EU4: Beginner’s Guide for Holland (Ultimate 2024) - EU4 Paradise (2024)

Embark on a strategic journey with Holland, a hidden gem in Europa Universalis IV. This compact guide introduces you to the thrilling challenge of transforming Holland, a modest but prosperous region, into a dominant trading and naval force in 15th-century Europe. Perfect for newcomers and seasoned players alike, this guide will equip you with the essentials to navigate Holland’s unique path from a minor province to a global powerhouse.
Get ready to dive into an adventure where diplomacy, economy, and strategy intertwine.

1444: Day One Strategy Mastering Holland

Build Strong Alliances

As Holland, your initial focus should be on securing alliances that can protect and support your ambitions. Key alliances to consider are:

• France: A powerful ally that can deter aggression from Burgundy and other regional powers.
• Austria: As the Holy Roman Emperor, they can be a valuable ally, especially in diplomatic matters within the Empire.
• Local Powers: Consider alliances with nearby nations like Brabant, Gelre, or Flanders to secure your immediate borders.

Improve Relations

Work on improving relations with neighboring countries. Good relations can prevent coalitions and open opportunities for future alliances.

Be Selective

While it’s tempting to ally with many nations, be mindful of their rivals and conflicts. Unnecessary wars can drain your resources early in the game.

Economy and Military

Balance Your Budget

At the start, adjust your budget to maintain a healthy economy. Lower army maintenance during peacetime but be ready to increase it in case of imminent threats.

Focus on Trade

Holland’s strength lies in trade. Prioritize your merchants and trade fleet to maximize income from the English Channel trade node.

Build a Strong Navy

Given Holland’s coastal position, a strong navy is essential. Build and maintain a fleet capable of protecting your trade interests and asserting naval dominance.

Technology and Ideas

Embrace Dutch Ideas

Holland’s national ideas are geared towards trade efficiency and naval strength. These should be your focus to leverage Holland’s natural strengths.

1444 – 1450: Laying the Foundations of a Dutch Empire

Diplomacy First

• Aim for Independence: If under Burgundy, seek allies like France to support your bid for independence.
• Friendly Neighbors: Improve relations with nearby countries to prevent early conflicts.

Economy Matters

• Boost Trade: Focus on the English Channel trade node. Use your ships and merchants wisely to increase trade income.
• Smart Investments: Spend on buildings that enhance trade and production in your provinces.

Military Focus

• Navy is Key: Build a strong navy to protect your coasts and trade interests.
• Defensive Army: Keep a small, efficient army ready for defense and minor conflicts.

Expansion Strategy

• Careful Growth: Expand into nearby trade-rich regions, but avoid aggressive expansion to prevent coalitions.
• Select Your Battles: Only engage in wars that directly benefit your trade and security.

Tech and Ideas

• Trade and Naval Ideas: Prioritize ideas that improve your trade efficiency and naval strength.
• Stay Updated: Keep up with technology, especially in administrative and diplomatic areas.

1450 – 1465: Strengthening Holland’s Position

Diplomatic Stability and Expansion

• Reevaluate Alliances: Periodically assess your alliances. Keep strong allies, but don’t be afraid to seek new partnerships if the geopolitical landscape changes.
• Influence Neighbors: Use your diplomats to influence neighboring countries. Improving relations can prevent coalitions and open doors for future conquests.

Economic Prosperity

• Enhance Trade Networks: Continue to expand your trade influence in the English Channel. Consider investing in trade technologies and ideas to further boost your income.
• Develop Your Core Provinces: Invest in your core provinces to increase their value and productivity, especially those contributing significantly to trade.

Military Modernization

• Expand Your Navy: Continue building your navy, focusing on light ships for trade protection and heavy ships for defense.
• Army Upgrades: Upgrade your army with the latest military technology. Keep a balance between having a strong defense and maintaining economic stability.

