Mediterranean

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Learn EU5

Naples Guide — Italian Ambition

Perfect for learning EU5 mechanics. Conquer Byzantine Greece, manage estates and civil wars, and unite southern Italy into the Kingdom of Two Sicilies.

Quick Overview

Strengths

• Vassal states in Greece (Albania, etc.)
• Good starting position in Italian trade
• Recommended starting nation for learning
• Clear expansion path against Byzantines
• Two Sicilies formation goal

Challenges

• Frequent civil wars from unhappy nobles
• Book production bottleneck for universities
• Coalition threats (Serbia, Bulgaria, Sicily)
• Control issues in distant Greek territories
• Economy can spiral into debt

Why Play Naples?

Naples is one of EU5's recommended starting nations for good reason. The game itself suggests Naples for newcomers, and while you'll face challenges, the learning experience is invaluable.

Unlike landlocked nations surrounded by major powers, Naples offers:

Protected Starting Position — Surrounded by water on most sides
Vassal States — Albania and other subjects provide a foothold in Greece
Clear Rival — Byzantium declares rivalry immediately, giving you a war target
Formable Nation — Two Sicilies provides a clear mid-game goal
Italian Trade — Positioned to dominate valuable Mediterranean commerce

Perfect for Learning

Naples teaches you EU5's core systems naturally: estates, levies, sieges, peace deals, civil wars, and economy management. Expect to make mistakes — that's how you learn. The consequences are rarely game-ending.

Starting Situation (1337)

Naples stands at a crossroads of its troubled history, born from the ambitions of powerful dynasties seeking domination over southern Italian lands.

Starting Assets

• Capital: Naples (your control center)
• Subject states in Albania and Greece
• Part of the Neapolitan Provincial Union
• Established marketplace for trade
• Mixed resources including farmland

Early Threats

• Byzantine Empire (declares rivalry immediately)
• Serbia (also declares rivalry)
• Sicily (can form coalitions against you)
• Bulgaria (joins anti-Naples coalitions)
• Unhappy nobility (leads to civil wars)

Control Mechanics: Your capital Naples has full control, but provinces further away have less control — meaning less taxes and more problems. Building roads increases proximity and therefore control.

Starting Advice: "With the biggest power in the region, Naples is poised to dominate Italian trade and politics, while our subjects in Greece constitute a convenient foothold for external expansion."

Interface & Economy Basics

EU5's interface can be overwhelming, but Naples teaches you the essentials:

The Top Bar

Displays income, stability, population, legitimacy, prestige, and diplomacy. The leftmost section shows your estates (nobility, clergy, burghers, commoners) — keep them happy or face civil wars.

Economy Screen

Your currency is ducats. Balance spending and income using sliders. You can automate much of this, but beware — automation isn't always optimal. Don't mint too much money or you'll cause inflation.

Tax Collection

You only collect a fraction of the tax base by exacting taxes from estates. The maximum tax for each estate depends on their power — and taxing them too much makes them unhappy. Currently, clergy pay no taxes while commoners are taxed the most.

Automation Warning

While automation helps new players, it can make suboptimal choices. The game might decrease legitimacy spending or mismanage your economy. Check your automated settings periodically!

Estate Management

Estates are the most important representations inside your country: nobility, clergy, burghers, and commoners. Keep them happy or they will cause problems.

Privileges

Grant privileges to estates using the plus icon. Privileges usually increase both satisfaction AND power. The nobility starts with many privileges — they may still become unhappy, leading to civil wars.

Crown Reforms

The crown icon gives you reforms — essentially your power over the country. Reforms like "Autocracy" give +10% crown power but cost stability. "Royal Authority" requires 86+ legitimacy to enact.

At game start, your estates are relatively happy (over 50% satisfaction). This is likely the happiest they'll be for the entire game — prepare for discontent!

Your First War (Byzantines)

The Byzantine Empire declares rivalry against you early. They're an excellent first war target thanks to your vassal states in Greece providing a foothold.

1. Raise Levies

Levies are temporary units to help fight wars. They cost money to raise, but provide a simple way to get large armies quickly. Also raise naval levies for transport.

2. Transport Troops

Load your troops (around 14,000) onto ships and transport them from mainland Italy to Albania. Your naval levies make this possible.

3. Occupy Territory

Unlike Hearts of Iron 4, you don't hold front lines. Move your army to occupy provinces — they get diagonal lines when occupied. Cities with forts require sieges.

