Why Play the Timurids?
The Timurids are the strongest nation you can play in EU5. Through a unique tag switch from Barlas, you'll access an overpowered "instant conquest" mechanic where occupying provinces means owning them immediately. In just 45 calendar years (only 22 years of active gameplay), you can control Hindustan and rival China as the #1 Great Power.
Instant Conquest
- Occupy a province → you own it immediately
- No waiting for peace deals to gain territory
- Peace deals only for money/humiliation
- Fort sieges are your only bottleneck
Clean Slate Start
- All Barlas loans disappear on tag switch
- Take infinite loans before switching
- Invest in Timur's education and RGOs
- Start as Timurids with zero debt
Core Region System
- Select any region once you own 40% of it
- All owned provinces become cores instantly
- Future conquests in region auto-core
- Hindustan recommended for population
Multiple End-Game Paths
- Form the Mughals (recommended)
- Stay as Steppe Horde for world conquest
- Reform into Monarchy any time
- Promote regional cultures for bonuses
The Barlas Phase (1337-1359)
The first 22 years are essentially AFK time, but treat this as an investment. Your goal is to prepare Timur and extract maximum value from Barlas before the tag switch wipes your loans.
Finding and Preparing Timur
- Find Timur: Go to Society → People → Characters → Search "Timur"
- Pin to outliner: Keep him visible at all times
- Assign to hotkey 1: Quick access for monitoring
- When Timur turns 3: Start expensive education (costs 250 ducats)
- When Timur becomes adult: Marry him to anyone (not lowborn)
Do This
- Take maximum loans — all debt disappears on tag switch
- Government reform: Agricultural Cultivation (income focus)
- Estate privileges: Only take income-generating ones
- Develop Bukhara with cabinet development actions
- Increase control in Bukhara as well
- Hire courtiers — cheap short-term investment
- Parliament: Request additional taxes or promote urbanization
Avoid This
- Don't drop below 60 Horde Unity — civil war risk
- Don't spend on maintenance — save all money
- Don't start wars — stay peaceful as Barlas
- Don't ignore loan timing — loan up around year 55-56
- Don't skip Timur's education — worth the investment
Loan Strategy Timeline
- Game start: Take initial loans to reach 250 ducats
- Timur age 3: Pay for expensive education
- Year 1352: Marry Timur when he becomes adult
- Year 1355-56: Take maximum loans again
- Before age 23: Mass expand RGOs with borrowed money
- Age 23 (new year): Tag switch wipes all loans
The Tag Switch
When Timur turns 23, you'll receive two critical events. The key is understanding that you don't "form" the Timurids — they form themselves, and you choose to become them.
Event Sequence
- Event 1: "Rise of Timur"
Click and ignore — this event does nothing initially
- Event 2: Three Options
- Option 1 (Choose This): Fight Timour → Become Timur and annex Barlas
- Option 2: Become Timur without annexing Barlas (suboptimal)
- Option 3: Fight against Timur (don't pick this)
- Event 3: "Rise of Timur" Again
This time click to gain Army Tradition
"Tamerlane" Event
Shortly after, you'll get an event explaining Timur's nickname "Tamerlane" (Timur the Lame, because he lost two fingers).
- Option 1: +15 Military Ability (fine choice)
- Option 2: "Heir of Genghis Khan" — +15% army morale, +horde unity, -separatism (better)
Rise of Timur Situation
The "Rise of Timur" situation is your command center for Timurid conquest. It provides unique mechanics that make the Timurids overpowered.
Plan Invasion
Click any neighbor to get an instant claim at the cost of 5 antagonism. No diplomats required, no waiting time. Just click and declare war.
Select Core Region
Once you control 40% of any region, you can make it your "Core Region". All provinces you own become cores instantly, and future conquests in that region auto-core.
Note: Khorasan appears to be your default core region based on capital location. You can effectively have two core regions: Khorasan and your selected region.
Reform into Monarchy
Converts you from Steppe Horde to Empire. Lose horde unity (replaced with legitimacy), lose horde government reforms, but gain Emperor rank. Wait until you finish conquering your core region — horde conquest is much easier.
Promote Regional Culture
Change your primary culture to one from your core region, plus promote two additional cultures to accepted for free. Requires owning 100% of your core region.
Instant Conquest Explained
This is what makes the Timurids completely overpowered: when you occupy a province, you immediately own it. Not "occupied" — actually yours. The province flips to your control the moment your army walks in.
