Summary at a glance
Goal: Understand how control works and use it to integrate conquered territories efficiently.
Do this first:
- Build roads connecting capital to borders
- Use "Increase Control" cabinet action after conquest
- Focus on rural provinces before cities for integration
Pitfall to avoid: Expanding faster than you can build control infrastructure leads to rebellions and no tax income.
Control is one of EU5's most innovative mechanics, serving as a natural anti-blobbing system while rewarding infrastructure investment. Understanding control is essential for stable expansion.
What is Control?
Control represents your administrative efficiency in a location. It affects tax collection, population satisfaction, and integration speed. Your capital always has 100% control, while other locations have varying levels based on distance and infrastructure.
Control Effects
High Control (70-100%)
- Full tax collection efficiency
- Normal population growth
- Fast integration of conquered territories
- Lower unrest and separatism
Medium Control (40-69%)
- Reduced tax income (-30% to -50%)
- Slower integration progress
- Moderate unrest risk
- Limited administrative efficiency
Low Control (0-39%)
- Minimal tax collection
- Integration halted or extremely slow
- High separatism and unrest
- Buildings operate at reduced efficiency
How Control Radiates
Control radiates outward from your capital like ripples in water. Each location has a control score based on:
- Distance from Capital: Closer locations have higher base control
- Infrastructure: Roads, harbors, and other infrastructure improve control flow
- Coastal Access: Coastal locations receive better control due to faster sea travel
- Adjacent High-Control Locations: Control flows through well-connected chains
Practical Example
If your capital is Moscow with 100% control:
- Adjacent provinces: 60-80% control
- Provinces 2-3 steps away: 30-50% control
- Remote provinces without infrastructure: 10-25% control
Building roads between Moscow and distant provinces creates "control highways" that maintain higher administrative efficiency.
Improving Control
Build Infrastructure
- Roads: Connect provinces to create control corridors. Priority: capital → major cities → borders
- Harbors: Coastal locations spread control faster via sea routes
- Urban Centers: Towns and cities act as secondary control hubs
Use Cabinet Actions
Increase Control: Temporarily boosts control in a location (costs stability and gold)
- Use this immediately after conquest to speed integration
- Focus on strategic provinces and high-value urban centers
Manage Distance
- Strategic Capitals: Consider moving your capital closer to expansion zones in very large empires
- Vassalization: Use vassals to administer distant territories without control penalties
Integration System
Integration converts conquered territories into stable provinces. The process has three stages:
Stage 1: Conquered (0-30 days)
- High separatism (+10 to +15 unrest)
- Minimal tax income
- Risk of rebellion
Stage 2: Integrating (30-365 days)
- Declining separatism
- Improving tax collection
- Building control infrastructure
Stage 3: Integrated (365+ days)
- Normal separatism levels
- Full administrative access
- Can be cored via cabinet action
Integration Speed Factors
Positive Factors
- High control (+50% at 80+ control)
- Accepted culture (+30% speed)
- Adjacent to integrated provinces (+20%)
- Roads and infrastructure (+10-25%)
- Small population/rural locations (+15%)
Negative Factors
- Low control (-50% at below 30% control)
- Distant from capital (-30%)
- Unaccepted culture (-40%)
- Large cities and urban centers (-25%)
- High autonomy (-20%)
Integration Strategy
- Week 1-2 After Conquest: Use "Increase Control" cabinet action in key locations
- Week 2-4: Build roads connecting new territories to your core
- Month 2-3: Grant accepted culture status if culturally different
- Month 3-6: Build harbors in coastal provinces for long-term control
Common Mistakes
- Overexpansion Without Infrastructure: Conquering territory faster than you can build control infrastructure leads to unstable realms with rebellions and no tax income.
- Ignoring Control Corridors: Distant provinces need connected control chains. Build roads systematically, not randomly.
- Integrating Cities First: Cities integrate slowly. Start with rural provinces and border regions, then tackle urban centers.
- Not Using Cabinet Actions: The "Increase Control" action is expensive but essential after conquest. Budget for it in your war planning.
Advanced Tips
- Control Highways: Build road networks that connect your capital → regional hubs → frontiers. This creates stable control corridors for future expansion.
- Secondary Hubs: Large cities naturally radiate some control. Use them as stepping stones for expansion.
- Coastal Empires: Maritime nations benefit from faster control via sea zones. Prioritize harbor construction in all coastal provinces.
- Integration Before Expansion: Don't declare a new war until previous conquests are at least 50% integrated. Stability matters more than speed.
Quick Reference
- Minimum Viable Control: 40% (below this, integration stalls)
- Optimal Control Target: 70%+ (full efficiency)
- Infrastructure Priority: Roads > Harbors > Urban upgrades
- Cabinet Action Cost: 50-100 gold + 10-20 stability
- Integration Time: 365-730 days depending on factors