Just Started..

[Quintus Of Pompeii]

Hi all,

I'm new to the game and started the campagin last night, I have chosen the house of Scipii (<< spelling) and i was spying in germania and my spy died. What do i have to build, or capture to be able to recruit new spies?

Also, if you have any tips for a N00b ~:), they would be much appreciated thanks again ~:thumb:

Quintus

[Omanes Alexandrapolites]

Hi,
For tips on playing with the almighty Scipii you need luck no further than here (https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?t=36848)! To build more spies you need to build a forum or above which I believe is a level three (city) building and is on the market line (you need to build level one and level two markets first). Enjoy playing one of the most challenging and entertaining factions in R:TW, good luck and cheers!

[TevashSzat]

For the scipii, i would say control sicily as fast as possible and then do a quick strike at Carthage and Thaspus to basically knock out the Carthaginians. At the same time, try to get some provinces in Greece so you can stop the Brutii expansion and let you have those wonderful cities as well as a base to go through Asian Minor and the Levant. You can try to get all of north Africa and then Spain, but those campaigns are usually prolonged due to the longer marching distances, but it all depends on what you fell like fighting, barbarians or the Hellenistic factions

[Poulp']

Sicily is your top priority.

like Xdeath said, Greece is also a must have, Sparta, Corinth and Athens.

These 3 cities are enough: it gives you a strong foothold and access to both Hadriatic and Eagean sea trade.
Then, aim to control all the Mediterranean islands (Crete, Balears, Cyprus) and Halicarnassus.

With Sicily, Southern Greece and all the islands, you have easily defendable territories and you are free to expend anywhere; even if you don't hold Carthage

[Omanes Alexandrapolites]

I always attack Carthage and Numidia following senate instructions wiping them out first. Afterwards I always sent a ship across the sea to grab Crete and from there I just followed the Senate's missions against the factions over in the Eastern regions. It made me nice and rich I can tell you - 20,000 denarii coming in per turn. However I did get richer as the Julii - somehow my treasury became 1,000,000 after a total conquest of Greece off of the Brutii with 50,000 coming in per turn! Cheers!

[mightilyoats]

I ran into money problems as the Scipii. Probably because it takes so long to conquer Africa... So going to Greece is a sound plan. Just make sure you get Carthage. That city can be a real cash cow.

Its such a shame you can't attack the Brutii immediately. That would have made things a bit easier.

[Omanes Alexandrapolites]

Its such a shame you can't attack the Brutii immediately. That would have made things a bit easier.
It probably would have made my campaign slightly easier, but I didn't need to be able to as Crete was free - it was a rebel settlement which took only twenty turns to become a huge city. Perfect base for the civil war when it begun - I used it as a base for both Turkish assaults and attacks on the Brutii in Greece.

[mightilyoats]

And you know what... In Crete you can get Cretan Archers. One of my favourite units!

[Omanes Alexandrapolites]

And you know what... In Crete you can get Cretan Archers. One of my favourite units!
Nice unit, but I never use them. Archers are a little bit useless once their arrows have run out. I prefer to use a 12-14 unit legion infantry, 3-4 unit cavalry army and 2 - 5 unit auxila infantry. My almighty legions are superb missile units in their own right and auxila in team with praetorian cavalry have to capacity to do all the flanking :knight:

[mightilyoats]

This might be going off topic but... I must say that playing a faction other than roman can be frustrating in the beginning. That first battle when you realize that your infantry aren't throwing any pilums...

I am not a great tactician. I have lots to learn still. My strategy relies heavily on archers. Their use in my mind is to thin the enemy ranks and scare them (and if its Cretans sometimes to completely destroy them) They are also useful for drawing enemy units out of defensive positions so you can pick them off one by one.

As for the arrows running out, thats where the Cretans come in. They have a decent melee ability, considering you can buy them from the start in the Greek regions (Greek cities, macedonia and seleucid regions) I am SOOOO tempted to mod them into a faction. (And risk never using another tactic.) I am a fan of the Cretans, what can I say?

[Omanes Alexandrapolites]

This might be going off topic but... I must say that playing a faction other than roman can be frustrating in the beginning. That first battle when you realize that your infantry aren't throwing any pilums...
Oh yes, I noticed that when I started a campaign as Carthage for the first time, however, do not dispair. You get used to it eventually - who needs pila when you have an elite phalanx unit such as the Sacred Band to fight ones battles for them!