4. Siege Constantinople

Go straight for their capital! Sieges take time — sometimes over 1,600 days for major forts. Negative siege percentages mean it won't fall soon, but persistence pays off.

Peace Deals

Sue for peace when you have the advantage (occupying their capital or most territory). The more land you occupy, the more you can demand. Unlike Hearts of Iron 4, this isn't conditional surrender — you propose terms and they accept or reject.

The Book Production Crisis

One of the most frustrating early-game bottlenecks: you need books to build universities and libraries, but you don't produce any books.

The Problem

• Alert: "Missing employees for RGOs"
• Solution requires building university or library
• Buildings require books
• Naples starts with zero books

The Solution: Scriptoriums

To produce books, you need a scriptorium. However:

• Scriptoriums are expensive to build
• You may not have enough money initially
• Even after building one, book production takes time
• You may need to wait before having enough books for universities

Many players simply give up on books and focus on other aspects of the game. This is a valid strategy — you can succeed without solving the book crisis immediately.

Managing Civil Wars

Civil wars are a recurring theme in Naples. The nobility becomes unhappy and rebels rise up — you'll fight multiple civil wars throughout your campaign.

Why They Happen

Estate satisfaction drops below critical levels. The nobility in particular has many privileges but still becomes unhappy. Rebel movements appear on the map (you can see them in the Rebel Movements tab).

How to Win

• Raise levies immediately when civil war fires
• Focus on defeating rebel armies in battle
• Civil wars are annoying but winnable
• Losing a civil war ENDS your game — prioritize these!

Critical Warning

Unlike regular wars where you just lose some territory, losing a civil war ends your campaign. Always prioritize defeating rebels over external wars.

Coalition Defense

As you expand, enemies form coalitions. The typical anti-Naples coalition includes:

Serbia

Declares rivalry, joins coalitions

Bulgaria

Wants Greek territory back

Sicily

Neighbor and competitor

Coalition wars are challenging but rarely game-ending. The consequences of losing are usually:

Losing some territory (usually minor)
Paying war reparations (hurts economy)
Humiliation (prestige loss)
Market center takeover (economic damage)

Low Consequences

Unlike Hearts of Iron 4, losing wars in EU5 doesn't end your game. You lose some land and pay reparations, but you survive to fight another day. This makes EU5 more forgiving for learning.

Forming Two Sicilies

Your mid-game goal is forming the Kingdom of Two Sicilies, which historically occurred centuries later when Naples and Sicily united.

Path to Formation

1. Control Sicily: You'll need to conquer or diplomatically acquire Sicily
2. Declare War: Learn to declare wars properly (not just react to them)
3. Manage Coalitions: Sicily may bring allies — Serbia, Bulgaria, even the Papal States
4. Complete Requirements: Check the "Form New Country" screen for specific requirements

Beyond Two Sicilies, you can even form Italy — uniting the entire peninsula under your rule. This is a longer-term goal but provides significant bonuses.

War Planning

Invading Sicily can be reckless if you don't anticipate who joins. Serbia, Bulgaria, and the Papal States may all join against you. Scout enemy alliances before declaring war!

Economy & Loan Management

Naples campaigns often involve economic struggles. Wars cost money, reparations drain your treasury, and before you know it, you're taking loans.

Common Economic Problems

• Losing 14+ ducats per month
• 20+ current loans with accumulating interest
• War reparations draining income
• Bankruptcy (no interest, no trade income, no selling food)

Recovery Strategies

• Wait for economic booms — income can suddenly improve
• Repay loans during profitable periods
• Avoid minting money (causes inflation)
• Check automation settings — they may be suboptimal
• Build roads to improve control and thus tax collection

Inflation Warning: The game warns about inflation for good reason. A little minting (0.05%) might seem harmless, but it accumulates. Only mint when absolutely necessary.

Campaign Summary

A typical Naples campaign teaches you EU5's core mechanics through experience:

Tutorial Phase

Complete the walkthrough, understand the interface, build roads

First Byzantine War

Learn levies, transport, sieges, and peace deals

Second Byzantine War

Expand further into Greece and Thrace

Civil Wars & Coalitions

Handle internal rebellions and external threats

Italian Ambitions

Push for Two Sicilies and eventually Italy

Key Lessons

Naples teaches that EU5 is forgiving. You can lose wars, go bankrupt, fight multiple civil wars, and still recover. The game rewards persistence and learning from mistakes. As you get better at combat, estate management, and economy, future campaigns become easier.