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Thread: most powerful faction

  1. #31
    Member Member LordK9's Avatar
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    Default Re: most powerful faction

    Quote Originally Posted by Vincent Butler View Post

    Egypt is too good (and with unrealistic units to boot, they would be Greek at this time), though I once saw Pontus take them out and then make it all the way over to Carthage.
    I don't believe they were using chariots when Persia conquered them let alone Macedon. Now, against the Hittites ----

    Well, the chariots are easily defeated - eventually they'll charge headlong into your phalanx troops. Historically, the Egyptians of the time had a hard time with the Selucids because they would only use Greek and Macedonian soldiers in their armies. There weren't that many of them in living in Egypt so they hired mercenaries to guard cities and beef up their land armies which were quite small - basically they were a naval power. Yeah, I totally agree.

  2. #32
    Requin Member Vincent Butler's Avatar
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    And has anyone ever tried to play as Egypt? They are very unruly. I may eventually try them again, but with their cav being as bad as it is, it is not worth much for support. I would be fielding lots of Pharoah's Bowmen. I don't want to try to build an army around Nile Spearmen. I also don't want the Axemen as my line troops. Really, I think the computer overcompensates Egypt.
    Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight: Psalm 144:1

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  3. #33
    Senior Member Senior Member ReluctantSamurai's Avatar
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    Default Re: most powerful faction

    I've played them a few times. No Pharaoh's Bowmen or Guard (too silly), Desert Cavalry reduced to 54 men and placed in square formation, Bowmen reduced to an 80 man unit. My biggest beef (besides the absurd Old Kingdom look) is having my generals in chariots. Their participation in city assaults is pretty much gone, and they are too susceptible to getting killed by arrow fire on the battlefield. I also fail to understand why they aren't allowed to build quinquereme's. Archeology shows Egypt built some very large and very advanced-design sailing ships. Besides, the Ptolemaic's were of Greek origin...why wouldn't they know how to build advanced warships?

    I don't believe the AI overcompensates Egypt. IMHO, it's the chariots that leads to their dominance when fighting AI-led factions in the Middle East. In AI vs AI battles, it's all auto-calc and the chariots tip battles in favor of Egypt. Take those away (and they should never have been included in the first place, having disappeared from the battlefield after Alexander's time) and the Ptolemaic's are an ordinary faction

    Doesn't one of the mods address the fact that the Ptolemaic's, being of Greek origins, should have hoplites of some sort?
    Last edited by ReluctantSamurai; 10-28-2016 at 12:20.
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  4. #34

    Default Re: most powerful faction

    While I think Rome is the most complete and powerful faction, Selucia does present the most power out of the east, being the most versatile faction there. Armenia definitely requires special tactics as you progress through their initial weak units (outside of HA) until you can make it to the Cats and CA. Their Heavy Spearman do provide a nice line infantry with which to pin opposing infantry. Playing as Armenia is a ton of fun since you can normally avoid Egypt until you have the units to handle them. I must confess though, I have never had an army of just Cats and CA, that would be hard to stop.
    Egypt is just too unique in all of their units. I have never played with them, but I think it would be difficult to combine phalanx, poor light infantry, chariots, and poor cav into a flexible fighting force. As Selucia, I simply picked my battles with Egypt to have a large tactical advantage, whether that be in the city, at a river, or high ground. Never had a problem stomping Egypt with Selucia.

  5. #35
    Requin Member Vincent Butler's Avatar
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    Default Re: most powerful faction

    Quote Originally Posted by ReluctantSamurai View Post
    I also fail to understand why they aren't allowed to build quinquereme's. Archeology shows Egypt built some very large and very advanced-design sailing ships. Besides, the Ptolemaic's were of Greek origin...why wouldn't they know how to build advanced warships?

    Doesn't one of the mods address the fact that the Ptolemaic's, being of Greek origins, should have hoplites of some sort?
    They can't build quinquiremes? I could have sworn I faced them, but I just checked a campaign of mine that is in 138 BC, and no Egyptian navies have them, so yeah, that is stupid. I never noticed that before. Then again, since I have to autosim naval battles anyway, and usually build decent navies, I don't pay attention to what they have, just the status of their ships. I never noticed that I was never facing quinquiremes.

