Europa Universalis 4: Best Ideas for Prussia

Discover the Best Prussian Ideas for Success in EU4

europa universalis 4 prussia ideas

One of the key aspects of Europa Universalis 4 is the use of idea groups, which offer a variety of bonuses and abilities to help players achieve their goals. When playing as Prussia, a powerful German state that emerged in the 18th century, choosing the right idea groups is essential to expanding and maintaining your dominance. As a militaristic state, Prussia has access to powerful military bonuses and abilities that allow it to conquer and maintain territory with ease. In this article, we will explore some of the best idea groups for Prussia in EU4 and how they can be used to achieve success on the world stage.

Innovative

When starting a Prussia playthrough, traditionally as Brandenburg, it is recommended to take the innovative ideas first. This is recommended for many nations in the game as they have some of the most useful modifiers which will benefit the player through an entire playthrough.

The innovative ideas provide less prestige decay, cheaper ideas moving forward, cheaper technology, and especially the war exhaustion/leaders without upkeep, all of which will prove incredibly useful while navigating the early, mid, and late game stages.

Religious

One of the requirements for forming the nation of Prussia is converting to either the Protestant or Reformed religions. In the early stages of the Protestant Reformation, you may find some stability issues arise as well as a looming religious disaster.

Taking the religious idea group early on can help mitigate this and provide other lasting benefits. Having an extra missionary, greater missionary strength and a stability cost modifier reduction will help you overcome the religious turmoil phase much faster. Other bonuses such as +1 yearly prestige -25% culture conversion cost will provide useful during the remainder of your playthrough.

Quality

At this stage in the game, you will likely be able to form Prussia at administrative level 10. You will now begin to reap the benefits of some of the most powerful military modifiers in the game as Prussia.

To complement these modifiers, Quality will be the best avenue. Improved infantry, cavalry, and artillery combat ability will greatly improve your already impressive military. Passive army and navy traditions will assist in creating powerful leaders. The naval modifiers from this tree may help you in future conflicts with Denmark. Then as a bonus to the whole tree a discipline buff as a kicker. This should really begin to round out your military.

Maritime

This may not be a popular recommendation in many Prussia guides, but you will find Maritime ideas to be very beneficial at this stage in the game. You should have a decent and growing coastal presence and looming conflicts with Denmark and possibly Sweden.

In this idea tree, you will find useful buffs such as a 50% sailors modifier and a 50% naval force limit modifier which will allow you to expand your fleet. Additionally, you will get cheaper ships, cheaper admirals, greater movement, and even some trade boosts as a kicker. With Maritime and the buffs you will already be getting from the Quality ideas, you will be able to form a respectable navy.

Offensive

Once at this stage, you may want to further complement the powerful Prussian military by taking the offensive idea tree. Benefits to future leader pips, force limit improvement, and improved siege ability will make your army a wrecking ball for any nation that comes your way. More discipline buffs, prestige modifiers from land battles, and morale recovery speed are just the cherry on top.

End Game Ideas

For the remainder of the game, you really have your pick of the national ideas. Many of the remaining can be situational depending on how your playthrough is looking. Ideas such as Economic, Diplomatic, and possibly even Humanist. Exploration can always be a fun twist, but often times much of the colonial world will be taken at this stage of the game.


Playing as Prussia in Europa Universalis IV offers a unique and rewarding gameplay experience. By selecting the right idea groups, utilizing Prussian military tactics and technology, and leveraging the benefits of the Prussian Monarchy government type, players can expand their territory and dominate the world. However, forming Prussia in the game requires fulfilling certain requirements, such as controlling specific provinces and having a certain government type.

However, success as Prussia requires careful planning, strategic thinking, and a willingness to engage in conflict. If you are finding it difficult to play as Prussia, there are plenty of other less-challenging nations to choose from. Whether you are a seasoned player or new to the game, Prussia is a nation that offers a challenging and exciting gameplay experience that is sure to keep you engaged for hours on end.

Avatar of Tyler Vareski
Tyler has over 11 years of experience playing strategy games. He has a particular fondness for Europa Universalis IV, of which he has logged over 900 hours. Despite the challenges that come with playing a complex game like EU4, Tyler finds it incredibly rewarding and loves sharing his knowledge and strategies with fellow gamers. Outside of EU4, Tyler is a massive Star Wars junkie. He also likes 2K too much and doesn't eat enough vegetables.