Conquest and Colonization

• Strategic Expansion: Aim for coastal provinces and regions that can enhance your trade power. Be mindful of aggressive expansion and the Holy Roman Empire’s (HRE) internal politics.
• Begin Colonization Efforts: If you’ve taken Exploration Ideas, start exploring and colonizing. Focus on areas that can serve as future trade nodes or stepping stones for further exploration.

Advancing Technology and Ideas

• Balanced Tech Growth: Ensure a balanced development in all technology areas – administrative, diplomatic, and military.
• Idea Selection: Continue to invest in ideas that strengthen your trade and naval capabilities. Exploration ideas can be a good choice if you’re looking towards colonial expansion.

Domestic Policies and Stability

• Manage Unrest: Keep an eye on national unrest and take measures to reduce it, such as increasing autonomy in troublesome provinces or stationing troops.
• Administrative Management: Implement policies that boost your economy and stabilize your realm. Administrative ideas can be beneficial for managing an expanding empire.

1465 – 1480: Consolidating Power and Expanding Horizons

Diplomatic Finesse:

• Maintain Strong Alliances: Keep nurturing your key alliances and reassess them based on the changing geopolitical landscape.
• Diplomatic Influence: Use your diplomats to either forge new alliances or weaken potential rivals. Keeping good relations with powerful neighbors is crucial.

Economic Advancements:

• Dominate Trade: Continue to strengthen your grip on the English Channel trade node. Consider building trade buildings and deploying more light ships to dominate trade.
• Internal Development: Focus on developing your provinces. Investing in production and trade infrastructure can significantly boost your income.

Military Prowess:

• Naval Supremacy: Ensure that your navy remains one of the strongest in Europe. Update and expand your fleet according to the latest naval technology.
• Army Modernization: Keep your army up-to-date with the latest military tech. Adapt your military strategies based on potential threats and expansion opportunities.

Expansion and Colonization:

• Targeted Conquests: Aim for strategic provinces that will enhance your trade empire. Watch for opportunities to expand within the HRE or along the coast.
• Colonial Ventures: If you’re pursuing a colonial strategy, focus on establishing colonies in lucrative regions. Aim for the Caribbean or the coasts of Africa to establish new trade routes.

Technological and Idea Progress:

• Tech Balance: Continue advancing evenly in administrative, diplomatic, and military technologies.
• Idea Development: Depending on your strategy, further invest in trade, naval, or colonial ideas. Administrative ideas can also be beneficial for managing a larger empire.

Internal Stability and Reforms:

• Manage Unrest and Rebels: Keep a close eye on unrest levels and address them proactively to avoid rebellions.
• Administrative Reforms: Implement policies and reforms that improve your administrative efficiency, especially if your empire is growing in size.

1480 – 1495: Entering the Age of Discovery

Diplomatic Dynamics

• Strategic Alliances: Continuously evaluate and potentially reshuffle your alliances to suit your growing power and changing international dynamics.
• Influence and Espionage: Use your diplomats not just for alliances, but for influencing other nations and espionage to gain advantages in trade and war.

Economic Boom

• Trade Empire Expansion: Further assert your dominance in trade by expanding your merchant fleet and trade networks. Look for new emerging trade nodes.
• Economic Development: Continue to invest in your provinces, focusing on building structures that enhance your economic output.

Military Expansion

• Naval Innovations: Keep your navy strong and technologically advanced. Consider exploring new naval doctrines to enhance your maritime capabilities.
• Land Forces: Strengthen your army, keeping it proportional to your nation’s size and threats. Focus on modernizing your forces and maintaining a capable reserve.

Colonial Ambitions and Exploration

• Global Colonization: If you have started a colonial venture, expand it by establishing colonies in strategic locations like the Americas or Africa.
• Exploration Missions: Send explorers to discover new lands and sea routes, opening up further opportunities for trade and expansion.

Technological and Ideological Advancements

• Tech Prowess: Stay ahead or on par with neighboring countries in technological advancements.
• Idea Focus: Depending on your playstyle, deepen your commitment to naval, trade, administrative, or colonial ideas.

