[Top 10] Europa Universalis IV Best Countries for Conquest

Ultimately, the most appealing aspect of Europa Universalis IV is its ability to propel the nation of your choice to new heights. And what better way to do that than by taking a nation and painting the map in its color? There is quite a lot of enjoyment to be had in seeing your name get bigger on the map as you conquer more and more land.

But what are the best nations to map paint with? Well, this list will try to cover that, and show precisely why some nations are better than others.

10. Brandenburg

Brandenburg is a favorite in the Europa Universalis IV community for conquest runs. Brandenburg is in the best position of any nation to form Prussia, a nation with some of the best soldiers in the game, and then go on to form Germany, which is a great nation for conquests.

Brandenburg is located in the Holy Roman Empire, being the third largest nation inside of it behind only Austria and Bohemia. It has quite a good mission tree and list of events to assist it in forming Prussia and becoming the prime contender to form Germany, which itself is capable of conquering huge swathes of Europe. The reason it’s at the end of the list, however, is that being inside the HRE is a double edged sword, as conquest in the early game will be incredibly slow, costly, and risky. 

Why Brandenburg is great for conquest:

• Starting small allows a player to feel like their conquest and growth matter more.
• Relative safety due to being in the Holy Roman Empire, and being one of the largest nations within the HRE.
• Great potential for a long playthrough by becoming Prussia, and then eventually Germany. 

Choose Brandenburg if:    

• You enjoy having high quality soldiers.
• You are a deep fan of German history.
• You enjoy a slow, methodical gameplay style.

9. Oirat

The Oirat horde stands in the footnotes of history. They were responsible for a major crisis in Ming China after capturing their emperor, however, after failing to capitalize on this success, they collapsed into obscurity. A shrewd player, however, can take full advantage of this chance and easily conquer Ming and turn China into their new home.

The Oirat horde is quite odd on this list, as it seems to be up against the wall with Ming breathing down its neck. However, with their great ruler acting as an outstanding general, one can potentially capture the Ming Emperor in battle, and take all of North China in one fell swoop. This amazing start will easily set Oirat up for forming Yuan and taking the world.

• Why The Oirat Horde is great for conquest:
• A challenging early war, that if won, can easily turn into a huge snowball effect.
• The best to be able to form the Yuan and then potentially the Mongol Empire.

Choose The Oirat Horde if:    

• You enjoy Mongol history.
• You want to bring the strongest nation in the world to its knees quickly.
• You want to go on to form the Mongol Empire.

8. Poland

These were a rough few centuries for Poland. While it reached its greatest peak in the Commonwealth, it also hit its greatest lows when it was partitioned. However, a player can avoid these lows with immense ease thanks to the power of the Polish states and its soon to be subjects.

Poland is a rather interesting country stuck in the middle of it all. Between the great powers of Muscovy, the Ottomans, and the HRE, they would seem to be in a rough position for conquest. However, that merely means they get to expand in every direction. Poland’s mission tree allows the player to very quickly get their hands on Lithuania, Hungary, and Bohemia all in a very easy few missions. This powerbase already makes them unstoppable, so long as you can manage your subjects properly.

Why Poland is great for conquest:

• Their mission tree gives them a large amount of personal unions and subjects they can have for easy conquest.
• A good few easy wars at the start to teach the player the war system and allow them to expand easily.
•  A mission tree that lets you gather a horde of powerful personal unions.

Choose Poland if:    

• You like having many nations under your belt as subjects.
• You are a deep fan of Polish history.
• You like having many potential rivals in your area for intense warfare.

7. Austria

While modern Austria is a rather minor country, many who don’t know history might not know that Austria was a major power for quite a long time. Only after its defeat in World War I did it finally collapse. One can easily take this nation along a rather unique route towards conquest.

Austria has a unique position that none of these other nations have. They are the Holy Roman Emperor at the start of the game, and are the best for uniting it into a single nation early, and easily. With the press of a single button, the player will become the most powerful nation in the game, which no one else can match.

Why Austria is great for conquest:

• A significant few directions to conquer, and the ability to gain land through subjects and by uniting the HRE.
• An expansive mission tree and events to allow its success to almost be guaranteed.
• The insanely powerful ability to unite the HRE into the most powerful nation on Earth.

Choose Austria if:    

• You enjoy German history.
• You enjoy playing a rather interesting diplomatic game for the sake of your expansion.
• You want to leave your expansion to more diplomatic means. The pen is mightier than the sword.

6. Castile

Spain became the most powerful nation in the world during this time period, and it won’t be too hard for a player to do the same. Formed from the union of Castile and Aragon, Spain became the most successful colonial power in the world by taking a huge portion of the New World and then became Holy Roman Emperor and controlling huge portions of Europe. Castile is a nation that a player can easily conquer as.

Spain is great for conquest in all of its forms. From going out and conquering the lands of the New World, to expansion deep into the heart of Europe from your safe zone in Iberia. 

Why Castile is great for conquest:

• A safe location allows the player to grab a bunch of easy land and then find a very easy direction to expand in.
• A strong economic base to be had from getting the New World and North African lands.
• A powerful mission tree to guide its conquests.

