The so-called Prince’s Flag, 1570s-1652, covering the Dutch War of Independence and the nation’s rise as a great commercial and colonial power. Sadly, the flag is controversial today due to its appropriation by far right and Nazi-aligned groups (further proving that fascists ruin everything).

Availability: Days of Brilliance DLC
Focus: Balanced, 17c. Musketeers, 18c. Dragoons
Playstyle: European

Few Cossacks countries' reputations revolve around a single unit like the Netherlands’ does. The Dutch Musketeer is widely hailed as one of the best shooters of the 17th century and has really captured the playerbase’s hearts to the point that there’s entire Steam guides just dedicated to them.

This hyper-fixation on one unit obscures the rest of the faction’s features. Most guides and forum posts won’t even mention the Netherlands’ early Pikeman penalties or their tanky Dragoons in the 18th century. The end result is a balanced European nation that likes shooting its foes more than stabbing them, which is a fair position to take in both the mid and late game when Musketeers rule the battlefield.

If you like medium-length peacetimes, prefer guns over pikes, or just want a country that offers strong early Musketeers without making any major compromises in the later stages of the game, the Netherlands is a great nation for you.

+ Armored 17c. Pikeman
+ Dutch Musketeer–trains and fires faster
+ 18c. Musketeer
+ Balloon to reveal the map
+ 18th century upgrade costs more food but less gold, coal, and iron
+ Tech cost discounts:

• Early 18c. Musketeer melee attack upgrades (18c. Barracks)

~ Academies cost less wood but more stone
~ Dutch Dragoon–Very high HP but worse training and damage
- Tech cost penalties:

• Early 17c. Pikeman upgrades (17c. Barracks)
  
• 17c. Dragoon attack upgrades (Stables)

Being a nation with such a famous 17th century unit, it might surprise you to know that the Netherlands isn’t a very good country for games with short peacetimes (0-10 minutes). That’s because their initial 17c. Pikeman upgrades cost slightly more.* In an early pike fight, being even a single tech behind can easily lose you the match, so any kind of penalty towards Pikemen is a notable drawback. The Netherlands is much better suited for games with peacetimes of 15+ minutes, which give them enough time to get their Musketeers ready before the fighting starts.**

The other two major Dutch bonuses are much less detrimental. The cost change to Academies is pretty whatever–just put a few more Peasants on stone than wood–but the discounted 18th century upgrade can let you age up with extra iron, coal, and especially gold to put into upgrades or buildings, giving you a small lead over most European countries in the transition to late-game units.

Other than that and a few negligible cost tweaks (like to their Cuirassier upgrades), the Netherlands plays like any other European nation with the same units, buildings, and tech tree. They’re a bit more complex than some other countries but still overall easy to learn.

*The classic Basic Nation Differences guide claims that the Dutch get cheaper 17c. Pikeman techs, but this is no longer the case.

**The Pikeman penalty might be meant to push Dutch players to use their Musketeers instead in low-peacetime games. This is usually a bad idea, though, as ranged troops–even ones as good as Dutch Musketeers–require too many expensive upgrades to compete with melee troops in such a fast-paced early environment. This is also why you usually only see 17c. Musketeers and their variants in longer-peacetime games that give players more time to build up before the fighting starts.

Base stats:

Full upgrades:

Cost: 50 food, 8 gold, 4 iron
Training time: 5 seconds
Range: 15
Reload speed: 3.75 seconds max: 1.84 seconds min.

+ One of the best early musketeers in the game
+ Very fast reload speed
+ Trains 1 second faster than normal 17c. Musketeers
- Subpar damage
- No melee attack
- Low HP and weak melee/arrow armor

Yep, here’s the reason you clicked on this guide. Dutch Musketeers have a well-deserved reputation as one of the strongest ranged units of the 17th century. For a slight drop in damage and durability, they gain a huge increase in rate of fire and a one-second reduction in training time, giving Dutch players a lot of muskets firing very quickly.

Compared to normal 17c. Musketeers, Dutch ones have -5 HP, -2 max melee/arrow protection, and -3 damage. In exchange, they train faster (5 seconds vs 6) and gain a 0.46 second reduction in reload speed (1.84 seconds vs 2.3). That might not sound like much, but in combat it makes a huge difference.


