Spies as a Means to Induce a Revolt

[BlueRobin]

Having a go with Sassanids in BI. As a tactic, I am introducing three spies into each settlement in order to induce a revolt for the presiding ERE. Result? ERE Rebels take over (unto whom I am allied). ERE Rebels do hold some of my key objectives so I will have to go to war with them soon. I am not quite done with the ERE, yet so breaking my pact would make matters complex and dangerous for my home defence. Geographically, my flanks are exposed.

So the quuestion is, can I further weaken the ERE Rebels by inducing a further revolt with spies so the settlement is pure rebel?

[Severous]

Hi

I dont have BI.

In RTW I believe a city rebels to its previous owner.

So might the city rebel back to ERE ?

In RTW up to 50% unrest can be created (5% per eye of spy skill). Over that and no additional unrest is caused. Does that 50% limit apply to you in BI as well ?

[GeneralHankerchief]

Who does a rebellion in a rebel city go to? The loyalists.

If the ERE is weakened enough (and it sounds like it is) I'd suggest moving your hordes of spies in the rebel provinces to give them back to the ERE. That way you can conquer them without breaking your alliance.

[Seamus Fermanagh]

Brigadier Hanky has the right idea for using the spies. Move the wave of rebellions in front of you and you'll be conquering an enemy "already beaten" as wise Tzu would say. In RTW, the spy team can be augmented by saboteur assassins torching selected buildings (temples, taverns, etc.) that contribute to happiness -- I assume the same is available in BI.

[BlueRobin]

Now there's a good idea. Instead of radiating out from my position taking ERE, I can fix the territory with ERE Rebels and push in one direction with fewer armies.

[bedlam28]

In RTW up to 50% unrest can be created (5% per eye of spy skill). Over that and no additional unrest is caused. Does that 50% limit apply to you in BI as well ? Severous

Hi, I'm playing RTW, and had no idea about this, I thought it was just assasins that caused unrest by sabotage. Is this 5% per spy skill correct ???

[BlueRobin]

Not sure, go into RTW and move a spy in and out checking the unrest values before, during and after. Sounds about right iirc.

Sabotage has little beneficial effect in my view compared to a mutliple spy team. The AI can manage low unrest values better then you, you can only sabotage once per turn. The rioters caused my your spies however will damage multiple buildings per turn including any that affect happiness/law and order so the onset of full revolt is much quicker.

[Severous]

This 5% is correct in unmoddified RTW V1.5.

It is also how the enemy AI spies work. You cant see them in your city but you can see the orange unrest icons in the detail settlement screen. I once saw a 4 eye macedon spy near Thermon. Next turn he had moved somewhere...inside the city I believe... not that I could see him. Unrest had increased 20%. That turn Macedon was eliminated as a faction. The unrest had disappeared...so I assume had the spy.

[bedlam28]

Thats a very interesting tactic to try, thanks peoples !!

[BlueRobin]

Sev, I know an assasin can see any enemy spies in their own cities (you have a spy in that city may be a prerequsite). Does the same happen for enemy spies in your own city? If so, an ideal way to resolve the situation. The other way of course is to build and house spies in the affected city, unto which the couterspying operation works but may take some time.

[Severous]

Hello BlueRobin

Im not sure you can see an enemy spy in your own city. Even with spy and assassins of your own. Please someone correct me ...I dont use assassins often.

I recall Corduba was mine as Carthage. It had unrest problems. Over end of turn an enemy Gaul spy was caught and killed. That prompted me to look closer at the unrest in the city. Looking at it and thinking about spies led me to believe there was at least another 4 eyes of spy in there. I added another spy of my own..making two spies of mine.
Next turn another Gaul spy was caught and killed. Unrest had dropped. The point is my spies had not revelaed the enemy spy to me on the city display...but I believe they were helping on counterspying activity over the end of turn.

[bedlam28]

Sev, I understand your advise to mean that if you have unrest problems, then send in a spy first to check out if its your enemies causing problems. This is an interesting idea, as I seem to always have atleast 1 city unhappy regardless of what I do to please them... could I be a victim of spies... we will have to see.

[Byzantine Mercenary]

Having a go with Sassanids in BI. As a tactic, I am introducing three spies into each settlement in order to induce a revolt for the presiding ERE. Result? ERE Rebels take over (unto whom I am allied). ERE Rebels do hold some of my key objectives so I will have to go to war with them soon. I am not quite done with the ERE, yet so breaking my pact would make matters complex and dangerous for my home defence. Geographically, my flanks are exposed.

So the quuestion is, can I further weaken the ERE Rebels by inducing a further revolt with spies so the settlement is pure rebel?

well they will turn back to EREm but what if you made the ERE a protectorate, and then made most of the rebel ERE's cities revolt, your protectorate would have loads of cities and so give you loads of cash, just an idea