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Iyauginanny as an Imperialism 2 map key and a random Old World has as its distinguishing feature a seventeen-province nation, Sweden, which is the only obvious nation to try (initially) at the harder levels. Sweden shares a continent with Holland, which with 8 provinces has more grain farms and horses but has fewer of most other things.
Sweden at level 400[]
Really, really hard (as it should be at that level).
Start[]
Stockholm should be (on one of two possible points) on the north-flowing river with 2 grain, 3 fish, and 2 cattle. (At lower levels of difficulty you could expect more grain and cattle.) The more southerly of the two possible points is better because it is closer to most hills and mountains.
You need 4 grain + 4 meat, so there's a 2-grain deficit to overcome as first priority (unless you follow Aym's advice and disband a carrack).
You start with $5,000, 2 wool, 8 timber, 3 tin, 3 copper, 12 iron ore, 2 fabric, 5 lumber, 2 paper, 1 bronze, 4 cast iron, 15 grain, 15 meat, 6 horses. Rivals are likely to have rather more of most things.
Stockholm has a regiment of sturdy peasant levies guarding it: probably not enough to capture a New World province on its own.
When the arithmetic looks OK, you can invest 4 fabric (after making 2 of them, after harvesting or preferably buying more wool) to take the Labor total to 6. Don't take your road further than absolutely necessary, because you need to reach iron ore. See below.
Iron ore[]
Bid and buy as soon as possible. If not careful, you will not reach and mine your first iron ore before you run out. Bad news is that you may fail to get a market offer because all of the other nations put you so low on their lists.
Timber and wool[]
Not far away. Ensure your grain supply first, then wait to find that iron ore before developing much of anything else. But they will be the staples for keeping your enlarged population in work after the warehouse empties. Transporting an even number of each one minimizes waste of time.
Tin[]
One deposit is quite close to Stockholm but not near copper or much food. Another is near food and copper but is a long way off. Tin is more likely (than iron) to be offered on the market, so it's not an urgent need until you want to build cavalry or a fort.
Horses[]
You produce none. Your four neighbors each produce some. Invading Scotland should therefore be on your list of possible strategies. Buy a couple early to see which way the market is going: it may rise for a time, but a slow long-term fall is likely because nearly everyone else has horses and Germany wants to sell them. That could be a reason for spending $500 on a consulate in Germany so that you have a better chance of being offered horses when you want them; it also sells wool, which you will want very soon.
Technology[]
You start with none, while each rival has the same list of nine in its toolbox: three that you can target (with Organized Regiments probably a good choice, for Lancers) and six that you can research immediately.
Exploring[]
It probably pays to make a third unit of paper so that you can train a second explorer quite early, to help find the iron ore then to check out the New World and/or finish looking for tin.
New World[]
Aym implies that you can ignore the New World. That advice could be shortsighted:
- you are likely to want sugar cane and maybe other luxury sources eventually
- you can be lucky and get a province with gold, gems, or diamonds
- you will want some tribes to buy your luxury products (and maybe to sell you stuff), which will not happen if you have not found any native capitals
- capturing a native capital early usually pays you much more than it cost even if you lose it soon after
When you have a free explorer, try to work your way inland as fast as possible using deserts, mountains, hills, and swamps (in that order of preference) so as to maximize your chance of finding something good before any rivals do.
Suggested first turn actions[]
Start a road in a south-easterly direction towards more grain and some high country. Set the explorer on the nearest hill or mountain and the builder on grain (not in the way of the road). Set up consulates in Germany and one or both of Ireland and Italy. Make paper and cast iron. Bid for wool, iron ore, and horses (accepting no more than two wool but as much iron ore as you are offered). Set Organized Regiments as target and start Land Enclosure, Mine Engineering, and Superior Hull Designs, paying $100 each for about 9 turns or paying nothing for about 19 turns. Send one carrack south-west, so as to get a head start in the south-east of the New World because other nations are further away from that area. Map key (Imp2)