Any proper guides for Austria in current patch?

[DaniTheHero]

I'm new and only played as France and England so far.
Reached a comfy first place as France at the end date in an Ironman mode with no DLC.

I have gotten the subcription for all DLC and i really want to play as Austria and HRE but i have no idea what to really do. The mission tree is VAST and the tasks seems difficult.
No idea where to really start

[Malvastor]

There are a couple guides on the wiki that are still fairly relevant- slightly out of date but in broad strokes the goals still line up.

Not a real guide, but starting out, you want to:

• Eat Venice to move your trade hub to that node.
  
• Follow the events/mission tree to PU Bohemia, Hungary, and Milan.
  
• When the Shadow Kingdom incident happens, war against, ally, or subjugate the Northern Italian princes to keep them in the Empire. This is worth a big chunk of Imperial Authority, which lets you strengthen your position by making Imperial reforms.
  
• Take Diplomatic and Religious ideas as quickly as you're able. When the Reformation appears, start declaring war on states that flip Protestant or have Centers of Reformation. If they're OPMs, Force Religion in the peace deal. If not, take the CoR province and convert it yourself.

If you're able to do that, you should be able to win the League Wars with ease (or preempt it entirely). At that point, you'll probably be strong enough to do more or less whatever you want.

[Marquoz]

I made a long post about Austria earlier. I'll just copy paste it here:

I play Austria in every major patch--it's my favorite nation. Here are some general tips:

Your main source of imperial authority is the monthly tick. Maximize it!

--Keep the number of princes as high as possible. Constantly war to break up large HRE states and release nations. Do not let northern Italy leave the HRE.
--Conquer every province that belongs to the Empire but that is controlled by someone outside the Empire.
--Maintain 12 Free Cities at all times. Northern Italy's Republics can help with this.
--Make sure you are elected Emperor every time for the bonus 10 IA that you get.

And, most importantly, the key to the entire HRE game is to destroy important centers of reformation as soon as they appear. Some key factors:

--Centers that pop in areas like Portugal, Brittany, or the Balkans can be safely ignored. It's the ones in Germany, Italy, the Low Countries, western Poland, eastern France, and so on that are dangerous.

--Make sure you've completed the Diplomacy idea group, probably as your first one, before the Reformation begins. You may have to declare some no CB wars, and that will help with the stability hits. The extra diplomats and improved relations are also key for an HRE game.

--If the CoR appears in a one-province minor, you're happy. The moment it does, declare war on either the OPM or one of its allies that you have a casus belli on. Force religion on the OPM in the peace deal, and the CoR is eliminated.

--If the CoR is in a nation with more than one province, take that province in the peace deal and convert it yourself as soon as you can (when the religious zeal expires). The Religious idea group is helpful here.

--You need to be strong to make this work, since CoR's may pop in nations with nasty alliance webs. Make sure you have already gotten the personal unions over Bohemia and Hungary, eaten Venice and much of the Balkans, and so on (this assumes you are Austria). Make sure your army is built to force limit and that your force limit is as high as possible. The number of princes in the HRE directly impacts your force limit. Warring constantly from the beginning of the game to force HRE states to release any nations within its borders that they take over is critical. Note that many starting HRE states have provinces that can also be released. Do that as well. Keeping northern Italy in the Empire also helps.

Once you understand what you're doing, the Reformation never has a chance to get firmly established, and you can ensure your rightful place as Emperor of a united, powerful, and Catholic HRE.

Two other tips: your first war target should be Venice. Wien is a terrible center of trade. You want to conquer every single province in the Venetian node and use it as your collection point instead (you don't have to wait until you conquer them all to move your trade hub there). You likewise want to take over the Ragusa and Constantinople node provinces to funnel trade into Venice. It's easy to dismantle the Ottomans as Austria. In one of your wars against Venice, grab Crete or Corfu or Naxos or any other possession there. Then vassalize Byzantium (if it still exists) and use its cores for a reconquest war. If Byzantium is gone, take one province that it used to own from the Ottomans, release it as a vassal, and then do the reconquest war thing.

The second tip is to ally Poland on Day 1. They are tremendously useful to Austria.

[Totally Innocent Chatbot]

Ludi did a 1.31 guide for Austria a few months ago:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xci_753xpvY

He's not the best EU4 player on Youtube, and I disagree with some of his opinions, but he's certainly not terrible either. I think he even did a part 2 to that particular guide.

[Exarch_Alpha]

Regarding italy you can get the expand HRE CB on them eventually, so allowing them to leave is far from a bad choice.

Also you have to get Exploration eventually due to the idiotic australia mission. Don´t do it too late.

Diplomacy versus Influence... both idea groups are good for Austria, you just have to adapt your playstyle.

[Malvastor]

Exarch_Alpha님이 먼저 게시:

Regarding italy you can get the expand HRE CB on them eventually, so allowing them to leave is far from a bad choice.

Also you have to get Exploration eventually due to the idiotic australia mission. Don´t do it too late.

Diplomacy versus Influence... both idea groups are good for Austria, you just have to adapt your playstyle.

