Poland Guide — Crown vs Szlachta
Survive the Szlachta disaster, optimize crown power, push plutocracy, and forge the Poland-Lithuania Commonwealth to dominate Eastern Europe.
Quick Overview
Strengths
- • Incredible tax efficiency advances
- • Monthly prosperity frees societal choices
- • Strong alliances (Hungary, Lithuania)
- • Unique +10% max tax policy for ALL estates
- • Hussards with +25% morale damage
Challenges
- • Szlachta disaster defines early game
- • Low starting population (1 million)
- • Awkward market position in Krakow
- • Squeezed between powerful neighbors
- • Must manage crown power carefully
Why Play Poland?
Poland in EU5 is heavily textured by its opening disaster — the Szlachta crisis that defines your first 50 years. While some players struggle with it, this guide will show you exactly how to navigate it and emerge stronger than ever.
What Poland lacks in population (only 1 million at start) and premium resources, it makes up for with incredible national advances that make it an economic powerhouse:
- 5% Proximity Cost Reduction — Strong modifier right from the start
- 10% Tax Efficiency (Age 2) — Absolutely incredible early boost
- Monthly Prosperity — Frees up your societal value choices completely
- Migration Speed Bonus — Pops naturally move where you want them
- 25% Max Tax for Burgers — Combined with unique policy for +10% max tax for ALL estates
Poland's Unique Strength
Starting Situation (1337)
Poland starts in a challenging but manageable position:
Challenges
- • Only 1 million population at start
- • Natural expansion areas also low on pops
- • Flat terrain — you're squeezed between big powers
- • Starting market in Krakow is awkwardly positioned
- • Szlachta disaster looming
Advantages
- • Alliance with Hungary at start
- • Alliance with Lithuania
- • Good farmland for development
- • Iron and wool resources
- • Salt right at the capital
- • Rivers provide decent proximity
Terrain: Mostly flat land, which is good for projecting control. Forests and farmlands dominate. Farmlands are excellent for development and population capacity. However, you lack the wide open clearings ideal for markets and capitals.
Resources: Lots of iron (good for tools) and decent wool (textiles). Salt sits right at the capital for early money. You lack premium resources like silk, gold, or silver, but expanding into Bohemia or Hungary could change that.
National Advances
Poland's national advances are exceptional and texture your entire game:
Early Game (Ages 1-2)
- 5% Proximity Cost — Immediate boost to your economy
- 10% Tax Efficiency (Age 2) — Absolutely incredible, one of the best early advances
- Monthly Prosperity — Frees up serfdom and bureaucracy choices
Mid Game (Ages 3-4)
- 20% Maximum RGO Size — Great with expanding farming cost reduction
- Granary of Europe — Decent but later ages become less impactful
- Hussards — Unique cavalry with +25% morale damage (note: cavalry starts falling off in Age 4)
Unique Policy
+10% Max Tax for ALL Estates — Combined with your tax efficiency advances and burger max tax bonuses, this makes Poland an economic superpower. This policy is insane — slot it immediately when available.
The Szlachta Disaster
The Szlachta (nobility) disaster is the defining challenge of early Poland. Understanding the mechanics is crucial:
Key Insight: Noble Power = Modifiers × Number of Nobles
Ways to End the Disaster
Crown Power > 36% — The easiest path. Focus on maximizing crown power.
50+ Positive Plutocracy — Keep clicking the "Push for Plutocracy" button every year.
Burgers > X Estate Power — Alternative path through burger empowerment.
Golden Liberty — Fail state that ends it immediately but you lose.
The disaster fires at a 2% chance per month once conditions are met. Ironically, when you WANT it to fire (after preparing), it never does. When you don't want it, it fires immediately. Build up stability before it triggers — you'll need it.
Crown Power Strategy
Crown power is essential for surviving the Szlachta disaster and for your economy (tax efficiency requires 25%+ crown power). Here's how to maximize it:
Placidium Regium (+20% Crown Power)
A religious action available at game start. Yes, the Pope will HATE you (-100 papal relations, -100 religious influence), but that +20% crown power is absolutely worth it. Click this immediately.
Ruler as General (+25% Crown Power)
Build one unit (a cavalry since you're Poland), create a standing army, and make your ruler the general. This gives a massive crown power boost. Your ruler being in the cabinet also helps.
Cabinet Member Strategy
When your daughter comes of age, put her in the cabinet even though it costs 20 legitimacy. She gives +12.5% crown power. Yes, you'll be spammed with marriage offers every month — refuse them all.
Distribution of Power Law
Change from Traditional Distribution to "Favor the Ruler" for direct crown power bonus. Later you might switch to "Favor the Wealthy" if needed for plutocracy trend.
