United Provinces tips and strategy

[Vhad]

Can anyone give some tips who to take first and so on ? starting with this faction

[Hruthwulf]

Westphalia has a school, and no significant allies. Get'im!

Watch out for the pirate fleet in the Java trade theater. You'll need to send your ships (with an admiral) from around Sri Lanka to help em out.

Take out the two pirate bases in the Caribbean asap.

[strongside]

lol. I am starting off with the same country. I took the 2 lone countries to the right of my capitol to give me some breathing room and am now building up my forces near India to try and conquer that region since it seems to be the easiest to expand in.


We'll see tonight when I continue.

[Warboss]

I tried to keep my business mostly in the Americas/India. The United Provinces are a great economic faction and there really isn't much room for expansion in Europe, unless you're up for a fight.

[strongside]

Westphalia has a school, and no significant allies. Get'im!

Watch out for the pirate fleet in the Java trade theater. You'll need to send your ships (with an admiral) from around Sri Lanka to help em out.

Take out the two pirate bases in the Caribbean asap.

I am doing that as well but am writing off that area strategy wise for now since that region is surrounded by England, spain and france. So it would be suicide to continue there.

[Malaclypse]

If you keep your alliance with England and hope that France and Spain break their alliance, then you can wreck all of Spains hopes of dominion in the west.
At first I sent out ships to sit at the trade hubs. Sloops, brigs, indiamen, fluits... anything i could lay my hands on. Then I attack the two pirate bases in the west indies to gain control of them. First I take Trinidad & Tobago and then the upper base. Trinidad has a dockyard that will be the main shipfactory for Fluits to bring in the gold.
The reason for sending any kind of ship to the trade hubs is that the other nations will not get them if you are at peace with them. Right now in my game (on vh/vh) I control 10 of the trade hubs.... that brings in serious cash to wage the war. I did focus on military tech first, so that it is easier to bring down the pirates.

Give gifts to both France and England to keep them happy. That way you dont have to wage a costly European war, but can take the colonies where there is big money to be made. When you do have a war with Spain, then gifts to England really helps in clearing out the oceans for any piratical Spaniard fleets. Ohh and remember to send a fleet and fluits to the tradehubs, so you can take them from Spain and get them yourself.

[sabaku_no_gaara]

Westphalia has a school, and no significant allies. Get'im!

Watch out for the pirate fleet in the Java trade theater. You'll need to send your ships (with an admiral) from around Sri Lanka to help em out.

Take out the two pirate bases in the Caribbean asap.

Hm, why didn't I think of that?

I took out the Pirate bases, and the French colonies in South america when the French started a war against me, I lost 4 armies in Mysore and then gave up on them, but later I took a province from Maratha rebels.

Next I took Flanders and recruited a huge cannon foder army in Belgium and sent thm to India, and I recruited a real army (cavalry, infantry, artillery) in Ceylon and some sepoy cannon fodder in my Indian province.

I wanted to send all to India to conquer Mysore but just as I arived the Maratha took it, I was so angry about this that I attacked the Marathat's and conquered mysore and Goa.

I may restart my campaign tough, because I'm liking the idea of an early extra school

[S-te-Fan]

Isn't it dangerous and risky to send merchant fleets early on? And what kind of fleet is the best?

[Walternat0r]

Move your East Indies fleet to Madagascar theatre, it's nearer, and smaller, much easier to defend. I merged my fleets at Madagascar trade theatre and they're earning me a mint! Also, take Paris asap. It knocks out the French and it earns you so much money its not even funny.

[Malaclypse]

it is a gamble to send the small indiamen out at first and the same with single brigs/sloops, but remember that each of the tradehubs you do get is worth loads of cash.... With a single Fluit on a tradehub you can get about 400 each turn, so for the price of perhaps one or two sunk ships you get a huge return for your money. Plus you use the fleet to clear out the pirates in that sector before placing smaller ships. Each ship you place pays more that its upkeep, so it is really a win win situation. My present trade from the 10 tradehubs pays for all the rest of my fleet including several 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th rate ships.

