Savoy

Primary culture
Capital province
Government
State religion
Technology group

- +25% Improve relations
- +1 Diplomatic relation
- +20% Fort defense
- +0.5 Yearly prestige
- +1 Yearly papal influence
- −15% Mercenary maintenance
- +2% Missionary strength
- −10% Idea cost
- +10% Provincial trade power modifier
- +1 Yearly legitimacy
- +10% National tax modifier
Savoy is the largest Italian nation in the Holy Roman Empire and can form three nations: Italy,
Sardinia-Piedmont, and the
Holy Roman Empire. In 1444,
Savoy starts with
Montferrat and
Geneva as vassals.
Contents
Missions[edit]
- Main article: Savoyard missions
Events[edit]
- Main article: Savoyard events
Decisions[edit]
Savoy, together with
Sardinia, can form the
Sardinia-Piedmont nation. Savoy can form
Italy.
Form Sardinia-Piedmont
Potential requirements
|
Allow
The country:
|
Effects
If Piedmont (103) is part of the HRE, but its owner is not a member then:
Piedmont (103):
The country:
|
Form Sardinia-Piedmont Diplomatically
Potential requirements
|
Allow
|
Effects
If Piedmont (103) is part of the HRE, but its owner is not a member then:
Piedmont (103):
The country:
|
Form Italian Nation
Potential requirements
The country:
If the country is AI-controlled then it:
|
Allow
The country:
|
Effects
If the country:
The country:
If
|
Strategy[edit]

Starting position[edit]
Savoy starts as a nation in north-western Italy, a member of the Holy Roman Empire, and its traditions are geared towards good early game diplomacy. To its east it has a Vassal, Montferrat, and
Milan, which is another northern Italian power of about the same level of Savoy. To the south there is the merchant republic of
Genoa who may seem small but usually gets powerful allies such as
Austria and therefore might prove to be more of a difficult target than expected. To the west it finds the nations of
France and
Provence. To the north it borders
Burgundy and
Switzerland. Finally, Savoy largely encircles two OPMs: in the northern half, its vassal
Geneva, and in its southern half, the unaffiliated nation of
Saluzzo.
War with France[edit]
The first thing a Savoy player should do is fill out its army to the force limit and try to ally Austria and
Castile and if possible even
Burgundy to get some help against
France. A royal marriage with Burgundy is also advisable, because as a bordering country Savoy would get a decent chance to score the Burgundian inheritance. Fabricating a claim on a French province should be one of the priorities, as a player is going to want to declare war on France as soon as the surrender of Maine happens and France finds itself at war with
England. If the player manages to get at least two of the three nations in the war against France the war shouldn't be hard to win, but it can also be done with only the help of one ally (preferably Castille or Burgundy) and a few mercenaries and loans. At war won, the player should prioritize taking bordering provinces (the center of trade in Lyonnaise can be particularly useful as it is part of Savoy's home trade node, Genoa), keeping its allies happy and weakening France, in that order. Also keep in mind that if England wins its own war against France they might take a couple provinces for themselves. Don't be fooled, though, as even after losing a few provinces France is still a force to be reckoned with: strike in moments of weakness, with help from your allies and as soon as possible.
Italian expansion[edit]
Savoy is one of the strongest nations in the Italian peninsula, and with a possibility for great alliances it can definitely project its power over its neighbors. Milan is the natural rival of Savoy, as it is about the same size and it blocks one of the two main paths of expansion into the Italian peninsula. Milan doesn't usually get very good alliances, and can be beaten in a fair one on one fight although help from an ally can certainly prove helpful. Be careful though, as the lands of the Milanese are very rich and can cause a coalition very easily, if a player is not cautious. A different path of expansion into Lombardy could be the one where you claim the Milanese throne. The nation starts with an old, heirless leader and there is a chance that they have not rivaled the player at the start of the game. If the Milanese duke dies without an heir, there is a slim chance that it will not try to get the ambrosian republic but instead get a new duke, which could become a member of the player's dynasty allowing them to claim the throne of the rich country for themselves. There is also a chance on the Milan kings death to for Milan to enter into a Personal Union as a junior partner. Do not rely on this though, as the AI will usually choose to become the ambrosian republic, which can still be advantageous as this gives all of Milan's neighbors (including the player) a "restore the monarchy" casus belli.
To the south lies The republic of
Genoa, a tempting target with its rich coastal provinces and its coastal center of trade. Genoa tends to ally
Austria and other powerful states such as
Venice, so expansion into them can prove to be rather difficult.
If Milan and/or Genoa have been conquered, the road to expansion into the rest of the Italian peninsula lies open to you as a very powerful nation in the area. A player may attempt to expand into the Venice trade node and south towards the centers of trade in Florence and Naples.
An alternative approach is available if one is willing to reset for an ideal start. Due to Milan starting with an old ruler and no heir, it is possible for Savoy to get a Personal Union over them by Royal Marriage; provided Milan's starting ruler dies without first producing an heir [Which would trigger the Ambrosian Republic event instead]. Milan very rarely gets an Royal Marriage with any power who could supplant you as the claimant; often leaving Savoy as Defender against an Italian minor such as Montferratt. An early PU with Milan propels Savoy to effectively 180 development; counting Monferratt, a level which surpasses even Austria and is only rivaled by Venice in the Italian region.
Mediterranean ambition[edit]
After having beaten France, the player can set its sights on the lands belonging to Aragon, as a large part of the Genoa trade node is located there. this may require breaking the alliance with castille, but at this point the player should have a large power base in northern Italy and southern France. It is also worth noting that at the start of the game Aragon owns Sardinia, which is necessary to own if the player wishes to form
Sardinia-Piedmont.
Having subdued the Iberians, the player can start expanding into North Africa and even into the
Ottomans for the trade coming from the Ragusa, Tunis, Costantinople and Alexandria trade nodes.
Later game[edit]
If a player managed to expand enough into France, Italy and Iberia and is able to win against the Ottoman Empire, nothing can stop them. They can try to conquer the Mediterranean basin and form the Roman Empire, dominate the peninsula and form
Italy, go Protestant and dismantle the Holy Roman Empire or stay catholic and try to reform it into a unitary state. With a powerbase as rich as Italy there is nothing stopping what a player may try to do in game, and a player can decide to use it however they want.
Eastern technology group ![]() |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Anatolian technology group ![]() |
![]() |
Muslim technology group ![]() |
![]() |
Nomadic technology group ![]() |
Central African technology group ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
East African technology group ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
Muslim technology group ![]() |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
West African technology group ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
Eastern technology group ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
Muslim technology group ![]() |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Indian technology group ![]() |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Chinese technology group ![]() |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Nomadic technology group ![]() |
![]() ![]() ![]() |
Western technology group ![]() |
![]() |
Mesoamerican technology group ![]() |
![]() |
North American technology group ![]() |
![]() ![]() ![]() |