Strategies/Carolean Tactics

Community Strategy

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This is a strategy page made by players of the game. No information on this page is guaranteed to give the player success.

Carolean Tactics are infantry attack-and-defense tactics, as well as war methods that you can use when playing as a small nation, probably from Tiers II-III. These tactics are based off the tactics and strategies of the famed Swedish Caroleans, led by Charles XII of Sweden.

Carolean tactics can be used to defend from infantry spammers using blitzkrieg tactics, and can be used to swiftly attack open cities and small infantry clusters. These tactics work well when playing as a nation with small territory and a meager economy, such as Sweden, Lithuania, and Macedonia.

Be warned: Carolean tactics are difficult to carry out, so unless you are capable of balancing attack and defense, do not use these tactics.

Preparation

In this method, you will need just enough infantry to support your nation's small economy, probably around 100,000 - 250,000. Infantry are the only thing you'll need to use, anyways.

1. Start by rushing the Static Lines doctrine tree until you get Stalwart Defense, but ignore Military Planning.
2. Get these three political-military leaders: Fortification Expert, General of the Army, and Chief of Staff.
3. Set military readiness to maximum (level 9).
4. Train your troops, and, depending on whatever terrain or biome your nation (or the opposition) sits on, specialize them.
5. Construct fortifications on the frontline and heavy populated or industrial cities.
6. If you preserved enough military power after getting Stalwart Defense, recruit a military leader with the traits of Unyielding, Defensive, Aggressive, or geographic traits if the war will take place in a unique biome or terrain.
7. Assign the leader to your army group and then assign all your troops to that leader's group.
8. Once your military leader is available for an upgrade, pick whatever modifier will boost your infantry's defense.
9. You may also want to research the infantry tech tree, especially anti-tank tech, as you will need this later.
10. Soon after, start forming a defensive line between your nation's border and other aggressive nations' borders (such as Russia).
11. Now, wait for the enemy to finish their justification, or wait for your justification to finish.

The War

If it is the enemy that declares war on you and spams infantry to quickly blitz through your territory, maintain your defensive line, making sure that your troops are entrenched (this will give your infantry a substantial defense bonus).

Move your troops to respond to enemy offensives (always making sure they are entrenched for the defense bonus). Finish off the enemy's remaining infantry.

If it is you that starts the war, or if the enemy finishes their offensive, quickly use your specialized troops to your advantage. Rush their biggest cities, as well as their factories.

Once a small amount of enemy infantry is left, capture the remaining cities.

Switch between attacking and defending methods until you achieve victory.

Counter-strategies

Like all strategies, there are different ways to counter the Caroleans' tactics. Below are a few tactics to counter this.

1. Aircraft

Since the enemy's economy cannot support anti-aircraft units, your air force essentially has free rein over the enemy airspace. Your attackers can deal with their infantry, and then your units can proceed to counter their defensive line.

2. Artillery

Artillery units can easily counter incoming enemy troops, but they are weak upon direct confrontations, so ensure to place infantry to defend your artillery pieces. Additionally, if you have enough research points, you can research Support Firepower and Range to counter the incoming enemy troops easier.

3. Navy

If your borders are mostly surrounded by water, requiring the enemy to establish a beachhead to invade, you must utilize a navy. For small countries with a small economy, as this strategy is based on small countries, focus on frigates, destroyers, and submarines. These ships are very effective in preventing the enemy from gaining a foothold on your homeland.

To amplify the power of your ships, especially during naval warfare, get the Admiral of the Fleet political-military leader. If you have remaining military power after rushing the Static Lines doctrine and a military leader, then obtain the Light Flotilla doctrine and a naval leader.

4. Tanks

Unless the enemy has researched the anti-tank infantry tech tree, tanks can deal with the entrenched troops in a swift manner.

5. Specialized Infantry

Specialized infantry, with a notable amount of military experience via training, can counter their defense and offense in large numbers.

6. Scorching

If your enemy somehow breaks through your defense and advances deep into your territory, you can scorch some of your cities to inflict heavy attrition against them. This tactic is particularly useful in Arid regions.

Things to Remember

• This strategy only works if you are able to perfectly balance playing offensively and defensively.
• This strategy will not work every time; times change and people just get better at the game so they might be able to counter it.
• Make sure that your infantry suits your economy, otherwise you'll find yourself in debt and in occupation sooner or later.