Why Play the Ottoman Empire?
The Ottomans are one of the most overpowered nations in EU5. You start with incredible advantages: Zimmi tax bonuses that generate massive income, Muslim-unique mechanics like slave raiding to boost population, four cabinet members from game start, and the best strategic position for rapid three-continent expansion. You can conquer all of Anatolia and the Balkans in just 20 years while learning intermediate war and expansion techniques.
Economic Powerhouse
- Zimmi tax gives exceptional base income
- 80 tax base at start (massive compared to neighbors)
- Trade efficiency from Jurisprudence laws
- Muslim bonuses to conversion and income
Military Superiority
- Best starting leader abilities (Orhan Bey)
- Weak neighbors (Anatolian beyliks, Byzantine Empire)
- Unjustified war CB on same religion
- Slave raiding for infinite manpower
Unique Mechanics
- 4 cabinet members (most nations have 2-3)
- "Rise of Ottomans" government reform unlock
- Islamic calligraphy for early culture investment
- Harem laws for female cabinet members
Strategic Position
- Control Anatolia bridge between Asia and Europe
- Path to Balkans through Byzantium
- Access to Mediterranean, Black Sea, and Middle East
- Caliphate restoration path available
Starting Situation (1337)
Critical: Starting Position Overview
- Population: 600,000 (small but manageable with slave raiding)
- Tax Base: 80 base tax (exceptional income potential)
- Dynamic Events: 190 unique historical events
- Country Bonuses: 44 unique Ottoman + 4 Turkish + 1 Turkic bonuses
- Starting Ruler: Orhan Bey (son of Osman, exceptional abilities)
- Territory: Small Anatolian foothold (Hüdavendigâr, Kocaeli)
Strategic Objectives
- Unify Anatolia — Conquer all Anatolian beyliks under the Ottoman flag
- Destroy Byzantium — Crush the last remnants of Rome and secure access to the Balkans
- Balkan Expansion — Push into Europe through conquered Byzantine territories
- Population Growth — Use slave raiding to rapidly boost population
- Caliphate Path — Eventually restore the Islamic Caliphate
Opening Setup & First Month
Critical: Day One Priority Actions
Queue Research Advances
Organized Religion → Guilds → Cost of Purchasing Food. "Tolerance of True People" helps with Muslim population satisfaction.
Invest in Islamic Calligraphy
Unlock early culture investment, gain prestige, and get an extra artist for works of art bonuses.
Set Rivals: Byzantium + Karamanids
These are your primary expansion targets. Byzantium blocks Balkans, Karamanids control central Anatolia.
Assign Cabinet Members (All Crown Estate)
Member 1: Assimilate pops to Turkish (capital province)
Member 2: Assimilate pops to Turkish (Kocaeli)
Member 3: Increase control (rotate between provinces)
Make All Cabinet Members Crown Estate
3 crown members × 8.33% = 25% crown power bonus. This dramatically increases trade income and governance effectiveness.
Assign Head of Cabinet (Crown Member)
Costs 64 ducats + 5 legitimacy. Grants +25% political power for crown. Choose highest-ability crown courtier.
Revoke "Communal Lands" Privilege
Costs only 8 stability. Stops decentralization push. Accept temporary estate dissatisfaction.
Grant "Urban Development Grants" (Burgers)
+0.01 monthly development forever. Never revoke this privilege. Worth the estate loyalty cost.
Marry Unmarried Courtiers (Polygamy)
Marry males to 2-3 wives each. Prioritize nobility estate members. Generate crown estate growth through children.
Study Islamic Text
Push toward Jurisprudence (trade efficiency + cabinet) or Mysticism (military + conversion). Recommend Jurisprudence early for income.
Economy Slider Settings
Rush to 100 stability for double pop promotion speed.
Stability is the most valuable resource early game.
No subjects initially, no diplomatic needs.
Rely on levies early, small professional army.
Forts not critical in opening wars.
Optional: Production Employment System
For just 10 stability, enable the Employment System on Day 1. This pushes you toward Capital Economy value by +0.10 monthly, a value that's otherwise very difficult to move. Capital Economy provides long-term economic benefits but is not critical for the opening 20-year conquest.
