Europa Universalis 4

Top 5 Tips and Tricks for Beginners in Europa Universalis

Europa Universalis is littered with hidden features and interaction that the average player is unaware of, which is why it is crucial to stay up-to-date with the available content, especially if you intend to accomplish a world conquest. This guide intends to keep your noggin full of useful information, that will come in handy when attempting your next playthrough. Here are the Top 5 Tips and Tricks for Beginners in Europa Universalis 4

  1. Don’t Overuse Harsh Treatment
  2. During Peacetime, Lower Autonomy.
  3. Lower Maintenance
  4. Invest in Advisors
  5. Always Check Disputed Succession

Tip and Trick #1: Don’t Overuse Harsh Treatment

Harsh Treatment is an action that allows the player to delay a rebellion by reducing the uprising’s progress by 30%. This has its moments, like when you are in the middle of an action-packed war, and you can’t afford to fight the rebels, but otherwise, it’s a quick way of losing monarch points.

Monarch Points: Points that are gained each month and are spent on investments like tech and ideas. The 3 Monarch Points are Administrative, Diplomatic, and Military.

The main danger when performing “Harsh Treatment” is its cost. In Europa Universalis, each moment counts, and to waste precious time is to dig yourself a hole. By constantly using this action, you are continuously setting yourself backward militarily, and spending military power that could be spent somewhere else.

Rebels conquering provinces tip 1 for Top 5 Tips and Tricks for Beginners in Europa Universalis

Tip and Trick #2: During Peacetime, Lower Autonomy.

Within the Game, if the player desires victory, they must be continuously expanding, thus the player must spend a majority of their time at War. This makes time when you don’t have to besiege an enemy’s provinces that much more valuable. That is why we must not waste it. To stay productive, the player should lower autonomy in newly awarded territories to maximize the province’s worth.

Autonomy: How much power the local populace has over the province.

Thus, having lower autonomy would maximize the gains from the province.

How to Lower Autonomy

There are many ways to lower autonomy, we will be covering 3:

  • Converting the territory into a state. This significantly lowers the Autonomy of the encapsulating provinces.
  • Decreasing Autonomy action. This can be found below the unrest and will decrease autonomy, but also increase unrest by 10.
  • Government Reforms. Certain reforms lower the minimum autonomy, such as “Regional Representation”
Tax, production and total tab as tip 2 in Top 5 Tips and Tricks for Beginners in Europa Universalis

Tip and Trick #3: Lower Maintenance

As a nation grows, its army and navy grow with it. And as the country becomes a great power, a strong army is essential. As the player begins to grow their army, the cost begins to add up. players may end up spending absurd amounts of cash, funding an idle army during peacetime, and this is equivalent to lighting on fire and burning ducats.

Usually, there are various bits and bobs the player can spend their ducats on, whether it’s paying off a loan or saving for a canal. This is why it is vital for players to lower the maintenance of their troops.

Tip and Trick #4: Invest in Advisors

Advisors are an integral role in a nation’s success, the reasons for this are plenty. For those newer to the game, Advisors are hireable people that provide you with monarch points and various benefits, at the price of a few (Or a lot) of ducats. Though they may only provide you with 1 extra monarch point per month, over large periods of time, their support adds up immensely. Over a 50 year period, the number of monarch points amassed from an advisor that is only providing you with a single monarch point would be 600!

As I mention, Advisors also provide many benefits, such as:

  • Increase in Discipline
  • Increase in National Manpower
  • Decrease in Land Maintenance
  • Increase in Fort Maintenance
  • Increase in Diplomatic Reputation
  • Increase in Spy Network Construction
  • Increase in National Tax Modifier
  • Decrease in National Unrest
Advisors tab as tip 4 in europa Top 5 Tips and Tricks for Beginners in Europa Universalis

Tip and Trick #5: Always Check Disputed Succession

Disputed Succession tab as tip 5 in Top 5 Tips and Tricks for Beginners in Europa Universalis

Personal Unions (are very often) are very powerful. Potentially too powerful. Personal Unions, more commonly known as PUs are when 2 countries are both rules by a single king. This guarantees the Senior Partner of the PU to have an ally that is always willing to defend or attack along with you. This can be extremely helpful when wanting to invade a great power.

PUs are created when another country’s ruler has died without an heir. IF this occurs, and your nation has a royal marriage with said nation, they fall under your control. This being said, if another, more powerful country also has a royal marriage with said country, an event will fire where you will go to war for the country in question.

We hope you enjoyed “Top 5 Tips and Tricks for Beginners in Europa Universalis.

George Dermanakis

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