Portugal is the simplest power to play. The basic neccessity of good Portugese play is keeping Spain content.  Spain is the only player that can give Portugal any real problem militarily. An alliance with Spain solves
everything for Portugal.

After an alliance with Spain exploration is everything.  Portugal must get to India first and gather those VPs.  This should be easy.  As you start halfway there and everyone else starts from Europe it should be a cake walk.

The next issue is the round the world trips. These are also Portugese VPs. At most, Portugal could deal the second trip to Spain to solidify the alliance. Next, Cape Horn is an actual race between you and Spain. If you
get there first there is 10 VPs more for you; you should get there first. Outside these VPs there are no other freebies for Portugal. Still there are a minimum of 135 VPs for Portugal.

Portugese exploration technics. Use your explorers. Send Diaz to India and Cabral to the Cape Horn. When these explorers die [and they will if you are using them] you will get a ?explorer so do not worry. Reporting of
explorations is important. As explorers and their naval units sail further from the risk of losing discoveries due to loses of the naval forces and the explorer involved. Make sure you take the time to sail to a friendly ports to report your discoveries. [A quick method of reporting a set of discoveries is to take the explorer at the start of the round and send him back to a friendly port and back to the stack where it can start this round's exploration.]

Turn 1 explorer until the end of the Turn. And send your ?conquistador to Malabar[Goa] to assist the placement of a trading post there.

After Turn 1 play the odds and explore only for a maximum of three rounds, then use all your explorers and conquistadors to increase your chances for successful placement of Colonies and Trading posts. And each turn plan your colony and trading post placements for the next turn. In this way, you get the maximum use of your ROTW leaders.

Once you have completed your explorations in your half of the ROTW, explore Amazonia. Each province is worth a VP. But do this only when you are doing other things as well as the gaining of a single VP for the discovery in not worth the cost of campaigns and troops to make and report that discovery.

Placement of Colonies in Asia needs a few comments. Never place a Colony in an Asian province with a native city. And due to the inherant vulnerability of trading posts in Asia you should primarily be placing colonies in Asia
and trading posts in Asia. By the end of the second period all of these Portugese Colonies and Trading Post markers should be on the map. The first Portugese objective should be to have working monopolies in Slaves, Products of Orient, and Spice; minor monopolies then major monopolies. There is good money and VPs here for Portugal [63 VPs in the second period alone].

Portugal should also be driving towards gaining the Indes Orientalis convoy. This is a natural by-product of Portugese expansion which gives another 50D$ in money.

The actual placement of Colonies in Asia should be in Malabar[Goa], Madras[south], Bengale[east], and Malaya[south] as a minimum. These locations will give Portugal port coverage for the waters in Asia. Adding a
Trading post to Madagascar[south] and anywhere in Congo or Angola; plus a fort or colony in Cap[south] with give Portugal port coverage from Europe to Asia. From this basic starting position Portugal will have excellent
mobility, a major monopoly in slaves, and monopolies in Spice and Product of Orient.

Portugal should also be looking towards defending its half of the ROTW. Spain will not be violating the Portugese region. But France and England can transgress your region. I would suggest that there would have to be an
exceptional benefits for you to grant them access. If either of these nations get access to Africa or Asia then the will get a big start on history in their expansion in this direction and therefore they will be increasing their chances to win the game from the advantages gained. Second, the minute that these natioons have access to Africa or Asia they become a threat to your monopolies.

Turkey is a different problem. Turkey is your game long opponent. As Portugal, any Turkish expansion into the ROTW is a threat to your monopolies, and that costs you VPs. I suggest that every Turkish incursion into your area should be opposed, and preferably eliminated, no exceptions. You may not be able to stop all exploration attempts by the Turks but you should try. Turkey has an advantage in the Red Sea [galleys vs galeon or carrack] and this gives them theoretical access to the Sudan and Ethiopia plus the island of Aden. Oppose the Turk. Make him build and maintain a naval force to defend even this area. Attack exploration forces that have the gall to expand past this area. And definately destroy Colonies and Trading posts the Turk tries to place.

One exception is Irak.  Let the turk build here. It does not interfere with your monopolies and it gives an outlet to the Turk.

The second, action against the Turk is to attack the value of the Grand Orient center. As quickly as possible you should try for a minimum of six Colonies and Trading posts in India/Asia. This will lower the value of the Grand Orient center by -20D$ [39.F.2]. Add commercial fleets in Oman Sea and Eastern Indian Ocean STZs and you have dropped the Grand Orient center by another -20D$. You should end up with 2 levels of commercial fleet in
each STZ to avoid a surprise competition that wipes you out of the STZ.

Along the same lines you can by the rules offer other nations the right to place commercial fleets in these STZs so as to further hurt the Turk. My favourite is to give this right to Venice, so that there is less long term benefit to the player in later turns.

Overall, Portugal has the advantage vs the Turks in every military situation not bordering the Red Sea and Persian Gulf [where the Turk can have galleys]. Portugal has better Admirals and better generals in the ROTW. And, unless they are at war Portugal can attack the Turks were he chooses but the Turks cannot attack him. The Conflict in the Indian Ocean event is not a serious threat to Portugal, but it does give the Turk the right to
attack.

Here is also a good place to discuss a Portugese attack on Aden or Oman. After long consideration [and several plans of action] I have decided that it is a bad idea to attack either of these areas. Militarily you can be successful, though you will suffer loses to the defenders and their 'natives'. The problem arises if you eliminate the Colony in either of these provinces. You open up a zone for the Turks to build in that borders the sea zones they can have galleys in. You are in fact creating for them an opportunity for them to build a colony and upset your monopoly in spice. I do like to leave the Omani trading post in Tanganica[island] until I can take it in a war.

