by smckenzie
>Sounds like you also were helped by an inept Ottoman. Declaring war on Venice when the HRE had 8 influence on it, AND giving up Buda to the HRE... shame on you, Sultan. No compensation is worth that much!<I was expecting to have to play Ruler falls ill on HRE on T3, and told the SP player that during DIP.
Surrendering was never a solution. Even if HRE had not won that turn, he could go for it from a very strong position next.
In general though:
Right now that I see, just like in the beginning we were wondering how to stop France the question now is how to stop HRE.
Mercs, Marriage, probably peace as long as he wants it.
Consider close to foregone France will deal HRE metz.
Unles he doesn't try, or has bad luck, he will get Pope/Venice at some time.
Very good chance he will be no more than 2 away from a mil victory.
I expect HRE can do two patronages a turn for like the first four turns and probably expects like 8 vp. so 8 to start 8 from patronage and 4 from diplomacy/keys...just a matter of 5 more. Marriage, Polish election, piracy, religion, more keys...all he needs is 5 from there.
4 or 5 from religion should not really be a problem.
How to create stable diplomacy versus the Emperor before he is threatening to win?
The French whore will almost always sell out. England can't do much, although It could ally w/Fr etc and go for metz. Someone said they did. Actaully they start at war with France. Ally with Spain/prot and go for mets...do it before the French deal it to HRE. Actually may be I'll try that next game.
There is the Ott first turn attack. I tried it once failed. BUt if turks get good cards/hre bad or something...
Why will Eng/FR/Prot go anti emperor early when they have better things to do.
Why would spain go for HRE, he wants 4 mercs.
Problem with helping Eng take metz is the threat of an Eng win.
I don't know what the anti-HRE strategy is. As long as HRE is nit threatening a win, who will attack and why?
One thing I can see doing is someone besides France grabs metz before it is dealt awy.