Milan EU5 Guide
Master the art of playing tall as the economic powerhouse of northern Italy. Form Italy through institution spread, tax efficiency stacking, and strategic conquest.
Why Play Milan?
Milan is one of the best beginner-friendly nations in EU5, combining economic strength with strategic flexibility. You'll start as one of the richest and most powerful countries in northern Italy, and remain a European economic powerhouse for the next 100+ years thanks to rapid institution spread and exceptional control projection.
Milan's Core Strengths
- •Fastest Institution Spread: Tax efficiency and control advantages cause institutions to spread 2-3x faster than neighbors, unlocking technologies earlier
- •Economic Powerhouse: Start with high tax efficiency and control projection, extracting maximum ducats from every province
- •35+ Unique Events: More than 35 Milan-specific events and 15 unique advances/government reforms provide rich gameplay
- •Play Tall Excellence: Perfect for learning "tall" gameplay—focusing on development and quality over massive expansion
- •Strategic Location: Northern Italy position with weak neighbors ripe for conquest and Italian unification path
Starting Situation (1337)
What You Start With
- • Government: Dynastic Signoria (Tier 1 reform) — grants privileges, government slots, fast tech/institution spread
- • Main Rival: Verona — your primary northern Italian competitor
- • Territory: Core Lombard provinces plus gold mine in the Alps + several unintegrated provinces
- • Unintegrated Land: Many provinces are Lombard and Catholic but still unintegrated from recent conquests
- • Economic Base: One of the richest starting positions in Europe with excellent tax potential
Opening Setup & First Moves
Opening Checklist (First Month 1337)
Economic Systems
Core Economic Priorities
- • Tax Efficiency Focus: Stack tax efficiency modifiers (government reforms, buildings, control) to maximize income per province
- • Control Everywhere: Build roads, marketplaces, and infrastructure to push control to 100% in all provinces
- • Development Investment: Focus on developing provinces rather than endless conquest (playing tall strategy)
- • Trade Goods Optimization: Build RGOs for high-value trade goods (cloth, silk, dyes) and manage market prices
- • Building Synergy: Prioritize buildings that increase institution spread and control projection
Expansion Strategy
Expansion Targets (Priority Order)
- • Verona: Your main northern rival — conquer early to eliminate competition and secure northern Italy
- • Mantua: Small state between Milan and Venice, easy conquest for consolidation
- • Ferrara: Strategic position controlling Po Valley trade routes
- • Genoa: Critical for sea access and Mediterranean trade control (watch for alliances)
- • Florence/Tuscany: Central Italy economic powerhouse, high-value provinces
- • Papal States: Mid-game target once you're strong enough (managing AE carefully)
- • Venice: Major northern Italian power, significant challenge but rich coastal territory
- • Naples: Southern Italy gateway, often under Aragon — requires careful timing
Guelfs vs Ghibellines System
Understanding the Faction System
Milan has a unique faction system representing the historical conflict between Guelf (pro-Papal) and Ghibelline (pro-Imperial/HRE) political factions. Your decisions throughout the campaign affect faction influence and unlock different bonuses.
