“Let’s go on an adventure in India! For tea!” “These American colonists are just gonna hate me no matter how much I lower their taxes! Keep a fleet close by for when they rebel.” Jon might be playing as the Dutch, but the Britishness was strong in this episode.

Westphalia is so used to you giving them land they just put their army by a city and wait to be given it

Westphalia's just twiddling its fingers, pretending it's definitely not going to do the Total War thing and outright betray you in a few turns.

Jon: "I just destroyed Sweden's army, it should be willing to make peace." Sweden: "I didn't hear no bell!"

It always confuses me that the ship AI in Empire is capable of at least *attempting* to avoid friendly fire, while cavalry gunners and artillery will gladly kill their own men for the hell of it

In continuing with the Napoleón comparisons, Jon has created a super strong puppet out of a Rhinelander state.

Jon: exempts Santo Domingo from taxes Also Jon: madly changes the tax sliders, expecting public order to change

Sweden requesting Norway was just *chefs kiss * brilliant 🤣

lol @ the mental image of some dude wearing a powdered wig walking into a university, every student faculty member pulling a gun/sword because they are sworn enemies of the newly-occupied capital, and the guy just going "I'm here to research steam pumps! 😊"

Hey, the Swedish cannons were just operating under the assumption that if they kept firing at that wall, it wouldn’t be in the way anymore and they could hit your army!

At this point I feel like i've watched Jon conquer Scandinavia a dozen times across his various European map campaigns.

The best series on MATN at the moment in my opinion. Jon and historical Total Wars go together like bread and butter.

So I'm sure overtaxing the Americas could not go wrong in any way shape or form.

Jon truly is Swedish artillerymen's greatest ally. Putting the army in front of the wall, so honorable. And of course, we cannot underestimate the power of Swiss taunting when they weren't sure how to shoot at the firelock militia through the gap.

Hey jon just recruit a few militia units and send 1 to each port. Super easy, then you can always have your navy attack a enemy who is blockading your port.

I just bloody love this series. Also I'm sure sending your entire fleet and Army to India when Spain still has a good navy nearby and Sweden has a habit of going to war with you after you just declared peace will in no way backfire.

I love how the Swedish are more interested in getting their hands on Norway than, y'know, Sweden.

A lot of books were written about the Dutch academic purge of 1718, the current consensus being that the advent of the steam engine was delayed by about 150 years because the research was replaced by cat fancy and tea cultivation.

my favorite part of this eppisopde. the Academics that make a world tour by foot.

It's so funny to see how differently campaigns can play out in Empire. I recently did a Dutch campaign myself, and the Mughals absolutely demolished the Maratha in southern India, which doesn't usually happen in my experience. It was an interesting run, for sure.

Jon: *Excempts Santo Dominco from tax* Also Jon: "They really do not care about taxes!"

Surprised his infantry can still hear orders considering the amount of hearing loss you'd think would come with this style of warfare

I love that Jon, the expert on every Total war game. forgets in the heat of battle that an army can have several Generals in it, and only the highest ranking one matters (Atleast in Empire i think) :D Btw, this Stockholm citizen hails and welcomes our new UP overlords.. :D

Jon, the happiness modifiers from ministers apply no matter what position they're in. So, the guy with status quo was still giving -1 happiness to lower classes everywhere whether he was in charge of America or the armies

"I've flooded Europe with pianos" is not a sentence you hear every day....

Hey Jon, loving this series so much but, please, for the Love of Tabby, repair your ships after those brutal engagements. The Indian Fleet was about half strength and the west african was about 3/4 as well. it would make your life so easy!

✓Exempt region from tax .... "Ok, you guys just don't care ... about taxes in the slightest"

Memes aside Jon gives Empire's strategic AI **way** too much credit. He's seeing what he wants to see in its erratic behavior. Simply put CA just never bothered in significantly updating their AI from Rome/Med2, which also had erratic behavior, only now its exacerbated because you've got more territory to deal with and minor factions that behave like main ones. They also didn't prime the AI to know when its losing and to adjust its demands accordingly; you can be absolutely crushing their armies, chasing them back to their one and only province and they'll still demand a king's ransom from you as a price for peace. It is just not good AI. Say what you want about the later games but the diplo/strategic AI is way better in Shogun 2 and later, the AI values its self-preservation and knows when its losing and when its not.

