![[Ranked] Best Europa Universalis IV DLC](/sites/default/files/styles/responsive_image_2x_1240xauto/public/2023-02/dlc_tier_list_title_pic.webp?itok=ie3Sa3ew "The rulers of the world")
Europa Universalis IV, one of Paradox Interactive’s most successful and long running games, is reaching its later years rapidly. Despite the age however, it is managing to keep up its youthful vigor as the developer is continually pumping out more and more DLC for the game to keep it fresh and interesting. Of course, having come out back in 2013, and with two or even three DLC per year coming out for the game, this has resulted in a huge number of DLC for the game that makes the full experience ultimately cost over $400 USD.
This list is to help a potential new player to find which of the many DLC might fit their interests best, which are worth the price, and which are ultimately not.
19. Origins ($9.99)
Origins is one of the more recent DLC for Europa Universalis IV, that focuses on the birthplace of humanity. Its ‘origin’, in Africa. From the western coast with Golden Mali to the Jews of Beta Israel and down to the Swahili Coast, one can experience all of Sub-Saharan Africa to its full extent with this DLC.
Origins Review: It focuses almost exclusively on the kingdoms of sub-Saharan Africa, such as Mali, Songhai, Ethiopia, and the Kongo, offering new missions and some small mechanics to those nations. And that is about it for the content of this DLC. These nations are often too isolated for a player to come across in their typical game that does not take place in Africa so you very well may not even get to see these changes if that isn’t your preferred area to play. Ultimately, if you don’t plan on playing in Africa, then this DLC is very easy to pass over.
What you’ll get with Origins:
- Changes to the Jewish religion
- Unique mission trees and government reforms for the aforementioned nations and more.
Get Origins if you like:
- African History
- Non-European Playthroughs
Origins Rating: 3/10
18. Third Rome ($9.99)
Third Rome is an immersion pack DLC like Origins that is set to add flavor and more interesting and immersive gameplay for countries in that region. (See why it’s called an immersion pack?) Whether one rules from the vast steppe to the snowy taiga or all the way to the flat, frozen tundras, the player can hold the destiny of Russia in their hands.
Third Rome Review: Russia is a very popular location to play, and it is large enough that a player is reasonably likely to have to interact with the giant country at some point. Of course, like Origins, it still only affects one set of countries, with a minor bonus for the relatively rare Orthodox nations of the world. Another DLC that could easily be passed over if one does not play in, or next to, Russia.
What you’ll get with Third Rome:
- Unique government types, military units, missions, ideas for Russia, and various Russian minors
- Changes to the Orthodox religion
Get Third Rome if you like:
- Highly expansionist playthroughs as one of the strongest nations in history
- Russian History
Third Rome Rating: 3/10
17. Res Publica ($4.99)
The third DLC for Europa Universalis depicts the world in the Age of Exploration as one of great republics seeking their own place in the world, rather than just absolute monarchs and conquerors.
Res Publica Review: The third DLC for Europa Universalis takes the spot as the third worst DLC for the game. The feature list is one of the smallest for any EUIV DLC released, with only some minor updates to republics. Republics, which are rather rare in the world and are limited to a small handful of nations. The price is very low, however, the content is extremely minimal, and some is even covered in different DLC. A simple grab due to its low price, but also very easily ignored.
What you’ll get with Res Publica:
- A unique government type for the Netherlands
- Changes to the merchant republic and elective monarchy government types
- National Focuses (also unlocked by Common Sense)
Get Res Publica if you like:
- Non-Monarchical States
Res Publica Rating: 3/10
16. Golden Century ($9.99)
The discovery of the New World by Columbus began the Age of the Exploration for the world. The Spanish and Portuguese empires led Europe in the colonization of the New World and much of the old, allowing Europeans to spread their reach in pursuit of God, gold and glory. With this DLC, one can relive that as these nations.