Stop ripping off our flag! 96 fully-upgraded Dutch Musketeers vs 112 Russian Strelets, reflecting the difference in training time (and with 2 Dutch Barracks vs 4 cheaper Russian ones).

In fact, during shooting tests with equal upgrades and training time, Dutch Musketeers were easily the best early Musketeers of any European-style nation (especially when fully upgraded; at lower levels they were still very good but not quite as dominant). The only other early Musketeers that they couldn’t beat in an even fight were Turkish Janissaries and Ukrainian Serdiuks, and those units are their countries’ only Musketeers: The Dutch still get the even more awesome 18c. Musketeer later in the game, so it’s hard to feel bad about them not having the absolute best Musketeers of the 17th century.

In battle, Dutch Musketeers are used in much the same way as normal 17c. Musketeers; they’re just way better at their job. This is likely part of why they’re so popular, as they don’t force users to alter their playstyle to get the most out of them. Just keep them out of melee and safely behind your blocking troops and they’ll mow down the competition.


An early Dutch army in action. The Roundshiers are out front to tank bullets and keep the enemy’s melee troops at bay while the Musketeers dish out most of the damage.


Aftermath of the above fight, showing off the larger number of Musketeers the Dutch can make early on. Add in the 17c. Dragoons for extra firepower plus Archers and/or Grenadiers for razing enemy buildings and you have the typical European build for 15-minute peacetime games. The only things this army is missing are Priests and Cannons, though those aren’t strictly necessary to make a good early army.

If Dutch Musketeers have a weakness (aside from the usual “no melee attack” that all early Musketeers suffer from), it would be their subpar 22 damage. This isn’t a huge deal early on or against lightly armored troops, but they can struggle if faced by foes with high bullet resistance like Reiters or Cuirassiers (who the Dutch only deal 12 or 7 damage to respectively). Make sure to pin these enemies with your blocking troops to give your Musketeers time to work them over.

On a more minor note, Dutch Musketeers also consume coal and iron more quickly than other Musketeers (faster firing + more Musketeers = higher resource demand). Make sure to upgrade your mines and use the Market if you’re running low on either lest your army stop firing in the middle of battle.

Even with those flaws, Dutch Musketeers are a great unit and easily the highlight of the faction. If you ever deliberately bring the Netherlands into a game (AKA you didn’t pick random), these fine men and their stylish hats are the reason why.


Blaze away, boys! Dutch and 18c. Musketeers pouring fire into the foe. While Dutch Musketeers largely lose their combat edge in the late game, their quicker training time is still handy for keeping your army’s numbers up.

Base stats:

Full upgrades:

Cost: 100 food, 70 gold, 8 iron max: 100 food, 35 gold, 4 iron min.
Training time: 22.5 seconds max: 16 seconds min.
Range: 15.94
Reload speed: 5 seconds max: 2.45 seconds min.

+ Very high HP
+ Very strong attack
+ Cheap attack upgrades
+ Reload slightly faster than normal 18c. Dragoons
~ 10 less damage than 18c. Dragoon
- Very long training time
- No melee attack
- High gold cost
- Short range for an 18th century shooter
- Costly defense upgrades

If Dutch Musketeers max out on firepower, Dutch Dragoons focus on defense and are kind of like a cross between an 18c. Dragoon and heavy cavalry. They’re much better at tanking bullets for the rest of your army than other Dragoons at the cost of providing less firepower than their generic counterparts.

Looking at their stats, the standout thing about Dutch Dragoons is their 320 HP. To put that in perspective, that’s the same amount as a Ukrainian Hetman’s or Saxon Cavalry Guard’s (albeit without the latter’s bullet armor). It’s also way above a normal 18c. Dragoon’s 225 HP, and the only other ranged cavalry that can rival them are the King’s Musketeers with 280.