Control = Crown Power
Societal Values
Your societal values need careful management to survive the disaster:
Phase 1: Centralization First
Start pushing towards centralization immediately. Centralization gives +50% crown power. You can do this because Poland's monthly prosperity bonus means you don't need Decentralized Bureaucracy.
Phase 2: Plutocracy After
Once centralization is maxed (or close to it), switch your cabinet and laws to push plutocracy. This weakens the nobles by reducing the number of nobles (aristocracy = more nobles in towns/cities).
The key tension: some laws that help centralization trend give aristocracy trend, and vice versa. You need to sequence your law changes correctly — centralization first, then swap to plutocracy-focused laws.
Opening Privileges & Setup
Day One Actions
- Change societal values — Set cabinet to push centralization (can't push plutocracy yet)
- Grant centralization privileges — Give out privileges that provide centralization trend (+0.15 trend)
- Grant roads privilege — You'll want roads eventually
- Click Placidium Regium — Take the +20% crown power, ignore the Pope's anger
- Grant Treasury Rights — Get positive tax efficiency (starts negative due to low crown power)
- Delete non-capital forts — Forts are expensive when you're not making money
- Start annexing closest subject — Use your diplomat to begin integration
Critical: Revoke Burger Mining Control!
Economy & Resources
Poland's economy requires careful building prioritization:
Building Priority
- Taylor's Guild — Generally the most profitable for European nations with wool
- Marketplaces — In urban areas with low control/market access
- Jewelers — Build while you have available burgers
- Salt RGOs — You're standing right on top of them
- Iron & Wool RGOs — Your main resources
- Masons — Build when masonry prices get high (put them near clay)
- Settlements — Migration attraction and pop growth (build even in subjects you'll annex)
Mason Efficiency Tip
Build masons in provinces with clay input for 10% production efficiency bonus. Watch masonry prices — when they spike, add more masons to keep construction costs down.
Market Position: Krakow's starting market is awkward — it's hugging the Pest and Prague markets. Consider moving your market to Warsaw or further north, or create a second market to cover dead zones.
Parliament & Law Changes
Your first parliament is critical — you may want to reroll your start if you don't get a good first parliament.
Parliament Support Stacking
Priority Law Changes
- Feudal Administration → Central Council — Removes decentralization trend
- Traditional Distribution → Favor the Ruler — Direct crown power bonus
- Noble Mining → Burger Controlled Mining — Removes aristocracy trend
- Aristocratic Court → Itinerant Court — Switch after centralization is done
- Marshall Society → Something else — Remove aristocracy trend
Early Wars
Unlike previous versions, Poland starts at peace in EU5. The Teutonic Order is your natural first target:
Teutonic Order Strategy
- • Wait for the papal judgment event giving you claims on their territory
- • Build a spy network for additional CBs
- • They may have Bohemia supporting them — use favors to break that alliance first
- • You are overwhelmingly stronger; the war should be straightforward
- • Consider making subjects rather than taking land directly (low control areas)
Don't Fight Bohemia Early!
Black Death Management
The plague will hit and kill your pops. Preparation is key:
- Build hospitals — Especially in your capital and high-pop areas
- Segregate infected areas — Limit spread where possible
- Hide your court — Protect your ruler from dying
Plague Results
Civil Wars & Triumph of the Crown
During the Szlachta disaster, you'll face multiple rebellions. This is actually manageable:
- Delete castles before rebellions — Prevents rebels from spawning in fortified positions
- Call in Bohemia or Lithuania — Your allies can help crush rebels easily
- Don't build during rebellions — Construction gets canceled when rebels occupy provinces
- Watch which provinces will rebel — Check dissent levels before building
The "Radical Reforms" Event Chain
You'll get events offering "Radical Reforms" — always choose the most radical option. When it asks if you can afford the satisfaction cost and your nobles are already at 0 satisfaction... it goes from 0 to 0. Free reforms! Take the 20 stability hit (this is why you max stability spending).
Triumph of the Crown
Once you reach the crown power threshold (36%+) or meet other conditions, you'll get "Triumph of the Crown":
- +20 stability (thank god, after all those hits)
- +18% crown power
- Minus change policy cost
- Trend towards centralization
- Ability to revoke multiple noble privileges at once
Campaign Summary
Poland is a challenging but rewarding nation with a unique early game defined by the Szlachta disaster. Here's your checklist for success:
Key Milestones
- ✅ Day 1: Set up centralization push, Placidium Regium, delete forts, start annexation
- ✅ First Parliament: Pass 2-3 law changes to set up disaster survival
- ✅ Build crown power to 36%+ through cabinet, privileges, and control
- ✅ Push plutocracy trend while keeping disaster manageable
- ✅ Survive Szlachta disaster → Triumph of the Crown
- ✅ Revoke noble privileges, rebuild stability
- ✅ Defeat Teutonic Order with favor-broken alliances
- ✅ Form Poland-Lithuania Commonwealth
