Norway

Sliders

Centralization	<▪▪▪▪▪▫▪▪♦▪▪> quite decentralized	Decentralization

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

Serfdom	<▪▪▪▪▪▫▪♦▪▪▪> somewhat free subjects	Free Subject

Innovative	<▪▪▪▪▪▫▪♦▪▪▪> somewhat narrowminded	Narrowminded

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

Offensive	<▪▪▪▪▪♦▪▪▪▪▪> balanced	Defensive

Land	<▪▪▪▪▪▫▪▪♦▪▪> quite naval oriented	Naval

Quality	<▪▪▪▪▪▫▪♦▪▪▪> somewhat quantity oriented	Quantity

The Divine Wind strategy changes only slightly from the version below which is for the EU3. The starting position is earlier in the timeline and the Personal Union is in effect over both Norway and Sweden. Sweden with its higher manpower is likely to try to break from the Union and Norway may end up ceding provinces if dragged into the war. Remove the alliance with Denmark and attempt to build up technology with the aim of colonising. With Iceland owned, Norway has an advantage over other secondary colonisers but they may end up fighting off England. If Sweden or Denmark look weak then attempt to take them with the aim of unifying Scandinavia.

Start of Game

The Bad

It may seem that you are fairly powerful, but with your poor provinces, terrible manpower and slow tech rates you will be as powerful as a nation half your size.

You start in a personal union with Denmark and at war with Sweden. Dissolve the alliance as soon as possible; you're not going to get anything for helping Denmark.

The Good

Iceland gives you a good start to North America when you can afford colonies (which you can't, see above)

The colour of your provinces is nice

Dealing with Sweden

Don't attack their armies head on; wait until attrition weakens them significantly. Also, Sweden has a great starting general that is very likely to pay you a visit. Try to avoid an open battle with him, and focus on taking back provinces he already conquered. Garrisons in them will be low, so a 2-3k strong stack of infantry should be able to win an assault against them. Use mercenaries for that purpose and disband them as soon as they fall low in numbers.

After Sweden

To become at least a regional power you have no other choice but to start trading in as many trading centres as you can. Base your armies on cavalry, because it outmatches infantry for the first 150 years. Focus your research on trade and government. Ignore researching and building any navy, as it costs too much and is not worth the effort.

Using attrition as your defence and trade as your source of income you can choose between uniting Scandinavia under your rule (which needs quite numerous wars all over the place, huge mercenary armies, and quite high inflation to be able to finance the operation) and moving towards wealthy minors in the Holy Roman Empire - OR - take Quest for the New World and get yourself a piece of land in Americas. Go to North America for big natural growth rates or to use mercenary cavalry conquer Aztecs or Incas for manpower and gold. Either will give you enough citizens and wealth to be at least a significant country back in Europe. Convert any CoT you take as your first priority. You don't want that nasty 15% penalty to your merchants' competitiveness for owning a CoT that is not of your state culture.

National Ideas

Take trading National Ideas and build your wealth basing on those. If you manage to get Shrewd Commerce Practice and National Trade Policy and won't fall behind in Trade technology research, you are sure to be able to keep 5 merchants in all important centers of trade in the world (17th page of the ledger shows which are the wealthiest, early go for Lubeck, Vlaanderen and Andalucia, then move to others).

Research, Stability, and Alliances

In research you can ignore Land and Naval technology, you can also ignore Production as you don't produce much anyway. Focus on Trade and Government and use your cultural superiority to dominate the old continent. For your advisors choose either guys that boost your Trade and Government research rates or guys that raise the number of merchants you get per year. Really, disproportion between what you can get from taxes and production and what you can get from trading is so high that Norway can't really afford ignoring trade if it ever wants to be something more than a vassal of Denmark or Sweden.

Keep your stability high, +3 all the time preferably, this gives you +30% more tax income and 3 merchants extra per year. Hire advisors early and avoid falling down later in the game. Try to avoid any alliances, you don't want to be dragged into any wars that AI is waging as your tiny armies and fleets won't earn you a lot in those.

In the middle game you want to switch to either of Administrative Republic for its bonus to competitiveness or to Administrative Monarchy if you are colonizing heavily and want to earn more from that. Bear in mind though that switching to Republic denies you from being the Holy Roman Emperor.

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

Norway 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.

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