The Knights strategy

From EU3 Wiki

[edit] Starting position

Your starting position is very grim. In fact, you're doing nothing but commit a suicide starting with the Knights.

You have one province that doesn't even share your state religion, you have 0 money so can't hire a single advisor, you have only one ship and only one unit of infantry. Your province is poor and your manpower is a joke.

Now good news. You're a Theocracy, so you can convert infidels easily. Also, you're catholic. You are in the best, Latin, techgroup. The good news is that there are a lot of rich infidels around the world. Of course you won't succeed in fighting with anybody. You are too small, too weak and too tempting to be killed. So you will fail. But before they beat you, you can at least mark history with some brave achievements! Let's do it.

You will probably start crying when you see your treasury for the first time. Is there anybody earning less than you in this game? I doubt. Well, what's even funnier you have to mint some cash as you start with empty treasury and can't really afford going bankrupt the second month of the game.

Also, move your slider towards Free Trade. Even one trader in any centre of trade can earn more than your starting country. So do trade. :-)

Don't forget to improve your tolerance towards Catholic and Muslim, as you're about to conquer their land. Ignore Eastern and Pagan for now, you won't meet them any soon.

To even think about not being annexed by the Ottomans during your first 10 years of playing, you have to make a quick move. Put your army on your ship, set your starting general to lead them. You have to conquer Cyprus before it allies with somebody. So declare a war to them just after your ship reaches their shores and disembark your army. You're attacking from water and they have the same size of the army. So you're pretty much screwed. The only thing that can help you is your general - and you have to know that he's very talented. Also, you have your full Quality setting to your advantage. You win or you reload your game. Really. You can't afford not having Cyprus. Do not forget your starting admiral, Cyprus has a ship and they can attack and destroy yours if it's without a leader your conqest and survival is threatened.

The siege of cyprus will be long, and hopefully you don't provoke or give the dirty kneed Mohammadians a reason to attack you, though they will anyways because they are greedy and evil.

Once Cyprus is taken you wait and hope the Ottomans ignore The Knights of St. John.

Try and lay low for until you feel secure to take a second island in the mediterranean, but remember, the farther from the Ottomans, the better, if Genoa is forced to release it's Island, that is a perfect target, but something which has a semi land connection is a tad risky.

Gather resources for your own defense and do ally with a nation like Venice, or a Roman Catholic Mediterranean power. The best choice here is Aragon as it has numerous ships and can defend your pityful islands from Ottomans and Mamluks for quite a long time. If they hate you, go for Portugal or Castille. You need somebody with fleet in the area to come and defend you as quickly as possible.

[edit] ULTIMATE GOAL

Your direction from here is very broad, the ideal goal for the knights is to retake Constantinople, and with the help of competant allies, it is possible, but only the greatest players are able to bring back the Byzantine empire and wash the walls of the Hagia Irene with Mohammadian blood!