Mamluks are one of the more overlooked nations in EU4. Most players don’t play them because we see AI Mamluks die to ottomans every time. However, at the start of the game Mamluks start as the 2nd great power, above everyone else bar Ming, and that includes the Ottomans, and their army size is bigger than Ottomans too. Combine this with all the different avenues you can expand in and Mamluks start looking rather tempting. They also have a unique government type which is really strong.

I made 2 separate guides for different play styles playing as Mamluks.

MARAUDING MAMLUKS : EXPANSIONIST STYLE

Opening moves

1. Get your level 1 advisors
2. Rival Ottomans, Venice and Qara Qoyunlu
3. Get a general. Don’t get one from estates just yet. Amirs start with high influence.
4. Prepare for war against Byzantium- get 11 stack (7 inf 4 cav) in your transports and sail next to Constantinople.
5. Embargo Venice. Complete mission- free claim in Arabia
6. Improve relations with Hungary and Medina. And build spy network on Fezzan.

Conquest

Byzantine war of aggression

War goal: Vassalize

Reason: Restrict Ottomans

• No CB byzantium when troops are in position
• Only minor allies. Should be an easy war.
• Minimal AE impact.

Conquest of Fezzan

War goal: Full annex

Reason: Foothold in North Africa

• Declare as soon as claim is done
• Guaranteed by tunis and usually one minor ally.
• Release Tripoli if you want. But you will go above diplomatic relations.

The Ottomans Question

• Restrict Ottomans expansion to the east
• Conquer Dulkadir/Karaman/Aq Qoyunlu to form a wall
• Finish the eastern wall and Byzantium vassalization in 20 years
• Effectively neutralizes Ottomans.

African conquests

• Easy wars
• Watch out for rebels. Lot of them.

Arabian conquests

• Some free claims through missions
• Easy wars again.
• Feed some provinces to Hejaz.

Caucasus conquests

• Rich Armenian and Georgian provinces.
• Watch for AE.

Qara Qoyunlu

• Get them before Timurids take those lands.

Indian conquests

• Hop across the ocean through Hormuz area

North African conquests

• Increased coring costs.
• Release vassals.

Further conquests

• Expand in Europe. Look for opportunities in Balkans, Italy and Iberia
• Either rival Timurids and ally Russia. Or vice versa. Makes the wars easier.

Diplomacy

Vassals

• Start with 2 vassals in Hejaz and Fadl
• More vassal in North Africa.
• Vassalize the scholar country you like (AE reduction one is great)

Vassalize Medina

• Start as guaranteeing Medina
• Diplovassalize
• Event ‘Fate of the Holy Cities’. Give Medina to Hejaz for more prestige

Cyprus

• Start as guaranteeing cyprus.
• Events not worth waiting for.
• Revoke guarantee when above relations limit.

Allies

• One major European ally to counter ottomans early game. Ideally, a rival of Ottomans.
• One of Russia or Timurids

Ideas

Admin- CCR. Merc cost discount.

Quantity- Manpower. Force limit.

Religious/Humanist- Stay as Mamluks, go humanist. Form Rum, go religious.

Influence- Faster and cheaper diploannex.

Defensive- Army morale.

Diplo- Faster diploannex.

More military ideas late game.
Navy-

• Don’t fight Ottomans navy early game
• Just build some light ships for trade
• Start building navy once Ottomans are neutralized (mid game)

MERCANTILE MAMLUKS – COLONIZE AND MAKE DUCATS

Use the trade bonuses in Mamluks National Ideas.

Opening moves

The opening moves are the same as Marauding mamluks except don’t attack Byzantium.

Conquests

Fezzan conquest

• Get Fezzan as soon as possible.

Caucasus Conquest

• Important to restrict Ottomans expansion or they will become too powerful. Build the wall.

Ottomans

• No need for direct intervention.
• If you restrict their eastern expansion, they won’t be much of a threat.
• Look to form coalitions against them. You get an event for it.

African Conquest

• Main conquest focus
• Watch for rebels.

Arabian Conquest

• Easy wars.

Diplomacy

• Release vassals everywhere
• Diplovassalize Medina

Allies

• One major European ally
• One of Russia or Timurids

Ideas

Admin

Exploration-

• Colonize southeast asia. Lot of money in spice islands.

Humanist

Quantity

Expansion- boost to your colonial power as well as more trade income.

Quality- For better army and navy, because you will have to build a significant naval force as well.

Next you can go either influence or trade or another military idea depending on what you are going for late game.

GAME MECHANICS

Mamlukian Government

• Cultural interactions-
  • First one, gives 5% tech discount, is available for everyone.
  • Other 2 depend your rulers culture. If your ruler has a lot provinces of his culture in his realm, you will get more ducats and manpower. The trade off is that he will start with lower legitimacy.
  • Option for a Circassian ruler
    • Starts with 100 legitimacy and gives 15 army tradition
    • Won’t be able to use the 2 government abilities in early game with a Circassian ruler as you don’t have any provinces with Circassian culture yet.

Estates

• Amirs estate starts with a lot provinces.
• Revoke coastal provinces first when you can and bring their land percent down to 10.
• Keep Dhimmis loyalty above 60 for tech discount and tolerance bonuses.

Formable nations

With Mamluks, you can form 3 different nations fairly easily.

Egypt

• Admin tech 20
• Mamluk Ideas. Convert to Monachy.
• Not really worth it, except for role play purpose.

Arabia

• Some Arabian provinces; Admin tech 10
• Mamluks Ideas. Mamluks government type.
• Starting with the upcoming Dharma update, Arabia is an end game tag, which means you cannot form new nations from it.

Rum

• One of the best national ideas in whole game
• Some Anatolian provinces; Ottomans and Byzantium don’t exist; Primary culture is Turkish
• Easy with Marauding Mamluks guide
• Culture shift to Turkish
• As Sultanate, direct culture shift to Turkish. As Empire, culture shift to a culture out of your culture group, then shift back to Turkish.
• Rumi Ideas. Ottoman government type.

And that was all you needed to know about Mamluks and how to play them in 2 different playstyles. I hope this guide helps out EU4 players looking to try their hand at Mamluks! Looking forward to your feedback!