Starting to realize what the best composition of fort troops is. Mostly infantry with some grenades and Scotts, dismountable cavalry and horse drawn cannons. Infantry on the walls with cavalry going out to eliminate small groups. Then when a breech occurs bring up the cannons to plug the gap.

"We've got some severe problems in America" come for the Total War stay for the social commentary 😁

Sweden just went from 1 reason to constantly break peace with you (wanting Norway) to 2 reasons to constantly break peace with you (now Sweden as well). That peace isn't built to last. Norway was never worth it

If the next video is about the invasion of Ceylon, I can imagine the title being 'Ceylon, Suckers!'

Watching the Swedish Ad-hoc Working Group for Reindeer Studies slowly wander around is as puzzling as it is hilarious.

Jon, why do you treat square formation like you did the Sea Glide in Subnautica? *Its literally purpose built to defeat cavalry*

I think you forget about victory conditions in the AI logic. So long as you hold any of their victory conditions they have a reason to either hate you or attack you. So I'm 90% sure Sweden will betray you after a few turns. Also Austria, I'm betting they might have a grudge. But we'll see. Loving the series.

Maybe, it would help to relocate SOME of your trades ships that are shipping ivory to some other trade theater. That way the price of Ivory will go UP and theoretically make you more money? Edit: remember to upgrade your Barracks and Cannon foundry as you get new tech, lots of new units become avaiable. In fact i think you just unlocked the Military Academy which means you can recruit Generals at will.

Ah Jon has finally met the Dark Lord of Artilery

I like how Jon stops the war with the Swedish by funding their armies and teaching them war tech.

It makes me smile to see someone else who loves Empire, warts and all :)

YES!! Soo happy you uploaded! Im enjoying this series

The moment Jon’s gentleman entered the college, he’s already about to undergo peer review. Possibly at ten paces with pistols. Harsh!

My favourite series at the moment! Love it

I've binged watched this amazing series in 3 days. Can't wait for the next episode.

Jon need trade to keep flowing but has not got any if the navel tec. so when the Spanish show up with 2end and 3red rates and Jon has a few 6th rates that will be fun

I played a campaign as Sweden recently so it's really confusing when you're fighting sweden

Well I've had to join your youtube program cos this series has been a phenomenon. Loved every minute and your explanation n thoughts n it's made me dust off a old laptop to get back to the series

Burning down the building that causes repression makes you resentful of repression which causes you to burn down the repression building. It's a socio-economic paradox!

Thx for yet another great vid Jon, yah never fail to please. Just finished rewatching the impossible run , on to the next lol

Oh lads, we have this great anticavalry square which we can use against those bloody cavalry! John: Never uses it :(

I like how his biggest ally and achievement in Europe was making a success out of a Phalia.

Jon when building fourth rates: I like big boats and I cannot lie

I have this game, this makes me feel like playing it, but I know it wouldn't be as fun as watching this.

Why doesn’t Jon put his Grenadiers on the walls and have them throw grenades down rather than putting them in the middle of the action and have them try to throw around/ over the walls??

21:10 Wood elves hate you because you are not them. They don't need another reason.

I look forward to this series so much, that I don't even play my own copy of the game

My Prussia run has came to an end around 150 turns in, the game just crashes at the same point in end turn every time now 😕 was nearly done anyway but I like the part where you have to build up your economy to be able to afford being the world dominator when the trade is gone. Had a great move where I took all of Britain at once which killed off the faction so all their fleets vanished and it fractured America so I could pick that off. It felt like I was still rushing but as Prussia I was like 50 turns past where I took over the world as Britain and I was still going and maybe running out of time. Empire is a very slow and methodical game and I appreciate that now

That Sweedish General has been watching too much AOT

6:30 Here's a problem I've always noticed with Empire's AI, sometimes when your units are lined up, instead of doing fire by rank, they'll just do a little shuffle and slightly reposition for seemingly no reason, thus causing the fire by rank to just sort of break.

thanks for another one jon

Total War Warhammer's AI behaviour is not only based on opinion but also on military strength. If your army(including allies) is barely able to keep up with your current enemies the AI sees this as opportunity. Going with your Woodelf example: in that scenario your army must be too weak to fend off your current enemies in terms of military strength so they see you as easy pickings.