    In EB, Egypt is Greek, I think, though those units I was looking at could have been regional troops, too.
    Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight: Psalm 144:1

    In peace there's nothing so becomes a man
    As modest stillness and humility:
    But when the blast of war blows in our ears,
    Then imitate the action of the tiger;
    -Henry V by William Shakespeare

  6. #36

    Default Re: most powerful faction

    In EB, Egypt is Greek, I think, though those units I was looking at could have been regional troops, too.[/QUOTE]

    I know that some of the regional troops around Egypt are hoplites, so I would assume Egypt has at least some Hellenic style units. Probably with an Egyptian twist.

  7. #37
    Member Member LordK9's Avatar
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    Default Re: most powerful faction

    Quote Originally Posted by ReluctantSamurai View Post

    Doesn't one of the mods address the fact that the Ptolemaic's, being of Greek origins, should have hoplites of some sort?
    That I don't know but the game does kind of sort of have them. I can't remember the name of the troops but their first available good spearmen are recruited (as per the in-game descriptions) from the aristocratic class which would be the Greeks. I don't remember if they could but hoplites (which spell check says should be shoplifter ) at least should be available a mercenaries. As a maritime power, they really should be able to build quincquerems - Egyptian ships at the time of Caesar were often described as larger and less maneuverable then their Roman counterparts.

  8. #38
    Requin Member Vincent Butler's Avatar
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    Default Re: most powerful faction

    Quote Originally Posted by LordK9 View Post
    I can't remember the name of the troops but their first available good spearmen are recruited (as per the in-game descriptions) from the aristocratic class which would be the Greeks.
    Probably the Nile Spearmen. Egypt goes from Nubians to Nile Spearmen to Pharoah's Guards, as far as spearmen go. I forget where Desert Axemen fall. No matter, I will face Nubians and Nile Spearmen all day long with just about anybody.

    Kind of funny, nobody is mentioning Carthage. I have never really done much with them, so I can't speak about it. They seem like they should be good, and Sacred Band Infantry (granted you need a special temple) have equivalent stats to Praetorian Cohort. They are weak at the beginning, though, so that could be why nobody is talking about them, not to mention their lack of archers.
    Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight: Psalm 144:1

    In peace there's nothing so becomes a man
    As modest stillness and humility:
    But when the blast of war blows in our ears,
    Then imitate the action of the tiger;
    -Henry V by William Shakespeare

  9. #39

    Default Re: most powerful faction

    Carthage is not a versatile faction. With the Sacred Band Inf needing an awesome temple to recruit from, and the SB Cav needing an advanced stables, Carthage is limited to medium cav, and medium spearmen. Even the phalanx-using Poeni inf require an army barracks. Based on the troop limitations, it almost forces you to hire mercs, which is quite realistic. Spanish Mercs come in quite handy to balance out your spear based inf. And, of course, Rhodian slingers are awesome! Once you get the SB units, Carthage can steamroll just about anyone; especially if you throw in a few elephants! Fortunately, outside of Rome, Carthage has few formidable factions to face early on, allowing a build up of a stable economy from which to build higher echelon units.
    I have never had a cav unit so all around effective as the SB Cav. They don't carry the shock value of Cats, but they are much easier to move around, and don't get bogged down nearly as much. The Companian cav comes close, with a better shock value, but I seem to lose more of my men from the CC than SB.

  10. #40
    Requin Member Vincent Butler's Avatar
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    Default Re: most powerful faction

