Florence EU5 Guide

What You Start With

• • Government: Republican oligarchy with unique Florentine traditions
• • Territory: Core Florentine provinces including silk-producing Florence itself
• • Economy: Moderate starting income but exceptional growth potential through silk
• • Political Position: Member of the Guelfs faction (papal supporters)
• • Challenges: Surrounded by rivals, must maintain 30+ stability to prevent Ciompi disaster

The Faction System

Italy's political division is your key to expansion. As a Guelf (papal supporter), you can generate free CBs against Ghibelline nations using spy networks.

How to Use the System

• • Build Spy Networks: Target Ghibelline nations (Pisa, Lucca) to fabricate "Force Into Faction" CBs
• • Easy Wars: These CBs let you conquer provinces while forcing enemies into your faction
• • Papal Support: The Pope will view your expansion favorably since you're fighting "heretics"
• • Coalition Prevention: Converting enemies to vassals after forcing faction change generates minimal aggressive expansion

War Priority Order

1. 1
   Join the League Against Della Scala (Verona): Venice will call you into a defensive war. Use this to attack Lucca (Della Scala's ally) and potentially annex them completely.
2. 2
   Attack Pisa: Use your Force Into Faction CB. Everyone in Italy hates Pisa, so you'll face minimal coalition risk. Make them a vassal for automatic integration.
3. 3
   Attack Siena: Insult them first to avoid stability hit from breaking good relations. Full annexation or vassalization.
4. 4
   Mop Up Remaining Tuscans: Volterra, Pitigliano, any other minor Tuscan states. Vassalize to reduce AE.

Vassal vs Direct Annexation

Making conquered nations vassals then forcing faction change is the optimal approach:

• • Lower Aggressive Expansion: Vassalization generates far less AE than direct annexation
• • Automatic Integration: Vassals integrate their provinces for you over time
• • Force Faction Change: After vassalization, force them into Guelfs to avoid loyalty issues
• • War Reparations: Take money from wars to fund silk RGO expansion

Handling Coalitions

If a coalition forms against you:

• • Improve Relations: Focus on larger nations (Milan, Genoa, Mantua) to prevent them joining
• • Papal Alliance: The Pope's friendship provides diplomatic protection
• • Wait It Out: Coalitions dissolve if you don't expand for a while—perfect for your tall play phase
• • If War Comes: Attack the weakest coalition member first, separate peace them out

Building Priority Order

1. 1. Silk RGO Expansion: Every 50 ducats goes here until level 8. Non-negotiable.
2. 2. Marketplaces: 100% profit buildings. Build everywhere, capital first.
3. 3. Libraries: +10% population promotion speed. Essential in towns/cities.
4. 4. Temples: Religious conversion and cultural influence.
5. 5. Lumber Mills: Reduce construction costs when lumber shortage exists (17%+ in Genoese market).
6. 6. Roads: After Tuscan unification, spam roads everywhere for control and proximity.
7. 7. Chanceries: Literacy and cabinet efficiency boost.

Why Create Your Own Market?

Florence starts in the Genoese market, meaning Genoa takes a cut of your trade. Creating your own Florentine market lets you keep all trade profits.

• • Trade Independence: No more trade income going to Genoa or Venice
• • Price Control: Set your own market prices for goods you produce (silk!)
• • Market Attraction: Other nations will want to trade in your market
• • Unique Advances: Tuscany has unique advances boosting market attraction

When to Create Your Market

Market creation requires significant development. Wait until:

• • Tuscany Unified: You have enough provinces for market viability
• • Strong Economy: Silk production is maxed, marketplaces built everywhere
• • Coastal Access: You've conquered Pisa for sea trade routes
• • Parliament Support: Use "Market Expansion" parliament issue for trade capacity

Priority Value Pushes

• • Centralization: Push toward centralization for proximity cost reduction and crown power bonus
• • Naval vs Land: With coastline from Pisa, push Naval for -1 flat proximity cost through sea (better than -10% land)
• • Capital Economy: Set employment system to "Most Profitable First" for +0.10 capital economy push. Late game, 100 capital economy = +20% production efficiency and building cost reduction

Parliament Priorities

1. 1. Expansion of Gravel Road Network: +10% centralization push + cheaper roads
2. 2. Market Expansion: Lower trade maintenance, increased trade capacity
3. 3. Integration Process: Faster vassal/province integration

Remember: 50%+ support = pass, 49% or below = fail. It's not probability-based.

Critical Law Change

Distribution of Power → Favor the Ruler: This law change provides +20% republican power and +5% maximum taxation. Essential for trade income.

Use parliament to change laws (costs 50% support) rather than direct change (costs 100 stability).

What Causes the Disaster?

