Before we start let me explain the difference between strategy and tactics, since some players clearly do not understand there is a difference. Strategy can be thought of as a master plan, it encompasses all the minor details involved in conducting a campaign. Tactics on the other hand are those small details. Imperial Glory has an extremely strong strategic game and a decent tactical game, whereas Total War has a strong tactical game but a fairly weak strategic game.

The difference between strategy and tactics is where the phrase "won the battle but lost the war" comes from. You can win a battle in Imperial Glory but your strategy for taking over an Empire capital may fail because you lost too many troops doing it.

So you see the individual battles are less important than the results of several battles. You may choose to fight a battle manually that you know you stand no chance of winning, just so you can weaken the enemy as much as possible so your next attack wins easily and has enough troops left over at the end of the battle to take over the country. This is a strategy in action. How you kill as many enemies as possible in the first battle before you get wiped out would be a tactic.

If a game supports real strategies and real tactics you will know it because anybody using them will have a positive advantage. If a game does not then using them usually means you're making things harder for yourself. In Imperial Glory the game becomes easier if you use a strategy and tactics so we know the game supports them.

So instead of saying, OK I'm going to take over Poland, just stop and think for a second.

Kursk is right there waiting for you to screw up, you need a strategy to deal with them. There is also Russia, Prussia and France. So any strategy you come up with must stop those from attacking you whilst you're taking over Poland. A strategy might including forming an alliance with France and Russia which in turn should keep Prussia at bay. Three armies on the border of Kursk should take care of them. Leaving you free to take over Poland and not find yourself under attack on your other borders.

Once you have Poland your strategy may allow you to take on Prussia as a bonus. Since it has no powerful allies and you're right on its border anyway.

This would be a good strategy in Imperial Glory and rewards for success give you even more options.

A bad strategy would be to simply attack Poland and then wonder why the Ottomans, Prussia, France and Russia decided to declare war on you.

So now you know how important strategy is to Imperial Glory. You're ready to become another Napoleon and take over Europe with your armies and your own master plan. So why do you need to read any further, you're ready... go for it. If you do happen to need a little extra help then please keep reading. I am sure I can give you some good ideas for your own master plan.

Written by giskard