Internal Affairs and Stability

• Reformation and Centralization: Focus on centralizing your government to make administrative tasks more efficient, especially if you have expanded significantly.
• Cultural and Religious Harmony: Manage cultural and religious diversity within your borders to maintain stability and avoid internal conflicts.

1495 – 1510: The Dawn of a New Century

Diplomatic Evolution

• Powerful Partnerships: As Holland grows in power, seek alliances that can help in achieving your broader goals, such as major European powers or emerging new world nations.
• Dynamic Diplomacy: Keep adapting your diplomatic strategies. Use your influence to meddle in the affairs of smaller nations or to check the power of larger rivals.

Economic Dominance

• Trade Network Expansion: Continue to dominate European trade. Look to expand your trade networks into new areas, leveraging your colonial outposts.
• Prosper Through Development: Keep investing in your core provinces, focusing on buildings that enhance trade power and production.

Military Modernization

• Naval Prowess: Ensure that your navy remains one of the most formidable, capable of projecting power and protecting your global interests.
• Army Reforms: Reform and expand your army in line with your territorial growth. Maintain a balance between offensive capability and defensive needs.

Colonial Growth and Global Presence

• Expand Your Colonies: Strengthen and expand your colonies. Target key areas that can serve as trade hubs or strategic military outposts.
• Worldwide Exploration: Continue exploring unknown territories. Aim to discover new lands and sea routes that can provide economic and strategic advantages.

Advancing in Technology and Ideas

• Technological Leadership: Strive to be a leader in technological advancements, particularly in areas that enhance your naval and trade strengths.
• Idea Development: Focus on completing and maximizing the benefits of your chosen idea groups. Consider beginning a new group that complements your nation’s current needs and goals.

Internal Consolidation

• National Stability: Work towards maintaining high levels of stability and low unrest to ensure smooth governance of your growing empire.
• Cultural Integration: Embrace the cultural diversity of your nation, especially in newly acquired territories, to foster unity and reduce unrest.

Key Tips and Considerations for Holland

* Maintaining stability in your Dutch realm is essential. Holland, while not Confucian, still benefits from religious and cultural harmony. Tolerate different faiths and cultures in your provinces, especially in your colonial territories, to reduce unrest. Use state actions like increasing autonomy or stationing troops to keep control in newly conquered or integrated regions.

* Utilize Holland’s prime location to dominate European trade. Focus on controlling and expanding your influence in the English Channel trade node and explore opportunities in nodes like the North Sea, Lübeck, or even further afield as your empire grows. Invest in trade buildings, deploy light ships to secure trade routes, and prioritize provinces with valuable trade goods or strategic importance to maximize your trade income.

* Expand thoughtfully and strategically. Holland’s position in the densely populated and politically complex region of the Holy Roman Empire requires careful navigation. Prioritize coastal provinces and regions that enhance your trade network. Manage your aggressive expansion carefully to avoid coalitions. Use diplomacy effectively by forming strategic alliances and consider the possibilities of vassalization to expand your influence without direct conquest.

Holland in EU4: The Path to Dutch Nationhood (Forming the Netherlands)

Transitioning from Holland to the Netherlands is a defining moment in your EU4 campaign. The Netherlands is renowned for its economic and naval prowess, and forming this nation can significantly enhance your gameplay experience.

Key Requirements

• Control Crucial Provinces: To form the Netherlands, you need to control specific provinces within the Low Countries region. These typically include Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Gelre, and Friesland. Ensure you either own these provinces directly or have them as vassalized territories.
• Administrative Technology: You need to have reached a certain level in Administrative Technology (usually level 10) to unlock the decision to form the Netherlands.
• Independence: If you start as a vassal under Burgundy, you must achieve independence before you can form the Netherlands.

Considerations Before Forming the Netherlands

• Holy Roman Empire (HRE) Membership: Forming the Netherlands will prompt you to leave the HRE. This can have significant diplomatic and security implications, so be prepared for potential conflicts with the Emperor and other member states.
• Internal Stability: Ensure your country is stable with low unrest before making this transition. Forming the Netherlands can trigger events and wars (like the Dutch Revolt), so having a strong, stable base is crucial.
• Economic Strength: As the Netherlands, you’ll have the opportunity to dominate global trade. Make sure your economy is strong, with a focus on trade efficiency and a robust fleet to protect your trade interests.