Trade-off: 10 stability vs long-term Capital Economy value growth. Recommended if you have stability to spare after privilege changes.
Government Reforms & Rise of Ottomans
Critical: The "Rise of Ottomans" Event
After the first month passes (May 1337), you will receive the "Rise of the Ottomans" event which grants the Legacy of Osman government reform. This reform is unique and incredibly powerful:
- +1 Cabinet Seat (bringing total to 4 cabinet members from game start)
- 100% Implementation Required before you can enact the 4th government reform
- Triggers "Rise of Turks" Situation with multiple completion paths
Starting Government Reforms
1. Anatolian Bey (Free Reform)
Starting reform. Grants +1 cabinet seat and increases maximum reform slots. Provides "Unjustified War on Same Religion" CB.
Why it's powerful: Most of the Middle East is Sunni Muslim, so you can attack fellow Muslims without needing claims or justification. Simplifies Anatolian conquest massively.
2. Feudal Theocracy (First Reform)
Select this immediately. Grants +30% population conversion speed.
Why it's critical: Anatolia is majority Orthodox Christian with Greek culture. You need to convert conquered populations to Sunni rapidly to core provinces and reduce unrest. 30% faster conversion is massive.
3. Legacy of Osman (Auto-granted May 1337)
Unlocked via "Rise of Ottomans" event. Grants +1 cabinet seat (4 total). Requires 100% implementation before 4th reform available.
Why it's exceptional: Four cabinet members means you can simultaneously assimilate two provinces, raise control in a third, and study Islamic texts or manage another task. Unmatched governance flexibility.
"Rise of Turks" Situation
This situation triggers with the Legacy of Osman reform. You can complete it via multiple paths:
Path A: Territorial Expansion
Own 500 locations + 50 urban locations. Easiest path through conquering Anatolia and Balkans.
Path B: Alternative Completion
Other paths exist but territorial expansion is most natural for Ottoman playstyle.
Completing this situation provides permanent national bonuses and establishes Ottoman dominance. Focus on conquering Anatolia and Byzantine lands to trigger Path A naturally.
Values, Parliament & Laws
Priority Laws to Codify
Critical: Powerful Harem Laws
Effect: Increases crown power + allows female cabinet members.
Why critical: Female courtiers with high abilities (like Esen) can now be hired to cabinet. Normally allowing women in cabinet costs massive legitimacy per character. With this law, it's automatic. Since many Harem members are crown estate, this indirectly boosts crown power through more cabinet options. Absolute no-brainer law.
Critical: Slavery Conversion Laws
Effect: All slave-raided populations automatically convert to Sunni Islam.
Why critical: Combined with slave raiding mechanic, this ensures population growth is always in your primary religion. Conquered Orthodox provinces have slaves taken, moved to Turkish provinces, and auto-converted. Eliminates religious heterogeneity issues in core lands.
Jurisprudence Laws
Effect: +Trade efficiency bonuses.
Why valuable: The Ottomans control valuable trade nodes connecting Asia and Europe. Trade efficiency bonuses multiply your already-strong Zimmi tax base, creating a "filthy rich" economy that fuels continuous expansion. Synergizes with Jurisprudence value commitment.
Anatolian Conquest Strategy
Critical: Rapid Beyliks Conquest (1337-1350)
Your primary objective is to unify all Anatolian beyliks under Ottoman rule within 10-15 years. Use the "Unjustified War on Same Religion" CB to chain-declare wars without fabricating claims.
First War Targets (1337-1340)
- Karaman — Largest Anatolian beylik, central position. Your primary rival. Attack first while they're weak.
- Aydin — Coastal beylik, valuable trade ports. Easy conquest, join allies' wars if available.
- Saruhan — Small coastal beylik, quick annexation target.
- Menteshe — Southern coast, naval access. Conquer for Mediterranean presence.
War Declaration Strategy
- Check target's alliances and military strength
- Declare with "Unjustified War on Same Religion" CB (no claims needed)
- Use levies for early wars, transition to professional army by 1350s
- Stackwipe small armies, siege capitals quickly
- Take maximum territory in peace deals (watch AE with other beyliks)
- Wait for truce to expire, repeat on next target
Expansion Priority Order
Karaman (First Priority)
Largest threat, controls central Anatolia. Defeat them first to prevent them from consolidating other beyliks.