Golden Century Review: Golden Century had a rough launch, and still sits as ‘mostly negative’ on Steam. This review is mostly due to the shaky release, as the content it adds isn’t too bad. While like other immersion packs it focuses heavily on one particular part of the world, it adds a few small, key features that every nation on the map is able to enjoy should they wish to. Easily one of the better immersion packs and worthwhile if one intends to try and colonize the world.
What you’ll get with Golden Century:
- The ability to expel minorities to the colonies
- State orders for Iberian nations
- Unique missions for Iberian and Maghrebi nations
- Pirate Republic government type
- Flagships for your fleet
- Naval Barrage against forts to break them open
Get Golden Century if you like:
- Colonial gameplay
- Spanish or Portuguese history
Golden Century Rating: 4/10
15. Lions of the North ($14.99)
The home of the company behind Paradox EUIV, Sweden, up in Northern Europe, is a key focus of the newest Immersion Pack DLC for Europa Universalis IV. Throughout history, the Baltics have been home to crusaders, traders, and pagan peoples, as well as much conflict. From the frigid wastes of Norway and Sweden, to the plains of Poland, one can lead their Baltic state into the future with Lions of the North.
Lions of the North Review: Lions of the North is the newest DLC from Paradox Interactive for the game, and it is a significant step up from the other immersion packs that Paradox has released. The nations covered in this DLC, those along the Baltic Sea like the Scandinavian countries, Poland, and the Teutonic Order are all major countries that are directly in the middle of the action in Europe, and the content for those nations is not lackluster either. A great pickup for anyone playing near the region of Northern Europe, though like with the other immersion packs, it is unnecessary if you don’t play in the region.
What you’ll get with Lions of the North:
- New Missions for the Baltic States such as Sweden, Livonia, Denmark, and the Teutonic Order
- Unique content and mechanics for those nations.
- New Estate Privileges.
Get Lions of the North if you like:
- Baltic state history
- Highly immersive gameplay in one of the favored regions by the game developer
Lions of the North Rating: 4/10
14. Conquest of Paradise ($14.99)
The very first DLC for Europa Universalis IV came all the way back in 2014. And in a game set in the Age of Exploration, what better to start with than one focusing on the colonization of the New World? A focus on this rich period in human history is something to behold.
Conquest of Paradise Review: Conquest of Paradise is old, and it rather shows. For the most part, every mechanic it has added has been overhauled, changed or been added by another DLC later on. With the exception of "support independence," those mechanics still require Conquest of Paradise to use, and anyone who wants to colonize or play in the New World needs this DLC.
What you’ll get with Conquest of Paradise:
- The ability to randomize the new world for a unique playthrough every time.
- Native American changes to their mechanics and governments.
- The ability to have a colonial nation and potentially even play as one.
- The ability to support the independence of other nations' subjects. (Also in El Dorado)
Get Conquest of Paradise if you like:
- Creating fantasy worlds
- Pre-Columbian American History
- Colonial or Native Gameplay
Conquest of Paradise Rating: 4/10
13. El Dorado ($14.99)
Another DLC centered on the exploration and colonization of the New World and the people who lived there. El Dorado brings Mesoamerican cultures and peoples to life through entirely new content for them and their religions.Or, make a whole new fantasy nation anywhere in the world!
El Dorado Review: El Dorado is basically just a better version of Conquest of Paradise, with a particular focus on Mesoamerican states like the Inca, Aztec, and Maya rather than the smaller tribes of the Amazon or the modern day US and Canada. Of course, this is in addition to more mechanics for colonizers. This makes it a very good DLC for many different sorts of nations. And it even allows for custom nations to be made and played, with them potentially being placed anywhere in the world.
What you’ll get with El Dorado:
- The ability to create a custom nation anywhere in the world.