Steps to Form the Netherlands

1. Consolidate Your Power: Ensure you control the required provinces and have a stable and prosperous Holland.
2. Advance Your Technology: Reach the necessary level in Administrative Technology.
3. Declare Independence (if applicable): Gain independence from Burgundy if you haven’t already.
4. Leave the HRE (Optional): Consider the pros and cons of remaining in the HRE before making the decision to leave.
5. Form the Netherlands: Once all requirements are met, you can officially form the Netherlands through the decision tab.

Post-Formation Strategy

• Defend Your Borders: Be prepared for immediate conflicts, especially with neighboring HRE states or Burgundy.
• Expand Your Trade Empire: Utilize the Netherlands’ unique trade bonuses to establish one of the world’s most powerful economies.
• Explore and Colonize: The Netherlands is perfectly positioned for colonial expansion. Consider focusing on colonizing and establishing trade routes in the New World and the East Indies.

What are The Best Idea Groups for Holland in EU4?

Choosing the best idea groups for Holland in Europa Universalis IV should align with their strengths and strategic goals. Given Holland’s potential for trade and naval dominance, here are the top three idea groups for enhancing these aspects:

Best Holland Idea Groups for Trade

1. Trade Ideas: This is a must-have for Holland, given its prime location for trade in the English Channel. Benefits like increased trade efficiency, more merchants, and improved steering will significantly boost your trade income.
2. Economic Ideas: Economic ideas are beneficial for improving your overall financial health, which is crucial for a trade-focused nation. Reduced development cost helps in growing your provinces economically, and increased tax income provides a stable financial base.
3. Expansion Ideas: While not directly focused on trade, Expansion ideas offer additional merchants and trade power abroad, which can be very useful for a nation like Holland that has the potential for overseas expansion and trade domination.

Best Holland Idea Groups for Naval

1. Maritime Ideas: Maritime ideas are ideal for a naval-focused Holland. They offer bonuses to ship durability, naval engagement, and sailor maintenance, all of which are crucial for maintaining a dominant navy.
2. Naval Ideas: These ideas enhance your combat abilities at sea, making your navy more formidable in battles. If you’re planning on facing strong naval powers or protecting vast colonial empires, Naval ideas are essential.
3. Exploration Ideas: For Holland, which is well-positioned to embark on colonial ventures, Exploration ideas are key. They allow you to recruit explorers and expand your naval reach, which is vital for establishing overseas colonies and trade networks.

How can I manage Holland’s economy effectively?

To manage Holland’s economy effectively in EU4

• Prioritize controlling and expanding your influence in the English Channel trade node.
• Use light ships to protect trade routes and maximize trade income.
• Invest in economic development in your provinces, focusing on buildings that increase production and trade power.
• Maintain a balance between military spending and economic growth to ensure a stable economy.

Conclusion

This Holland Guide is written for the vanilla version of EUIV – if you want to add up the fun of playing Europa Universalis IV, consider adding DLCs and content packs to your game.

As we bring our comprehensive journey through Holland in Europa Universalis IV to a close, it’s clear that mastering this unique and influential European nation requires a blend of shrewd diplomacy, economic finesse, and thoughtful expansion. From asserting dominance in the English Channel trade node to navigating the complex political landscape of Europe, Holland offers a rich and engaging gameplay experience full of opportunities and challenges.

We hope this guide has illuminated your path to triumph and sparked a deeper interest in the intricate and fascinating world of Europa Universalis IV. Now, it’s your turn to take the helm: What ingenious strategies or memorable experiences have you discovered in your adventures with Holland? We invite you to share your stories and insights in the comments below. Let’s exchange our knowledge and continue to unravel the vast and intriguing tapestry of EU4 together!