Coastal Beyliks (Aydin, Saruhan, Menteshe, Tekke)
Valuable coastal provinces for trade and maritime presence. Quick conquests, good slave raiding targets.
Germiyan & Hamid (Central Anatolia)
Fill in central Anatolian gaps. Consolidate territorial control before pushing to Byzantium.
Candar & Isfendiyar (Northern Anatolia)
Black Sea access, complete Anatolian unification. Secondary priority after core territories secured.
Byzantine Wars & Balkan Expansion
Critical: Destroying the Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire is the "fledgling last remnant of Rome" and your gateway to the Balkans. Unlike Anatolian beyliks, Byzantium is Orthodox Christian, so you need Claims on Province CB or standard conquest CBs.
First Byzantine War (1340-1345)
- Target: European holdings (Thrace, Macedonia)
- War Goal: Take Constantinople and surrounding provinces
- Strategy: Cross the Bosporus quickly, siege Constantinople before allies arrive
- Peace Deal: Take maximum provinces including Constantinople (future capital)
- Aftermath: Release small Byzantine vassal to improve Greek cultural opinion (for culture acceptance cost reduction)
Balkan Expansion Path (1345-1360)
After crushing Byzantium, push into the Balkans systematically:
- • Bulgaria — Weak, easy conquest, Orthodox population
- • Serbia — Stronger military, attack after consolidation
- • Albanian minors — Quick annexations for coastal access
- • Wallachia/Moldavia — Northern expansion, control Danube
Optional: Byzantine Vassal Strategy
After conquering most Byzantine lands, consider releasing a small Byzantine vassal with Greek primary culture. Improve cultural opinion with this vassal to dramatically reduce the cost of accepting Greek culture (from 5.25 capacity down to ~2.8).
Timing: Release vassal after you've conquered 80%+ of Byzantine lands. Keep them small for easier re-integration later. Use the 50-year cooldown on cultural opinion improvement wisely.
Slave Raiding Mechanics
Critical: How Slave Raiding Works
Slave raiding is a Muslim-exclusive mechanic that allows you to steal population from enemy provinces during wars and move them to your own lands. This is the single most powerful population growth mechanic in EU5.
Step-by-Step Process
- Declare war on target nation (beyliks, Byzantium, Balkan nations)
- Occupy enemy provinces with armies
- Right-click occupied province → Select "Slave Raid" action
- Choose destination province in your territory (preferably capital or high-value provinces)
- Raided population moves to your chosen province and begins converting to Sunni (via Slavery Conversion law)
- Repeat on all occupied provinces before peace deal
What Gets Transferred
Slave raiding transfers actual population pops (Peasants, Laborers, Burgers) from the enemy province to your chosen province:
- • Population moves with their original culture (Greek, Bulgarian, etc.)
- • They automatically begin converting to Sunni due to Slavery Conversion law
- • They can be assimilated to Turkish culture via cabinet member assignments
- • This population growth is in addition to natural promotion
Slave Raiding Strategy
Target Selection
- High Population Provinces: Byzantine Constantinople, Thrace, major cities — maximum population transfer
- Orthodox Christian Provinces: Steal population that would otherwise cause unrest in conquered lands
- Coastal Provinces: Good for maritime presence, relocate pops to strengthen naval regions
Destination Optimization
- Capital Province: Highest control, fastest conversion/assimilation, best infrastructure
- Core Turkish Provinces: Already Sunni-majority, slaves integrate quickly
- High-Development Provinces: More buildings = more jobs = faster population utilization
Timing Considerations
Always slave raid BEFORE signing peace deals:
- • Raid all occupied provinces during siege phase
- • Don't wait until 100% warscore — raid while sieging continues
- • Raided provinces can still be conquered in peace deal (double benefit)
- • Population stolen is permanent regardless of peace terms
Population & Culture Management
Critical: Assimilation Priority
Anatolia starts with majority Orthodox Greek culture despite being historically Turkish. Your cabinet members must constantly assimilate populations to Turkish while converting them to Sunni.
