[ProPain]

I have taken up Mel's challenge and started playing Brabant with the goal of forming the Netherlands. This is hard. Brabant is supposed to be medium difficulty level, I'll steer clear from hard for a long while then.

After a few test games I quickly learned you can't just conquer and annex your way into supremacy like you can with Castille. The game i played for 75 years now started with Burgundy declaring war on me right from the get go. I had to scramble allies whereever I could and play ring around the rosie for quite a while to avoid having my army annihilated. Eventually I made my way to Burgundy and bordering provinces while my allies entertained Burgundies main army. Even after I conquered all provinces burgundy refused any decent peace and they where to large to annex. FInally ended up with Flanders, 2 other useless provinces near burgundies capital, 5 loans and a ruined economy. Great.

After a few years the emperor starts demanding I liberate my newly acquired provinces. Even better. I'm now in a PU with HOlland, have flanders and Cleve vassalised and Zeeland annexed. Utrecht is gonna be a pain, they have allies and independence garantuees coming out of their ears.