Aragon
Aragon
Primary culture
Capital province
Government
State religion
Technology group
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Please help with verifying or updating this infobox. It was last verified for version 1.33. |
Traditions:
- +10% Trade efficiency
- +20% Galley combat ability
Mercenary Princes
- −15% Mercenary maintenance
Protection of the Coastlines
- +25% National sailors modifier
- +10% Naval force limit modifier
Mediterranean Trade
- +20% Trade steering
Consolidation of the Estates
- −10% Stability cost modifier
Chartered Merchant Companies
- +20% Global trade power
Reforming the Administration
- −0.05 Monthly autonomy change
Protect the Little Folk
- +10% Morale of armies
Ambition:
- +1 Artillery fire
- For the area, see Aragon (area).
Navarra, Aragon entered into a union with the County of 
Barcelona. Its monarchs were eager participants in the Reconquista, the campaign of conquest against the Muslim states of Iberia, which saw Aragon expand to its current southerly extent and add the Kingdom of 
Valencia to the composite Crown.
The fates of Aragon and Navarra are once again tied together; the King of Navarra is also the heir to the Aragonese throne. Should King Joan manage to survive his father Alfons V while preserving the independence of Navarra, the two nations will be joined in a personal union under one monarch.
On the subject of dynastic unions, the Kingdom of 
Naples in southern Italy is also subject to the Crown of Aragon.
Aragon rules 
Sicily directly, but Naples has yet to be fully integrated into the Crown following King Afonso’s conquest of the kingdom in 1442. The former King of Naples, René of Anjou, has fled to 
Provence where he continues to insist upon his claim not only on Naples but also on Aragon itself as well as 
Jerusalem.
Aragon’s relationship with its powerful neighbour 
Castile is difficult to pin down. Though these nations share a dynasty, the feuding House of Trastámara is rarely at peace with itself. At times it seems as though peace may be possible and that the two Crowns could be united into one, while at other times it seems that the kingdoms are destined to struggle against one another for eternity as bitter rivals.
Beyond dynastic matters, Aragon is a nation deeply concerned with dominating trade in the Mediterranean. Aragon’s Consulate of the Sea aims to regulate and administrate all trade in the region, while Catalan and Valencian merchants struggle against merchants from 
Genoa and 
Tuscany to control the flow of profit. Aragon also has designs upon the elusive silk trade. Silk has traditionally seen almost no production in Europe; its secrets are closely guarded but now seem to be within reach.
Aragon is a Catholic country that lies along the Iberian shore of the Mediterranean Sea, possessing the islands of the western Mediterranean. They border Castile, Navarra and 
France and have a personal union over Naples. They, along with Castile, 
Portugal, and Navarra, can form 
Spain. Their primary culture is Aragonese (Iberian). Historically, they united with Castile through marriage.
Missions[edit | edit source]
- Main article: Aragonese missions
Aragon's missions mostly center around holding onto their Mediterranean possessions, gaining new ones, and uniting Iberia.
Events[edit | edit source]
- Main article: Aragonese events
Aragon's events focus on various significant moments in their history.
Iberian wedding[edit | edit source]
The Aragonese version of the Iberian Wedding event can only happen if Aragon is controlled by a human player and Castile is controlled by the AI. In the event that Aragon is not human controlled, the slightly different original Iberian Wedding event may fire instead.
Between 1450 and 1530, if neither Castile nor Aragon are vassals and the monarch of one of them is male and the monarch of the other is female, then there is a high chance of this event happening. The event can also happen if Castile has a regency regardless of the gender of Aragon's ruler. After it fires, Castile can enter into a personal union led by Aragon with a -50% 
liberty desire reduction if you choose to take the union with Castile. You can also choose to refuse the personal union, and instead take a better heir. Usually it is recommended to take the union, as it will allow you to circumvent the Aggressive Expansion, and what it will take to core the provinces from Castile if you want to end up forming Spain. Also, its just a bunch of free land, plus a way to further move down your mission tree.
[edit | edit source]
“Joan II de Trastámara” is Navarra's starting ruler and 
Aragon's starting heir. If he dies in one country, he also dies in the other one. If he ascends to the throne of Aragon, the event The Death of King Alfonso will happen if its conditions are fulfilled which can lead to a personal union between the two countries.