Choose Castile if:    

• You enjoy a game filled with diverse challenges and growth opportunities.
• You are a deep fan of Spanish history.
• You want to conquer the whole world.

5. Vijayanagar

The Empire of Vijayanagara was a long lasting Indian state that dominated southern India for much of its reign. Ultimately it defeated its rival Bahmanis and reigned until its eventual collapse in the early 17th century.

Vijayanagar is the most powerful nation in India at the start of the game. The highest development and income, and a strong trade node with good expansion opportunities. It has a powerful rival to the north in Bahmanis, however, you are still the more powerful of the two.

Why Vijayanagar is great for conquest:

• High development compared to most nations around it allowing a player to conquer many states and gather a huge powerbase.
• Many smaller nations around it to easily conquer.
• Once Bahmanis is defeated there are no real threats to you and you can expand freely.

Choose Vijayanagar If

• You are a fan of Indian history.
• You want a good non-European nation to conquer the world with.

4. Muscovy

Muscovy is an interesting nation on the fringes of Europe. Muscovy is the strongest  Russian state in 1444, and it would be the one who would go on to eventually unite the lands and form the Russian Empire. It would go on to become of the major powers of the world with a huge standing army and immense population. And what better for conquest than the real world’s largest nation?

While Muscovy starts out surrounded by many large nations that are either the same size or larger than it, it is arguably the strongest in the area due to the large number of subjects it has, and more developed provinces than its neighbors. This will allow you to easily conquer and consolidate yourself and begin the snowball towards great power status. Once this snowball has started, it will be nearly impossible to stop, as until you reach the Ottomans in the south, no one is really capable of keeping up with you.

Why Muscovy is great for conquest:

• A strong mission tree that will guide the player towards early conquests.
• Amazing bonuses towards having an enormous army and a huge country that puts every other country in the game to shame.
• Unique mechanics that will allow it to summon huge armies and keep the conquests going.

Choose Muscovy if:    

• You enjoy conquering huge swathes of land.
• You are a deep fan of Russian history.
• You are very fond of seeing your name huge on the map.

3. Timurids

The Timurids are an interesting state. Founded by Tamerlane, it ruled much of the Iranian region for a time until its eventual collapse. Though considered a savage by many, Tamerlane did form a powerful state that would go on to shape much of the region, and India’s future for a time under one of its successors, the Mughal Empire.

The Timurids have a very challenging start. They are in a position where they are quite likely to collapse due to their subjects all hating them, and it can be difficult for a player to navigate that struggle. However, if shrewd, the player can easily unite and be the strongest power in the region, before their next goal of forming the Mughals comes.

Why the Timurids are great

• High development compared to most nations around it allowing a player to easily get rich quick.
• Many smaller nations around it to easily conquer.
• Once Bahmanis is defeated there are no real threats to you.

Choose the Timurids If

• You are a fan of Indian, and Iranian history.
• You enjoy challenging starts.
• You enjoy quick, easy conquest late game.

2. France

France can be argued to have been the most powerful European nation for most of the time period that Europa Universalis IV plays in aside from maybe the Ottoman Empire. France reached its peak near the end of the time period under the Emperor Napoleon, when nearly the entirety of Europe bowed to the whims of this nation.

France is hugely powerful from the get go. A huge number of vassals to support its already huge and powerful armies in war. The only nation that could match you, the Ottomans, likely doesn’t care about you at all. As a result, you can simply conquer at your leisure. First a war with England, then the world.

Why France is great for starting out:

• A huge development with easy conquests and a vassal swarm. 
• A unique position that allows it to conquer Europe or or go out and colonize the world. Or both.
• An extensive mission tree leading you on immense conquests of the lands around you, and colonization of foreign shores appeals to you.

Choose France if:    

• You are a deep fan of French history.
• You want to be the leading power of Europe and claim it for yourself.
• You want a very easy game.

1. Ottomans

This was the era of the Ottoman golden age. Where the Turkish Empire spread from Hungary to the Sudan, and from Baghdad to Algiers. Truly, no nation can really claim to have conquered such valuable land in such a short time. While Russia or Spain might have claimed greater land mass, the value was small compared to the immense wealth of the Middle East at the time.

The king of conquest. The Ottomans are in a prime position for conquest. No other nation can compete with their ability to blob out of control. With a ton of lands in their vicinity for easy conquests and then simple invasions into their large, but still weak neighbors like Hungary or the Mamluks, no one can keep up with the Ottoman Empire.

Why the Ottomans are great for conquest:

• A very easy start with many weak nations to conquer and build off of, in addition to an already impressive amount of held land. 
• The ability to move in two directions, often simultaneously. If one direction ever becomes cut off, then the other is likely still open. The Ottomans will never be boxed in or cut off.
• A lot of content for a player to enjoy as this country.

Choose the Ottomans if:    

• You want to conquer a huge amount of land and paint the map in your color with ease.
• You are a deep fan of Turkish or Arab history.
• You want the easiest nation in the game to conquer the world with.

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