Lexi Webster
Passing reforms in the HRE can be a challenging task, especially when playing as Austria. While some players have managed to pass multiple reforms, others have struggled to even pass the first one. To increase your chances of success, there are several strategies you can employ. One approach is to focus on diplomacy and vassalize electors to maintain your position on the throne. Conquering territories, adding them to the HRE, and then releasing them as vassals can help increase your influence. It is also important to prevent minors from being annexed and to quash the reformation by forcing religion on heretics, who are a significant drain on imperial authority. Additionally, consider expanding outside the HRE within Europe to gain more provinces, which can be added to the HRE for further imperial authority. With careful planning and execution, it may be possible to pass multiple reforms and work towards achieving a pan-European empire.
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
- Vassalize electors to keep the throne
- Conquer Hungary, add territories to the HRE, then release Hungary
- Focus on securing borders with nations that have reformation centres
- Attack countries with reformation centres and force religion to kill the centre
- Expand territory outside the HRE to get authority from adding land to it
Vassalize electors to keep the throne
Passing reforms as Austria in EU4 can be a challenging task, but one effective strategy is to focus on vassalizing electors to maintain your position as Emperor and facilitate the passage of reforms. Here's a detailed guide on how to achieve this:
Identify Key Electors:
Start by identifying the electors within the Holy Roman Empire (HRE). Electors are powerful nations that hold the right to vote for the Emperor. By vassalizing them, you can secure their support and increase your influence. These electors can include nations like Bohemia, Hungary, and the Teutonic Order.
Form Strategic Alliances:
Before attempting to vassalize electors, it's crucial to establish strong alliances with them. This can be done through diplomatic means, such as royal marriages, improving relations, or forming defensive pacts. Having these alliances in place will make them more amenable to becoming your vassals and will provide a buffer against potential rivals.
Strengthen Your Military:
Ensure that your military strength is formidable before making any demands on electors. A strong military will serve as a deterrent to potential aggressors and demonstrate your power to the electors. Focus on building a robust army and navy to assert your dominance in the region.
Offer Vassalization:
Once you have established solid alliances and a strong military presence, you can begin offering vassalization to the electors. This can be done through diplomatic means, but be prepared for potential resistance or the need for coercion. Some electors may willingly accept vassalization to gain your protection or access to resources.
Use Force if Necessary:
If diplomacy fails, you may need to resort to military action. Declare war on electors who refuse vassalization and ensure your military campaigns are swift and decisive. By conquering their territories and forcing them into vassalage, you can still achieve your goal. Remember that wars within the HRE can be costly and generate aggressive expansion, so consider using alternative casus belli if possible.
Maintain Good Relations:
Once you have vassalized electors, it's essential to maintain positive relations with them. Offer them protection, favourable trade agreements, or other incentives to keep them loyal. Remember that you can also grant them released nations as vassals to increase the number of princes, which can be beneficial for passing reforms.
By following these steps, you can effectively vassalize electors, maintain your position as Emperor, and create a power base that will facilitate the passage of reforms. Remember that diplomacy, military strength, and strategic alliances are key to achieving your goals as Austria in EU4.
Austria vs Denmark: Where and How to Watch
You may want to see also
Explore related products
$50.35 $54.99
Conquer Hungary, add territories to the HRE, then release Hungary
Conquering Hungary and adding its territories to the Holy Roman Empire (HRE) is a strategy that can help players pass reforms as Austria in Europa Universalis IV (EU4). Here's a detailed breakdown of the strategy:
Conquer Hungary
As Austria, one of the early goals should be to form a personal union with Hungary. This can be achieved through diplomatic means or by force. Having Hungary as a junior partner in a personal union provides a significant boost to Austria's military and diplomatic strength. It also ensures that Hungary's resources and manpower can be utilised for the benefit of the empire.
Add Territories to the HRE
Once Hungary is under Austria's control, the next step is to add its territories to the HRE. This can be done by conquering and annexing Hungarian provinces and then adding them to the empire. It is important to note that personal union subjects, like Hungary in this case, do not automatically join the HRE. However, by directly annexing Hungarian provinces, Austria can then add them to the empire as desired.
Release Hungary
After adding Hungarian territories to the HRE, Austria can choose to release Hungary as a vassal. This step is crucial as it increases the number of princes in the empire, which is beneficial for passing reforms. A higher number of princes can provide more votes in favour of passing reforms, making it easier to achieve the necessary majority. Additionally, releasing Hungary as a vassal can help maintain good relations and stability within the empire, as vassals tend to be more loyal and manageable than fully annexed territories.
This strategy of conquering Hungary, adding its territories to the HRE, and then releasing Hungary as a vassal can be repeated with other nations bordering the HRE. It is a diplomatic and expansionist approach that helps Austria consolidate power and pass reforms more efficiently. However, it is important to manage aggressive expansion and keep a close eye on the empire's stability during this process.
