Odd Observations as Saxons

Hi all

After deciding that my M/M Saxon campaign was too easy, I quit and tooled around a bit with some other factions; but none of them "spoke" to me, I guess you could say. So today I started up a H/H Saxon game to see how things would go.

I decided that I didn't want to ally with anyone too quickly, because in my last game the strategic AI was very passive. I did take Trade Rights when they were offered.

I quickly siezed Campus Chatti and started to build up. Campus Frisii was going to be my next goal, but the Franks were moving in that direction anyway and there was a rebel Faction Leader (eh?!?) in the town with a sizeable army. So instead, I moved a half-stack to the next town down -- WRE-held Colonia Agrippina.

I took that pretty easily and started to gather my forces. Meanwhile the Franks had allied with the WRE, so I decided it was time to slap them around a bit. I took Campus Frisii from them and congratulated myself on holding 4 contiguous settlements.

Since the beginning of the game I had been training up my navy, and I had a good fleet of 6 ships -- 3 Boats, 3 Large Boats -- led by a 3-star admiral. This admiral had a retinue member and the Good Sailor trait -- something I'd never seen before. I was using this fleet to take out all the pirate ships in the area: my last campaign saw my Faction Heir and a great invasion army go down under the waves because of a pirate attack.

Still only able to train up to Keels, I gathered a 3/4 stack and sent it to Britain. Londinium fell easily as did Eburacum. The problem was, I had only 1 general (in Eburacum) and something like a total of 6 units in all of Britain. This was a Bad Thing, as the Romano-British emerged just at the moment the Celts declared war on me by besieging Eburacum.

I think this was the beginning of the end for me. The Celts had a massive army and ran through Eburacum's wooden walls like they were paper; thankfully Londinium had stone walls so I was able to hold off the Romano-British for a bit longer, but eventually they siezed the gates and charged their uber cav in to finish me off. In a couple of turns I'd been entirely wiped off the island.

OK, I just need to regroup, right? I still had a spy in Londinium so I watched events unfold while I tried to scramble together some cash. Lost a few skirmishes to the Franks and eventually the WRE came back to take Colonia Agrippina from me, with their buddies the Franks in tow. So now I was down to just 3 settlements; cash dropping and family members dying heroic deaths left and right. Somehow I managed to get enough money to build a Hundredmen Hall, and I thought I could finally turn things around with the ability to train Chosen Axemen and Hearth Troops. I put 2 Axes and 1 Hearth in the queue and waited.

Meanwhile on Britain, the Romano-British with their sadly-depleted garrison in Londinium (take THAT!) decided they couldn't share and sent a force to take Eburacum from the Celts. That force got knocked back easily and the Celts actually followed up to deliver the coup de grace in Londinium. Romano-Brits destroyed. I'd never seen the Celts so aggressive! A few turns later they were actually putting full-stack armies onto boats and sending them across the channel! ~:eek:

Well, by this time I could see the writing on the wall. I tried a desperate battle to forestall the Franks from getting to Campus Frisii, but their cav was too powerful. A few turns later I was reduced to 2 provinces: Vicus Saxones and Campus Chatti. I had denied a WRE offer to become their protectorate a few years ago, but when the Franks offered this time, I agreed. They agreed to pay me some tribute and I thought this might help me get out of the hole financially -- hadn't been able to train anything for years. Sadly, my diplomat's attempt to wring even more money from them ended in failure, as they dropped our alliance and sent a force north.

Now, the strange thing is this: the Celts landed on the continent and sent an army to Samarobriva. So far so good. They besiege it and declare war with the WRE. Next turn, however, I get the announcement that they're at a ceasefire. Turn after that, they're at war again. Next turn, ceasefire. It goes on and on like this for at least 10 turns and is still happening now. How frustrating! I thought this sort of thing ended with RTW? Anyone else see anything like this?

The other odd thing is that, although the year is 390-something, my faction leader is still alive at the bright age of 80. At this rate it looks like he'll outlive the faction itself, as the Franks have my capital under siege and I'm 7000 in debt.

Ugh... I like H/H but this game was murder. Taking recommendations for a next faction....

CountMRVHS

I say try the Saxons again, but go for Campus Frisii first instead of Campus Chatti. Frisii seems to be more profitable and you could still probably take Campus Chatti before the other barbarian factions if you try. Taking Frisii will mean you'll have to fight the Romans since in my games they seem to like going after that city. But with a decent army of Levy Spearmen/Saxon Keel/Hunters(Don't undersestimate these guys, with Shrines to Ull you can get level 3 missile weapon upgrade), and Saxon Raider Cavalry(if you have enough time) the Romans can be pushed back easily.

I had to resist the temptation to go all Saxon Keel, I use them as the backbone for my army but not the whole army. Levy Spearmen are more flexible and better at plugging holes due to unit size. They can also devestate units with their javeling/pilum/whatever fire. In my game on large unit sizes my armies are arranged like this. 2 Levy Spearmen(on flanks), 3 Saxon Keel(in middle), 3 Hunters(in front or in back, depending apon attack or defense), 2 Saxon Raider Cavalry(on flanks), and of course the Warlord in the center.

Its effective and flexible, at least in my experience. I especially like shieldwall formation, it seems to help alot versus enemy arrow fire and is great for pinning units. Anyway, i'd worry more about the barbarians then the Romans. The "basic" Roman unit the Limineti(sp?) is a joke, 475 cost and 175 upkeep for like 4 attack, 16 defense(80 man unit on large size). The Romans like to build tons of them and they can't even beat Levy Spearmen one on one.

In my game I allied the nearby barbarians(Burgundii/Lobmardii/Franks) to keep them off my back while I focused on the Romans/rebels. Its worked out pretty well, though they've all been feeding on rebels as well, so sooner or later they'll be coming for me I think. I also haven't gone after Britain yet, i'm waiting until I rule the seas and for to have the forces to spare for it(still fighting the Romans, but I took Colonia Agrippina, Samarobriva, and Augusta Treveroum from them. I'm going to take Avaricum soon if all goes well.

So anyway, the point of my rambling was Saxons are possible, just don't try to fight both the Romans and the barbarians. Anyway, can't wait to hear how your next try as the Saxons or whatever other faction goes. This one was fun to read.

If a faction that is allied to another makes an alliance with that faction's enemy, said faction will be at peace again with its enemy. But then they can redeclare war, but the ally will still want that alliance, and so will the enemy so they get their alliance up again... and so it goes on.