Decisions[edit | edit source]
Notice that forming Spain with Catalan or Aragonese culture does not change missions.
Form Spanish Nation Militarily
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Please help with verifying or updating this infobox. It was last verified for version 1.33. |
Global expansion in newly discovered areas and the establishment of colonies is transforming Spain into one of the most powerful and wealthiest nations of our time. Spanish explorers are constantly moving into new lands and extending our borders. Immense amounts of gold and silver are being brought back to our motherland, filling the coffers of our state Treasury.
| Potential requirements
The country:
If the country is AI-controlled then it:
Playing with normal or historical nations |
Allow
No Muslim nation owns a province in Iberia region. |
Provinces map
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| Effects
The country:
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- AI will always take this decision
- AI gives "high priority" (400) to this decision
Form Spanish Nation Diplomatically
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Please help with verifying or updating this infobox. It was last verified for version 1.33. |
Global expansion in newly discovered areas and the establishment of colonies is transforming Spain into one of the most powerful and wealthiest nations of our time. Spanish explorers are constantly moving into new lands and extending our borders. Immense amounts of gold and silver are being brought back to our motherland, filling the coffers of our state treasury.
| Potential requirements
The country:
If the country is AI-controlled then it:
Playing with normal or historical nations |
Allow
The country:
No Muslim nation owns a province in Iberia region. |
| Effects
The country:
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- AI will always take this decision
- AI gives "high priority" (200) to this decision
Become King of Gonder
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Please help with verifying or updating this infobox. It was last verified for version 1.31. |
It is Aragon's Destiny to become King of Gonder. Now that we have finally figured out where it is we should do something about this. Make Gonder Aragon's as we cannot escape our destiny.
| Potential requirements
The country:
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Allow
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Effects
Gonder (1224):
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AI will not take this decision.
Defeat Saruhan
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Please help with verifying or updating this infobox. It was last verified for version 1.31. |
Saruhan sounds a lot like a threat to the Lords of the West. If Aragon is ever to fulfill their destiny Saruhan must be defeated.
| Potential requirements
The country:
Plays with normal or historical nations. |
Allow
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Effects
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AI will not take this decision.
Strategy[edit | edit source]
The below is one of many player suggested strategies for Aragon. Bear in mind, due to the dynamic nature of the game, it may unfold differently for other players. Aragon is an interesting yet uncommon choice, as Castile and Portugal are usually heavily favoured. Castile is Aragon's main rival, and Spanish ambitions have them working to absorb Aragon into a common Spanish state. Both France to the north and the Berber states to the south are waiting to strike. France is quite difficult to defeat while the Berber countries act as a large nuisance should the player focus on affairs in the Iberian Peninsula. Castile cannot form a Personal Union over Aragon via the Iberian wedding if Aragon is controlled by a human player. Instead, Aragon may have its own version of The Iberian Wedding fire, making Castile a junior partner in a Personal Union under Aragon, essentially reversing the original event to be in Aragon's favor.
Opening moves and Ideas for beginners[edit | edit source]
Portugal may attack if Castile decides to take advantage of Aragon's situation. Also, they are much less likely to declare war on Aragon and have one of their own allies join. Therefore, an alliance with France is desirable for any player playing Aragon, as it allows the player to defend or expand into Iberia with relative ease due to the strength of the French military. The alliance will also prevent France from expanding into Aragon's lands making Aragon's situation much more hopeful. In addition to these benefits, Aragon can call France into an offensive war fairly often due to the favors mechanic, so long as the player is willing to aid France in their offensive campaigns.
Alternatively, if Castile starts friendly with Aragon, the player could safely declare war on France after subjugating Navarra. Aragon has a very defensible position on the Pyrenees Mountains. High attrition to the French in the winter and low supply limit will weigh battles toward the defender's favour. When France is in a crippling war, the player may decide to declare war. It would be beneficial to ally 
England, Portugal, and/or France's rivals. England almost always rivals on France in the 1444 start date, so Aragon can promise them land, deliver, and keep the rest for the Aragonese Empire. An opportunity may arise during the Surrender of Maine, depending on whether England decides to give back Maine or not.