    Quote Originally Posted by Mitch the Mace View Post
    Carthage is not a versatile faction. With the Sacred Band Inf needing an awesome temple to recruit from, and the SB Cav needing an advanced stables, Carthage is limited to medium cav, and medium spearmen. Even the phalanx-using Poeni inf require an army barracks. Based on the troop limitations, it almost forces you to hire mercs, which is quite realistic. Spanish Mercs come in quite handy to balance out your spear based inf. And, of course, Rhodian slingers are awesome! Once you get the SB units, Carthage can steamroll just about anyone; especially if you throw in a few elephants! Fortunately, outside of Rome, Carthage has few formidable factions to face early on, allowing a build up of a stable economy from which to build higher echelon units.
    I have never had a cav unit so all around effective as the SB Cav. They don't carry the shock value of Cats, but they are much easier to move around, and don't get bogged down nearly as much. The Companian cav comes close, with a better shock value, but I seem to lose more of my men from the CC than SB.
    Good point about everything needing to be advanced. Greece gets AH from third barracks, Rome gets ELC from third, Britain and Gaul get Chosen Swordsmen from third, even Phalanx Pikemen from third are decent. Carthage needs 4th barracks to be really good, same problem with cav.
    Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight: Psalm 144:1

    In peace there's nothing so becomes a man
    As modest stillness and humility:
    But when the blast of war blows in our ears,
    Then imitate the action of the tiger;
    -Henry V by William Shakespeare

  11. #41
    Ja mata, TosaInu Forum Administrator edyzmedieval's Avatar
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    Default Re: most powerful faction

    Playing with Egypt requires you to play with chariots often - and I was never an adept of chariots because they would be hard to manage if you weren't fighting open ground.

    As for Carthage, the Sacred Band is tough stuff, but it's also expensive to both get there and to build.
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  12. #42
    Senior Member Senior Member ReluctantSamurai's Avatar
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    I've always found the biggest problem with Carthage is public order in such a far-flung empire. Corduba, even with a decent governor, is a royal pain in the a$$. The other big difference with Carthage is the need for a very strong navy right from the start. With the Scipii and Julii constantly trying to debark armies on your shorelines, it's often hard to keep enough serviceable sailing ships afloat.

    The key to success is booting both the Scipii and the Greeks off of Sicily (one MUST take advantage of Hanno before he dies!), beating off all the embarked-in-ship armies, and developing Carthage, with its grain-driven population growth, as quickly as possible. Sacred Band can be had sooner than one might think if you manage Carthage efficiently.

    Round Shields are pretty much crap, but all you have at the start. Long Shields, with upgrades are serviceable, much like Greek Cavalry. Poeni phalanx is also serviceable, much like Phalanx Pike (though with less mass).

    The biggest oversight by the devs (although with some minimal modding can be corrected) is no archers of any kind except mercs. Ummm....the War ellies seat archers, so someone knows how to make bows

    As a maritime power, they really should be able to build quincquerems
    Yep. And to make matters worse, an AI-led Egypt will build several huge fleets in the Red Sea, where they are absolutely useless. It is, however, an easy thing to disable the ports at Memphis, Thebes, and Petra, from building ships.

    I must confess though, I have never had an army of just Cats and CA, that would be hard to stop.
    Very true. And it makes Armenia one of the most over-powered factions when played. Led by a Legendary General/Cavalry Genius/Legendary Attacker and a retinue of movement-boosting cards, there isn't any army on the board that can stop him
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  13. #43
    Ja mata, TosaInu Forum Administrator edyzmedieval's Avatar
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    Default Re: most powerful faction

    Fine then, I'll just mod out some ultra heavy Cataphracts, make them virtual indestructible tanks and we play.
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  14. #44
    Senior Member Senior Member ReluctantSamurai's Avatar
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    Default Re: most powerful faction

    What's an ultra-heavy Cataphract? The current in-game stats for Cataphracts already makes them tanks. Isn't their popular nickname Catatanks?
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  15. #45
    Member Member LordK9's Avatar
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    Default Re: most powerful faction

    Quote Originally Posted by ReluctantSamurai View Post
    What's an ultra-heavy Cataphract? The current in-game stats for Cataphracts already makes them tanks. Isn't their popular nickname Catatanks?
    I've never really like cataphracts - so slow; so hard to turn; so depleted after a charge. I built them; just wasn't impressed.

  16. #46
    Requin Member Vincent Butler's Avatar
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    Default Re: most powerful faction

    Quote Originally Posted by LordK9 View Post
    I've never really like cataphracts - so slow; so hard to turn; so depleted after a charge. I built them; just wasn't impressed.
    Their standard attack isn't great, though their charge bonus is. When they get into melee combat, have them go to their secondary weapons (shift-rightclick). Their maces are armour-piercing.

