Italian Ambition Advice

[LiterallyACroissant]

I am trying to do Italian Ambition. I'm pretty new to the game, so maybe not the most qualified to go chasing achievements, but nevertheless am determined to get Italian Ambition. From what i've seen online, the two best options to play as are:
- Florence
- Milan
Thus, i have played, or i should say started a game with each of them. And run into the same problem each time. Allies. namely Austria. It seems whoever i play as, Austria will ally with my rival and not me. Playing as Florence and have rivaled the papal states because they already hate you and have allied or vassilised all states around you? Austria starts an alliance and i'm unable to expand. Playing as Milan and have rivaled Genoa or some other little state? Austria starts an alliance and i'm unable to expand. It's seriously starting to get on my nerves. i can't do anything to stop this game crushing wall from being erected (and within the first few months, too) around me. And moreover, Austria rarely allies me, no matter how hard i try, and when it does, it then allies my enemy a month later, crushing my hopes of expansion. I have even tried to play as Naples, but could not break out of the personal union because AUSTRIA ALLIED ARAGON!!! Just my luck. I waited until Austria was at war in the hopes that they would not intervene, but it didn't matter. My allies France and Castille both committed their armies to Iberia, leaving me to face a 17k Papal stack (Papal States also allied Aragon) and a 14k Austrian stack with my 1 star general and a 12k army, all with no money to replace losses. It was a nightmare.
Can someone please advise me on how to actually do this? Preferably the easiest way possible. Thanks in advance for any help.

Edit - I know now that Naples can not form Italy, but hey, it's still another example of the same problem.

[Gloryhawk]

I didn't get that achievement yet, so i'm probably not the best one around to help you, but i'll try anyway. Have you tried Venice? They are pretty strong, and as soon as the shadow kingdom event fires (it think it's called like that) you won't need to worry about the emperor protecting the rest of the italian countries, since they'll leave the HRE. An alliance with France should be easy to get, maybe get Bohemia too, or Hungary, they should help against Austria if needed.

[LiterallyACroissant]

Venice sounds like a good idea. But how do i deal with the military alliances that Austria signs in Italy? They generally ruin my day. In previous experiences as other nations, i have not found any big powers in western Europe that are as strong in the 15th Century as Austria, so i am a bit skeptical of France or Hungary's ability to aid me.

[Quicksilver]

Just wait for austria to be at war with someone if they are that big a problem. They may still join the call to arms, but if you can get quick victories in while their armies are elsewhere you should be ok.

If you go the venice route, the fleet blockading the strait helps both to protect the capital, and as a place to hide your army so any big blobby stacks find somewhere else to go for their entertainment. Occupying Austria's gold province and blockading their port is usually enough to get them to think about white peacing out so they can get on with their own war. Austria is particularly vulnerable to trade protection wars, and this is a good way to lock them into truces to prevent them declaring war on you with conquest CB on an italian mainland province.

As milan, detouring at the start to munch on venice is a good way to build up military power. Again, if the alliances + trade league is too large, just wait for them to be at war. The OPM italian nations you can RM+Alliance+Improve relations and vassalise them diplomatically once shadow kingdom expires, assuming you have blobbed elsewhere a little.

[Laladen]

Italian Ambition was the first achivement I went for. Venice, Milan, Florence are all good nations to get this. I did it first with Venice. Venice has some odd rules though that are not new player friendly anymore though.

[Silent]

I've formed Italy as Genoa, Savoy, and Milan. It was the first achievements that I went for when I was new to the game. My favorite nation to form Italy as is Genoa, since they are a trade nation and hold some Black Sea colonies.

Genoa: Your first order of business is securing allies. France is a great ally since they can crush Austria and scare the Ottomans into not attacking you. Savoy is also a good second ally if you can get them to like you. You can attempt to get Poland as an ally, but sometimes it doesn't work. After those allies you can grab an assortment of any other allies. Some other Italian states are good allies expecially if they are bordering someone you are going to war with. You can promise them land, then backstab them by not giving them anything (Cossacks Expansion). Later you can proceed to take their land too. Most provinces in the HRE Italian region have give high AE so you'll only be able to take small amounts of land at a time, sometimes only 1 province, but this is why Genoa is a good choice. While you're waiting for AE to drop in Western Europe, you can focus on building a Black Sea colonial Empire. Theodoro, Crimea, and Circassia are all great targets when you become more powerful in Western Europe. After the Shadow Kingdom event in the 1500s Central Italian states will no longer be in the HRE and you should be albe to expand at your own pace.

