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EU4 Scotland Guide: Form a Pirate Republic & Dominate the Seas

Hoist the Black Flag: A Guide to Pirate Republic Britain in EU4

Ahoy, fellow EU4 captains! Looking for a swashbuckling change of pace? Look no further than a Pirate Republic Britain run. This guide will chart a course to transform Scotland into a terrifying thalassocracy, striking fear into the hearts of England and beyond.

Setting Sail: Early Game as Scotland

  1. Initialization: Choose Scotland as your starting nation.
  2. Early Diplomacy:
    • Rival England and send a scornful insult their way.
    • Improve relations with England’s rivals, particularly Burgundy. Castile and Aragon can also be valuable allies.
    • Maintain cordial relations with France, but avoid an alliance.
  3. Estate Management:
    • Remember, Pirate Republics don’t have estates. Any privileges you enact will be temporary.
    • Prioritize the following estate actions:
      • Grant all monopolies.
      • Sell titles for a quick influx of gold.
      • Enact "Patronage of the Arts." (Wait until you’ve taken actions that lower your prestige to maximize its effect).
      • Choose "Private Trade Fleet," "Indebted by the Burghers," "Burghers Forced Draft," and "Primacy of the Nobility."
      • Fabricate a claim on Northumberland.

Transforming into a Pirate Republic

  1. Building Your Privateering Fleet:
    • Construct trade ships in every province in Scotland and the Isles.
    • Build two additional trade ships in your four southernmost provinces.
  2. Preparing for Transformation:
    • Enact the "Draft Ships for War" decision.
    • Focus on military technology.
    • Drill your armies and use your trade ships to privateer in the North Sea.
  3. The Path to Piracy:
    • Once your privateers control 10% or more trade power in the North Sea, release the Isles. Denmark will likely conquer them, but don’t worry – they’ll be the target of your first conquest.
    • Sell Sutherland and Inverness to the highest bidder.
    • Sell Perth or return it to Gaeldom (do not release a vassal).
    • Accumulate two points of stability. Utilizing the parliament debate to gain stability can be beneficial.
  4. Embracing the Black Flag:
    • With the requirements met, take the decision "Hoist the Black Flag."
    • Add the piracy map mode to your shortcuts and begin raiding all nations except France and Burgundy. Maintaining positive relations with these continental powers is crucial to avoid an early coalition.

First English War: Claiming Your Birthright

  1. Assessing the Situation: By this point, England will likely be embroiled in the Hundred Years’ War and potentially the War of the Roses.
  2. Striking at the Right Moment: Declare war when England is vulnerable, such as when their armies are weakened from fighting France or rebels. Ideally, time your declaration for when England is retaking Northumberland from rebels, allowing you to besiege the province with a defender advantage.
  3. Securing Victory:
    • Declare war using your claim on Northumberland, not your core on Mann.
    • Use your raiding income to hire at least two mercenary companies.
    • Call all allies into the war.
    • Don’t be deterred if England has mainland allies; they are unlikely to send troops.
    • Enact the "Wooden Wall" naval policy and actively manage your navy to control the seas.
    • Occupy all of England’s territories in Britain.
  4. Dictating Peace: Wait until the Hundred Years’ War concludes or you achieve 100% warscore. England’s allies will likely peace out independently, or England will be forced to accept your terms.

Conquering Ireland: Expanding Your Domain

  1. Uniting the Emerald Isle: Declare war on one of the Irish minors and co-belligerent all others (excluding non-Irish allies).
  2. Swift and Decisive Action: Occupy all Irish provinces and capitals before making peace. If England attacks one of your occupied minors, allow them to occupy the province. Once you’ve secured the rest of Ireland, vassalize the English-occupied minor, triggering a second English war.
  3. Consolidating Gains:
    • Aim for maximum war score in each peace deal.
    • Try to prevent France and Burgundy from joining a coalition. If a coalition forms, don’t panic! Your "Wooden Wall" will deter invasions. Use the opportunity to demand substantial sums of money and war reparations from blockaded nations like France.
  4. Embracing Isolation: Enact the second government reform, preventing alliances with non-Pirate Republics. This powerful reform streamlines your diplomatic options and allows you to focus on your rivals’ destruction. You can still ally and vassalize fellow pirates like Rugen and Gotland.

Danish War: Securing the North Sea

  1. Naval Superiority: Focus your shipbuilding efforts on producing galleys.
  2. Capitalizing on Distractions: Declare war on Denmark while they are occupied with another conflict.
  3. Controlling the Straits: Blockade the Danish straits and occupy as many islands as possible.
  4. Peace Terms: Prioritize reclaiming the Isles if Denmark captured them. Seize Bornholm to facilitate raiding in the Baltic Sea and at least one Icelandic province to establish a foothold for colonization.

Charting Your Course: Ideas and Long-Term Strategy

  1. Exploration Ideas: Start with exploration ideas. Colonizing the New World provides a safe outlet for expansion and a source of income.
  2. Managing Coalitions: Ignore colonial coalitions as long as you can defeat the native allies. Ideally, provoke France into declaring war, allowing you to blockade their ports while you defeat their native allies. Use this opportunity to demand further concessions from France in the peace deal.
  3. Further Expansion:
    • Fight wars over colonies and aim to capture an island in the Mediterranean to open a new raiding front.
  4. Forming New Nations:
    • State Ireland first and begin culturally shifting to Irish. There’s no need to unstate provinces; simply invest in development.
    • Once you’ve completed your desired Scottish missions, form Ireland.
    • After completing the Irish missions, state the English provinces and form England.

Tips for a Successful Campaign

  • Consider pursuing naval and maritime ideas for a dominant naval force.
  • Aim to achieve naval hegemony for even stronger naval bonuses.
  • Embrace the "War of the World" and abolish slavery for a challenging achievement.
  • Don’t settle for five provinces in the Caribbean. The island monument that grants +50% privateer efficiency is more valuable than an additional colony.

With this guide, you’re ready to embark on your journey to transform Britain into a feared pirate kingdom. Set sail, captain, and may your coffers overflow with plundered gold!

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