Edit: As for going for Westphalia first, then it is really a question of temprerament. I usually dont go for it because I want to use my trade as soon as possible and then get Westphalia later. My opinion is that money first, then army second. I need all that trade to field the armies that I want
Now I can wage a campaign in both North America and in India at the same time. India is on the back burner though until I do take Westphalia

[sabaku_no_gaara]

I tried the Westphalia thing, conquered them easy anough, but Hannover and those guys beneath Westphalia declared war on me and attacked me so I had to take their provinces too, I have 3 schools now, but Saxony declared war on me, and everyone, really everyone hates me

[ClicktyClick]

The first thing I did is build a somewhat bigger army, upgrade farms, and send some indiamen with protection to ship me some money from trade. Then I drove out spain from vlaanderen and after that the little country that is to the right of vlaanderen.

After you took those keep you defences tight at vlaanderen, because spain and france will try and retake it. Build up a bigger army (as soon as you can afford it) and immediatly take out paris. Once you have paris (keep an army there against riots for a while) you will ship in some big cash.

Spain isnt that much of a trouble, sometimes they send small armies but it isnt that hard to defend against them.

After I took out france, I thought it was best to take out spain next. Spain was an easy target, just take out Madrid and it's your, but dont forget to take out the small capitol in the street of gibraltar.

[sabaku_no_gaara]

Bavaria decided to declare war on me aswell, I got tired of having no peace at all and decided to take them out, and I gave their province to the Brittish who are my Allies. This is good because this new Brittish region is right Below Saxony wich is also at war with me and Brittain so the Brits can keep them busy, I've built a starfort at the verry small shared border with Saxony so I can finally build up my empire

[strongside]

lol. I am starting off with the same country. I took the 2 lone countries to the right of my capitol to give me some breathing room and am now building up my forces near India to try and conquer that region since it seems to be the easiest to expand in.


We'll see tonight when I continue.

Correction!

I am taking Europe LMAO! I have taken out the 2 countries to my east, Then Germany and now Prussia! I am moving east while france, spain and engand fight it out. When they are done I will take out the winner! As of now I have 6000 every turn and can't spend it fast enough!!!

TAKE EUROPE!

[Bowden]

Get Brussels first, Antwerpen can come in handy. Since you are at war with France now (through the allies take part feature) take Windward Isles and French Guyana. Then you might want to try to get as many trade posts as possible. Also paying attention the the World Market prices might work. Ivory is to be found at Madagascar, Spices in East Indies, Sugar in Brazil. Fluyts are expensive but they rock. They pwn any Brig, Sloop or Indiaman. Even several. Sometimes some 6th or 5th aswell!

[S-te-Fan]

Were can I find smiths for my empire? I need it for my technology research.

[Aldgarkalaughskel]

Westphalia is a good target, but I figured out a smart way to take Antwerp (attack Spain) without being at war with France (which would be suicidal early in the game).
Attack New Spain in America first. This will get you in war with Spain, but not with France. Then go ahead and take Antwerp, your eastern neighbor in Europe will remain peaceful.
The best strategy after this imho is to take all the American Spanish colonies, but don't harm the French colonies until you're done. If this is done, disband all field armies and focus on your economy for 10 years and develop military techs. Build up full-stacks in Europe and in the Americas as well, and take the French cities by surprise.

[NightFire]

Make a big fleet in Europe before sending them to the Caribbean,because there are some big Pirate fleets waiting to sink any ship that comes by.Btw,anyone got tips to get a good cashflow coming in with the Dutch?I never was good in doing that in the Total War games.

[S-te-Fan]

Keep Surinam, if you have to right mines it can give 4000 per turn. I'm now in 1729 and I'm making 15000 per turn (Paris makes 10000 ^^)

[NightFire]

I do have Suriname and mines there,but there is not much profit coming out of it.:hmmm: