The trick to playing as Ireland?

**Kennylz** · November 30, 2008, 04:49 AM

I've become obsessed with trying to find a successful outcome for my Leinster game in EU3. I'm playing on normal, everything default, and it has been a struggle of resigns and reloads to just take Ireland for myself, which at one point caused my race around rebel-stricken England killing small patches of thousand soldier units before they could come together and mob me to death. It has been the hardest experience ever in a strategy game. Now though, Scotland, with my alliance, got this crazy idea to attack England. LULZ, we got them brother! Well, I tried about five times to successfully win that war, and it never happens. 0 inflation england begins total war unit production in every single one of its provinces and soon get that awesome horde steamrolling us. France never helps, besides taking those red bits on the mainland.

I thought once I unified Ireland and Scotland was still independant, and Britain was for the most part kicked out of France that they wouldn't be such a beast. I was wrong. They are unbeatable for me, and the sad thing is, thanks to those freedom wars I fought for Ireland, Britain HATES me, and every single time I try to just fiddle about and leave them alone, they find the time to vent their frustration on losing to France *yet again* on conquering me!

I just don't know what to do, but I do know now I hate the British. They are scary.

P.S. France would be a great help, if they'd man up and attack the British Isles with me, but alas, they are more interested in blobbing in Europe. It kills me that Britain is so freakishly lush with gold that they can field such a massive army spontaneously after just suffering a defeat, and without a tech or inflation hit.

(At least, in this latest attempt. Britain didn't automatically get the mission 'conquering Ireland" Yeah, thanks In Nomine, $#%# you.

**hellheaven1987** · November 30, 2008, 04:58 AM

You need to understand the AI:

1. France would only send piece by piece troop into British Isles.

2. Scotland has a nasty habit to declare war against England no matter what (yes, 10 out of 10 Scotland would attack England in first ten years of game).

3. England is a beast at beginning, and would only become more after you play longer.

**Ishoss** · November 30, 2008, 05:05 AM

I've seen England completely ass-raped by rebels in previous games. Wales held Wales and Cornwall, Scotland won a war against them and took Nurtumberland, East Anglia and one more in that area. In the end all that remained of England was the center of the Isles... Scotland was the main power.

I believe I had random lucky nations though

**Fianóglach** · November 30, 2008, 07:31 PM

The key to uniting Ireland is to have patience. set your treasury bar to full, crank up the speed and bide your time. Avoid alliances with anybody but Brittany and France, or even Spain is possible. Wait for your chance build up some cash, hire some mercs and lash out at your Irish minor counterparts. The sticky part is hoping England doesnt get involved. In which case youll need to be allied to France or at least wait until England is at war with a major power. It took me a few tries to do, and I used Munster.

**Kennylz** · November 30, 2008, 09:15 PM

Your inflation had to be ridiculously high.

**Fianóglach** · November 30, 2008, 09:47 PM

Originally Posted by Kennylz

Your inflation had to be ridiculously high.

Yeah, I never said I was comfortable, but I was able to unite Ireland which was my goal.

**Kennylz** · November 30, 2008, 11:37 PM

Eh, I was able to unite Ireland without serious inflation problems. I'm into "conquer England and become a world power." now.

**Augustus Lucifer** · December 01, 2008, 12:37 AM

alt+21

money

I kid, I kid.

Realistically I've never played a game as Ireland, though I would love to try one as well. I've had an obsession with playing the nations of my heritage, which is why I played my current campaign as Bohemia(1/8th Ethnicity) and later turned it into Germany(4/8th Ethnicity). My other three eighths are Welsh, Irish, and English, so I'll probably play as England next if I ever get back to playing and wait on your successful dominion and tips before trying to play Connacht. Might have to try a game as Wales to, I guess the only way to do so would be to free them as France and switch in the save.

At any rate, I'd suggest you work on getting some colonial territory in the Indies, India, and the Caribbean. Some of those territories can be nicely productive and it has worked as Brittany in the past to do a similar approach. Pick some fights with the minor states of the HRE who don't have major affiliations, and island nations in the Mediterranean like The Knights or Cyprus. You're going to need more manpower and some help before you can go toe to toe with England, and even if you do, if you aren't already a superpower it is hard to kill them entirely since they will have plenty of colonies. I'd say be satisfied with owning the British Isles, that in itself would be a MAJOR accomplishment.