• • Primary Trigger: Stability dropping below 30
• • Common Causes: Black Death stability hits (-7 each), bad event choices, excessive law changes
• • The Trap: Once triggered, you need 40 stability to end it—incredibly difficult while it's active

Prevention Strategy

• • Stability Slider to Maximum: Always. Non-negotiable.
• • Cabinet Member on Stability: Permanent assignment throughout early game
• • Avoid Stability-Costing Actions: No direct law changes, careful with event choices
• • Build Buffer: Stay well above 30 (aim for 50+) so disasters can't push you under
• • Black Death Response: "Segregate the Infected" is best but costs stability—budget for it

The Banking Crisis of 1340

Florence's famous Peruzzi and Bardi banking houses trigger a unique event chain. You have three options:

Black Death Response

The plague arrives in the 1340s and will kill approximately 40% of your population. Proper response is critical.

• • Move Court Into Hiding: Protect your rulers from dying
• • "Segregate the Infected": Best option—costs 10 stability but +15% disease resistance
• • Don't Build Pest Houses: 50 ducats each is too expensive—use that money for silk RGO
• • Avoid "Mass Forgiveness": It actually LOWERS disease resistance by 10%

Warning: If the plague disappears briefly and returns, you may need to reapply countermeasures, costing more stability.

Post-Plague Recovery

After the Black Death kills 300,000+ people, you'll face massive labor shortages:

• • RGO Shortages: Not enough pops working your silk, lumber, etc.
• • Building Shortages: Burger buildings and labor buildings understaffed
• • Recovery Method: Build libraries in every town/city for +10% population promotion speed
• • Patience: Don't panic-build to fill shortages—let stability promote pops naturally

Cultural Acceptance

As you conquer Tuscany, you'll encounter tolerated cultures (like Milanese):

• • Cheap Acceptance: Milanese can be accepted for just 5 prestige—worth it for extra levies
• • Levy Boost: Accepted cultures provide levies; unaccepted don't
• • Core Requirements: Provinces need 10 cultural capacity to core—integrate vassals to avoid this

Towns & Cities Strategy

Urbanization is essential for playing tall, but has tradeoffs:

Road Network

After Tuscan unification, roads become your priority infrastructure:

• • Proximity Cost -20%: Dramatically increases control in every province
• • Build Outward: Start from Florence capital, work toward borders
• • Parliament Boost: "Expand Gravel Road Network" makes roads cheaper
• • Movement Speed: Faster armies for future wars

Why It Matters

Republican Power directly multiplies your trade income, just like Crown Power for monarchies. At 25% republican power with 10 ducats trade, you only receive 2.5 ducats.

• • Target 50%+: Every percentage above 25% provides significant bonuses
• • Below 25% = Crisis: Major debuffs across all areas of government

How to Increase Republican Power

• • Ruler as General: +25% just like monarchies
• • Family Member Commanding Fleet: +25% naval commander bonus
• • Counting Houses: Build these in provinces for republican power boost
• • "Favor the Ruler" Law: +20% republican power from this essential law change
• • Limit Privileges: Each privilege granted reduces republican power

Early Game: Levy Warfare

Florence starts without a large professional army. You'll rely on levies for Tuscan unification:

• • Accept Milanese Culture: 5 prestige = more levies immediately
• • Divide & Conquer: Split armies to prevent enemies from raising levies
• • Watch Flanks: AI is aggressive—it will attack you in mountains if you're not careful
• • Consolidate After Battles: Merge depleted units to maintain fighting strength

Lessons from Combat

• • Never Fight in Mountains: Terrain disadvantage causes flank collapses
• • Retreat Early: If your flank collapses, retreat before losing everything
• • Outnumber 2:1: Seek battles where you have clear numerical advantage
• • General Traits: +10 infantry combat ability from trait events is excellent

Phase 1: Tuscan Unification (1337-1350)

• • Complete opening setup, start silk RGO expansion
• • Join League against Della Scala, annex Lucca
• • Attack Pisa with Force Into Faction CB, vassalize
• • Handle Banking Crisis (choose centralization option)
• • Attack Siena, mop up remaining Tuscan minors
• • Survive Black Death with proper countermeasures
• • Maintain 30+ stability to prevent Ciompi disaster

Phase 2: Playing Tall (1350-1400)

• • Form Tuscany once requirements met (Tier 1 nation)
• • Stop external expansion—focus entirely on internal development
• • Max out silk RGO to level 8
• • Build roads in every province
• • Build libraries and temples in all towns/cities
• • Create your own market when strong enough
• • Let vassals integrate automatically

Phase 3: Italian Unification (1400-1450+)

• • Begin slow expansion into rest of Italian peninsula
• • Target 224 Italian provinces for Italy formation
• • Use economic dominance to fund professional armies
• • Long-term goal: Form Roman Empire while having played tall for centuries