Grace Thompson
In Europa Universalis IV, maintaining the Catholic faith within the Holy Roman Empire (HRE) can be challenging due to the religious leagues and the threat of the Reformation. Players often aim to keep the empire Catholic to complete the A Holy Empire mission and achieve the AEIOU achievement. To achieve this, it is crucial to prevent the spread of the Reformation and crush Centers of Reformation through force conversion and strategic wars. One crucial piece of advice is to avoid proclaiming the Erbkaisertum before the League Wars, as it may prevent the establishment of an official, unchangeable faith and hinder the completion of the Holy Empire mission. Additionally, players should focus on emperor stuff, such as stomping out heretics and force-converting provinces with Centers of Reformation, especially those belonging to One Province Minor (OPM) nations. This strategy ensures a high number of princes, facilitating the passage of reforms and maximizing authority gain.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Convert to Catholicism | Keep the union of churches |
| Be the war leader of a defending war | |
| The Ottomans are the war leader of the attacking side | |
| The Pope gets to launch another Crusade | |
| Catholic nations that are rivals/enemies of the Ottomans will join your side of the war | |
| Become the Latin Empire as a Tag only | |
| The Orthodox tree is locked until you convert back | |
| Clergy loyalty and equilibrium penalties remain, but they shift | |
| Own Constantinople | |
| Own Rome, or all other Patriarch seats | |
| Alternative strategy | |
| Stay Catholic and crush the Reformation | |
| Attack every time a center of reformation spawns | |
| Force-convert provinces with Centers of Reformation | |
| Find ways to go to war with people who have Centers of Reformation |
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What You'll Learn
Force-convert provinces with Centres of Reformation
To keep the Empire Catholic in Europa Universalis IV, it is crucial to prioritize force-converting provinces with Centres of Reformation. These centres pose a significant threat to religious unity within the Empire, as they actively promote and facilitate the spread of Protestantism and Reformed faiths among the provinces. Here is a comprehensive guide on how to effectively address this challenge:
Firstly, it is imperative to act swiftly and aggressively against Centres of Reformation. As soon as a Centre of Reformation spawns, you should immediately seek ways to go to war with the province hosting it. Keep in mind that force-converting a Centre of Reformation will only be successful if it is located in the country's capital province, so focus your efforts on those provinces first. The challenge increases when dealing with larger countries, as it may take more time and effort to force a conversion in their capital province.
The process of force-converting involves several strategic steps. Begin by identifying provinces ruled by nations outside the Empire and bring them back under your control. This can be achieved by either vassalizing or annexing those provinces. Once they are under your control, you can core them and convert them to Catholicism yourself. It is advisable to act promptly, as the Centres of Reformation will continuously attempt to convert other provinces to their faith, creating an ongoing religious struggle within the Empire.
Additionally, maintaining a high number of princes can be advantageous in preserving the Catholic faith within the Empire. This can be achieved by releasing countries that were previously annexed or vassalized, thereby increasing the number of princes and bolstering your influence. By doing so, you can more effectively counter the spread of Protestantism and maintain religious unity.
It is worth noting that force-converting provinces with Centres of Reformation may not always be sufficient to prevent the spread of Protestantism. Even after force-converting a province, other Centres of Reformation may continue their efforts to convert the same provinces back to their faith. Therefore, a proactive and persistent approach is necessary, requiring you to constantly monitor and address any deviations from the Catholic faith.
In conclusion, force-converting provinces with Centres of Reformation is a critical aspect of keeping the Empire Catholic in Europa Universalis IV. By prioritizing these provinces, particularly their capital provinces, you can weaken the influence of Protestantism and maintain religious unity within the Empire. However, stay vigilant as the religious struggle is ongoing, and continuous efforts may be required to preserve the Catholic faith.
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Stay Catholic and crush the Reformation
To keep the Empire Catholic in Europa Universalis IV, it is recommended to stay Catholic and crush the Reformation. This involves attacking every time a centre of reformation spawns. Force-converting provinces with Centres of Reformation is crucial, especially when they are in the countries' capital provinces. It is important to be proactive in finding ways to go to war with nations that have embraced the Reformation.
Additionally, it is essential to be cautious with certain strategies. For instance, proclaiming the Erbkaisertum before the League Wars can prevent the establishment of an official, unchangeable faith, hindering the completion of the Holy Empire mission. To avoid this issue, focus on converting every HRE member to the state religion, such as Catholicism, to ensure a unified faith within the Empire.
Maximizing authority gain can also help maintain Catholic dominance. This can be achieved by maintaining a high number of princes, preventing Italy from leaving the Empire, having 12 Free Cities, and ensuring that all provinces ruled by nations outside the Empire are under its control. Re-election as Emperor is also crucial for maintaining influence and authority.
Furthermore, when playing as Austria, it is beneficial to prioritize "emperor stuff" and actively suppress heretics by forcing conversions. This strategy can help pass reforms during the Reformation and maintain Catholic influence within the Empire.
