The nation of Prussia was forged into a famous military power during the 18th century, largely thanks to Frederick the Great. The kingdom went on to form the backbone of a united Germany. Prussia was always associated with martial prowess and they developed a standing army which was much feared upon the continent. At their height the Prussians occupied a sizeable chunk of Europe and the famous French wit, Voltaire, said of them “Where some states have an army, the Prussian Army has a state!”
The grand campaign in Empire: Total War allows you to choose various factions and in this guide we will be focussing on how to win as Prussia. Playing as Prussia offers a very different experience to that of most of the other major European powers. A continental war is an inevitable focus and all of the provinces you have to capture are in central Europe.
Prussia starts off in a fairly precarious situation with just two regions which are divided by Poland. You also have no colonies at all and the challenge of building an empire looks to be an impossible dream. However you do start with a few armies and there are possibilities for expansion all around you. The thing to try and avoid is a war on several fronts which can easily happen if you don’t keep an eye on diplomacy. You will naturally find other Protestant nations friendly so try to keep them on side in the early stages. You could also consider building a couple of ships and trying to seize a couple of trade spots in the trade theatres, this can be very lucrative. Trade is also your best bet for the ports.
The first obvious target is Dresden, Saxony to your south. Since Saxony is a Polish protectorate this will also spark a war with Poland but it will not drag their allies in which is ideal for you. Take Gdansk next and then you have a consolidated base to build from. There is little to be gained from delaying or making peace with Poland so press on and take Warsaw to break them completely. Make sure you don’t leave Konigsberg too weak because Courland will probably attack from the north.
Now the Austrians are liable to attack you from the south. Keep an army in the south to defend your territory there and build a separate force to march north and wipe out Courland. With Courland gone you can mop up Poland and Lithuania and bring your now veteran troops down to face Austria. Take Prague and Breslau in that order and consolidate your position.
As you progress you’ll need to respond to any raids as fast as possible and make sure the money continues to flow into your coffers. Raiding the towns of your enemies can be a good way to distract them from attacking your towns. Even with small forces that you sacrifice this can be a worthwhile exercise. Make sure you build farms, develop schools and repair the cities you seize.