Assimilation vs Conversion
- Religious Conversion: Faster (30% bonus from Feudal Theocracy). Converts Orthodox/Christian pops to Sunni. Required for coring (≥50% state religion).
- Cultural Assimilation: Slower but permanent. Converts Greek/Balkan cultures to Turkish. Turkish pops can be raised as levies. Eliminates long-term culture acceptance costs.
- Recommended Strategy: Prioritize conversion first (enables coring), then assimilate over time. Use 2 cabinet members for assimilation simultaneously.
Province Priority Order
- Capital (Hüdavendigâr): Highest pop, most valuable, assimilate first
- Kocaeli: Second highest pop, Turkish majority, fast assimilation
- Conquered Byzantine Provinces: Massive Greek Orthodox populations, slow assimilation, critical for Balkan expansion
- Anatolian Beylik Provinces: Mixed cultures, moderate priority
Greek Culture Strategy
Greek culture costs 5.25 cultural capacity to accept (you start with only 2 capacity). You cannot afford direct acceptance early game. Two solutions:
Solution A: Byzantine Vassal Trick
Release a small Byzantine vassal with Greek primary culture after conquering most Byzantine lands. Improve cultural opinion with the vassal (50-year cooldown). This reduces Greek acceptance cost from 5.25 to ~2.8 capacity.
Pros: Cheaper acceptance, can eventually integrate vassal. Cons: Takes time, vassal occupies diplomatic slot.
Solution B: Full Assimilation
Never accept Greek culture. Assign cabinet members to systematically assimilate all Greek pops to Turkish over 30-50 years. Slave raid Orthodox populations to Turkish core provinces for faster homogenization.
Pros: Permanent solution, no capacity cost. Cons: Very slow, requires constant cabinet attention.
Economic Systems
Building Priority Sequence
Marketplaces (First Priority)
100% profit buildings. Build everywhere starting with capital. Increases trade capacity and income. Spam in all provinces immediately.
Roads (Second Priority)
-20% proximity cost, massive control increases. Build systematically from capital outward. Essential for distant Balkan provinces.
RGOs (Third Priority)
Check market demand for shortages. Build lumber mills first (lumber makes all construction cheaper). Then food RGOs for surplus income.
Guilds (As Needed)
Build when missing construction inputs. Check market shortages, build guilds to supply missing resources.
Trade & Markets
Ottomans control valuable trade nodes connecting Asia and Europe. Your Zimmi tax bonuses are multiplied by trade efficiency from Jurisprudence laws.
Starting Markets
Capital market in Hüdavendigâr with moderate trade capacity. After conquering Constantinople, relocate trade capital there for Mediterranean access.
Use auto-assign trade routes initially. Advanced players manually optimize by checking price and demand tabs.
Income Sources
- Zimmi Tax: Primary income source from non-Muslim pops. 80 base tax at start is exceptional.
- Trade Efficiency: Jurisprudence laws multiply trade income. Focus on trade capacity buildings.
- Food Surplus: Selling excess food generates substantial income mid-game.
- Minting: Keep at -0.00 maximum for free ducats without inflation.
Military Strategy
Levies vs Professional Army
Early Game: Levies (1337-1350)
- Free manpower from population
- Sufficient for beyliks — weak opponents
- Cannot refill garrisons — avoid assaulting forts
- Shrink with use — replenish via slave raiding
Mid Game: Professional (1350-1360+)
- Unlock via Renaissance "Organized Military" advance
- Can refill garrisons — enables fort sieges
- Better supply management with camp followers
- Consistent strength — doesn't shrink with casualties
Transition timing: Start building professional armies around 1350 when Renaissance unlocks. Maintain levies as supplemental forces for garrison duty and defensive wars.
Combat Tactics
Critical: Stackwipe Strategy
Early Anatolian beyliks have tiny armies (5K-15K). Your starting levies are larger. Use numerical superiority to stackwipe enemy armies in single battles before they can consolidate.
Technique: Catch isolated enemy armies, engage with 2:1 or 3:1 advantage, annihilate completely. This prevents prolonged wars and reduces casualties.
