Best first military idea group for Prussia?

[Corvus_Alt1]

Finally managed to form Prussia, and now I have to decide what to pick up for a first military idea. I'm thinking Offensive to get better leaders and larger armies, though Quality for maximum combat ability is pretty tempting as well. Thoughts?

[Come'n Get Some CHICKEN]

Quantity is always a nice combo with your insane discipline, that's my suggestion.

[Laladen]

I just went Quantity a few days ago. Worked very well.

[Nordic Mole]

Quality+ Economic

[Corvus_Alt1]

Thanks for the replies everyone. Think I'll go for Offensive for now, mostly because I am getting frustrated at the generally low quality of leaders I'm picking up, and I really want to get that siege ability. I'll just pick up Quality when I can later.

[521950210]

Never go quality. Ever.
By picking quality, you are not going defensive (+15% morale)
By picking quality, you are not going quantity (+50% manpower & land force limit)
It really isn't worth it, the ideas are mostly meh.

[Corvus_Alt1]

I'm still picking up Defensive later on, but I just happen to like Quality Ideas because of their policies. Pick up the 20% Infantry Combat and 5% Discipline policies, and you have a monster of an army that will utterly destroy almost anything. Plus, as long as I can fill out the combat width and keep throwing in reinforcements, a bigger army can be dealt with.

[mischa.zehnbauer]

I like to take defensive as the second idea group. Before your third national idea, the famous prussian military is actually weaker than the troops of the teutonic order, livonian order and Pomerania, three likely enemies at the beginning. I don't own RoM, but as far as I understand the Prussian Monarchy with its military boni isn't available until you form Prussia, right?

Taking defensive as second group and unlock the +20% moral is very helpful at the beginning before national ideas 3 and 5 kick in.

[rajwarrior]

This playthrough, I chose defensive as 2nd idea, innovative 3rd and offensive 4th. With Prussian militarization at 90-100%, I can easily crush a French doom stack. Getting ready to pick the 5th idea and torn between quantity and administrative. I am emperor now, so extra troops from that and Admin (combined with innovative) makes mercs almost as cheap as regular troops maintenance.

I think influence and diplomatic are good ideas to throw in if you can as well, but in this playthrough, my rulers are preciously low on diplo points, so I'm saving as much as possible for annexing

[Laladen]

Originally posted by Corvus917:

Pick up the 20% Infantry Combat and 5% Discipline policies, and you have a monster of an army that will utterly destroy almost anything.

In case you didnt notice. Without taking a single military idea. You are THE monster of an army. You literally have the best army in the world. Quantity helps you afford that army and lowers attrition which kills you and skyrockets your manpower + manpower recovery so you never have to stop fighting. Also yearly favors from allies earned comes mostly from max force limit, so 50% max force limit is pretty nice =)

[Corvus_Alt1]

Yes, I know, but I like making them even more of a monster. I like units capable of overkill and then some. And I guess I just like making my units stronger more than I do making them more plentiful. I like doing more with less, even if it's a bit suboptimal.

[Mol]

Honestly nobody here is going to agree on anything, but you really cant go wrong here. Picking either quality or offense is probably your best choice but your troops are just going to slaughter everyone anyway lol.

[Rabob]

I prefer defensive as first idea group, since I mostly don't get to the point where I use policies anyway.

Why Defensive? The morale is very nice (although I prefer discipline). But especially the lower land maintenance, attrition and fort defense and maintenance help a lot early (income and manpower wise).
If France attacks you for instance they will waste a lot of troops on attrition alone and the sieging will take longer so you can hold out longer. Also when you siege you are less affected by attrition. The morale makes it better to reinforce incase your siege force gets attacked.

If I hardly have to defend I would go Offensive, because of the siege bonus and discipline.

Furthermore Admin is always nice because of the tech reduction, cheaper mercs and coring reduction. The extra states might help as well :)

[Apotheotic Otter]

I honestly prefer quality into economic, now. With the Prussian Monarchy and a decent economic base, I just use mercenary infantry. 130% discipline and an ability to more or less ignore manpower by tech 12 or 13? Sure, why not. You just have to be able to foot the additional ducats.

[ToTeMKallo [FIN]]

Quality + Quantity? Sounds good atleast.

[Hairy]

Once the forts are working as intended then defensive is going to be be insane.

Have forts on your border, let the enemy attack, once they do then you hit them and then sit back wait for them to come back and rinse and repeat. Even France wont be able to beat you.