Shots to kill (full upgrades)

The tradeoff for this is, of course, a sharp drop in offensive power. Dutch Dragoons have 10 less attack than 18c. Dragoons, meaning they usually need one or two extra shots to kill their target. This is compounded by their subpar range (15.94 vs 16.88) giving most enemies the first strike and longer training time (16 seconds vs 15) leaving Dutch players with fewer Dragoons, though on the plus side their reload rate is slightly faster (2.45 seconds vs 2.6).


A minor theological dispute: Calvinist Dutch versus Lutheran Swedes. The Dutch Dragoons are out front, bravely tanking bullets and barring the path of the onrushing Swedish Cuirassiers. (Also note the 18c. Pikemen I made to bulk out my army’s blocking troops, which is a good idea if you go for an all-ranged build.)

In battle, Dutch Dragoons function as a sort of middle ground between 18c. Dragoons and melee cavalry. They don’t provide the same level of firepower as normal Dragoons and they can’t tank bullets as well as armored heavy cavalry or more numerous Hussars. They fall somewhere in between, which can be rather effective if you keep them in front of your other ranged units to tank bullets.

The biggest challenge with using Dutch Dragoons is army composition. Since you’ll usually be making Dutch and 18c. Musketeers for your infantry, opting for Dutch Dragoons leaves you without a dedicated melee force beyond Mercenary Roundshiers who are very weak in close quarters. Such an all-ranged army is fun to use and can work well if properly managed, but it’s a bit of a high risk, high reward proposition as the lack of a strong melee element could allow a large enough enemy force to close with your Musketeers or leave you vulnerable to Hussar raids. Remember, Dragoons flee from targets who get close since they lack any close quarters attack, meaning they could expose your Musketeers to danger if you don’t micro them carefully. It’ll also seriously tax your coal and iron reserves to have so many muskets firing–I recommend hotkeying your Market for quick resource trades.

These concerns plus their mixed bag of traits make Dutch Dragoons more of a side-grade to 18c. Dragoons rather than a straight upgrade. Don’t feel obligated to take them just because of their novelty, especially if you think Hussars or Cuirassiers would work better with the rest of your army. However, if you want to give the Dutch all-ranged army a try, these purple-coated riders stand ready to answer your call.

NOTE: This section assumes you’re only playing with Dutch units and buildings. That means it largely ignores capturing, although the advice given can easily be applied to games that allow it.



The long war for independence: An early-game Dutch base just as the 15-minute peacetime ends.

The Netherlands is either one of the best or worst nations in the early game depending on the match’s peacetime. In low-peacetime games (0-10 minutes), their costly Pikeman techs render them below average; not quite as bad as the likes of Prussia or Denmark, but still not a good nation for such quick-starting matches.

In longer-peacetime games (15+ minutes), however, the Netherlands is right up there with the best. With the extra time to invest in upgrades and build up your economy before the fighting starts, the true power of the Dutch Musketeer can be unleashed. Only other nations with elite 17th century Musketeers like Turkey and Ukraine or factions with an x-factor like Polish Winged Hussars or Scottish Clansmen can really compete with the Dutch in early-game gunfights. This is your time to be aggressive and really hit your enemies hard before your strength wanes.

The Netherlands uses the standard European build orders, and their easy-to-use units means they play like any generic nation using normal 17c. Musketeers, but do it much better.


Maurice of Nassau’s genius: An early engagement with multiple enemy forces of very questionable quality. (The AI always makes Pikemen, which isn’t great for games with longer peacetimes.)




Bankers, traders, soldiers, and buccaneers: A mid-game Dutch base (featuring some typical 18c. Pikeman spam).

Here nations are getting more established, with stronger economies and larger, more powerful armies. Artillery is starting to really make its presence felt and some countries are advancing to the 18th century.

The Dutch can easily be one of those early advancers thanks to their discounted 18th century upgrade, allowing them to lay down 18c. Barracks and fully upgrade their farms before most other factions. Their military isn’t as dominant in this period, but they can still put up a good showing and their faster-training Musketeer even lets them field (on average) slightly larger armies than their European peers.

Nevertheless, watch out for mid-game powerhouses like Ukraine and Portugal. If there are any strong late-game countries near you like Prussia or France, try to kill or cripple them before they get too powerful.




A Calvinist republic: A late-game Dutch base.