    Bear in mind, they are a specialized unit, and must be handled as such. They are not designed (in the game) to fight as would Macedonian or Legionary Cavalry. Their survivability is very good, and when they slam into an enemy... For kicks, watch them fight wardogs. I am soon going to put them against screeching women in a custom battle. I will DVR the moment of impact. Buwahaha!
    Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight: Psalm 144:1

    In peace there's nothing so becomes a man
    As modest stillness and humility:
    But when the blast of war blows in our ears,
    Then imitate the action of the tiger;
    -Henry V by William Shakespeare

  17. #47
    Senior Member Senior Member ReluctantSamurai's Avatar
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    so slow; so hard to turn; so depleted after a charge
    The Heavy Cats are shock troops. Their best use is in breaking enemy lines and formations, particularly infantry. The three-line formation certainly makes a traditional cavalry wheel-route turn more difficult, but one shouldn't be depending on them for lightning-quick maneuvers. I've played all the factions that get heavy cats and never noticed a speed problem. They get where I want them to go, and charge when they're needed. If "depleted after a charge" means tired...that's a factor of how far they had to travel before getting into action. If you had to traverse most of the battlefield beforehand, then yeah, you're only going to get one good charge out of them before you see true fatigue.

    Armenia has the best flexibility in that you send the CA's out ahead to harass the enemy, and walk the heavy cats into position. The CA's can take care of themselves against most other cavalry, so one doesn't have to babysit them constantly like you do with the Scythian-style horse archer. I've found that Arab Cavalry make a good escort for the CA's when lancers are present. They're faster, and better in melee.

    Heavy Cats, when used for what they are intended for, can turn the tide of any battle pretty quickly. Just ask Crassus at Carrhae

    Speaking of Carrhae, it's in the list of historical battles you can fight...and one of the most difficult to win, IMHO. After the AI trashed me numerous times before I could notch a single win, I modeled my Cataphract army tactics along the lines of what the AI used on me. One of the few times the RTW battle AI humbled me

    I built them; just wasn't impressed.
    If you enjoy the Seleucids, put them behind the Heavy Chariots (works with Ellies too). When the chariots (or ellies) complete their charge (ie. pick a point beyond the units you are attacking so they don't get bogged down), immediately send in the cats and enjoy the ensuing mayhem. Chariots/ellies don't generate a lot of kills on their own, but they are the best at disrupting enemy unit cohesion and formation, which has a demoralizing effect. If your timing is good and the cats hit before a unit has reorganized....instarout

    I am soon going to put them against screeching women in a custom battle. I will DVR the moment of impact.
    Man you're cruel....................a screen capture would be awesome though
    Last edited by ReluctantSamurai; 10-31-2016 at 17:25.
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  18. #48

    Default Re: most powerful faction

    I agree. Cats cannot be handled as standard cav. They are a specialized shock cav, designed to deliver a knockout blow. I also like using them to protect my flanks if I am fighting on the defensive. Unless you let a phalanx get a hold of them, you can smash any infantry trying to sneak around the flank. With their high defense, I don't worry too much about letting them get in prolonged melee combat. Obviously I don't leave them out to dry, but they are great for delaying the enemy until I can reinforce that flank.

    With more standard heavy cav, (PC, CC, SBC) I will try to engage the flanking elements before they start to flank, but with the Cats, I don't want to run them around too much because they do tire a little easier than normal cav.

    Properly used, the Cats can turn a up-for-grabs battle into a mass rout.

  19. #49
    Requin Member Vincent Butler's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ReluctantSamurai View Post



    Man you're cruel....................a screen capture would be awesome though
    Now how do I post it? I have the video. Just to make it worse, I gave my Cats max upgrades and them none. I was a little too zoomed in, I think, but not too much, so you see pretty much everything that happens. They did not rout instantly, it actually took them a little longer to rout than I expected, probably due to the Cat's lower melee attack (SW are not armoured, so I did not use the maces).
    Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight: Psalm 144:1

    In peace there's nothing so becomes a man
    As modest stillness and humility:
    But when the blast of war blows in our ears,
    Then imitate the action of the tiger;
    -Henry V by William Shakespeare

  20. #50
    Requin Member Vincent Butler's Avatar
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    Default Re: most powerful faction

    Quote Originally Posted by Vincent Butler View Post
    Now how do I post it? I have the video.
    Never mind, I think I have it.



