Getting Started with EU5
Your first steps into Europa Universalis 5. Learn the interface, understand the opening setup, and avoid common beginner mistakes.
Game Setup
- Pick a recommended nation: Castile, France, or Ottoman Empire for your first game
- Start date 1337: The default start with all nations available
- Speed settings: Start on Speed 3, pause frequently to make decisions
- Difficulty: Normal difficulty is fine—don't start on easy, it teaches bad habits
- Ironman: NOT recommended for first game (you'll want to experiment and reload)
Understanding the UI
Critical UI Elements
Top Bar (Always Visible)
- • Ducats: Your money (green number, top left)
- • Stability: Critical resource for development (aim for 100)
- • Prestige: Diplomatic weight and bonuses
- • Crown Power: Multiplies trade income (visible in government tab)
Bottom Tabs (Main Navigation)
- • Economy (F2): Trade, markets, sliders
- • Military (F3): Armies, navies, forts
- • Diplomacy (F4): Alliances, wars, subjects
- • Government (F5): Laws, estates, parliament
- • Religion (F6): Conversion, papal mechanics
Province View (Click Any Province)
- • Shows control percentage (how much output you're actually getting)
- • Displays buildings you can construct
- • Lists population and culture breakdown
- • Integration status (conquered → integrated → core)
Your First Moves (Opening Month 1337)
Critical Opening Priorities
Do these BEFORE unpausing!
1Assign Cabinet Members
Where: Government tab → Cabinet
What to do: Assign both members to Stability Investment + Monthly Legitimacy
Why: Rush 100 stability (doubles pop promotion) and 100 legitimacy (+10% crown power)
2Make King Your General
Where: Military tab → Generals
What to do: Click your king's name, assign as army general
Why: +25% crown power immediately (crown power multiplies trade income!)
3Delete Unnecessary Forts
Where: Military tab → Forts
What to do: Keep ONLY provincial capital forts, delete the rest
Why: Each fort costs ~2 ducats/month maintenance—save money for marketplaces
4Adjust Economic Sliders
Where: Economy tab (F2) → Sliders at bottom
What to do: Court Support MAXIMUM, Stability Cost MAXIMUM, Diplomatic MINIMUM, Army Maintenance MINIMUM
Why: Rush 100 stability and legitimacy, save money elsewhere
5Start Building Marketplaces
Where: Click your capital province → Buildings tab
What to do: Build marketplace in capital FIRST, then all other provinces
Why: Marketplaces provide 100% profit and increase trade capacity—best building in the game
What NOT to Do as a Beginner
- ✗Don't change laws directly — Costs 72-100 stability! Always use parliament instead (50% support cost)
- ✗Don't assault forts — You'll lose 1,800 men to kill 96 defenders. Always siege.
- ✗Don't siege inland without supply agreements — Attrition will kill 20K+ troops
- ✗Don't keep all your forts — Each costs 2+ ducats/month. Only keep provincial capitals.
- ✗Don't ignore crown power — Below 25% crown power causes massive debuffs across your entire nation
- ✗Don't attack without checking allies — Declaring on a 5K nation that's allied to France = bad time
- ✗Don't expand too fast — Conquer faster than you can integrate = rebellions and coalitions
- ✗Don't frequently change cabinet members — Each change costs 5 stability