- A complete rework of Mesoamerican religions and mechanics
- Heavily reworked exploration and colonization mechanics
- The ability to support the independence of other nations' subjects. (Also in Conquest of Paradise)
Get El Dorado if you like:
- Creating fantasy nations
- Pre-Columbian American History
- Colonial or Native Gameplay
El Dorado Rating: 5/10
12. Rule Britannia ($9.99)
Rule Britannia is another immersion pack for Europa Universalis IV, and it covers the great nation of Great Britain. Once the strongest power in the world, you can take Britain on its meteoric rise from a backwater in Europe through various trials and tribulations to the global superpower it became.
Rule Britannia Review: Rule Britannia is easily the best of the immersion packs released by Paradox Interactive.Fitted with content for one of the most popular nations to play, as well as mechanics for nations all over the world. Highly recommended for any player looking to play in one of the most interesting locations or in any country with a strong naval presence.
What you’ll get with Rule Britannia:
- Knowledge Sharing
- Unique missions for nations in the British Isles
- A new trade good in Coal, and a respective manufactory.
- Innovativeness to show just how cutting edge your nation is
- Naval Doctrines to give your fleet more flavor
- Anglican religion for those nations in the British Isles
Get Rule Britannia if you like:
- Naval gameplay
- British History
- Industrialization and factory like games
Rule Britannia Rating: 5/10
11. Mare Nostrum ($14.99)
Mare Nostrum is a DLC focused on the waters of the world and interacting with them. Sail the seven seas and crush your foes beneath the waves. Conquer the oceans and claim ‘your sea’.
Mare Nostrum Review: Mare Nostrum gives the game a much needed update to its naval aspect. The automatic missions remove a serious hassle from the game and make it much more fluid. Most nations in the game will be interacting with the water at some point, and the ability to view replays of your game is always a neat feature. Though the features are all rather separated from each other.
What you’ll get with Mare Nostrum:
- Automatic naval missions
- The ability to pillage coasts for money and sailors
- The ability to send Condottieri (mercenaries) to other nations for a price.
- Espionage rework
- Trade leagues for merchant republics
- Replays of your game.
Get Mare Nostrum if you like:
- Espionage in games
- Naval Gameplay
- Having a record of your game
Naval Gameplay
Mare Nostrum Rating: 6/10
10. Wealth of Nations ($9.99)
The second ever DLC for Europa Universalis IV. Wealth of Nations brought life to the game and added onto the ability of a state to make money from trade. With this DLC you can laugh down at your rivals from atop your mountain of gold, and bring great wealth to your nation.
Wealth of Nations Review: What I personally believe to be the first, really good DLC that was released for Europa Universalis IV. A heavy revamp to the trade system and the introduction of plenty of content for mercantile nations. This DLC is a very good pickup if you plan to play just about any nation, as it has something for everyone.
What you’ll get with Wealth of Nations:
- Trade companies (Also added in the Dharma DLC)
- The ability to cause trade conflicts through espionage
- Being able to use privateers to steal money from your rivals
- Allowing a country to designate its primary trade hub
- Changes to the Hindu and Reformed religions
Get Wealth of Nations if you like:
- Playing tall in games
- If you enjoy the classic Paradox fan passtime of seeing ‘number go up’
Wealth of Nations Rating: 6/10
9. Mandate of Heaven ($19.99)
The Mandate of Heaven is yours to claim in this Europa Universalis IV DLC. The rich lands of the far east have been vastly expanded and seriously opened up for the player to enjoy themselves in.
Mandate of Heaven Review: The Mandate of Heaven is a solid DLC for Europa Universalis IV. It is almost a requirement to have in order to play as a nation in the Far East due to all of the content it adds for them. Historical ages are also a very welcome improvement to give each section of the game its own feel. A Highly recommended DLC, though a must have in the far east.
What you’ll get with Mandate of Heaven:
- Historical ages with objectives to complete, and various bonuses
- Diplomatic macrobuilder
- Unique east Asian government types for nations like China and Japan
- Changes to the Confucian and Shinto religions
- Tributaries as a subject type and various interactions with them
- The ability for the Manchu to raise banners
- A state's prosperity can now rise during periods of peace.