    I know this is overkill, and it is a waste of Cataphracts on Screeching Women. Well, not really. But Cataphracts are the hammer that either softens up a formation (hit with Cats, then with Companions if Seleucia). That should do it. Again, have Cataphracts use alternate attack if fighting armoured units, and it is better if they are used in conjunction with other units.

    I think the developers intentionally made Rome the most powerful. The Praetorian Cav, unrealistic as they are, give Rome a decisive advantage. The best infantry and the best cav, though cases can be made for Seleucia, Macedon, and Armenia, though this is only with human control, otherwise the most powerful non-Roman faction seems to be Egypt. For the Barbarians, it is Britain, with again the stupid over-rated chariots.
    Last edited by Vincent Butler; 10-31-2016 at 22:35.
    Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight: Psalm 144:1

    In peace there's nothing so becomes a man
    As modest stillness and humility:
    But when the blast of war blows in our ears,
    Then imitate the action of the tiger;
    -Henry V by William Shakespeare

  21. #51
    Senior Member Senior Member ReluctantSamurai's Avatar
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    Default Re: most powerful faction

    Splaaaat!

    What I would do differently is have the Cats charge to a point behind the...well, whatever you wish to call them That way most of the unit clears the enemy formation and is now behind them. Wheel around and finish the job, or move to another target.

    though cases can be made for Seleucia, Macedon, and Armenia
    Very strong cases, I might add

    the most powerful non-Roman faction seems to be Egypt
    If you run a campaign with all factions controlled by the AI, Rome will always triumph in their sphere of influence, and Egypt will always come out on top in the Middle East. IMHO, this speaks of roster imbalance, at the least. It's the main reason I removed a bunch of units from both factions because it became borderline monotonous to see the same outcome game after game (playing a faction not in the Middle East and watching Egypt run amok, or playing a ME faction and watch the Romans exterminate everyone around them).

    Without the silly Pharaoh's Guard/Bowmen, Desert Cavalry and Egyptian Bowmen unit size reduced to standard, I've actually seen the Seleucids hold their own against them, and other factions like Pontus or the Greeks give them tough battles and actually win a few instead of getting trounced every time.

    Same with the Romans. No Praetorian anything, no Urbans or Cohort II's (and when I play a Roman faction, same roster applies). Gaul can actually make some noise, for once. Had one game where they booted the Julii out of Segesta, and sacked Ariminum. If it wasn't for the intervention of the SPQR doomstack, they might have reduced the Julii to a lonely outpost at Caralis. It was refreshing to see. Oh, and I removed the SPQR's ability to build ships. I mean really? There's already three Roman factions building navies (and one could make an argument that three factions is too many), adding a fourth means Carthaginian and Greek City navies get crushed, and those two factions need powerful navies to thrive. Without the unrealistic SPQR navy, I've occasionally seen the Greek Cities do what they're supposed to do...fight for control of the seas near Apollonia and Thermon, and make it no cakewalk for the Brutii to land armies anywhere they please in Greece.
    Last edited by ReluctantSamurai; 11-01-2016 at 00:06.
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  22. #52
    Member Member LordK9's Avatar
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    Default Re: most powerful faction

    Quote Originally Posted by Mitch the Mace View Post
    I agree. Cats cannot be handled as standard cav. They are a specialized shock cav, designed to deliver a knockout blow. I also like using them to protect my flanks if I am fighting on the defensive. Unless you let a phalanx get a hold of them, you can smash any infantry trying to sneak around the flank. With their high defense, I don't worry too much about letting them get in prolonged melee combat. Obviously I don't leave them out to dry, but they are great for delaying the enemy until I can reinforce that flank.

    With more standard heavy cav, (PC, CC, SBC) I will try to engage the flanking elements before they start to flank, but with the Cats, I don't want to run them around too much because they do tire a little easier than normal cav.