If you let Italy leave you miss out on both the lump sum IA reward from retaining them and the passive IA gain from having member states.

As for diplomacy vs influence it's probably worth taking both- but I think Diplomacy is recommended first in case you need some no-CB wars to handle the Reformation.

[Marquoz]

Exarch_Alpha님이 먼저 게시:

Regarding italy you can get the expand HRE CB on them eventually, so allowing them to leave is far from a bad choice.

I disagree. If Italy leaves, you lose out on monthly IA gain. You have a lower force limit (because the Emperor gets a force limit bonus based on number of states). Some of the states are Republics that can help keep your Free Cities maxed out. And you have a smaller vassal swarm once you Revoke.

Besides, it's easy to keep them in. You want to take over all the Venice node provinces anyway, and alliance webs in Italy will ensure that you beat pretty much everyone in a war before the deadline just by growing into your highest-priority expansion zone.

[Medicles]

Marquoz님이 먼저 게시:

I disagree. If Italy leaves, you lose out on monthly IA gain. You have a lower force limit (because the Emperor gets a force limit bonus based on number of states). Some of the states are Republics that can help keep your Free Cities maxed out. And you have a smaller vassal swarm once you Revoke.

Besides, it's easy to keep them in. You want to take over all the Venice node provinces anyway, and alliance webs in Italy will ensure that you beat pretty much everyone in a war before the deadline just by growing into your highest-priority expansion zone.

What is your preferred strategy for Italy? I usually go with the 150 relations and choose to abandon italy since most princes also choose it. Its a safe route, but i still lose 20 IA for choosing to abandon italy and i can only target Venice after the incident.

But it seems like you are attacking Venice before that. Cant really wrap my head around the huge AE that is causing in Italy. Do you have everyone allied? Or maybe i understood it wrong. A detailed explanation would be nice.

[BarbaCool]

Marquoz님이 먼저 게시:

Exarch_Alpha님이 먼저 게시:

Regarding italy you can get the expand HRE CB on them eventually, so allowing them to leave is far from a bad choice.

I disagree. If Italy leaves, you lose out on monthly IA gain. You have a lower force limit (because the Emperor gets a force limit bonus based on number of states). Some of the states are Republics that can help keep your Free Cities maxed out. And you have a smaller vassal swarm once you Revoke.

Besides, it's easy to keep them in. You want to take over all the Venice node provinces anyway, and alliance webs in Italy will ensure that you beat pretty much everyone in a war before the deadline just by growing into your highest-priority expansion zone.

Well, as OP is a new player I would agree with Exarch. IA is not a problem if you can stop the reformation, you will have way more than you need.

The early focus should be to secure the PU over Bohemia, Hungary and Milan. Second step is to postion yourself for the reformation, ie using the imperial ban-cb to gain holstein and spam claims on as many provinces as you can with the age ability (claims bordering claims).

[Marquoz]

Medicles님이 먼저 게시:

Marquoz님이 먼저 게시:

I disagree. If Italy leaves, you lose out on monthly IA gain. You have a lower force limit (because the Emperor gets a force limit bonus based on number of states). Some of the states are Republics that can help keep your Free Cities maxed out. And you have a smaller vassal swarm once you Revoke.

Besides, it's easy to keep them in. You want to take over all the Venice node provinces anyway, and alliance webs in Italy will ensure that you beat pretty much everyone in a war before the deadline just by growing into your highest-priority expansion zone.

What is your preferred strategy for Italy? I usually go with the 150 relations and choose to abandon italy since most princes also choose it. Its a safe route, but i still lose 20 IA for choosing to abandon italy and i can only target Venice after the incident.

But it seems like you are attacking Venice before that. Cant really wrap my head around the huge AE that is causing in Italy. Do you have everyone allied? Or maybe i understood it wrong. A detailed explanation would be nice.

Venice is a next door neighbor. I fabricate claims starting on Day 1 and then attack. They never have an alliance strong enough to stand up to Austria, so I dismantle them in a series of wars. The high value provinces do generate significant AE and take a lot of war score, so I generally fight them 3 times. I also take out Ferrara, grab Papal State provinces that are part of the Venice node, conquer Naples, and so on. There are no special tricks required. It's just standard high-value province AE juggling made simpler by the monstrously strong alliance web Austria has. Austria + Poland + Hungary + Bohemia + (sometimes Burgundy) + a strong Byzantine vassal (before you integrate it) is an unbeatable colossus.

[Malvastor]

Medicles님이 먼저 게시:

Marquoz님이 먼저 게시:

I disagree. If Italy leaves, you lose out on monthly IA gain. You have a lower force limit (because the Emperor gets a force limit bonus based on number of states). Some of the states are Republics that can help keep your Free Cities maxed out. And you have a smaller vassal swarm once you Revoke.

Besides, it's easy to keep them in. You want to take over all the Venice node provinces anyway, and alliance webs in Italy will ensure that you beat pretty much everyone in a war before the deadline just by growing into your highest-priority expansion zone.

