At first, Europa Universalis 5 (EU5), being a large strategy game, might seem overwhelming. You will learn as you play, and that is perfectly fine.
Once the basics are figured out, the game can be engaging as you learn how to juggle the empire, control the war, and manage the economy.
The time you will spend to learn the game will pay off. In this guide the focus will be on the game fundamentals, the selection of a nation to start with, economic management, and first campaign administration.
Which Nation Should You Start With?
Choosing the right nation at the start makes learning EU5 easier. France, England, and Castile are popular beginner choices because they have strong economies, stable borders, and forgiving military situations.
- France: A good beginner as one can learn warfare and diplomacy. You start with a lot of troops and a great population, and France is easily defendable with natural borders.
- England: You will learn trade and naval power, as England is an island and easily defendable as well.
- Portugal: For a beginner and the learning of expansion, one can easily learn trade networks and colonial expansion while managing this smaller nation.
- Poland: Teaches the player internal politics and military control due to its strong cavalry and elective monarchy.
Use Automation to Learn the Game
In EU5, there are different automations that help you while you are learning. For instance, population automations help you understand how promotions, migration, and growth are handled. You can watch the game deal with and manage these decisions before you try it yourself.
You can understand how trade automation works. It can teach you how supply and demand function in different markets. For military automation, it is useful for recruitment, but you should always move your armies yourself for strategy control. This is needed for the military strategy control.
You should not automate the diplomacy, as the AI does not understand your intentions. You can see everything that the AI does to understand the various aspects in order to gain control. You can gain control when you feel ready.
Understanding Territory and Economy
In EU5, the game control and proximity manage the territories. There is control proximity which assesses how far a province is from your capital. The further provinces are from the capital, the harder they are to control, the less tax they give, and the longer they take to recruit armies.
In the control, there is the measure of your authority over a region. The less control a region has means they are more likely to revolt, and you are likely to lose income. The primary sources of income for your economy are taxes, production, and trade.
The tax income increases when control is high which is gained primarily through production. Losing your population reduces long-term income.
Population Management
Population changes affect your economy and army. Wars, disease, and famine will reduce your population, but survivors can rise in status. Social mobility increases taxes and military potential.
You can recover population through immigration, good living conditions, and religious tolerance. Monitoring your population helps you understand income trends and military strength.
First Campaign Tips
- Start small: Focus on nearby territories and secure borders. Avoid rushing to conquer everything.
- Balance technology: Military tech is important, but economic and administrative tech have long-term benefits.
- Use diplomacy: Alliances protect you and open opportunities for expansion. Marriage networks can strengthen bonds between nations.
Religious unity provides stability; diversity can cause unrest. Reformation events will influence European politics. Early campaigns are likely messy. Learn from mistakes and focus on understanding systems rather than winning immediately.
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