Any tips for playing as portugal?

[AC137]

1. I know how mechanics work, but still a newbie I guess
2. As for DLCs, I only have the extreme pack

[Ransom_Romanus]

The typical steps are usually

1) Ally Spain and drop England.
2) Get colonists going (aim for Brazil and Caribbean. Try to beat Castille to Mexico and Cusco if you can)
3) Soon after you get 10 favors with Spain declare war on Morocco and take Gharb.

After that it's pretty much colonize and declare wars on Morocco until they have been vanquished.

[AC137]

>favors
What?

[Ransom_Romanus]

Sorry. I assumed you have The Cossacks DLC.

This will explain:

https://eu4.paradoxwikis.com/Diplomatic_feedback

[tonypa]

Easiest way to play Portugal is to drop alliance with England at the start. Ally Castile and hope they get Aragon + Naples from free event and will eventually form Spain. Ignore North Africa and simply explore and colonize, you should be first to reach South America and Caribbean and block other countries getting there for some time.

[AC137]

These seem pretty helpful, but when I played them last time I had a huge problem with money, institutions and technology. How do I earn more money? I think money would solve the problem with monarch power because advisors.

[tonypa]

Originally posted by Fiire2k17:

These seem pretty helpful, but when I played them last time I had a huge problem with money, institutions and technology. How do I earn more money? I think money would solve the problem with monarch power because advisors.

You only need to spend money on colonists at the start. Destroy your forts and expensive ships. Keep only enough troops to secure colony is not overrun by natives.

If Castile/Spain calls you into their wars, join, but don't bother doing anything. They can usually handle North African nations on smaller european countries. Only trouble could arise when Castile and france start to fight, at that point you may need to pick one of them.

Later your economy will be based on money flowing in from colonial nations.

[Tulduil Iphukiir]

You basically have three starting options for European diplomacy:
- The very easy way: Restart until Castile and France don't rival each other, ally both, drop England
- The normal way: Drop England, ally Castile, more or less ignore France
- The advanced, risky and not recommended for beginners way: Drop England, ally France (and maybe Aragon), conquer Castile


As tonypa said: Portugal starts poor but can easily become the richest nation in the world.

Try to get your first idea group (Exploration) as fast as possible.
The most important places to colonize quickly are the Centers of Trade along Guinea Coast and in the Caribbean.
Try to get a Caribbean Colonial Nation quickly. Note that CNs only colonize directly adjacent by land or strait provinces and the Caribbean has four such sets. Try to spread your five initial colonies over these sets (Cuba, Hisponiola, Upper/Lower Antilles) but keep in mind that a colony adjacent to a colony or finished colony has a settler bonus.

Use your Light Ships to protect trade in Sevilla.

[AC137]

Thank you all for the tips. Could I also ask for the order of ideas to take?

[Tulduil Iphukiir]

For the "usual Portugal for beginners start" you take Exploration (first three ideas as fast as possible) first and Expansion second.

Later ideas mainly depend on your goals/the current situation.

Some general thoughts about the other idea groups (assuming a quiet beginner game and not a World Conquest):

- Innovative: Many good ideas and good policies. Best taken early (when you can get the maximum out of the tech discount) or late (for policies). You already have Expansion as an early admin group so take it late for policies or don't take it.
- Religious: As Portugal you probably stay Catholic. Converting provinces gives Papal Influence and Religious Ideas allow faster, cheaper and more conversations. You are probably not doing massive conquests so conversion speed keeps up with conquest speed. I would take it at some point. You don't really need the CB it gives: Your Europeans neighbours are also Catholic and Explo/Expa finishers allow fabricating claims on nearly all areas which are important to you.
- Economic: If you don't plan to expand much by conquest it is a good group to make money and the development cost reduction is great for small(er) nations
- Humanist: Great group in general but for a Catholic (or Orthodox) nation in a beginner game I would advice Religious. Maybe take it late once you do more conquests.
- Administrative: The mercenary bonuses can be good for a manpower-poor but rich Portugal but not more. The Core Cost Reduction is needed in World Conquest but not in a beginner's game.

I would probably take Religious as the second admin group and Expansion.

- Espionage: Can be fun but probably not in a beginner's game- The Aggressive Expansion Reduction is not really needed when not conquering into Europe and the Corruption Reduction is also not that much needed
- Diplomatic: Probably the best diplo group. Take it. The additional Diplomats help with improving relations/building Spy Networks around the world.
- Trade: Probably not needed. Portugal already has trading bonuses and gets Merchants from Colonial Nations. However, it can be fun to take it late just to improve your already big trade income
- Influence: Nice to have but not really needed. You probably won't have many non-Colonial subjects. It can be useful if you get a Personal Union which you want to integrate
- Maritime: Can be fun to take as Portugal if you want to improve your trade even more

I would probably take Diplomatic as the second diplo group after Exploration.

- Aristocratic: Rather useless for Portugal
- Plutocratic: Has nice bonuses but I would recommend staying a monarchy so no access to this group
- Defensive: Can give your army an early boost but if you let your allies do early fighting other groups are better
- Offensive: Very good military group, lategame a bit better than earlygame
- Quality: Very good military group for Portugal, improves your army and navy. For many other nations its naval ideas are more or less wasted, not so for Portugal
- Quantity: You have a small country, take this group to increase your army size
- Naval: Makes your navy the strongest in the game (unless Great Britain also takes Naval), can be taken for fun but usually wasted as navies don't decide wars and unless Great Britain or Japan you have a land border

I would probably take Quality and Quantity or Offensive as the first military groups.

[bri]

Originally posted by tonypa:

Ignore North Africa

You left off "after you take the rest of Morocco's provinces in the Sevilla trade node" which is pretty easily done using the Spanish attack dogs, just make sure you grab the empty provinces and control the siege of Tangiers.