Conquer The World WW2 Player Strategy Hub
Advice split by playstyle — major power or small nation.
Conquer The World WW2 (CTWWW2) plays very differently depending on whether you are running a sprawling major power or trying to survive as a small nation squeezed between larger neighbors. Rather than one generic strategy page, this hub splits advice into two focused guides so you get recommendations that actually fit your situation.
Major Powers
The Major Powers guide covers the challenges that come with scale: managing a large, multi-front economy, coordinating diplomacy across many neighbors at once, and using puppet states to expand without collapsing your own administration. If you picked a nation near the top of the Nation Tier List, start there.
Small Nation Tips
The Small Nation Tips guide focuses on survival: how to use diplomacy defensively, where to invest limited factories and manpower, and how to avoid becoming an easy annexation target for a larger neighbor. If you started with one of our Best Starter Nations or simply landed a minor power, this is the page for you.
Why playstyle matters this much
The four pillars of CTWWW2 — Economy, Government Policy, Diplomacy, and Warfare — apply to every nation, but how you weigh them changes enormously with scale. A major power can absorb a bad trade deal or a lost border skirmish; a small nation often cannot. Understanding which category you fall into before you make big decisions is one of the fastest ways to stop losing ground for reasons that feel avoidable in hindsight.
Moving between categories
Nations do not stay in the same category forever. A small nation that plays its diplomacy and economy well can grow into a genuine regional or even major power over a long match, while a major power that mismanages its fronts can shrink back down to fighting for survival. Re-read whichever guide matches your current situation, not just the one that matched you at the start of the match — the advice that keeps a small nation alive is often the opposite of what a sprawling empire needs.
Related reading
Both guides assume familiarity with the fundamentals covered in Getting Started, Economy & Factories, and Diplomacy. If any of those systems still feel unfamiliar, read them first — the player-specific strategies here build directly on top of those mechanics rather than repeating them.
Comparing your position
If you are unsure which category you currently fall into, check your nation against the Nation Tier List: nations near the top usually play like major powers from the start, while anything in the lower tiers is closer to the small-nation playstyle regardless of how the match eventually unfolds.
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the most common questions.
Which player guide should I read first?
Major Powers if you're running a large, resource-rich nation; Small Nation Tips if you're playing a minor power with limited factories and manpower.
Do small nations ever become major powers?
Yes, strong diplomacy and economic management can grow a small nation into a regional or major power over a long match.
What should I read before these player guides?
Getting Started, Economy & Factories, and Diplomacy cover the fundamentals both player-specific guides assume you already understand.