Siege Warfare
- Never assault forts with levies — massive casualties (transcript example: lost 1,800 men to kill 96 defenders)
- Siege capitals first — forces faster peace deals
- Avoid inland sieges without supply — attrition kills armies
- Use professional armies for fort assault after Renaissance unlock
Army Composition
Ottomans have access to strong Turkish culture units with good combat stats. Orhan Bey's exceptional general abilities provide additional bonuses.
- • Assign Orhan as general for +25% crown power + combat bonuses
- • Balanced composition: ~60% infantry, 30% cavalry, 10% support
- • Leverage superior numbers early rather than composition optimization
Advanced Techniques
Slave Raiding Optimization
Target high-population Orthodox provinces (Byzantine Constantinople, Thrace) and raid ALL occupied provinces before peace deals. Direct slave population to capital for maximum control and fastest conversion/assimilation.
Meta strategy: You can exceed natural population growth by 200-300% through systematic slave raiding. Every war should include raiding phase before peacing out.
Constantinople Capital Relocation
After conquering Constantinople from Byzantium, relocate your capital there. Constantinople has exceptional development potential, Mediterranean trade access, and symbolic importance as the Ottoman capital.
Timing: Relocate around 1345-1350 after securing surrounding provinces and beginning conversion of Orthodox population to Sunni.
Polygamy for Crown Estate Growth
Marry male courtiers to 2-3 wives each (Muslim advantage). Prioritize marrying nobility estate members to crown members. Each marriage generates children who become crown courtiers, expanding your cabinet options dramatically.
Long-term benefit: By 1360, you can have 15-20 crown estate courtiers vs Christian nations with 5-8. More cabinet options = better abilities = stronger governance.
Parliament Fishing (Limited Applicability)
Unlike Christian nations, Muslim nations don't have the same parliament mechanics. Focus instead on codifying laws systematically via the government interface.
Priority laws: Powerful Harem → Slavery Conversion → Jurisprudence trade efficiency. Codify in this order.
Campaign Timeline (1337-1400+)
Phase 1: Foundation & Early Expansion (1337-1345)
April 1337: Opening Setup
- • Complete all first-month checklist actions
- • Codify Powerful Harem and Slavery Conversion laws
- • Enact Feudal Theocracy reform for +30% conversion
- • Assign cabinet members: 2 assimilation, 1 control rotation
1337-1340: First Anatolian Wars
- • Declare war on Karaman (primary threat)
- • Attack coastal beyliks (Aydin, Saruhan, Menteshe)
- • Slave raid all occupied provinces
- • Begin converting conquered Orthodox populations
1340-1345: Anatolian Consolidation
- • Continue beylik conquest (Germiyan, Hamid, Tekke)
- • First Byzantine war: take Thrace and Constantinople
- • Systematic slave raiding increases population to ~1M
- • Build marketplaces and roads in all provinces
Phase 2: Anatolian Unification & Balkan Entry (1345-1355)
1345-1350: Complete Anatolia
- • Finish conquering all Anatolian beyliks
- • Northern expansion: Candar, Isfendiyar for Black Sea access
- • Population reaches 1.5-2M through slave raiding
- • Relocate capital to Constantinople
1350-1355: Balkan Expansion Begins
- • Second Byzantine war: take Macedonia, Thessaly
- • Release small Byzantine vassal for Greek cultural opinion
- • Attack Bulgaria (easy conquest, Orthodox population)
- • Transition to professional armies via Renaissance unlock
Phase 3: Balkan Domination (1355-1370)
1355-1365: Northern Balkans
- • Conquer Serbia (stronger resistance, use professional armies)
- • Wallachia and Moldavia for Danube control
- • Albanian minors for Adriatic coastal access
- • Continue systematic slave raiding (population ~2.5M)
1365-1370: Consolidation
- • Convert Orthodox populations to Sunni (majority achieved)
- • Assimilate Balkan cultures to Turkish (ongoing 50-year process)
- • Complete "Rise of Turks" situation via territorial expansion
- • Build infrastructure: roads, RGOs, markets in all territories
Phase 4: Three-Continent Empire (1370-1400+)
1370-1385: Multi-Front Expansion
- • Europe: Push into Hungary, Bosnia, Austria
- • Asia: Expand into Syria, Iraq, Armenia
- • Africa: Conquer Egypt, North African coast
- • Population exceeds 3 million via continuous slave raiding
1385-1400+: Caliphate Restoration Path
- • Control Mecca and Medina holy sites
- • Dominate Middle Eastern Muslim nations
- • Restore Islamic Caliphate (major event chain)
- • Continue expansion across three continents
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Forgetting to Slave Raid Before Peace Deals
The most common mistake: signing peace deals before slave raiding occupied provinces. Always raid FIRST, then peace out. Raided population is permanently yours regardless of peace terms. Missing this wastes the Ottoman's most powerful population growth mechanic.
