks myself but used them as my idea was a large project. Feedback welcome. Not to seem rude, but if you are only going to merely insult my work and not be constructive I aggre with Van Engel.

I think I've been constructive...

[lawkeeper]

Poland needs to be put in bold characters.

Papal States and Tuscany need to be underlined and put in bold too.

Nice guide, sliver legion.

[sliver legion]

Originally Posted by doktarr

Well in that case, there are still many inaccuracies. Most new players will quit the game in frustration dealing with the Chinese revolts in the 1600s. The USA, while bursting with potential, requires a reasonably skilled hand to make it out of the Revolutionary war successfully. And it's actually fairly easy to stay alive the whole game and build a healthy little empire as either Zimbabwe or Maratam (both 6th rank).I think I've been constructive...

You have been that was more pointed at Phillip. I am considering that the person is playing on a farily low difficultly setting and that they have done the basic tutorials. I am aware of inaccuracies but inthe scale of what has been done I am please with my work and am beginning to think if we went throught all of them this would turn out very specific and too long. I would be pleased if you and further readers would when reading the guide take it from the point of view of a player that is new to all asspects of game play. Thanks for the feedback.

FYI; I can't edit my post any reason for this?

Sarah

[lawkeeper]

Now, you've underlined too many sections.

To put something underlined, you need {U} and {/U} with [] rather than {}, I guess you forgot to close the Poland's. Pay attention to the order of the special styles (do not the [] cross each other).

[sliver legion]

Fixed yeah

[Lord G. Q. White]

You really Have done a wonderful thing here and you should be comended.

BTW Your Name doesn't mean slivers as in the M:TG does it?

Now I'll have to run off and play all those countries to see If your right.

Edit: Look Until you pointed it out I read it as Silver. But Seriously Sliver Legion is a cool concept also. Seriously you should embrace the typo and Make it work for you.

[sliver legion]

This is off topic but SLIVER is a typo it was supposed to be SILVER

[QaraKoyunlu]

Don't mean to sound rude or anything but where would you place the Qara Koyunlu or The Black Sheep Turks?

[sliver legion]

Another miss promptly added.

[AmbassadeBelgie]

Absolutely NOTHING to discredit or comment on, it is a wonderful guide.

Sincerely, a great idea for Newbie's to introduce them to the game, and more experienced players to compare views with the list (i.e. your views).

All I can say is: WELL DONE, GREAT WORK!!

Th

[LordScod]

Hats off to you, good job.

[Rowain]

Wow, a real help!!

Thanks!