The Napoleon Challenge: A way to play M2TW France (long campaign)

Step 1: Unifying France

Your first step as france should be to unify the provinces in modern day france via taking the rebel settlements of Dijon, Bourdeaux, Rennes, and Metz if the HRE doesn't beat you to it. It might also be advised to take Burges and Antwerp to get the benelux under your control.

However, there's still a big red annoyance in your way: England. As long as they're in that castle in Normandy, they will keep popping out troops and will be a bit of a pain once they attack. My sugguestion is to ready your forces and launch a preemptive strike. Invading the rest of England is optional if you don't want to head across the channel but remember; It's not as hard as it was back in the 19th century. England doesn't have a huge fleet.

Step 2: The Italian Campaign And Dismantling The HRE

Now, during the 1790s, Napoleon did a campaign in italy to find a way to vienna and to silence any italian resistance in the area. To recreate this campaign, you'll have to destroy Milan and start a war with the HRE. Attacking venice is optional, but it's a long way from france to their holdings in crete and dalmatia, so try to bypass them however you wish.

In the meantime, make sure you have at least 1-2 armies pushing inland to the HRE, once the italian campaign is said and done, you'll have to turn your full attention into DESTROYING the big black blob, as Napoleon historically dismantled the HRE after a decisive campaign in Austria. Once the HRE is out of the way, you can focus on different fronts.

Step 3: The Egpytian Expedition

According to the long campaign rules, you need to hold jerusalem. And in order to get to jerusalem, you need to get to egypt. However by this step, you've probably been excommunicated once or twice, maybe more; so joining the crusade against cairo is no good. Instead, you'll have to embark on this expedition all alone, with at least 1-2 armies and some preists to boot. Once you land in the holy hand and defeat the egyptian armies, nobody else would really touch you. That is, unless the mongols/timurids threaten it. You might have to keep an eye for the (Ottoman) turks as well.

Step 4: The Peninsular Campaign

While completing Steps 1-3, You may or may not have allied with the spanish to keep them busy, hoping things in iberia will go well. If by the end of step 3 they get hostile or are still in trouble by the portuguese/moors, then a peninsular campaign might be an option

Spain/Portugal: Start with these guys first, the moors might still have them busy. Once they're out of the way, the moors will be all yours

Moors: Weakened by reconquista, may be wise to put it out of it's misery

Bonus Objectives/Epilogue

1. Napoleon's home island (Corsica) needs to be captured and held for the entirety of the campaign

2. Destroying the Scots and danes are optional, may be best to use them as allies instead

3. If you wish not to go thorugh with the peninsular campaign, go east. Hungary, Poland and Russia are good targets. who knows, maybe you'll avenge napoleon's 1812 defeat

4. Excommunication is unavoidable when going up against all those catholic nations, consider the crusades against you as coalitions.

5. Fight on the defense against the mongols/timurids, dont try to attack the beasts of the east.

6. New world is optional

Now, once you've reached 45 provines and have jerusalem under control, victory should be yours. Vive l'emperour!

Source: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1539052432					

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