Here the Netherlands mostly levels out as the Dutch Musketeer’s strengths mean less in an era dominated by powerful, longer-range 18th century units. Their faster training time will let you raise and replenish armies slightly faster than most other nations, but that’s about the only meaningful advantage they give.

Still, the Dutch are a European faction with the same strong generic units as all the others. They’re not one of the kings of the late game, but they’re at least average and can put up a credible fight against most other countries. They also have their unique Dragoon, which at the very least opens up some interesting tactical options.


Mass assault: A late-game Dutch army hurls itself at Turkish and Ukrainian troops barring their way. While the Dutch might have feared these two nations in earlier eras, now in the late game the tables have turned.

Infantry attack: With Roundshiers leading the way, the Dutch infantry gun down the last enemies standing between them and the final enemy town.

As you’ve probably figured out by now, the Netherlands does best in games that push 17c. Musketeers to the fore. That means peacetimes of no less than 15 minutes and probably not more than 30 since you don’t want to completely skip the 17th century. Going lower than 15 minutes is an even worse idea as that will force you to rely on 17c. Pikemen in the early game instead of Musketeers, something the Netherlands is ill suited for with their extra-expensive Pikeman techs.

Map-wise, the Netherlands is more flexible. If they have a preference, it’s for maps that start them off relatively close to their enemies so their Musketeers don’t have to walk so far. Remember, you want to be aggressive while your elite Musketeers are giving you an edge, so sitting back and booming early on is not recommended.


Endless sieges of the Eighty Years War: Dutch infantry and Dragoons storm an enemy base.

This is also reflected by the Netherlands’ performance in team games. In low-peacetime matches, they’re less useful, though they can at least get help from their allies to mitigate their Pikeman-related weaknesses. If the peacetime is longer, they can use their early Musketeers to really pressure the enemy team during the early and mid game. Either way, they’ll eventually level out into an average but still competent nation in the late game.


Allies in faith, dying together: Calvinist Dutch and Swiss push forward in the face of torrential Russian musket and cannon fire. As usual, the melee troops (in this case 18c. Pikemen and Roundshiers) are out front tanking bullets while the Musketeers blaze away from behind.

A collection of great Netherlands games and tutorials showing how to skillfully play the nation. If you have any video recommendations, send me a link through Steam or YouTube (username 1Korlash) or Reddit (Effective_Can72)!

1. The first of two classic guides from top player colorfit. A must-watch for people looking to dive into multiplayer or just get better at the game.
https://youtu.be/XP19ocvOIg0
2. The second colorfit guide, this time covering how to micro your armies in battle. Again, a must-watch.
https://youtu.be/t6JE59Gnesk?list=PL9MM6y8GRIFcfOaVMvUGSZ7s3HANGpEPd
3. An old colourfit 4v4 featuring Dutch Musketeers and an epic comeback after losing his initial town. This match also nicely demonstrates both the power of Dutch Musketeers as well as the risks of using them in shorter peacetime games.
https://youtu.be/hkfbaDDoXQw
4. Wonderful high-level 0-peacetime 1v1 between +4yma+ and Petru. Features great early and mid-game action for new players to learn from plus the rarely-seen Reiter.
https://youtu.be/Jm_gj9B45a4

Modern flag of the Netherlands. First appearing in the late 1500s as a variant of the old Prince’s Flag that symbolized the transition from monarchy to republic, it remains the oldest tricolor in current use and was a likely inspiration for both the French and Russian national flags.

Thank you for reading my guide! Whether you’re a new recruit who’s just picking up the game or a seasoned veteran of countless battles, I hope you found something helpful and interesting!

Giving the Dutch a strong Musketeer in the 17th century makes a lot of sense as their army’s reforms helped push European infantry tactics towards firepower rather than the melee grinds of the Spanish tercios. I’m a bit surprised that they don’t have a naval bonus–the Dutch were just as notable for their seafaring exploits if not moreso, and they were arguably the premier naval power of Europe in the late 1600s before being supplanted by the British.

Algeria
Austria
Bavaria
Denmark
England
France
Piedmont
Poland
Portugal
Prussia
Russia
Saxony
Scotland
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Turkey
Venice