[Laladen]

Originally posted by SilentAssassin:

I've formed Italy as Genoa, Savoy, and Milan. It was the first achievements that I went for when I was new to the game. My favorite nation to form Italy as is Genoa, since they are a trade nation and hold some Black Sea colonies.

Genoa: Your first order of business is securing allies. France is a great ally since they can crush Austria and scare the Ottomans into not attacking you. Savoy is also a good second ally if you can get them to like you. You can attempt to get Poland as an ally, but sometimes it doesn't work. After those allies you can grab an assortment of any other allies. Some other Italian states are good allies expecially if they are bordering someone you are going to war with. You can promise them land, then backstab them by not giving them anything (Cossacks Expansion). Later you can proceed to take their land too. Most provinces in the HRE Italian region have give high AE so you'll only be able to take small amounts of land at a time, sometimes only 1 province, but this is why Genoa is a good choice. While you're waiting for AE to drop in Western Europe, you can focus on building a Black Sea colonial Empire. Theodoro, Crimea, and Circassia are all great targets when you become more powerful in Western Europe. After the Shadow Kingdom event in the 1500s Central Italian states will no longer be in the HRE and you should be albe to expand at your own pace.

I have the opposite strategy. I always have Genoa as my first and most high priority target in the Italy region because of their Black Sea provinces. You will not be able to core these provinces until Dip tech 9 unless you take Exploration and have the extra colonial range (coring range)

[Silent]

Originally posted by Fedaykin:

Originally posted by SilentAssassin:

I've formed Italy as Genoa, Savoy, and Milan. It was the first achievements that I went for when I was new to the game. My favorite nation to form Italy as is Genoa, since they are a trade nation and hold some Black Sea colonies.

Genoa: Your first order of business is securing allies. France is a great ally since they can crush Austria and scare the Ottomans into not attacking you. Savoy is also a good second ally if you can get them to like you. You can attempt to get Poland as an ally, but sometimes it doesn't work. After those allies you can grab an assortment of any other allies. Some other Italian states are good allies expecially if they are bordering someone you are going to war with. You can promise them land, then backstab them by not giving them anything (Cossacks Expansion). Later you can proceed to take their land too. Most provinces in the HRE Italian region have give high AE so you'll only be able to take small amounts of land at a time, sometimes only 1 province, but this is why Genoa is a good choice. While you're waiting for AE to drop in Western Europe, you can focus on building a Black Sea colonial Empire. Theodoro, Crimea, and Circassia are all great targets when you become more powerful in Western Europe. After the Shadow Kingdom event in the 1500s Central Italian states will no longer be in the HRE and you should be albe to expand at your own pace.

I have the opposite strategy. I always have Genoa as my first and most high priority target in the Italy region because of their Black Sea provinces. You will not be able to core these provinces until Dip tech 9 unless you take Exploration and have the extra colonial range (coring range)

The strategy that I posted was for forming Italy as Genoa, but I agree with you though. If you are forming Italy as any other Italian nation, then you should ignore Genoa's Black sea colonies since you can't core them until later as you pointed out.

[Laladen]

Originally posted by SilentAssassin:

Originally posted by Fedaykin:

I have the opposite strategy. I always have Genoa as my first and most high priority target in the Italy region because of their Black Sea provinces. You will not be able to core these provinces until Dip tech 9 unless you take Exploration and have the extra colonial range (coring range)

The strategy that I posted was for forming Italy as Genoa, but I agree with you though. If you are forming Italy as any other Italian nation, then you should ignore Genoa's Black sea colonies since you can't core them until later as you pointed out.

If Genoa has lost any provinces, you can actually force-vassalize them in one gulp. But depending on which provinces were lost, will result in a coalition.

[LiterallyACroissant]

Thanks for the help guys. I am getting a new computer, so have not played Eu IV in a while, but when i do i'll complete italian ambition, and post the strategy i used.