Empires of the Middle Sea Tips

Tips
  1. Controlling minors is key to this game. You can't win without several; you probably can't place without at least one.

  2. Gaining control of minors is almost always better than fighting them: you get bonus VPs , get all their units, and don't risk losing your own. It's often quicker too. Attacking minors is a common new-player mistake.

  3. To gain minors you need EMIs -- lots of experienced EMIs. So build as many as you can in the first turn or two, and make sure to upgrade your starting palace too.

  4. Remember the magic number 40. That's the most EMIs can change diplomatic relations with a minor in one turn. Since relations start at 21, and you gain control at 80, you should get control of minors in two turns. So, send your EMIs in groups worth 40 -- 4 Rs, 2 Vs and R, etc.

  5. You don't need to use the DIP command unless you want to reduce a minor's relations with someone else. Whenever your EMIs end in a minor dynasty's capital, they will automatically do diplomacy for you. For the same reason, if your EMI can't get where you want it in one turn, try to have it stop in a minor capital along the way to gain experience.

  6. GTD: for 5 talents, relations are improved by 15 points. You need to have an EMI end the turn in a minor capital to use GTD -- that is, you can move the EMI there and GTD the same turn. GTD won't get you a minor in less than two turns, but it's useful in two situations: if you don't have enough EMIs to send them in groups worth 40, and if someone else is trying for the same minor as you.

  7. Concentrate your EMIs -- you should never be using them in such a way that you'll take more than two turns to gain control of a minor. Use the minor relations section of your report to calculate exactly how many points of diplomacy you need.

  8. Leave at least one EMI permanently in the capital of any minor you control, and move more there if your relations drop below A. There's nothing more annoying than losing a controlled minor -- which can happen fast if it takes losses in battle.

  9. For the most part, don't bother with DIPing against other players. In the early game especially, it's much more important to take control of minors for yourself. Negotiate with your neighbours so you aren't competing for the same minors. And if you are competing, GTD for yourself is a better bet than DIPing against your rival. The only time I use anti DIP is if I think that minor is about to lose a bunch of units and/or areas, so its relations will be dropping for that reason also.

  10. On the other hand, when someone has a large minor, capturing its capital can be a devastating and often unexpected move. Especially effective since minors, unlike majors, are eliminated once they lose their capital and have no units in it. Also damages relations with that player's other minors, so can be combined with anti-DIP on them.

  11. Your controlled minors' EMIs can't DIP for you. They're only good for anti DIPing or, as I prefer, stationing in other dynasties' capitals to keep an eye on their relations.

  12. Make sure to ally your minors with each other, with your allies, and with your allies' minors. If nothing else, the trade income is very nice. But...

  13. A nasty trick is to use the fact that dynasties have separate diplomatic relations to attack your enemy in such a way that he can't attack you back. For instance, say I'm playing Carthage and control Vetonnes. I am allied to Egypt but VETO is not. Then I have VETO declare war and attack Egypt from CART's areas. This has two advantages: first, Egypt won't get the one turn warning a DN from my major would give him. Second, Egypt can't counterattack because he's still allied to CART.

    All this advice goes for Sengoku too. The only difference is that assassins (ninjas) are more important in that game.