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Avoid proclaiming Erbkaisertum before the League Wars
If you proclaim Erbkaisertum before the League Wars, you cannot get an official, unchangeable faith and will be unable to finish the Holy Empire mission. This is because the religious leagues and the League Wars are a feature of the Art of War DLC, and without the DLC, the definition of the dominant faith is unclear.
To avoid this issue, you should refrain from proclaiming Erbkaisertum before the League Wars. Instead, focus on maintaining and promoting Catholicism within the Empire. This can be achieved through various means:
- Force-convert provinces with Centres of Reformation: Make it a priority to identify and convert provinces with Centres of Reformation, especially if they are located in the countries' capital provinces. This will help prevent the spread of Protestantism and Reformed religions within the Empire.
- Maintain a high number of princes: Keep the number of princes high, as this can contribute to maximising authority gain and help you pass reforms through the Reformation.
- Prevent Italy from leaving: Ensure that Italy remains a part of the Empire, as having Italian states within the Empire provides a nice boost to the number of princes.
- Stomp out heretics: Actively work to identify and eradicate heretics within the Empire. This can be done by finding ways to go to war with leaders of Centres of Reformation and forcing religious conversions.
- Pass reforms: Focus on passing reforms, especially during the Reformation period. This will help solidify Catholic dominance within the Empire.
- Keep the number of free cities high: Aim to maintain 12 Free Cities at all times, as this can contribute to maximising authority gain.
- Re-election: Ensure that you are consistently re-elected as the leader, as this can help you maintain control over the Empire's religious direction.
By following these strategies, you can work towards keeping the Empire Catholic without proclaiming Erbkaisertum prematurely and potentially sabotaging your chances of finishing the Holy Empire mission.
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Convert HRE members to Catholic
Converting HRE members to Catholicism can be a challenging but rewarding task. Here are some strategies to achieve this:
First, it is essential to prioritize force-converting provinces with Centers of Reformation. These centers can spread their religious influence, so it is crucial to act quickly to contain their impact. Identify nations with Centers of Reformation and find casus belli to go to war with them. Once you control a province with a Center of Reformation, you can convert it to Catholicism, ensuring it no longer poses a threat.
Additionally, focus on maintaining high imperial authority and keeping the number of princes high. A high number of princes can dilute the impact of heretic princes on imperial authority calculations. Keep Italy within the Empire, as it provides a significant number of princes, contributing to this strategy.
Another strategy is to play as Austria, which offers unique advantages. As Austria, you can consistently revoke the privilegia in the 1550-1600 range by following specific steps: maximize authority gain by keeping Italy within the Empire, maintaining 12 Free Cities, bringing all provinces ruled by nations outside the Empire back under its control, and ensuring your re-election. However, be cautious not to proclaim the Erbkaisertum before the League Wars, or you may be unable to establish an official, unchangeable faith and complete the Holy Empire mission.
Finally, staying Catholic as Austria and crushing the Reformation is a viable approach. Attack every time a Center of Reformation spawns, and consider doing "emperor stuff" like stomping out heretics through forced conversions. This strategy can help you pass reforms during the reformation.
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Stomp out heretics by forcing conversions
To stomp out heretics by forcing conversions, you have several options in EU4. Here are some strategies to consider:
Firstly, identify the centres of reformation and destroy them. You don't need to destroy all of them; even eliminating a few will significantly slow down the spread of heresy. Target the centres of reformation that have spawned in OPMs or smaller minors, as these are easier to force religion upon. Alternatively, wait out the modifier and then reconvert them; the penalties for the wrong religion are not too severe in EU4, and reconversion after the recently converted modifier expires is relatively straightforward.
Secondly, focus on the heretic princes themselves. If they are nearby, declare war on them directly. If they have no allies, find an ally of an ally and declare war, co-belligerating the in-between ally to draw them into the conflict. Ensure the alliance isn't too large to handle. If the heretic princes are not near you, identify their allies and declare war on them instead. You can also chain multiple princes in a big war and convert them simultaneously, but this option is costly in terms of war score.
Additionally, consider playing as nations with inherent advantages in countering reformation, such as Bavaria, which gets an event for 50% reformation resistance. Alternatively, grab the great project in Milan or Aragon, which also provides 50% reformation resistance. The state edict is another option, although some players find it cumbersome.
Lastly, don't forget the importance of timing. It is advisable to get as much authority as possible before the reformation starts, as maintaining a positive balance becomes much more challenging afterward. The earlier you start combating heresy, the better, as waiting will only make the problem worse in the long run.
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Frequently asked questions
You need to convert every HRE member to Austria's state religion, which is Catholic.
Stay Catholic and crush the Reformation. Attack every time a centre of reformation spawns.
You may not be able to get an official, unchangeable faith and finish the Holy Empire mission. However, some players claim that you can still get it by converting all HRE members.
Force convert provinces that have Centers of Reformation in them. Find ways to go to war with people who have the Centers of Reformation.
Focus on "emperor stuff" and stomping out heretics by forcing conversions.