Get Mandate of Heaven if you like:
- East Asian History
- A smooth diplomatic interface
Mandate of Heaven Rating: 7/10
8. Cradle of Civilization ($19.99)
The Cradle of Civilization awaits you to claim it for your own. The birthplace of the first states, the Middle East sees vast expansion in this DLC that allows the player to immerse themselves in the region like never before. Will you be able to make the cradle of civilization the center of it again?
Cradle of Civilization Review: Cradle of Civilization covers the Middle East, a region that is well… in the middle of everything. Of all the non-immersion pack DLC, this one has the most focus on a singular region of the world, as nearly all of its content is for those specific nations. A great pick if you live near or near the Middle East, or if you simply want to play a Muslim anywhere in the world.
What you’ll get with Cradle of Civilization:
- The ability to promote advisors
- Unique governments and missions for various Islamic nations, including the Mamluks and Persia
- Trade policies for your nation to use
- Islamic schools for the various faiths
- Army Professionalism
- The ability to convert the provinces of your subjects
Get Cradle of Civilization if you like:
- Middle Eastern History
- World religions that are unique and interesting
Cradle of Civilization Rating: 7/10
7. Leviathan ($19.99)
Leviathans are dangerous beasts. A huge, powerful beast of the sea that devours all in its path. This DLC doesn’t really cover the ocean, but it does cover the idea of the biggest fish in the pond. Go around and bring other states under your vassalage and ensure that they work for you.
Leviathan Review: Leviathan had a very shaky and controversial release for fans of the game. However, this was mostly due to bugs, glitches, and oversights. The DLC, on the other hand, contains a wealth of useful content for the player. Outstanding if you are playing in Southeast Asia or North America, and great for almost the entire world due to the addition of monuments.
What you’ll get with Leviathan:
- Monuments for players to build and develop in their world
- Mission trees for Southeast Asian and North American countries
- Rework for diplomatic favors
- Rework to colonial nations
- Estate Regencies
- Changes to the Totemism religion
Get Leviathan if you like:
- Southeast Asian history
- Investing huge amounts of money into grand projects
- Colonial gameplay
Leviathan Rating: 7/10
6. Cossacks ($19.99)
The Cossacks bring to life one of the great moments in history… when the Ottoman Sultan was referred to as a ‘swineherd’. In this DLC, you too can grievously insult your foes and say slanderous things that you’ll be doing to their mothers. It will be just like online game chats.
Cossacks Review: The Cossacks brought estates into the game, and they are a well liked addition. Having some sort of internal affairs that a player has to manage and various factions vying for influence and power keeps the player on their toes. Added content and quality of life changes are also all widely appreciated. A good pickup.
What you’ll get with The Cossacks:
- Estates to manage (A recent, free patch added this to the base game)
- Diplomatic feedback (AI attitudes, provinces of interest, and favors)
- The ability to grant land to your subjects
- Cossack unit type and government type
- Major changes to Hordes including government type, razing and changes to the Tengri religion
- The Dhimmi and Cossacks as unique estates
- The ability to threaten war to get land through intimidation
Get the Cossacks if you like:
- Internal management for your country
- Mongol History
Cossacks Rating: 8/10
5. Rights of Man ($19.99)
The Rights of Man are yours to decide in this Europa Universalis IV DLC. And who better to decide those rights than the ones who rule over them? Lead your nation and ensure your monarch doesn’t get too big for their britches with the Rights of Man.
Rights of Man Review: The Rights of Man DLC is a good all-around DLC for players.It focuses on the mechanics specific to each nation in the world, with a few additional bits of player information scattered throughout the rest of the world. It does have a rather small amount of content, but what it adds is all immensely valuable to a player.