What is your preferred strategy for Italy? I usually go with the 150 relations and choose to abandon italy since most princes also choose it. Its a safe route, but i still lose 20 IA for choosing to abandon italy and i can only target Venice after the incident.

But it seems like you are attacking Venice before that. Cant really wrap my head around the huge AE that is causing in Italy. Do you have everyone allied? Or maybe i understood it wrong. A detailed explanation would be nice.

I'm no expert on Marquoz's level, but in my last Austria game I was definitely able to take some Venetian land without getting too much AE. After that you can find reasons to attack Italian states without necessarily taking any land. The PU war against Milan can help, for instance, since they'll likely have an Italian ally or two as well. And of course anyone you don't fight you can still befriend.

[Medicles]

Marquoz님이 먼저 게시:

Venice is a next door neighbor. I fabricate claims starting on Day 1 and then attack. They never have an alliance strong enough to stand up to Austria, so I dismantle them in a series of wars. The high value provinces do generate significant AE and take a lot of war score, so I generally fight them 3 times. I also take out Ferrara, grab Papal State provinces that are part of the Venice node, conquer Naples, and so on. There are no special tricks required. It's just standard high-value province AE juggling made simpler by the monstrously strong alliance web Austria has. Austria + Poland + Hungary + Bohemia + (sometimes Burgundy) + a strong Byzantine vassal (before you integrate it) is an unbeatable colossus.

Wait, are you reining in italy through warfare? Like it was needed before Emperor? I thought that wasnt possible anymore.

[Totally Innocent Chatbot]

Exarch_Alpha님이 먼저 게시:

Also you have to get Exploration eventually due to the idiotic australia mission. Don´t do it too late.

Not necessarily... Spain usually gets there first anyway, and it's easy enough to force a PU over them after the scripted event that gives them a Habsburg heir (all that's needed is a royal marriage between your countries, both of you to be rivaled to France, and for Spain to not yet have an heir). You'll fulfill the requirements for Austrian Australia once you integrate Spain, assuming they have a colonial nation there (which they almost always will).

[Marquoz]

Medicles님이 먼저 게시:

Marquoz님이 먼저 게시:

Venice is a next door neighbor. I fabricate claims starting on Day 1 and then attack. They never have an alliance strong enough to stand up to Austria, so I dismantle them in a series of wars. The high value provinces do generate significant AE and take a lot of war score, so I generally fight them 3 times. I also take out Ferrara, grab Papal State provinces that are part of the Venice node, conquer Naples, and so on. There are no special tricks required. It's just standard high-value province AE juggling made simpler by the monstrously strong alliance web Austria has. Austria + Poland + Hungary + Bohemia + (sometimes Burgundy) + a strong Byzantine vassal (before you integrate it) is an unbeatable colossus.

Wait, are you reining in italy through warfare?

Sure, in part. All the standard ways work: war, high relations, alliance, making them Free Cities.

[Njorl]

Malvastor님이 먼저 게시:

There are a couple guides on the wiki that are still fairly relevant- slightly out of date but in broad strokes the goals still line up.

Not a real guide, but starting out, you want to:

• Eat Venice to move your trade hub to that node.
  
• Follow the events/mission tree to PU Bohemia, Hungary, and Milan.
  
• When the Shadow Kingdom incident happens, war against, ally, or subjugate the Northern Italian princes to keep them in the Empire. This is worth a big chunk of Imperial Authority, which lets you strengthen your position by making Imperial reforms.
  
• Take Diplomatic and Religious ideas as quickly as you're able. When the Reformation appears, start declaring war on states that flip Protestant or have Centers of Reformation. If they're OPMs, Force Religion in the peace deal. If not, take the CoR province and convert it yourself.

If you're able to do that, you should be able to win the League Wars with ease (or preempt it entirely). At that point, you'll probably be strong enough to do more or less whatever you want.

Don't forget you can make Lucca and Sienna free cities to keep them in. If Florence gets knocked down to 1 province, they'll probably go for it too.

Also, Religious isn't necessary and doesn't really help much. The Council of Trent always picks "Harsh" reaction for +2 missionary strengtth. You can pick a state policy for another +1. It's easy now to convert reformation centers.

With the changes in how enemy allies are treated in wars, you can finagle those reformation centers into war pretty easily. Look to see who the Reformation center is allied to. You aren't limited to one step anymore. An Ally of an ally of an ally will do. You might get a big group of enemies, but a pack of small nations is easy to beat if they aren't in a coalition.

[Exarch_Alpha]

Totally Innocent Chatbot님이 먼저 게시:

Exarch_Alpha님이 먼저 게시:

Also you have to get Exploration eventually due to the idiotic australia mission. Don´t do it too late.

Not necessarily... Spain usually gets there first anyway, and it's easy enough to force a PU over them after the scripted event that gives them a Habsburg heir (all that's needed is a royal marriage between your countries, both of you to be rivaled to France, and for Spain to not yet have an heir). You'll fulfill the requirements for Austrian Australia once you integrate Spain, assuming they have a colonial nation there (which they almost always will).

Is this true? i hope it is. A PU with Spain willl make things that much easier, I agree.