Period objectives for Portugal are relatively easy.
Period 1:
1- Each colony or trading post. Good VPs here, and it is in line with what you should be doing.
2- Commercial monopoly in Irish Sea STZ. This objective can be attacked but it is both achievable and you can protect it. Aim for a level 5 commercial fleet to avoid an unlucky competition.
3- Goa. A few of points here.
4- Tordesillas. Free points.

Do not take Maroc or Tangier as they are nor guaranteed and you can lose VPs on the down side.

Period 2.
1- Each colony or Trading post in Africa and Asia. Big points.
2- Each colony in America. Get three for sure.
3- No non-Portugese trading post in Asia. Attack each and every placement and use the natives to help your cause.
4- Commercial monopoly in Irish Sea STZ. This objective can be attacked but it is both achievable and you can protect it. Aim for a level 5 commercial fleet to avoid an unlucky competition.

Portugal in Europe.

My first comment was that Portugal needs good relations with Spain. Luckily, most Spanish players like to have at least one stable and consistant ally and things usually work out well.

Beyond this basic premise there is little in Europe that Portugal has to do. This does not mean that there is nothing for Portugal to do. It really means that Portugal is free to set its own course.

Portugal is also the dominant naval power outside the Med due entirely to its admirals. This, in turn, makes England very desirious of an alliance with Portugal. Portugal should be able to get almost anything he wants from
England [money, assistance in wars, invitations to all the best parties, etc]. Luckily, for England, Portugal has little need to hurt England.

France is a problem for Portugal. If Spain is your ally, and Spain and France fight three event wars, then for a substantual amount of time France cannot be your friend. In the down time between Spain and France France
will look towards England. On the other hand France can pay bigtime for any favours Portugal does for him.

Venice is an ally that Portugal really cannot help much on his own. Joining in cooperative efforts to save Venice can be good politics but there is little other benefit to you for an alliance here.

An exception to all the above alliances are the joint campaign alliances against minors. In these instances Portugal is allying to join in on a kill of a minor. These are always beneficial campaigns for Portugal in that they are usually very short campaigns and give Portugal VPs. If anyone has a plan and listen. Never allow them to call you as an ally instead use your alliance to join into the war [this way you are not caught in a big war]. Portugal does not need territory in Europe to succeed so the others are more likely to go along with your conditions for participation as they are getting the pick of the spoils.

Turkey is an interesting ally/enemy. Turkey is almost constantly at war in the first two periods and therefore give many opportunities for piggyback campaigns vs minors. In turn, Turkey would enjoy the benefits of a potential ally with a quality admiral. You may even be able to convince the Turk to forgo exploration into the Indian Ocean until the end of the second period. Due to the inconvience of Crusades any alliance should contain an escape clause that ends an alliance prior to any role for a Crusade. This clause would protect Portugal from the stability loses from either breaking the alliance or refusing a Crusade. [Read the alliance rules. There is no penalty for ending an alliance, the penalties are only for refusing a call-to-ally during a DOW or for breaking an alliance with a DOW. Thus alliances can be unilaterally ended without penalty.]  An alliance with Turkey could even allow Portugal to survive a split with Spain.

In most games, Portugal seems to ignore the military campaigns vs minors. This is a mistake. VPs from here are just a valuable as any other VPs Portugal gets.

There are only two minors that Portugal is really interested in: Genoa and Maroc. Maroc is because the period objectives give a penalty to Portugal if they do not diplomatically control Maroc for at least half the period in
question. [I consider any effotrt by Portugal as a waste your time, these VPs are lost. Turkey can out compete you for Maroc, early and can also attack it if it falls to your control, with the probable help of Al Djazair. And that campaign could also put Tanger in jeopardy.]

Genoa is a natural match for Portugal in that Genoa has a galley fleet that would match nicely with the Portugese admirals. [I have rarely seen a Portugese player go for Genoa, more often they leave it for Spain and France
to squabble over. Since, Genoa is only really useful in times of Crusade Spain, at least, should recognize the superiority of having Genoa in Portugese hands.]

Beyond these two I like Persia.  Persia is a good match for Portugal in the second period when conflict with Turkey is more likely to arise. Also, if Persia is Portugese controlled in the second period then if will be free for
Russian control in the third.  For similar reasons I like Poland.

Diplomacy on Persia is costly and takes some time. But it has benefits. No matter how powerful Turkey is there is alway an opportunity for a Portugese DOW on Crimea with Persian intervention. If Turkey wishes the fight then you have the armies Persia to use. And if Turkey does not wish to fight then you can crush Crimea. [Also, note that in this campaign you shold be able to call on Genoa as well.]

Portugal is the natural leader in VPs after the first two periods. And the nice thing is that most of Portugal's VPs are from the ROTW where no one else can contest you.

Having said that Portugal is the natural leader for VPs.  This can lead to possible worry by other players that you are getting too far ahead. If they decide to attack you there is little you can do on your own to stop them [this is why you need to keep Spain happy]. Only Spain and Turkey can hope to match your early point totals; and only Turkey can significantly exceed your totals [and then only if he has had great military successes throughout the period]. On the upside, a European war against Portugal is unlikely to seriously effect Portugal's VP total, for the very reason that the VPs come from the ROTW and the other players cannot get there unless you have previously let them into your region.

Most players recognize the the early game is Portugal's chance to shine and that as Russia the VPs are harder to come by.

Overall, Portugal is fun to play. You gain lots of money and you are rewarded with lots of VPs.