Diplomatic annexation

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The Basics

Diplomatic annexation (DA) is a diplomatic option that you may perform on a vassal. If they accept, they are annexed and become part of your nation. Unlike annexation in a peace treaty, diplo-annexing can be done on countries with more than one province. You gain 1 Badboy per province in the country.

Diplo-annexation requirements:

• Country must have been your vassal for at least 10 years
• Must have diplomatic relations of 190 or more. The degree to which it is over 190 probably doesn't matter much; this is a simple requirement.
• Must share your religious group (as of v.1.2)

In the best of cases, it can be hard to DA, with only a "Maybe" being stated as the likelihood. In real life, Maybe seems to mean "probably not" - perhaps a 12% chance, which means it can seem to take forever if you're unlucky. To whatever extent the following are not in the best shape possible, the probability will be lower than Maybe:

• Your monarch's diplomatic skill - the higher the better
• The target's diplomatic skill - the higher the better
• Your prestige - the higher the better
• Your reputation (Badboy score) - the lower the better
• The length of vassalization - the longer the better, with a cap of 30 years (as of the 1.2 patch)

DA is especially sweet for annexing one-province countries because of the much lower Reputation hit (just 1 BB for their capital, versus Force Annexing of 3 with Core on capital or 6 without it). Strictly speaking, though, DA simply saves you 2 or 5 BB, regardless of how big the nation is. Still, this doesn't count the BB incurred each time you DoW to pick apart a large nation, if you're trying to maximize your imperialism while keeping BB low (i.e., try to take over as much of the world as possible, while approaching the theoretical minimum of 1 BB per province).

• Note that if you do DA a large country, you will incur high Badboy, which will make DA'ing additional nations nigh impossible (Very Unlikely or worse) until your Badboy becomes low again.
• Also note that if your merchants kick the DA target's merchants out of a CoT, you will incur a small Relations hit. So if you are intensely focussing on a DA target, think twice before sending merchants to a CoT where they have a lot of merchants or a Trade monopoly (which guarantees you'll kick one of his merchants out, if your merchant is successful).

Strategy

Diplomatic Annexation can be used to start Badboy Wars. This strategy is called Diplo-Annexing for victory.

If attempting to quietly DA a peaceful world, however:

• Have zero or one ally, so that you get plenty of alliance offers. (Alliances are hard to ask for - but readily offered by some nations, if you have no allies. Two allies seems to be where you will get almost no offers.) Only choose allies you can turn into Vassals: Same Religious group and they have a monarchy (for a Royal marriage). Reject offers by Theocracies or Republics.
• When your ruler has low diplomatic skill:
  • Build relations with these allies, mostly using gifts.
    • If relations are better than ~30, ask for Military Access (instant +10 relations).
    • When over ~150, ask for Royal Marriage (another instant jump), although they usually already offer an RM by this point (and save you a diplomat).
  • When 190+, ask for Vassalization. They will usually jump at the chance.
  • Then, rudely cancel the Alliance (-50 relations), so that you are free for offers from others, and not drawn into unintended wars. Throw a Grand Ball in Capital with the new income.
  • Put your diplomats to work again, to keep the relation high.
  • Focus on the vassals who are most important in the near term (see below); the long term will take care of itself.

Yes, it's long and slow work, and plenty of Gifts that result in 0 relation increase. But it's a way to keep all those undiplomatic rulers or councils building an all-important platform for your precious few very diplomatic rulers.

Once you get a ruler with high diplomacy (range is 3-8; 6 or esp. 8 is high):

• Focus on DA targets ones with the highest diplomatic skill (mainly). But strategic value and longer vassalization (30 years max) can guide your choice, too.
• Then DA the rest, in decreasing importance / likelihood.

This is a "slow but sure, then fast and quick" way to DA countries. If you like to DA, it's also a way to feel comfortable during the times your monarch has a low value in the all-important diplomatic skill: When your ruler shouldn't be allowed outside on a leash, you're building your empire for the time when you do have a ruler who lights up every room she or he enters.

A few more notes:

• Regardless of strategic importance, do not intensely court new-found allies up to vassals when you have a high DIP ruler (unless he has little else to do diplomatically). There will be a 10-year wait, and maybe a lot of relation building, before they are eligible for DA. A lot can happen in the meantime; both your ruler and theirs can die. Let boorish rulers handle it. If you have a diplomatic ruler, cash in your chips on good vassals you've built up already. A bird in hand is worth four in the bush.
• Don't forget that, while large vassalized nations might be enticing, it will be a long time before you can successfully DA anyone again (due to Badboy). That said, though, you have still DA'd as much as possible in the most efficient way possible, if you are coming from a "badboy over time" approach. And your high DIP ruler can easily set up other nations as much as possible for future DAs.