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Greetings. This is the first in a series of "tips" notes I intend to write. I plan on writing them for each major power,
using knowledge I gained from playing the boardgame, but applied to the computer version. I hope to create a separate thread for each nation. If I get ambitious, I'll create a thread for general game tips as well (tips that apply to all powers).

[center]I would ask that only tips be placed here, not debates or thanks or whatever. If you have a problem with or like a tip, write the author a PM and convince them, and they can edit their entry. That should keep the length of these to a minimum.
Tips that don't agree with other tips, however, are perfectly fine. Everyone is free to post their tips here.[/center]

Ahhh, Austria! Land of the Alps, rivers loaded with people, great forests, and other natural wonders.

But, in game turns, Austria merely has a bad attitude.

France and Turkey are natural enemies. Prussia, in real life, was not a friend (and, that's putting it mildly). Russia WAS a friend, but, as they say, "Who can trust the Russians for long?"

Spain i a semi-natural enemy. They have no common border, but they tend to both go after the same properties in Italy.

Sandwiched between two natural enemies and "friends" whose friendship is, at best, unstable, causes some problems. Couple that with having to have a civilized debate with Spain in order to divide up Italy (which also requires some French cooperation), and you a recipe for disaster.

BUT, Austria starts with the games second-best leader over all for a "real" army (6 corps or more). And, their corps can't be classified as small. This, plus the Insurrection Corps (which make it more cult for Turkey to jump into war), says that Austria can do well.

Add into that mix that she needs only middle-of-the-road victory points, and you have a very volatile mixture. Austria can be on top of the world, or she can be at the bottom of the barrel. And, sometimes both, 6 months apart.

In this game, there is simply no way to avoid war with France. So, forget trying to do anything there. (Some have suggested allying with France, but how then is Austria supposed to win the game?)

So, knowing war with France is inevitable, Austria needs to brace for it. Don't provoke the French, but gobble up as many minors as you can. Consider declaring war to protect a minor that France declares war upon. Modena and Bavaria are good examples.

However, Modena provides something else (under a completely different strategy): A buffer that prevents the French from accessing very much in southern Italy. If Austria can get control of that property, the French have to take Genoa in order to march any sizable army South.

Of course, France knows this, too. Against the AI, many a war has been started with France and Austria both declaring war on Modena, and then on each other (an automatic response by the computer, unless you check some extra boxes).

Still, it's something to think about.

There's another thing about Austria that people don't normally think about: Winter is your friend. The property YOU want is right next door to your territory. France can't even access them directly, except for Modena, unless his army is placed just right. Keep your eyes open for opportunities on the very first turn of the game. If France didn't set up correctly to counter you, go for some minors. He probably won't make the same mistake twice.

Diplomacy? Make Prussia your friend. Make Russia your friend. Make GB your friend. They tend to be friendly towards you in opposite order to what I wrote, but you need to do it in this order. Your number one priority in pre-game and first-turn diplomacy is that you want to have at least a friendly relationship with Prussia.

Then, there's Russia. Nothing is more frightening to the French than the combined three land powers all being on one page. France will most likely lose a war with those three land powers.

GB is an enigma. Historically, she was friendly with Austria. However, in the game, Austria doesn't really need a British ally. She cannot afford a British enemy, but a neutral/semi-friendly GB is acceptable, at least for a while. Austria doesn't really need any British cash (although, she'll never turn it down!)

Make a deal with Spain. You simply cannot afford to have Spain arguing with their army over Italy. Since Spain would most likely prefer to stay neutral, you can usually come up with an equitable arrangement.

Don't leave much stuff over on the Turkish border. If she goes to war with you, you will have plenty of opportunity to react. Garrison the cities (with single-factor militia, until the game is a little older), maybe have a corps hanging around, but not much more. Turkey has a lot of real estate to cover. IMO, Russia is a much tastier target for Turkey.

Don't get mixed up with old board-game strategies. In the boardgame, the Russian could run stuff three hops at a time through your territory, with Austria (or Prussia) funding the movement of the army. In the computer game, it takes many turns for Russia to get through Austria and Prussia to France.
 
Also, the minors are smaller, giving all powers around Germany plenty of time to sate themselves on minors before the real fireworks begin.
 
Make sure you talk to Prussia. While most of the minors that could be grabbed are fairly obvious to whom they belong, you don't want to be surprised by a war with Prussia because you both declared war at the same time on a nation you did not discuss.

Austria should probably be played by a veteran and a diplomat.


Some observations --

Against a 5-tactical leader, there is no difference between 3 and 4 (+1/+0); or between 0, 1 and 2 (+1/-1).  Napoleon is a prime example at 5-5-6.  Against a 4-tactical, a 4 results in +1/+1; a 2 or 3 results in +1/+0; and a 0 or 1 is +1/-1.

The French double-move possibility is also something to be cautious about, as are their frequently high strategic ratings offering good reinforcement prospects, their 4 movement points, their denser corps, and their morale.  You'll need local numerical superiority to even the odds, and that requires help.  You can sacrifice 1-factor corps to block movement or do recon-by-death, but it'll cost you PP so it's not something you want to do often.

Even if Russia isn't actively conspiring with France, Russia may be focused first on Sweden (or, alternatively, seeing if there's an opportunity to cripple a careless Turkey) and taking a wait-and-see approach with respect to the European center... but perhaps whispers that France will surely demand a province on their border, access, and a long enforced peace when you are forced to surrender might alter their calculations.   Prussia is a more likely candidate for immediate help, if they haven't gone over to The Dark Side.  If they have, you're probably toast unless you can convince the Prussians that the French will betray them and set up a rotation of war/enforced peace between you two.

It is likewise not particularly optimal to ally with the French unless the French player has an unusually degree of sense of honor.  Sure, you two would easily dissassemble Prussia and maybe you'd get a large share of the German minors.  France will still need more PP for more VP, and between you, Russia, and Spain, you're the most obvious next target... and Prussia isn't going to be able to help you when it's your turn.

Turkey is likely to focus on Egypt first.  If they are either (a) balked, perhaps because Spain or Britain has decided to take a solid blocking position in North Africa, or (b) wildly successful in reconstituting the Ottoman Empire, they're going to want somewhere to throw their feudals and whatever Ottoman corps they could muster.  It's a shorter route trip to Vienna than it is to Moscow, and they're more likely to have major assistance with the former than the latter.   The Turks tend to be short of money, and perhaps GB can offer them money to direct their attentions elsewhere if need be.

If France is moving aggressively to gobble minors and doesn't seem the sort to pause to build them up before charging at you or Prussia, you might want to let him spend the PP to do so.  Once you're at war, those minors are all fair game anyway, and it's not going to be any easier to hold them if you took them first... unless you're doing something extremely unconventional, like taking them over and ceding them to Russia for a buffer zone.  That's not something I'd recommend, but it might be funny once -- if Russia is cooperative and doesn't DOW France or grant access to them, it'd force France to spend additional an additional 4 PP and DOW Russia to get to you.