- • Guelf Faction (Pro-Papal): Bonuses to relations with Papal States, Catholic nations, religious unity
- • Ghibelline Faction (Pro-Imperial): Bonuses to relations with HRE nations, imperial authority, military options
- • Event Choices: Many of Milan's 35+ unique events present Guelf vs Ghibelline choices affecting faction power
- • Flexible Strategy: Unlike rigid government types, you can shift factions based on diplomatic needs
- • Balanced Approach: Maintaining moderate influence with both factions often provides maximum flexibility
Values, Parliament & Laws
Core Governance Strategy
- • Plutocracy Focus: Push toward plutocracy values for economic bonuses (trade income, tax efficiency)
- • Centralization Push: High centralization grants +50% crown power and proximity cost reduction
- • Parliament for Laws: Always use parliament to change laws (50% support cost) instead of direct changes (72-100 stability)
- • Integration Law Priority: "By Blood" law makes province integration significantly faster (critical for vassal strategy)
- • Estate Management: Grant privileges that boost economic output while maintaining crown power balance
Military Strategy
Military Fundamentals
- • Quality over Quantity: Milan wins through superior technology and military tech, not massive armies
- • Professional Army Transition: Switch from levies to professional army after Renaissance unlock (1370s-1380s)
- • Defensive Warfare: Use forts and terrain to your advantage; Italian mountain provinces are excellent defensive terrain
- • Mercenaries for Expansion: Hire mercenaries for offensive wars to preserve manpower for defense
- • Navy Investment: Once you conquer Genoa/coastal provinces, build a Mediterranean fleet for trade protection
Population & Culture Management
Culture & Religion Strategy
- • Primary Culture: Lombard — most of northern Italy is already Lombard or Italian culture group
- • Accept Italian Cultures: Accept Tuscan, Venetian, and other Italian cultures (same culture group = cheap acceptance cost 0.15)
- • Religious Conversion: Convert conquered provinces to Catholic for faster coring (only ≥50% state religion needed for core status)
- • Assimilation vs Conversion: Prioritize religious conversion over cultural assimilation (conversion is faster and triggers coring)
- • Population Promotion: 100 stability doubles pop promotion speed—critical for economic growth
Technology & Institutions
Institution & Tech Strategy
- • Spread Speed Dominance: Milan gets Renaissance, Printing Press, and other institutions before any European rival
- • Development Investment: Build universities and seats of power in high-control provinces when institutions appear
- • Tech Priorities: Military tech first (combat advantage), then administrative (coring cost reduction), then diplomatic
- • Ahead of Time Penalty: Being 10+ years ahead of time increases tech costs—sometimes wait for institution spread before teching
- • Embrace Timing: Embrace institutions immediately when available to reduce tech costs by 50%
Advanced Techniques
OptionalAdvanced Optimization Strategies
These techniques are optional optimizations beyond basic strategy, representing the difference between competent and min-maxed Milan gameplay.
- • Textile Export Dumping: Build excessive textile RGOs to crash market prices, reducing construction costs empire-wide
- • Parliament Fishing: Manipulate parliamentary debate pool to repeatedly get "Land Focus" or "Integration Focus" agendas
- • Market Capital Relocation: Move trade capital from low-value to high-value markets as you expand
- • Bailiff Timing on Premium Resources: Assign bailiffs to silk/dye/luxury goods provinces during institution spread for combined bonuses
- • Small Vassal Optimization: Create 1-2 province vassals rather than 4-5 province vassals for 50% faster annexation
Campaign Timeline
Foundation & Northern Consolidation (1337-1360)
- • Complete opening setup (government reforms, vassals, marketplace spam)
- • Conquer Verona in first major war (eliminate main rival)
- • Subjugate or annex Mantua and Ferrara for Po Valley control
- • Build roads and marketplaces everywhere, focus Milan capital development
- • Rush to 100 stability and 100 legitimacy for economic bonuses
- • Black Death survival (~1348-1355) — focus on stability investment for population recovery
- • Begin textile RGO construction in all cloth-producing provinces
Phase 1 Checklist
Mediterranean Access & Central Italy (1360-1390)
- • Conquer Genoa for Mediterranean sea access and trade control (watch for alliances)
- • Annex initial vassals (Novara, Piacenza) after 10-year integration
- • Begin wars against Florence/Tuscany for central Italian expansion
- • Create new small vassals from conquered territory (Modena, Parma, etc.)
- • Build Mediterranean navy for trade protection and maritime presence
- • Transition from levies to professional army after Renaissance unlock (~1380s)
- • Implement textile export dumping strategy for construction cost reduction
- • Pass "By Blood" law through parliament for faster integration
Phase 2 Checklist
Papal States & Venice Wars (1390-1440)
- • Plan campaign against Papal States (manage AE carefully, major Catholic opinion penalty)
- • Wars against Venice for Adriatic coast control (difficult but necessary for Italy formation)
- • Accept Tuscan and Venetian cultures (cheap same-culture-group acceptance)
- • Annex mid-game vassals created in Phase 2 (Modena, Parma, etc.)