    Properly used, the Cats can turn a up-for-grabs battle into a mass rout.
    I'm likely using them wrong then. What I found happened was they'd get bogged down after the charge and cut to pieces in short order. They are too slow to turn and run - just barely faster then infantry and stuck there vs cavalry. A lot of the enemy would die but not worth the high expense of the cats. I do tend to use hit and run tactics with cavalry and rarely charge frontally. I've even had quite the success with that using round shields.

    Also, as far as Egyptian infantry, I might be getting mixed up I may have been thinking of the Paeoni (sp?) infantry someone mentioned that Carthage had. I was thinking Egypt had them too. Really, I rarely played Egypt - just didn't like their time warp armies. And beating them when they were AI wasn't all that hard depending on who I was - bypass the Levant armies and go straight for the Nile cities.
    Last edited by LordK9; 11-01-2016 at 00:28.

  23. #53

    Default Re: most powerful faction

    Frontal charges should be avoided with Cats as well as with any cav unit. Cats can get away with it against lighter infantry, but still try to hit them when they are not braced for the charge. You are right, unless a Cat unit is upgraded quite a bit, prolonged melee combat can result in heavy casualties, especially against heavy inf. If you leave them much longer after the charge bonus is negated, then they become basically a mounted infantry unit, without advantage of numbers or formation.

    If you can get any kind of success out of Round Shield cav, you should be happy.

    Poeni infantry is unique to Carthage. Egyptian inf. units are Nubian Spearmen, Nile Spearmen, Desert Axemen, Pharaoh's Guard. I don't think I'm missing any, please let me know if I am. The two spearmen units are basically worthless, with PG being one of Egypt's unrealistic units, as Reluctant Samurai already pointed out. I think I started a campaign with Egypt, but quit after two turns.

  24. #54

    Default Re: most powerful faction

    I know they definitely do not fall under most powerful, but as anyone ever gotten very powerful with Numidia? I have done several campaigns, but never got too far. I know they are a challenging faction to play as; early on I basically relied on skirmishers to take care of Egypt's phalanx and chariots, and my Generals to take care of their cav. Then I had a family member die hitting a retreating phalanx in the back.

    After that I kind of lost interest, due to the fact that you have to micromanage every facet of the campaign. With a poor economic base to start from, and very light units, they are probably the hardest campaign I have ever played.

  25. #55
    Senior Member Senior Member ReluctantSamurai's Avatar
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    Default Re: most powerful faction

    I know they definitely do not fall under most powerful, but as anyone ever gotten very powerful with Numidia?
    I've played them several times. Can't say it was enjoyable, but I stuck with it once just to see how far I could get.

    One thing I learned fast...abandon Siwa on the very first turn, and burn it to the ground. Use the garrison to take Lepcis Magna. That accomplishes two things: avoids immediate conflict with Egypt, and nets you a port city that you can easily connect with other ports later. Stay on the fringe of the Carthage-Scipii conflict until you can recruit Long Shields. I used horse archer tactics with Numidian Cavalry...hit & run. Effective against both Carthage & Rome early on because Carthage has no archers and Rome has only a smattering. Get within javelin range and pepper the hell out of their infantry. Unlike horse archers, these guys come dirt cheap so losing a unit or two doesn't bite the bank account as badly.

    You get no decent infantry until Numidian Legionnaires (which become your staple), but Desert Infantry is serviceable...barely. I made extensive use of Spanish Mercs once I crossed into Iberia. When I had enough denarii coming in, I recruited Merc Ellies to pound on the Romans once I headed for Sicily and then The Boot. Numidia gets Onagers so you can lay siege to, and assault Roman stone walls.

