phoenix
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Tips for GNW please

Fri Feb 16, 2018 9:36 am

Any experts care to share tips for fighting the GNW as Sweden? I'm in the beginning of the second year of the GNW only, Denmark out due to Travendal. But I lost Narva at the beginning of last winter (to Golitsyn) and Riga is heavily besieged by a significant Polish force. I have enough to deal with both of these threats and I'm just waiting for the long winter to thaw before starting operations.

I have a couple of specific questions as to the best way to handle large armies and recruiting. It seems to me that the winters are devastating. I carefully put all my armies inside structures, all on green stances, but their power nevertheless gets steadily whittled away during the cold months, sometimes very dramatically (reductions of two-thirds). The size of the army hasn't seemed to make a difference to this effect - a large 1,700 strength stack gets hit the same as a lesser 650 stack. Has anyone any tips - in addition to what I've done above - for how to minimise the winter attrition? I have attrition settings set to the max, by the way.

And then, once they are reduced like this, building them back up seems painfully slow. Has anyone any tips as to how to best use the replacement screen to ensure the fastest possible re-manning of depleted units? Which is the best setting? Manual replacements? Or 10% auto? Any suggestions? Plus, what is the best way to save money to fund the replacement screens? I have used various region cards to bring in cash, but if I then manually try to create a 10% buffer of those losses that occur in red in the replacement screen then I am ALWAYS out of cash!!

I can't see myself getting my act together enough to invade Russia at this rate...

All help welcome!

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Durk
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Re: Tips for GNW please

Tue Feb 27, 2018 6:09 am

phoenix - patience. Most of us are just learning this game. Soon you will see the insights and tips, but not for some immediate time. Not even halfway through my initial scenarios.
Winters are devastating, yes, take your time, adjust your forces so they are in command control.

GenGrant21
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Re: Tips for GNW please

Wed Feb 28, 2018 8:57 pm

(Just a note, I had higher morale as Sweden and VPs but the game said I lost. However, with higher morale and VPs, I believe I won.) But to answer your question for playing as Sweden, I would suggest taking Norway and Denmark over first. It took me 13 years on the game including having to wait through 1709. Use your navy to your best advantage as a transport armada. With Sweden's superior navy, you can land troops pretty much anywhere. DON'T sign the Peace of Travendal as there should be a chance that Denmark could reenter the war like they did historically. (You also don't want to waste having to keep 100 line elements in theater to watch over Denmark-Norway. These troops are better used in Estonia, Livonia, and Poland.) Also, I like to winter my main army in Copenhagen with the armada, as I can then take Karl XII to crush opposition at Narva when the defense army I built of 10.000 men there needs help when facing 30.000 to 40.000 enemies (estimated). After taking Denmark-Norway, land near Danzig, Poland, winter your troops there, and then march on Warsaw. After installing the puppet king, I was able to move to Saxony with the long-idle Pommeranian army, and sign the peace with Augustus the Strong, eliminating Saxony from the war. Buy lots of replacements, 20+ line elements, 10 cavalry, 1 supply, 1 ship, 2 artillery whenever you can, and this strategy may help you get close to a victory. I've only done this one once, but it worked out. Also remember to use Ga Pa tactics when useful. (The old mass charge over and over again. The Swedes perfected this technique.) Also I kept an army I formed under Frolich initially at Riga, also of 10.000 men before replacements swelled it to 17.000. Don't worry too much about Gyllenstierna. He'll either win you victories or defeats. Use his army mostly as a distraction force in southern Denmark or Holstein-Gottorp. However, this whole strategy could become obsolete with the first patch. Not sure.

pantsukki
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Re: Tips for GNW please

Thu Mar 01, 2018 7:23 pm

GenGrant21 wrote:DON'T sign the Peace of Travendal as there should be a chance that Denmark could reenter the war like they did historically. (You also don't want to waste having to keep 100 line elements in theater to watch over Denmark-Norway. These troops are better used in Estonia, Livonia, and Poland.)


Umm, you do realize that the 100 elements are only required for the event to fire, not as a permanent garrison?

GenGrant21
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Re: Tips for GNW please

Thu Mar 01, 2018 11:39 pm

Yes I do. When I was still learning the ropes of the game playing as Sweden, I signed the peace treaty, but the Danes reentered the war around 1706 because there was a lack of elements in the theater. I had a message pop up to notify me to have 100 line elements in the theater as soon as possible in order to prevent the Danes from reentering or else face the wrath of the Danes essentially. (Yeah, no way I could raise enough troops or transport an army there in time it seemed. )

Remember, "I have resolved never to start an unjust war, but never to end a legitimate one except by defeating my enemies." - Karl XII of Sweden

(Karl XII = Svenska (Swedish) spelling of Charles XII)

((No I'm not Swedish, I only know a few words. Just got some Swedish blood. My grandfather is 100% Swedish-American.))

pantsukki
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Re: Tips for GNW please

Sat Mar 03, 2018 11:24 am

Huh, that's good to know. I had been wondering about whether to ship away the Western and Northern armies, but maybe I should leave them in Sweden if there really is a garrison requirement.

phoenix
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Re: Tips for GNW please

Sat Mar 03, 2018 1:27 pm

Intriguing insights. Thanks. I'm still playing post-Travendal, slowly, so it will have to be next time round I try to radically crush the Danes. What happens if you crush them instead of doing Travendal? Do they just then forever vanish as a force to be reckoned with? I don't understand. Unless you do some kind of peace with them they're always going to be silently amassing behind your back - no? And hence you're always going to have to leave a force behind to deal with them. At least, with Travendal, you get a few years free. Or does an event get fired if you crush them, giving you a more lasting peace with Denmark/Norway?

GenGrant21
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Re: Tips for GNW please

Sat Mar 03, 2018 4:57 pm

If you crush the Danes, they gradually vanish from the map. I conquered every last region that had flown the Denmark flag. I wish there was an event where it would allow you, after you conquer all of Denmark, to annex it to Sweden and recruit from there. However, after you crush the Danes, any left-over forces, of which there is a few, are so depleted and seem to not be able to get new recruits to them. What I do know is that if all of Denmark-Norway is taken, no new regiments, cavalry, ships, or artillery will be recruited from Denmark. This is very helpful, as the Danes seem to be able to put up some bit of a fight against the Swedes. Especially on the naval end. If the Danes rejoin the war, and you have not paid attention to your navy, you could suffer severe consequences if your navy is depleted from terrible weather in theory. Also knocking out the Danes allows you to move almost all of your troops that are in the Scandinavian theater. These troops will be well seasoned, and make for good additions either to your armies already in the field or as a whole new force. Whatever you decide to do with these freed-up men, it will be beneficial, as they won't be wasting themselves holding the Danes in or if the Danes reenter, defending Sweden.

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