What you’ll get with Rights of Man:
- Personalities for your rulers, their consorts, and your heirs
- Changes to the Fetishist and Coptic religions
- Changes to the Prussian, Ottoman and Revolutionary government types
- A Great Power mechanic for the most powerful nations in the world
Get Rights of Man if you like:
- Having a unique, and interesting ruler for your country
- Being able to “flex your might” as a powerful nation
Rights of Man Rating: 8/10
4. Emperor ($19.99)
In Emperor, you can establish yourself as the greatest monarch on Earth. All others sit beneath you. Ascend above the clouds of heaven and make yourself like the most high in this DLC. All others are beneath you.
Emperor Review: Emperor heavily favors Europe for its content, as nearly every bit of content, with the exception of hegemonies, is meant for a European country. However, Europa is literally the name of the game, and it easily receives the most playtime by far. While some people may try to play exclusively outside of Europe, this is an excellent purchase for almost anyone.
What you’ll get with Emperor:
- Changes to Catholicism and a new Hussite Faith
- A rework to the Holy Roman Empire
- Mission trees for many countries in Europe such as France, Prussia, Austria, and Italy.
- A rework to the Revolution
- Hegemonies to form that assert a nation's ultimate power
Get Emperor if you like:
- Content in the most popular region in the game
- European History
Emperor Rating: 8/10
3. Dharma ($19.99)
India is a land of wealth and trouble. A land of many religions and even more gods, one must have an expert grip on diplomatic and military tactics to control this fractured land and bring it together once again.
Dharma Review: Dharma might appear to be an Indian immersion pack. And while it does provide quite a bit of content to Indian nations, like an immersion pack does, it also provides a large amount of content for every nation in the world. The ability to completely customize your government and how it is run is not something that should be understated. A great pick up.
What you’ll get with Dharma:
- Government reforms (A recent patch has made this free, but many individual reforms are still DLC content)
- Free policies
- Trade companies and trade company investments (Trade companies are also in Wealth of Nations)
- Automatic rebel suppression
- Massive upgrades to most Indian nations including missions, estates, and government types
- The ability to upgrade centers of trade
- Charter companies to buy land from overseas nations
Get Dharma if you like:
- Being able to customize the government of your nation
- Indian History
Dharma Rating: 9/10
2. Common Sense ($14.99)
One must have Common Sense to rule their nation and bring it into the future. Develop your country and see it grow to ever greater heights. Take hegemony over your subjects and keep them in line. The world is at your fingertips.
Common Sense Review: Common Sense vastly changed the game when it came out. The addition of province development, which allowed them to be improved at will by the player, completely changed the game.In addition to everything else that this DLC added, it is easily one of the best DLC and a great pick up.
What you’ll get with Common Sense:
- Province development (A recent patch has added this to base game)
- The ability to interact more in depth with your subjects
- Changes to the Protestant and Buddhist religions.
- Reworks for theocracies and parliaments
- The ability to set a national focus (Also in Res Publica)
Get Common Sense if you like:
- Being able to play tall rather than wide
Common Sense Rating: 9/10
1. Art of War ($19.99)
The Art of War is tricky to learn, but its mastery will allow you to overcome any foe. They say a true master of war will win before it begins. But just in case, make sure you know how to fight it too. Conquer the world with the Art of War.
Art of War Review: Easily the best DLC that has been released for Europa Universalis IV. The amount of content that it adds for every nation in the world is extreme, and it provided so many quality of life additions and changes that playing without it would be a far lesser experience. My highest praise goes out to this DLC. If you can only buy one DLC for EUIV, then it should absolutely be this one.
What you’ll get with Art of War:
- The ability to transfer the occupation of a province to any ally in the war (Recently added to the game as a free feature)
- An army macrobuilder
- Client states and interactions with them
- The ability to give directions to your subjects in war
- You can now mothball your navy while at peace to pay reduced upkeep
- Marches as subjects and interactions with them.
- An upgraded peace deal interface
- The Holy Roman Empire will experience the religious league war
- The Revolution can arise in any European country.
Get Art of War if you like:
- Enjoying the warfare system in EUIV
- A Smooth military interface.
- Ruling over and controlling your subjects
Art of War Rating: 10/10