Jon getting confused by tax regulation not affecting a Tax Exempt region is very amusing

this is what i needed

There's one pirate city left in the Caribbean. You might as well take it, it has sugar on it.

Honestly, trekking around the East-/Westbottom (yes, that's really what that area is called) is what I'd dream of doing on an academic's income.

18:00 Its almost like the AI realizes that the research bonuses you get from Gentlemen STACK or something...

Thank yah Jon cheers from Australia mate 👍

Just an fyi. When you land an army and it seemingly cant move/attack, you can detach the general to some open land and he has enough points to attack a target, with his army as reinforcements. Comes in handy to know.

The Maratha Confederacy taking on the role of the Mongols from Medieval 2 😂

They say gold is the sinews of war, but Jon proves that it's also the sinews of peace.

44:27 I don't think they wanted to do that, Jon. Since they only attacked after ejected from that port.

At some point one of these episodes needs to be name for the Dutch grenadiers

YAY JON I LOVE THIS SERIES!!!!! DO MORE!

Those 228 kills the grendadiers got, how much of that is friendly fire?

You could turn Westphalia into a colonial power by giving them one of the more useless Spanish colonies. :D

Jon still not using square formation is hurting my brain. I see the sense of using Westphalia as a buffer state to manage the AI tendencies, but more territory = more taxes and ability to thus raise and maintain more armies. There are two schools of thought on this, and I generally follow the opposite of Jon, but it's an interesting contrast to watch.

I'm surprised Jon hasn't yet gone for an ABBA reference.

Remember that you have a pirate settlement in the caribean :D

When you’re infantry is fighting cavalry in melee out them in square

Jon invest in your infrastructure! Roads built region wealth and prestige! Amsterdam still has dirt roads haha

*When Westphalia finally fights Jon* "Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal two: electric boogaloo"

My God these episode titles...

Grenade attacks!? In Sweden!? Unheard of! ;)

At 30:59, I reaaaallly wished you had split out your Indiamen Trade ships and put them on a trade node and only sent war ships up to the spanish.

NOBODY expects the Spanish Armada! Our chief weapon is surprise...surprise and fear...fear and surprise.... Our two weapons are fear and surprise...and ruthless efficiency.... Our *three* weapons are fear, and surprise, and ruthless efficiency...and an almost fanatical devotion to the Pope.... Our *four*...no... *Amongst* our weapons.... Amongst our weaponry...are such elements as fear, surprise.... I'll come in again.

Moving an army unit into a port forces an enemy fleet out right? They can still block the port from the outside. However you can then attack the blocking fleet.

Lol, Taking the most valuable Sweedish land and them teaching them philosophy about land.

lines up infantry to recieve cavalry charge. May I quote Sharpe: caught in bloody line! Make an f'ing square, thats what its fore

Love it

"I'm overtaxing america right now" Which has always worked out great for the Brits.

How come you don't use Square when facing cavalry?

I think some of the territories is experiencing religious unrest

On from one problem and on to the next

Sweden lost their homeland and STILL rather nagg you for norway. That's dedication

Really reminds the Medieval 2 campain

Gustaaf Callenburgh: tough on rebellion, tough on the causes of rebellion. Incidentally, will Jon ever address the gameplay mechanic of changing government type (to the manifestly superior constitutional monarchy)?

Maybe the British are going for Gibraltar.

34:00 Huh. A place that's exempted from taxes doesn't care about the tax rate. Would you believe it?

John you need To build up the infrastructure in your realm! It’s crazy important. :)

It is never more than enough for now. Never!

Fire by rank is not performed when shooting at cavalry. No one knows why.