Naples: Naples, after the Emperor update, has changed a bit. After Alfonso V dies, an event will fire which will give you the option of releasing Naples, or keeping with 50% liberty Desire. It is possible to keep them, but you will need to heavily manage their liberty desire, at least until the modifier dies down, though only at around 0.5% a year. Of course, you may release them and try to pursue their lands in the future.
Expansion[edit | edit source]
The player has many avenues for expansion. The most challenging, yet the most fruitful, is expanding in the Iberian Peninsula. The weakest country of which is Navarra: a one province minor located in northern Iberia. Aragon's unique mission to subjugate Navarra allows a declaration of war before they get any major allies; Aragon also has event, which allows Aragon get a personal union over Navarra peacefully. After Navarra and France are dealt with, the player may expand into Castile. This would allow Aragon to grow quite large in size and to become the dominant Iberian power. In general, it is advised to attack Castile while they are in the Castilian civil war, allowing Aragon to conquer Iberia with minimal resistence from a now-disorganised Castille. However, since the chance of Iberian Wedding is quite high, there may be no need to fight Castile.
In addition to conquest in Iberia, the player may choose to colonize. Once they have reached a certain technological level, they will have the opportunity to expand into the New World or the African continent. In both places, the player will have vast opportunities for wealth and prestige. With the new native policy mechanics, it is easier to maintain colonies without garrisoning large forces in these settlements. When low on manpower, mercenaries are a good choice for Aragon. Aragon's first national idea is -15% mercenary maintenance.
With the 
Golden Century DLC enabled, the Aragonese mission tree allows the player to obtain a myriad of permanent claims when you finish each mission. With control of Sicily and Sardinia, the player also has the advantage of taking all locations in the Mediterranean. This allows Aragon to expand into Italy with the help of Naples or into North Africa with the support of Portugal or another friendly power. Portugal could be subjugated under a personal union by the mission just like Castile, so Aragon's colonization may not be as essential as in the previous patch.
Trade[edit | edit source]
Aragon has an advantage in that they are located in their own trade node of which they own all the provinces, with the exception of two owned by France. Their Italian provinces provide incentive to keep expanding into the Genoa trade node. The player may decide to focus on trade instead of colonisation, as the major powers' trade might just flow straight to Aragon, with the help of merchants. With this strategy, the exploration and expansion idea groups may not be obtained in exchange for the trade and/or economic ideas. It would be beneficial to annex provinces with desirable trade goods and trade power to dominate the Genoa trade node. Once Genoa trade node is fully controlled, the player may also seek the other Mediterranean end node, Venice trade node.
It is recommended to cut down the colonial powers' size, but not completely destroy them so that those countries can still colonise. One possible way is allowing your junior partner Castile and Portugal to colonize for you.
Mid-to-late game[edit | edit source]
As Aragon's path is quite different from Castile, the player can choose Aragon's own destiny and recognise the nation's Mediterranean ambitions. Aragon also has an achievement called Consulate of the Sea. Should Aragon move further into Europe, the player may contend with the complex politics. The Aragonese trade empire should be involved with the Crimea and the Alexandria trade nodes. The player should try to plan ahead with Aragon's idea groups. Berbers, Italians and the Ottomans are your main enemies; 
Russia,
Austria, and England are advantageous late-game allies.
If Aragon conquers the parts of the Iberia Peninsula needed for Spain and forms Spain, colonization is recommended.
Ideas[edit | edit source]
Aragon can be a major naval and colonial power, yet they should not forget their military or economy.
- Economic ideas is a powerful idea group allowing the player to build a strong economy in preparation of the future.
- Exploration ideas is a very strong idea group allowing the player to colonize the new world and become a colonial power.
- Trade ideas are very powerful if the player desires to create a trade empire.
- Innovative may be desired for a further mercenary cost reduction and cheaper technology.
- If Aragon decides to create a vast mercenary army, Administrative ideas would be a very good choice for its mercenary benefits. If the player is very aggressive, the core-creation cost reduction will also be beneficial.
