As Prussia, I usually try to keep things calm for the first 4 years or so. No expansion, research into military tech as my crappy armies can handle everyone else's crappy armies. I go for enlightenment tech to increase research rate, and then go for farm techs to increase population and decrease military costs. I'll build about 1 or two militia/turn just to have options. Then Austria declares war as usual. I've made an alliance with Poland, and Austria is usually at war with them by this time anyway. I let the Poles bear the brunt of things, and will head straight for Vienna, take it, give it back and make peace with a trade agreement. So much for Austria. But then Sweden starts screwing with me, and then Poland, and it's a brutal 10 years of slow progress though I usually end up being pretty "terrifying and Rich" by the end of that.
So this time, I made my alliance with Poland right off the bat. Collected my armies into 1 mass, built a sloop, loaded the troops, and went after Stockholm. I took it by turn 4, and spent the next 4 turns letting the Swedes ravage Sweden, let them rebel, and after a few years I prevailed, and the Swedes gave up. I also took my sloop, set it as bait, let the swedes attack it with a couple of 6th rates - made 1 surrender, and then outran the other. Took that captured 6th rate, repaired it, captured their 5th rate with it, and now had a powerful fleet. I then made peace with Sweden. Never would have to worry about them again. Russia would finish them off but I would be very powerful by then.
Funny thing about this is that Austria never attacked me Ever.
I then started expanding my farms, and started researching weapons techs. poland attacked me after a couple years, but I let them ravage as much as they want, made sure that I had enough troops in Konigsberg to withstand sieges, slowly built up some cav and 12 pounders, and took out Courland. Constantly repaired damaged towns and slowy pushed small armies out toward Warsaw to protect my towns and boxed Poland in. Then swooped down and besieged Warsaw - took it.
Also took my outdated early units to the Carribean with my 5th and 6th rates. Started capturing rebel and pirate territories, building trade fleets and occupying the trade spots. Very nice strategy, and I think it was by 1725, I was "terrifying and spectacular." Had a few years of peaceful growth and then the Mughals demanded a territory from me - I refused so they declared war. Spent the next 20 years wiping them out, and now nobody (except Saxony - my trading protectorate) likes me, but everyone is too terrified to mess with me. I have huge fleets stacked with 1st and 2nd raters, and pulling down about 22k/turn. Trying to provoke a war with Austria, but they just aren't biting. Guess I'll have to get nasty and just invade.
UPDATE: So Hannover declared war on Saxony - I backed my Saxon protectorate and took Hannover, Copenhagen and Bavaria from them, wiping Hannover out. UP declared war on me so I took Curacao, all of their trading points, and Netherlands - gave it back and made peace. Russia declared war and I took Moscow, Finland, Norway, Arkangelsk, Kiev, Kola Peninsula from them. Gave Moscow/Arkangelsk/Kiev and Kola to Saxony - that moved them up from $2k/turn trading to about $12k/turn. Took Sevastopol from Russia and gave it to France. Still at war with Russia, but they aren't even a remote threat any more. The Saxons are now building big armies and have taken Amsterdam and are pounding what's left of the Russians.
I declared war on Austria; Their British ally abandoned them. Turkey backed them. I took Vienna and Prague in one turn, and besieged Budapest. Next turn they sued for peace - I gave them Goa and Poldolia to sweeten the pot. Turkey asked for peace in return for some tech and Punjab. I said no but they could have the steam engine tech - they agreed.
Only territory I still need is Alsace - owned by France.
So this time, I made my alliance with Poland right off the bat. Collected my armies into 1 mass, built a sloop, loaded the troops, and went after Stockholm. I took it by turn 4, and spent the next 4 turns letting the Swedes ravage Sweden, let them rebel, and after a few years I prevailed, and the Swedes gave up. I also took my sloop, set it as bait, let the swedes attack it with a couple of 6th rates - made 1 surrender, and then outran the other. Took that captured 6th rate, repaired it, captured their 5th rate with it, and now had a powerful fleet. I then made peace with Sweden. Never would have to worry about them again. Russia would finish them off but I would be very powerful by then.
Funny thing about this is that Austria never attacked me
I then started expanding my farms, and started researching weapons techs. poland attacked me after a couple years, but I let them ravage as much as they want, made sure that I had enough troops in Konigsberg to withstand sieges, slowly built up some cav and 12 pounders, and took out Courland. Constantly repaired damaged towns and slowy pushed small armies out toward Warsaw to protect my towns and boxed Poland in. Then swooped down and besieged Warsaw - took it.
Also took my outdated early units to the Carribean with my 5th and 6th rates. Started capturing rebel and pirate territories, building trade fleets and occupying the trade spots. Very nice strategy, and I think it was by 1725, I was "terrifying and spectacular." Had a few years of peaceful growth and then the Mughals demanded a territory from me - I refused so they declared war. Spent the next 20 years wiping them out, and now nobody (except Saxony - my trading protectorate) likes me, but everyone is too terrified to mess with me. I have huge fleets stacked with 1st and 2nd raters, and pulling down about 22k/turn. Trying to provoke a war with Austria, but they just aren't biting. Guess I'll have to get nasty and just invade.
UPDATE: So Hannover declared war on Saxony - I backed my Saxon protectorate and took Hannover, Copenhagen and Bavaria from them, wiping Hannover out. UP declared war on me so I took Curacao, all of their trading points, and Netherlands - gave it back and made peace. Russia declared war and I took Moscow, Finland, Norway, Arkangelsk, Kiev, Kola Peninsula from them. Gave Moscow/Arkangelsk/Kiev and Kola to Saxony - that moved them up from $2k/turn trading to about $12k/turn. Took Sevastopol from Russia and gave it to France. Still at war with Russia, but they aren't even a remote threat any more. The Saxons are now building big armies and have taken Amsterdam and are pounding what's left of the Russians.
I declared war on Austria; Their British ally abandoned them. Turkey backed them. I took Vienna and Prague in one turn, and besieged Budapest. Next turn they sued for peace - I gave them Goa and Poldolia to sweeten the pot. Turkey asked for peace in return for some tech and Punjab. I said no but they could have the steam engine tech - they agreed.
Only territory I still need is Alsace - owned by France.
[This message has been edited by scuppers (edited 12-23-2012 @ 08:36 PM).]