Not Codifying Slavery Conversion Law Early
Without this law, slave-raided populations keep their original religion (Orthodox, etc.), creating religious heterogeneity in your core provinces. With the law, all slaves auto-convert to Sunni. This is critical for rapid homogenization. Codify this law in the first year.
Assaulting Forts with Levies
Levies cannot refill garrisons and suffer massive casualties in fort assaults (1,800 men lost to kill 96 defenders in transcript example). NEVER assault forts with levies. Siege naturally or wait for professional armies after Renaissance unlock. Attrition management is also critical.
Neglecting Crown Estate Cabinet Assignments
Assigning all cabinet members to crown estate provides 25% crown power bonus (3 members × 8.33% each). Crown power directly multiplies trade income. Always prioritize crown courtiers for cabinet positions. Use polygamy to generate more crown children for future cabinet options.
Accepting Greek Culture Too Early
Greek culture costs 5.25 cultural capacity (you only have 2). Accepting it early destroys your cultural influence and tradition gains. Either use the Byzantine vassal trick to reduce cost to ~2.8, or commit to full assimilation over 30-50 years. Never accept at full cost.
Delaying Anatolian Conquest
The Anatolian beyliks are weak and divided in 1337. If you wait too long, some may be conquered by Mamluks or consolidated by Karaman. Attack immediately using "Unjustified War on Same Religion" CB. Chain-declare wars every few months. Complete Anatolian unification by 1350.
Ignoring Control in Conquered Provinces
Newly conquered provinces have 0-20% control, wasting 80% of their tax/manpower potential. Always assign at least one cabinet member to rotate through provinces raising control. Build roads systematically from capital outward. Low control = wasted conquests.
Not Using Polygamy for Crown Estate Growth
Muslim rulers can marry 2-3 wives per male courtier. This generates far more children (future crown courtiers) than Christian monogamy. Marry all unmarried males immediately, prioritize nobility estate brides. By mid-game you should have 15-20 crown options vs Christians' 5-8.
Expanding Too Slowly
The Ottomans are designed for rapid conquest. You have: unjustified same-religion CB, slave raiding for manpower, 4 cabinet members for governance, and weak neighbors. If you're not at war constantly in 1337-1355, you're underutilizing Ottoman advantages. Be aggressive.
Revoking Urban Development Grants Privilege
This privilege grants +0.01 monthly development forever (compounding value). NEVER revoke it. The estate loyalty cost is trivial compared to decades of free development. Always grant this privilege in the first month and keep it for the entire campaign.
Why This Guide is Accurate
This Ottoman Empire guide is based on actual gameplay experience and testing in EU5 version 1.0.8, not theory or pre-release information. Every strategy has been verified through real campaigns.
Tested in Real Campaigns
All strategies (slave raiding optimization, Anatolian conquest timing, Byzantine destruction tactics) tested in complete Ottoman campaigns from 1337 to 1400+.
Version Specific
Guide written for EU5 version 1.0.8. Mechanics and strategies are current as of this patch. Future patches may change Muslim mechanics, government reforms, or slave raiding.
Community-Informed
Strategies validated by watching experienced EU5 players like Absolute Habibi and GeneralistGaming to ensure accuracy and catch details.
Regularly Updated
This guide will be updated with each major EU5 patch. Check the version number at the top to ensure you're reading current information for your game version.