Austria's Legacy: A Country's Rich Cultural Heritage
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Focus on securing borders with nations that have reformation centres
The period of religious wars should be focused on trying to secure borders with nations that have centres of reformation. If they belong to OPMs, you can force conversions on them, and since it's their only province, the centre disappears. You can also take provinces with the centres of reformation and wait before converting them manually.
It is important to be extremely diligent in killing reformation centres. Find a reason to attack countries with them, or attack allies, or even use no CB if necessary, and force religion to kill the centre. You can also expand your territory outside the HRE within Europe, including Poland/Lithuania, Hungary, Scandinavia, Russia, and even the Pontic Steppe. Try to get a lot of provinces instead of those with high development. If you manage to get 50+ low-development provinces in Europe, you can quickly add them to the HRE to gain enough IA to pass another reform.
Another strategy is to vassalize electors to keep yourself on the throne. Conquer all of Hungary, add every territory to the HRE, and then release Hungary. Repeat this process with other nations. Don't wait until there are no more wars in the HRE, as this will only happen once you unite it. It is also a good idea to force-vassalize Switzerland and grab a personal union on Bohemia early in the game.
Traveling to Austria? Adapter Essentials for Your Trip
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Attack countries with reformation centres and force religion to kill the centre
When playing as Austria in EU4, one of the key strategies to passing reforms is to attack countries with reformation centres and force religion to eliminate those centres. This is particularly important when trying to pass reforms as Austria, as heretics are the biggest drain on imperial authority.
To implement this strategy, it is recommended to pick religious ideas early in the game and grab a few provinces around the empire. This will allow you to Deus Vult them, forcing their religion and removing the Centres of Reformation (CoR). If these provinces belong to One Province Minors (OPMs), it becomes easier as you can force conversions on them, and since it's their only province, the reformation centre disappears.
Additionally, you can take provinces with reformation centres and wait before converting them manually. This strategy can be combined with expanding outside the Holy Roman Empire (HRE) within Europe, targeting provinces in Poland/Lithuania, Hungary, Scandinavia, Russia, and even the Pontic Steppe. By acquiring a large number of provinces, you can add them to the HRE to gain the necessary imperial authority to pass reforms.
It is also suggested to not bother with passing reforms until the religious league war is settled, as it can get too chaotic during the reformation. Ideally, Catholicism or Protestantism should be the official faith after the war, as this provides more opportunities for gaining imperial authority.
Why Austrian Silver Coins Are Worth the Investment
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Expand territory outside the HRE to get authority from adding land to it
As Austria, one strategy to pass reforms in EU4 is to expand territory outside the Holy Roman Empire (HRE) to gain authority from adding land. This strategy involves increasing your territory and influence beyond the HRE's borders, which can provide several advantages.
Firstly, expanding outside the HRE allows you to gain authority by adding new land to your empire. This was a common strategy before updates changed the mechanics, making it more challenging to gain authority by simply stacking provinces. However, it is still possible to gain authority through expansion, especially by targeting specific regions. For example, you can focus on snaking your way towards countries like Aragon and adding them to the HRE. This approach requires careful navigation due to the "expand the empire" CB's bugs.
Additionally, expanding outside the HRE can provide resources and strategic advantages. Conquering territories outside the empire can grant you access to valuable provinces, such as those in Hungary. By adding these provinces to the HRE and then releasing them, you can increase the number of princes, which is beneficial for passing reforms. It is crucial to act before reaching the second-to-last reform, as certain methods of gaining authority become unavailable once specific reforms are passed.
Moreover, when expanding outside the HRE, you can employ diplomatic strategies to your advantage. Attacking allies of HRE members can be a cunning way to expand your influence. By calling in a free city and giving the land to your ally, you can increase your territory while managing the aggressive expansion (AE) penalties. It is important to note that the emperor may demand unlawful territory from your ally, but the released nation will not become a free city.
While expanding outside the HRE, it is also essential to maintain high relations with the emperor and other allies. This can be achieved through diplomacy, guaranteeing minors, and allying or declaring on aggressors to enforce unlawful territory. By increasing your "Improve Relations" modifier, you can accelerate the reduction of AE over time. Additionally, certain idea groups, such as Espionage and Diplomatic, can provide AE-reducing modifiers.
In summary, expanding territory outside the HRE as Austria in EU4 can be a viable strategy to gain authority and pass reforms. By adding land outside the empire, increasing the number of princes, employing diplomatic maneuvers, and managing AE, you can strengthen your position and work towards passing reforms more efficiently.
Calling Austria from Australia: Dialing Made Easy
You may want to see also