**Kennylz** · December 01, 2008, 01:26 AM

I'm slowly coming to a few key focal points when dealing with England. I'll divide it into two different plans.

Plan 1. Become good friends with resign and reload. Restrain yourself from throwing the difficulty down on easy and loading up a save as England to try and cheat yourself. It is a hollow victory. Unite Ireland right from the start while signing as many Royal Marriages you can and praying to god someone less insignificant than you allies or pulls you into a personal union. Hope England gets REAL unlucky. Don't trade. Trading is a waste of money for Ireland.

Plan 2, which I haven't had a chance to go all out with yet, has to be the "Sneaky little bastard" approach. The plan is to do everything in your power from the beginning to be a nice little Ireland. Unification of Ireland is a must if you plan on getting anything at all done, except in this case you would only vassalize. For one, this allows you to keep more soldiers in Ireland without having to worry about the upkeep, and I think the mask of some kind of power makes England think just a nanosecond longer before beating the

out of you.

But leave Tyrone to be the sacrificial lamb, since England loves to take at least them out regardless. The whole point of this plan is to get on England's good side. Alliances and all the works, and only once you have that on lock, then you get to waging war on minor European states. Maybe you'd do this through war's England starts, or wars started against England by others. Once England has you all buddied up, and your power is constantly growing, you wait until England hits a time of trouble with rebels, gets into a major war and is on the verge of getting its ass kicked, and then you go total war and throw the money slider to the right of Fascist and zerg the Isles.

Since I'm having such a bad go at plan 1, I think I'll be trying this next, but it may be possible if England gets the "Conquer Ireland" mission right from the start. This is by far the hardest Nation I've played. You could do better even as some tiny Asian country. At least then you don't have Nations coded from the start to want to take you out before anything else. It is probably harder to play as Greece, or someone in that area against the Ottoman's though.

* But hey, I could have the totally wrong approach. It isn't like I've been doing all that well. England always comes around and snuffs me out at some point or another. I'm sure they must be a lucky nation, but I can't bring myself to untick that option. It just feels right for them to be utter bastards.

**hellheaven1987** · December 01, 2008, 01:35 AM

You can try Serbia in 1454; game over after ten minutes.

**Ishoss** · December 01, 2008, 01:47 AM

Or Bali, or any small Balkan state. (Read: Ragusa, Montenegro, Albania (god bless their moon-troopers!)

And trade is not a waste of money, I believe. Just get maxed out free-trade and you will be able to compete. A.I Ireland did this to me in 1.3 when I was Norway, had to vassalize the bastards because their income was so god damned huge. They only had Ireland and South Africa but still managed to have a top 10 income

**hellheaven1987** · December 01, 2008, 03:34 AM

Originally Posted by Ishoss

Or Bali, or any small Balkan state. (Read: Ragusa, Montenegro, Albania (god bless their moon-troopers!)

Actually it is possible to play them, as long as you don't piss-off Ottoman (which I have seen AI success before; Ragusa created a Balkan Empire without got kicked by Ottoman).

Oh, and after watch how Athen AI counquered a small empire I concluded it is not impossible to play Athen.

**Kennylz** · December 01, 2008, 01:55 AM

O rly? Well, I was talking in the short term, when you only make like 10-15 gold a year.

**Ishoss** · December 01, 2008, 02:08 AM

Well, that's true. It's hard to compete with 15 coins per year

**John I Tzimisces** · December 05, 2008, 11:12 AM

I have done quite well as Ireland in EUIII before. Managed to acquired scotland, wales, and cornwall from england. I wish I could remember HOW I managed that because I'm trying to figure out who to play next...

**Sturmovik** · December 05, 2008, 12:09 PM

Every game is different, of course - In a current game where Im not even involved in Western Europe - England did defeat Scotland, but proceeded to get beaten by France, Releasing Cornwall and Wales.

Granted, it beat Cornwall up, and took Southern Wales, but whats left is a vassal of France and its a wierd balance of power now, as Connaught or whoever owns everything except the usual English province.

All the advice given will help you though - but yes, each game is different, hopefully you will get one where england gets screwed by France a bit more. I wish you luck!