How It Works
- Move army to enemy province
- Province becomes yours (not just occupied)
- Continue to next province
- Fort provinces still require sieges
- Peace deals only extract money/humiliation
Practical Implications
- You can "annex" nations in days, not years
- Quality difference makes battles trivial
- Fort sieges are your only real time sink
- No need to worry about war score or demands
- Peace out for ducats when you're done occupying
Core Region Strategy
Your core region choice determines your mid-to-late game trajectory. While France, Iberia, or East China would be ideal, they're too far from your starting position. Realistic options are Persia or Hindustan.
Hindustan (Recommended)
- Massive population — 12+ million possible
- Access to elephant provinces
- Required for Mughal formation
- Rich trade goods (cotton, silk)
- Clear path through Kashmir
Persia (Alternative)
- Silk Road control
- Closer to starting position
- Less population than Hindustan
- Good if you want to stay in Central Asia
Khorasan "Free" Core Region
Interestingly, the game treats Khorasan as your default core region (likely because Samarkand is your capital and it's in Khorasan). This means conquests in both Khorasan AND your selected region will auto-core. You essentially get two core regions for the price of one.
Hindustan Conquest
Conquest Sequence
- Clear blockers first: Conquer the nations splitting you from India (Sulus, etc.)
- Declare on Kashmir: Your entry point into Hindustan
- Chain wars: Co-belligerent Kangra, Garwal, and nearby minors
- Northern sweep: Conquer the entire northern edge of Hindustan
- Varanasi war: Major population center, requires fort sieges
- Finish the region: Mop up remaining one-province minors
- Select Hindustan: Once you hit 40%, make it your core region
War Tips
- Battles are trivial due to quality difference
- Fort sieges are your main time sink
- Use Plan Invasion for instant claims
- Chain-declare to conquer multiple nations at once
- You rarely need to raise levies
Handling Coalitions
- Coalitions will form — they're not a threat
- Wait one month after peace for coalition check
- Consider making rivals sign "no alliance" treaties
- Your military quality crushes coalition armies
Capital Relocation
Move your capital to Hindustan for better control in your new rich provinces. Recommended: Chantipur
- Near three elephant provinces
- On a river (trade bonus)
- Flatland, subtropical, grasslands terrain
- Note: Costs significant ducats — take loans if needed
Vassal Management
With instant conquest, you'll quickly accumulate non-integrated provinces. Release these as vassals to maintain stability and control.
Vassal Strategy
- Release non-integrated provinces: Any province without a core should become a vassal
- Chagatai as mega-vassal: Release them with a large chunk of territory — their Rank 3 government makes them useful
- Focus cores on Hindustan: Don't waste integration on Khorasan provinces you don't need
- Repeat after each war: Release → Stabilize → Conquer → Repeat
Forming the Mughals
The Mughals are the natural end-game tag for a Hindustan-focused Timurid campaign. Formation requires controlling Hindustan and reforming into a monarchy.
Formation Requirements
- Control all of Hindustan (may have bugs with certain provinces)
- Reform into Monarchy via Rise of Timur situation
- Meet formation decision requirements
When to Reform
- After completing Hindustan conquest
- After stabilizing control in key provinces
- When you're ready to stop rapid expansion
- For Mughal-specific content and events
Stay Horde If...
- Planning world conquest
- Want to keep instant conquest mechanic
- Prefer horde government reforms
- Don't care about Mughal formation
Campaign Timeline
Phase 1: Barlas (1337-1359) — 22 Years AFK
- Find and monitor Timur
- Take loans, develop Bukhara
- Expensive education at age 3
- Marry Timur when adult
- Maximum loans before age 23
- Speed 5 and wait
Phase 2: Early Timurids (1359-1365) — Conquest Begins
- Tag switch, clean slate
- Clear blocking nations (Sulus, etc.)
- Enter India through Kashmir
- Chain-declare on northern Indian states
- Release vassals in non-core regions
Phase 3: Hindustan Domination (1365-1382)
- Select Hindustan as core region
- Complete regional conquest
- Move capital to Chantipur
- Build control in key provinces
- Reform into monarchy
- Form Mughals
Result: 45 Calendar Years, 22 Active
- Population: 200k (Barlas) → 12+ million (Mughals)
- Rank: Near #1 Great Power (rivaling China)
- Control: All of Hindustan + vassal empire
- Position: Set for world conquest if desired