- • Continue development focus: universities in high-development provinces for institution spread
- • Manage coalition threats — rotate expansion targets to spread AE
- • Economic dominance: you should be wealthiest nation in Europe by this phase
- • Begin planning Naples conquest strategy (may be under Aragon PU)
Phase 3 Checklist
Italian Unification & Economic Superpower (1440-1540+)
- • Conquer Naples and southern Italy (may require war with Aragon if PU)
- • Meet Italy formation requirements: control all Italian regions + cultural acceptance
- • Form Italy — permanent bonuses to admin efficiency, accepted cultures, unique ideas
- • Economic optimization: maximize development, build manufactories everywhere
- • Institution leadership: continue getting institutions 10+ years before European rivals
- • Consider expansion beyond Italy (optional): southern France, Balkans, North Africa
- • Dominate Mediterranean trade completely through merchant placement and trade fleet superiority
- • Achieve economic superpower status: 200+ monthly income sustainable
Phase 4 Victory Checklist
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Expanding Too Fast / Ignoring AE
Italy is densely packed with many nations—every conquest generates significant AE. Aggressive expansion without managing coalitions leads to devastating multi-front wars. Always monitor coalition map mode and pace expansion.
Not Using Vassals for Integration
Milan starts with unintegrated provinces and the "Diplomatic Traditions" reform specifically for vassal strategies. Creating small vassals from conquered territory accelerates integration and frees government slots. Trying to integrate everything directly wastes years of cabinet member time.
Neglecting Development & Playing Wide
Milan's entire strategic advantage is playing TALL—maximizing every province through development, control, and buildings. Trying to play like France (wide conquest) wastes Milan's unique strengths. Focus on quality over quantity.
Ignoring Institution Spread Optimization
Milan's fastest institution spread is your greatest advantage. Not building universities/seats of power when institutions appear, or not embracing institutions immediately, wastes this advantage and makes technology prohibitively expensive.
Not Taking Tax Efficiency Reform Early
The "Sort Additional Government Reform" granting +5% tax efficiency is available immediately and should be the FIRST reform taken. Delaying this wastes months/years of compounded tax income. Always take it in the opening month.
Fighting Venice Too Early
Venice is a major northern Italian power with strong navy and alliances. Attacking Venice in the 1340s-1350s before you've consolidated northern Italy and built a Mediterranean fleet leads to costly wars. Wait until Phase 3 (1390s+) when you have economic superiority.
Skipping Marketplace Spam
Marketplaces are 100% profit buildings and increase trade capacity. Not building them everywhere in the first 10 years severely limits economic growth. Always spam marketplaces immediately after opening setup.
Delaying Road Construction
Roads provide proximity cost -20% and massive control increases. Not building roads systematically means accepting 16-20% control in distant provinces, wasting 80% of their potential output. Roads should be second priority after marketplaces.
Not Exploiting the Cloth Guilds Privilege
The Cloth Guilds privilege is a Milan-specific advantage that transforms textile economy. Not granting this privilege or building textile RGOs everywhere misses a major income source and the textile export dumping strategy.
Attacking the Papal States Too Aggressively
Conquering Rome and Papal territory generates massive Catholic opinion penalties and can trigger excommunication. Attack too aggressively without managing Catholic relations and you'll face coalition wars from every Catholic nation. Manage this carefully in Phase 3.
Creating Large Vassals (5+ Provinces)
Large vassals take 25-35+ years to annex. Creating 1-2 province vassals instead annexes in 8-12 years, nearly 3x faster. Always split conquered territory into small custom vassals rather than one large vassal.
Using Direct Law Changes Instead of Parliament
Direct law changes cost 72-100 stability. Parliamentary law changes cost 50% support points. Always use parliament to change laws ("By Blood," "Burger Control," etc.) to save massive stability costs over the campaign.
Why This Guide is Accurate
This guide is based on actual Milan campaign gameplay from experienced EU5 players, not theory. Guide written for EU5 version 1.0.8. Mechanics and strategies are current as of this patch.
Milan was played from 1337 to Italian unification completion (~1540s) with tall gameplay focus, testing all mechanics described in this guide. The institution spread advantage, textile economy strategy, vassal optimization, and campaign timeline are all verified through actual gameplay.
