Hamburg

Sliders

Centralization	<▪▪▪▪▪♦▪▪▪▪▪> balanced	Decentralization

Aristocracy	<▪▪♦▪▪▫▪▪▪▪▪> quite aristocratic	Plutocracy

Serfdom	<▪▪▪▪♦▫▪▪▪▪▪> slight serfdom	Free Subject

Innovative	<▪▪▪▪▪♦▪▪▪▪▪> balanced	Narrowminded

Mercantilism	<▪♦▪▪▪▫▪▪▪▪▪> very mercantilistic	Free Trade

Offensive	<▪▪▪♦▪▫▪▪▪▪▪> somewhat offensive	Defensive

Land	<▪▪▪▪♦▫▪▪▪▪▪> slightly land oriented	Naval

Quality	<▪▪▪▪♦▫▪▪▪▪▪> slightly quality oriented	Quantity

Hamburg is an interesting German minor as you start close to Denmark and other powers can possibly move into your neighborhood awfully soon. Be aware that Hamburg can not form Royal marriages due to the government type, Merchant Republic. Nor can your ruler become Holy Roman Emperor, for the same reason.

Heir to the Throne and Divine Wind

By default, Hamburg is not extant in HTTT's or DW's 1399 scenario. It is however possible to play Hamburg if you make the Hansa release them, or if you pick a later starting date. Also, Hamburg is no longer a Merchant Republic by default, but a Noble Republic.

In Nomine

Compared with 3.1, playing Hamburg has become much easier in In Nomine 3.2 because of the addition of the state of Holstein between Hamburg and Denmark. Otherwise, most advise in this guide still applies.

EU3

Advantages

Port (can ship to Italy or Mediterranean to annex minors)
Merchant Republic (cheap merchants)
25% reduction for sending merchants
High base tax

Disadvantages

No royal marriages (thus no inheriting)
Early target of Denmark
One Province Minor (aka low survival rate)

Early Play

Pick up advisors that help with trade and land tech. The key to Hamburg is to build a mighty trade empire to gain money to finance possibly colonization when spread of discoveries happen. Pick Merchant Adventures or National Trade Policy. Build your modest 90% Latin Knights. Novgorod is perhaps the easily richest COT to put your merchants in. Sending gifts, trade agreements, and military access to keep Denmark from attacking

Early Goals

Become friends with Mecklenburg
Send merchants to the richest Centers of Trade in Europe (Lubeck, Vlaanderen, and Novgorod)
Choosing a good National Idea. A trade-related idea is well-suited for Hamburg.

Next Goals

Here a word of advice never never join in a war with Mecklenburg or anyone with a Center or Trade because the AI loves to Trade Embargo to death to countries. One strategy I tried and found working is to backstab Denmark if Denmark's war with Sweden is going poorly for the Danes. A skilled player can easily take Denmark's mainland provinces next to Hamburg.

Warning and Guaranteeing Germany

Warn and guarantee every country around Hamburg so you if need to take down a promising German empire that threatens Hamburg (for example Munster, Bremen, Hesse, Cologne) but remember only to vassalize and take money so your trading empire does not crash because of infamy. You want a balance of power around Hamburg and this upstart empire would prefer to attack small countries instead of France or Austria or more. Watch Burgundy as sometimes Burgundy likes to conquer the Netherlands and northern Germany.

Now you may be wondering whether conquering provinces hurts trade. It does, but Hamburg needs to be big enough to fend off any local powers such as Burgundy, Bohemia, and Denmark. It is OK to have a little BB, just to protect yourself.

Colonizing

After Spread of Discoveries occurs you should go for wealthy, sugar-growing islands, bringing cavalry to kill off dangerous natives (note that once a colony hits 1000 all natives in the province become citizens in the town; peaceful natives are usually worth keeping).

Good spots to colonize in the 1500s

Caribbean
Southern USA
Southern South America (High Tax Bases)
Cuba
South Africa

Spots to Avoid

Canada
Grain, Fish, Naval Supplies provices
Northern USA
The Rest of Africa

Be selective as Hamburg is not a colonial nation like England, Spain, or Portugal. You simply can not afford to have 10 colonies at a time. Do not be afraid to attack the American Indians for quick land or thousands of ducats. Make sure to have plenty of ships and troops in your colonies.

Country guides

Europe:

Aachen • Alsace • Aragon • Austria • Avignon • Bar • Bavaria • Berry • Bohemia • Bosnia • Brandenburg • Brittany • Brunswick • Burgundy • Byzantium • Castille • Crete • Croatia • Cyprus • Denmark • England • France • Genoa • Germany • Granada • Great Britain • Hamburg • Hansa • Holland • Hungary • Ireland • Italy • Lithuania • Lorraine • Mainz • Mazovia • Mecklenburg • Milan • Modena • Munster • Münster • Muscovy • Naples • Navarra • Netherlands • Norway • Novgorod • Poland • Pommerania • Portugal • Provence • Prussia • Ragusa • Rev. France• Romania • Russia • Savoy • Saxony • Scotland • Serbia • Sicily • Siena • Spain • Sweden • Switzerland • Teutonic Order • The Knights • The Papal State • Tuscany • Utrecht • Venice • Wales • Wallachia • Yaroslavl
European minors • Dutch minors • French minors • Irish minors • Russian minors • Turkish minors

Asia:

Aceh • Ayutthaya • Bali • Bihar • Brunei • Golden Horde • Hindustan • Japan • Kazakh • Korea • Malacca • Manchu • Minamoto • Ming • Mongol Khanate • Nogai • Oirat Horde • Orissa • Pegu • Qin • Rajputana • Ryukyu • Vijayanagar • Wu • Xia
Indian minors • Southeast Asian minors

Near East

Ak Koyunlu • Jalayirids • Khorasan • Najd • Oman • Ottomans • Persia • Qara Koyunlu • The Mamluks • Timurids • Trebizond • Yemen

Americas

Aztecs • Chimu • Haiti • Inca • Maya • USA • Zapotec
American Natives

Africa

Adal • Algiers • Ethiopia • Morocco • Mutapa • Songhai • Tunisia

Hamburg is a Strategy guide based on player experience. However, gameplay may not necessarily be as per the guide due to the game's dynamic nature. You may need to improvise and respond to various unique scenarios that do not occur in the guide.

We recommend that this guide merely be used as a source of advice to help develop your own strategy.

Search

Personal tools