If you’re an avid Europa Universalis IV (EU4) player seeking a challenging and rewarding goal, forming Prussia could be just what you’re looking for. Although not an easy feat, forming Prussia in EU4 is a great way to dominate Europe and establish a powerful German state. In this article, we’ll explore the process of forming Prussia in EU4, including the best starting nation and the necessary requirements to achieve this goal.
Europa Universalis 4: Forming Prussia Guide
Best Nation to Form Prussia
Brandenburg is often regarded as the optimal choice to form Prussia in EU4 due to its robust military and stable economy, which facilitate meeting the necessary requirements for forming Prussia. Being situated at the center of the Holy Roman Empire, Brandenburg also offers strategic advantages for expansion. Furthermore, Brandenburg’s distinctive national ideas synergize with Prussian military prowess, making it an ideal starting nation for players looking to form Prussia.
Initial Requirements
For the purpose of this walkthrough, I have started as Brandenburg. However, any nation in the Prussian, Pomeranian, or Saxon can technically form Prussia. The requirements for forming Prussia are the provinces of Konigsberg then Danzig or Stolp. You must also have Administrative technology at level 10 and be either Protestant or Reformed at the time of forming.
Start of the Game
When starting the game, one very important thing I learned is to not spend any money at first.
Save money until you have at least 100 gold.
In the first year or so of the game, you should get an event triggered that allows you to buy Neumark and Dramburg from the Teutonic Order for 100 gold. During the introduction period while you are saving money, you are going to want to build relations with both Austria and Poland.
Eventually, Poland will become your enemy as you both will share claimed land, but at the start of the playthrough, they will be a useful ally. As with any playthrough as a minor nation, it will be important to leverage your alliances before going into a war.
First Conquests
Once you have established a relationship with Poland and Austria it’s time to map out your first conquest. A good starting place is any of the nations in the Pomeranian region on your northern borders. This will give you access to the coastline. These wars should be relatively quick and simple, especially with the help of Austria and/or Poland.
After this, you will want to turn your attention to the Teutonic Order. This is a war that Poland should almost always join as they also want some of the Teutonic lands. If the union were to be triggered between Poland and possibly Lithuania, with their support, the war should pose no issue at all.
Peace Deal
The important this is to make sure you come away with Konigsberg and Danzig if possible. Do not let these fall into the hands of Poland. In the peace deal, it will be ok to give Poland another province or two. In the first 20 or 30 years, depending on your pace, you should now have the required lands to form Prussia.
Building a Nation
Now that you have the required lands to form Prussia, it will be a smart idea to expand further. At this stage, Poland may still be on your good side. With the help of Poland and Austria, it’s worth beating up on Bohemia early. All three of you can eat away at their lands, and after a war or two will become a nonfactor as an enemy.
From here, you are free to further expand on your northern coastline, and even further west into the central HRE. You may stir up some neighbors, but as long as you maintain your Austrian relationship this shouldn’t become an issue. Poland will become hostile if they haven’t already as they will want your lands.
Now, more than ever before, it will be important to keep Austria as an ally.
You could possibly even explore further and form an alliance with Muscovy, with Russia to follow. This should help counter thoughts of Poland declaring war on you which will be your greatest early-mid-game threat.
Overall in the mid stages prior to formation, you will want to expand where you can without causing too much aggravation with your neighbors. This will buy time until Administrative level 10. You will also want to convert to Protestant as soon as you are able.
The Formation of Prussia
You will need to hit Administrative Technology level 10 in order to form Prussia. If you maintained the correct relationships and safely expanded as outlined above, this should be a stress-free process to get to this stage. To get an idea of where you may be from a land perspective you can take a look at the screenshot from my most recent playthrough.
After you form Prussia is when the game really takes off.
You have a lot of freedom on how to proceed and it’s truly up to the player how they want to move forward. Personally, I used my alliance with both Austria and Russia to eat away at Poland. However, you can also continue your expansion within the HRE and even into Scandinavia if you choose. Prussian military ideas are strong, particularly in the mid-late game once they are all achieved. This will help you make a name for yourself on the world stage.
If you’re looking to form a powerful and efficient Prussian state in your favorite strategy game, exploring the best Prussian ideas is a must. These ideas are essential for players who want to create a well-organized and military-focused empire. By utilizing these ideas, you can gain an edge over your opponents and dominate the game.