    I had screenies at one time, but after two new computer rigs I can't seem to find them

    IMHO, Numidia is much easier, economic-wise, to play than Parthia. You get a decent trade temple (Milqart), a good law & order temple (Baal), and a farming temple (Tanit) which comes in handy for those pi$$-ant Numidian holes of Dimmidi and Nepte

    My vote goes to Parthia as the hardest faction to play, mostly for their precarious geographical position, and absolutely dreadful economics.
    Last edited by ReluctantSamurai; 11-01-2016 at 05:03.
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  26. #56
    Requin Member Vincent Butler's Avatar
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    Default Re: most powerful faction

    Quote Originally Posted by ReluctantSamurai View Post

    You get no decent infantry until Numidian Legionnaires (which become your staple), but Desert Infantry is serviceable...barely.
    If you choose to stick it out with Egypt, DI are not bad. They do well against chariots, especially in a town where the chariots can't maneuver as well. The legionaries are only equivalent to Principes. That said, Principes (and therefore Numidian/Armenian legionaries) are decent, and will hold their own against most other infantry units in the game. Until you encounter Cohort. But if you mod out the unrealistic cohort, the unit Marius came up with (that we know as ELC) was based on the Principe, so you could manage there too. As a history point for those who don't know, the LC are only unrealistic for the time period, they came later, and PC was only a palace guard.
    Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight: Psalm 144:1

    In peace there's nothing so becomes a man
    As modest stillness and humility:
    But when the blast of war blows in our ears,
    Then imitate the action of the tiger;
    -Henry V by William Shakespeare

  27. #57
    Senior Member Senior Member ReluctantSamurai's Avatar
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    Default Re: most powerful faction

    If you choose to stick it out with Egypt, DI are not bad.
    Tried that. Unfortunately, the AI acts like a rabid dog and will suspend its' conflict with Seleucia to come after you. Siwa stands no chance being so close to the Nile Delta, and Numidia can't compete that early with the endless stacks of desert gold winding its' way through Libya. Better to let sleeping giants sleep....at least for awhile

    As a history point for those who don't know, the LC are only unrealistic for the time period, they came later, and PC was only a palace guard.
    Precisely.
    Last edited by ReluctantSamurai; 11-01-2016 at 10:55.
    High Plains Drifter

  28. #58
    Requin Member Vincent Butler's Avatar
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    Default Re: most powerful faction

    Quote Originally Posted by ReluctantSamurai View Post
    Tried that. Unfortunately, the AI acts like a rabid dog and will suspend its' conflict with Seleucia to come after you.
    That's for sure. That is the AI with anybody. If you are Parthia, Egypt, Armenia, and Seleucia will all ally to attack you, whereas normally everybody there gangs up on Seleucia.

    When I am say, Brutii, Greece, Thrace, and Dacia all gang up on Macedon, with Thrace or Germania taking out Dacia, but they are not that friendly towards each other, one of them ends up in trouble and wanting an alliance with me. When I was Macedon, Greece, Thrace, Dacia, and the Gauls all allied together to fight me. It didn't work out so well for them. I let them against Bylazora while I took Byzantium and then Tylis (I was already dealing with Greece), I was lethargic in that campaign anyway. Thankfully, the AI doesn't realize they would be better off allying with me, because with the exception of attacking the Senate, I honour my alliances. But hey, then who would I fight?
    Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight: Psalm 144:1

    In peace there's nothing so becomes a man
    As modest stillness and humility:
    But when the blast of war blows in our ears,
    Then imitate the action of the tiger;
    -Henry V by William Shakespeare

  29. #59
    Member Member LordK9's Avatar
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    Default Re: most powerful faction

    Quote Originally Posted by ReluctantSamurai View Post
    My vote goes to Parthia as the hardest faction to play, mostly for their precarious geographical position, and absolutely dreadful economics.
    I am not disagreeing and I never bothered with Nubia but, doesn't the description at the kingdom selection phase at the very beginning describe Parthia as being rich due to sitting on the trade routes with China or something like that? Never could get their economy going so I never understood what that was about.

  30. #60
    Requin Member Vincent Butler's Avatar
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    Default Re: most powerful faction

    It is a sad situation when it is advantageous to build slingers (to deal with chariots). In a town, Eastern Infantry (aka cannon fodder) might be able to fend off chariots, but other than that... And against even Militia Hoplites? EI would get toasted, unless you just throw them at them and force your way through by weight of numbers (provided your first units don't rout).
    Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight: Psalm 144:1

    In peace there's nothing so becomes a man
    As modest stillness and humility:
    But when the blast of war blows in our ears,
    Then imitate the action of the tiger;
    -Henry V by William Shakespeare

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