Victoria 3 offers players the chance to guide a nation through the tumultuous years of the Victorian era, shaping the destiny of said nation as it faces the challenges of industrialization, colonialism, and at times, war. The Sphere of Influence DLC introduces all-new power bloc mechanics and a slew of other improvements that add more flavor and more options to Victoria 3's economy-based gameplay.

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Sphere of Influence also introduces the Great Game objective mode, which allows players to play out the Great Game between Great Britain and Russia as one of a number of countries. There are plenty of options available to Victoria 3 players when it comes to nations in the Sphere of Influence DLC, but some are arguably better than others.

10 Herat

A Big Challenge For A Small Province

• Region: Persia
• Cultures: Pashtun, Persian
• Religion: Sunni
• Tier: Principality

Herat is possibly the most challenging of the Great Game objective nations thanks to its small size and difficult position. That said, it benefits from the new events, journal entries, and characters introduced in Sphere of Influence, so it does have a lot of flavor.

That said, Herat might make for a bit of a difficult journey for newer or more inexperienced players as it simply doesn't have a lot of the advantages in population, economy, or even diplomacy that some of the other options do.

9 Kabul

Good Early Conquest Potential

• Region: Persia
• Cultures: Pashtun, Tajik
• Religion: Sunni
• Tier: Principality

One of the smaller nations available to play as for the Great Game objective, Kabul is a challenging start sandwiched between great powers. This is a difficult starting nation as it lacks some of the options available to larger and more powerful countries.

That said, it benefits from Sphere of Influence's new events and journal entries, so it can be a rewarding nation to choose for somewhat more experienced players.

8 Kandahar

Well-Positioned For Conquest And Diplomacy

• Region: Persia
• Cultures: Pashtun, Tajik
• Religion: Sunni
• Tier: Principality

Kandahar is a minor nation that starts with the journal entry Afghan Reunification. The nation is one of the central battlefields for the Great Game, meaning that it can be a rough time for inexperienced players. But there are some obvious goals in mind to direct gameplay, such as unifying the Afghanistan region.

This is a difficult task, as not only do the other minor nations in the area object to this, but larger nations such as Persia and even great powers like Russia and Great Britain will take considerable interest in the goings-on of the region.

7 Denmark

An Unorthodox Option With Good Colonial Prospects

• Region: Scandinavia
• Cultures: Danish
• Religion: Protestant
• Tier: Kingdom

Denmark is in an interesting option for the Sphere of Influence DLC, having control over Greenland and Iceland while also having a small but respectable colonial presence in the form of Danish Togo and the Danish West Indies. Not only that, but Denmark also holds Schleswig and Holstein in personal unions.

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This makes Denmark an intriguing choice for Sphere of Influence's new power bloc gameplay, as it has all the seeds of a great colonial empire and simply needs a player to take control and make something of them. Given Denmark's out-of-the-way location and the smaller stakes, it can be a good choice for players looking to get to grips with Sphere of Influence in a less stressful setting.

6 Spain

A Rich Country With Useful Colonies

• Region: Iberia
• Cultures: Spanish
• Religion: Catholic
• Tier: Kingdom

Spain is an interesting prospect in Victoria 3 because its glory days are firmly in the past. Spain, in the game's setting, is a fading colonial power with most of its overseas holdings having gone independent. Still, Spain has some interesting qualities, including a productive homeland and a handful of overseas colonies to its name.

This makes Spain a good choice for Sphere of Influence since players can easily get stuck in to the power bloc gameplay and bring this once great colonial power back to the forefront of global politics.

5 France

An Economic And Military Powerhouse

• Region: France
• Cultures: French
• Religion: Catholic
• Tier: Empire

France is a real powerhouse in Victoria 3. Not quite as powerful or successful as it had been just prior to the start of the game, France is nevertheless a strong country with a lot of potential in the right hands. Its colonies and other possessions border quite a few of the game's big nations - Great Britain, Prussia, even Brazil - while having a presence near smaller nations such as in North and West Africa.

This gives France real versatility, and with the new mechanics from Sphere of Influence, France has even more options for building itself a vast and powerful empire.

4 Persia

Easiest Non-GB Or Russian Nation For The Great Game

• Region: Persia
• Cultures: Persian
• Religion: Shiite
• Tier: Empire

One of the key players in the Great Game between Russia and Great Britain, Persia is the state most able to defend itself and the wider region from British and Russian expansion. This makes Persia a great choice for Sphere of Influence, although it isn't without its challenges.

Players will need to unify the Iranian plateau and its surrounding regions while finding themselves powerful allies to resist the foreign expansion, which is not at all an easy task. With many new events and journal entries involving the Great Game content, Perisa is a fantastic nation for the Sphere of Influence DLC.

3 The Ottoman Empire

Strong But Not Especially Stable

• Region: Anatolia
• Cultures: Turkish
• Religion: Sunni
• Tier: Empire

Famously known as the Sick Man of Europe through a lot of this period, the Ottomans in Victoria 3 are still a force to be reckoned with. Although players need to contend with a number of crippling events, the Ottomans are powerful and can expand in a number of different ways.

Bordering Persia, the Ottomans can become easily involved in the Great Game, usurping the ambitions of greater powers like Great Britain and Russia. The Ottomans can offer a challenging but rewarding experience in the base game, but this is even more true with Sphere of Influence.

2 Great Britain

An Extremely Powerful Country With All The Advantages

• Region: England
• Cultures: English, Scottish
• Religion: Protestant
• Tier: Protestant

Great Britain was the historical winner of this era - an empire so vast and powerful it defined the entire period. In Victoria 3, the same can be said, especially in the hands of a skilled player. Sphere of Influence gives players the chance to play out the Great Game between Russia and Great Britain where both countries vie for control of Afghanistan and the surrounding regions.

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Great Britain has a lot of fantastic advantages in Victoria 3, from its large population and GDP to its wide array of colonial subjects and possessions, along with its solid economy filled with useful and essential resources. Thanks to the new events, characters, and journal entries added by Sphere of Influence, it has even more flavor, too.

1 Russia

Easy Access To The Great Game Countries

• Region: Russia
• Cultures: Russian
• Religion: Orthodox
• Tier: Empire

Catherine the Great of Russia famously said, "I have no way to defend my borders but to expand them," and that philosophy is evident from Russia's starting position in Victoria 3. Already a vast country, Russia is placed well to become even larger. One of the defining parts of Russia's experience in the Victorian era was its participation in the Great Game, the decades-long attempt by Great Britain and Russia to win control over Afghanistan and the wider area.

Russia is a great option for Sphere of Influence because it benefits greatly from the new events, characters, and journal entries added with this DLC. It also offers a bit more of a challenge than Great Britain, which can make for a much more interesting game.

Victoria 3

Platform(s)

PC

Released

October 25, 2022

Developer(s)

Paradox Development Studio

Genre(s)

Strategy