Optimal Start for More Experienced Players[edit | edit source]
Opening Moves: There are a few things to do before unpausing the game. The player should ally Austria, Castile, and one or more strong rivals of the 
Ottomans. Additionally, rival 
Morocco, the Ottomans, and France, as you will be expanding into them in the near future. Optionally, one can disinherit the current heir, but this can be risky as it does pose the risk for a worse heir, and the hit to 
-50 is significant. Estate privileges don't matter all that much, so apply whichever privileges are most preferred to the player. Next, the player should build up to army and naval force limits, and it may even be recommended to hire the Free Company or another small mercenary stack. Once prepared, ideally on the 11th of December, declare a no-CB war on 
Byzantium. Usually, Byzantium will ally either 
Serbia, 
Theodoro, or another small orthodox nation. In this war, the goal is to vassalize Byzantium and obtain ducats and/or war reparations from their allies. It is recommended to vassalize Byzantium because the player can use their cores to further weaken the Ottomans and increase their own holdings. After this war, there are a couple options for expansion and a few have been listed below. Sometime during or after this war, depending on RNG, your ruler will die and an event will fire which gives Aragon a personal union with Navarra. This event will also lead to another event allowing the release of Naples as an independent country or the retaining of the personal union. It is important that the player doesn't give up the union with Naples, and begins to manage the added +50 liberty desire. This can be done through supporting loyalists and improving relations with Naples.
Expansion Routes :
1: Provence. They start off the game allied to France, so the player has to be very opportunistic. If they become vulnerable at any point, don't hesitate to declare an offensive war, especially if they are excommunicated or if their ally France won't join. This gives Aragon permanent claims in Southern France, and can eventually lead to claims on all of France.
2: Balkans: At this point, the player should have Byzantium as their vassal. This means you have a reconquest Casus Belli on 
Athens, Ottomans, and 
Epirus and can attack them to grow Byzantium. However, the mighty Ottoman Empire will be a difficult target for Aragon alone but with the assistance of strong allies a war is winnable.
3. North Africa: Aragon gets claims through missions on nations like 
Tunis, Morocco, and the Berber nations in general. Expansion into these areas should be straight forward in this manner. For added ease, the player could take 
Religious ideas to access the Deus Vult CB to take trade from the Tunis, Safi, and even Alexandria trade nodes. While the benefits of invading North Africa may seem small, they are essential if you want to form 
Roman Empire, get the Consulate of the Sea achievement, or get the Mare Nostrum achievement.
Achievements[edit | edit source]
Eastern technology group 
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 Bosnia  Byzantium  Circassia  Cyprus  Georgia  Greece  Lithuania  Montenegro  Muscovy  Novgorod  Poland  Ragusa  Russia  Serbia  Theodoro  Trebizond  Tver  Wallachia
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Anatolian technology group 
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 Ottomans
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Muslim technology group 
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 Granada
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Nomadic technology group 
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Central African technology group 
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 Kuba Mutapa
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East African technology group 
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 Ethiopia Mogadishu
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| Muslim technology group
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 Mamluks Morocco Tlemcen Tunis
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West African technology group 
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 Air Mali
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| Eastern technology group
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 Jerusalem  Karabakh
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| Muslim technology group
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 Afghanistan  Ajam  Arabia  Ardabil  Hisn Kayfa  Hormuz  Oman  Mushasha  Timurids  Qara Qoyunlu
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Indian technology group 
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 Assam  Bahmanis  Bengal  Orissa
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Chinese technology group 
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 Bali  Brunei  Dai Viet  Japan  Khmer  Korea  Majapahit  Malaya  Pagarruyung  Pasai  Sunda
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| Nomadic technology group
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 Jianzhou  Uzbek  Mongolia
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Western technology group 
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 United States
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Mesoamerican technology group 
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 Maya
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North American technology group 
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 Caddo  Cherokee  Iroquois
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Polynesian technology group 
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 Aotearoa Hawai'i Ngapuhi Ngati Awa Ngati Kahungunu Ngati Ranginui Ngati Toa Tainui Waitaha
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- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Having the 'Golden Century' DLC and being Aragon, Catalonia or Valencia gives Aragonese missions while any other culture gives Spanish missions
