Force limit
A force limit is a soft limit on how many ships or regiments a country can possess. It can be exceeded at a monetary price.
If a country goes past its force limit the maintenance cost per unit will increase by as many percent as they are above the force limit, eventually making further expansion of the army or navy prohibitively expensive.
There are two independent force limits, one for naval units and one for land units, but both operate largely the same.
Contents
Computing force limit
![]() |
Please help with verifying or updating this section. It was last verified for version 1.24. |
Province modifiers
Provinces contribute to the force limit through their development level and through the following modifiers and buildings. Note that only coastal provinces may contribute to a country's naval force limit.
Condition | Land Force Limit | Naval Force Limit |
---|---|---|
Per development | +0.1 | +0.1 |
Trade good bonus: Grain (only with ![]() |
+0.5 | |
Trade good bonus: Naval supplies (only with ![]() |
+0.5 | |
Regimental Camp | +1 | 0 |
Conscription Center | +2 | 0 |
Shipyard | 0 | +2 |
Grand Shipyard | 0 | +4 |
Important center of trade | 0 | +2 |
Being in trade company | 0 | +0.5 |
Local autonomy (per 1%) | -1% | -1%* |
- Note: Having the province under control of the
nobility,
cossacks, or
tribes estates will remove the effect of local autonomy on land force limit, while the
burghers estate removes the effect of local autonomy on naval force limit. (only with
The Cossacks)
Country modifiers
Condition | Force Limit modifier | |
---|---|---|
Land | Naval | |
Independent nation | +6 | +12 |
Army Organizer advisor | +20% | 0 |
Subject nation | -3 | -6 |
March nation | +30% | +30% |
Trading in bonus: Grain | +20% | 0 |
Trading in bonus: Naval supplies | 0 | +20% |
Being the revolution target | +40% | +40% |
Being an invading nation | +100 | +100 |
More sources of force limit
![]() |
Please help with verifying or updating this section. It was last verified for version 1.24. |
Ideas and policies
Ideas and policies that increase force limits:
Land force limit
Naval force limit
Government
Land force limit
Type | Modifier |
---|---|
Steppe nomads | +10%/+20%/+30% depending on government level |
Tribal Federation | +10% |
Dutch Republic | +25% if the Orangists are in power |
Revolutionary republic | +20% if the Girondists are in power |
Shogunate | +0.5 land force limit per subject daimyo if Sword Hunt decision has been taken (only with ![]() |
Additionally, the Holy Roman Emperor gets +0.5 land force limit per member state.
Natives who build the fortified house building gain +10 land force limit.
Naval force limit
Type | Modifier |
---|---|
Dutch Republic | +10% if the Statists are in power |
Subjects
- Vassals and client states give
+1 land force limit to their master.
- Marches give
+2 land force limit to their master.
- Large (more than 10 provinces) colonial nations give
+5 land force limit and
+10 naval force limit to their master.
- Junior partners in a personal union and protectorates don't increase the land force limit of their masters.
Following ideas and policies that increase force limits increased by subjects. For example, an increase of 100% would mean that all above mentioned bonuses would be doubled (4 instead of 2 force limit from marches).
Effect on maintenance
![]() |
Please help with verifying or updating this section. It was last verified for version 1.24. |
If a country has more land or naval units than the corresponding force limit, maintenance for those units will be multiplied by the ratio of units to the force limit, with the units over the force limit counting twice[1].
For example, having 12 regiments of infantry while at a force limit of 10 will increase maintenance for all regiments by 40%, independent of the type of unit.
As can be seen, going over the force limit will very quickly increase the maintenance costs and should only be done when absolutely necessary. Going over the land force limit will not increase the costs for naval units and vice versa.
Total maintenance cost
The total maintenance cost of an army or navy is:
Or, when above force limit:
In this case, when above the force limit:
- A multiplier to force limit has the same effect as a reciprocal multiplier to maintenance.
- The number of units that can be fielded for a fixed maintenance cost grows as the square root of the force limit.
Footnotes
- ↑ See in /Europa Universalis IV/common/defines.lua
Land warfare | Army • Land units • Discipline • Manpower |
Naval warfare | Navy • Naval units • Sailors |
Other concepts | Casus belli • War exhaustion • Military tradition • Leaders • Alliance |