Looking for a faction to play as in BI/R:TW

**Omanes Alexandrapolites** · 06-11-2008, 08:36

As the ERE (or indeed almost any faction in that region) I've always found that the financially best course of action is to move the capital or even just capture Antioch. Strangely, in every game I've done that, I've never gone into the red. Ports on the island of Salamis also can be useful as well - that place is a real cash cow if the sea trade gets going.

**WarMachine187** · 06-11-2008, 13:00

yeh,the sassanids only problem is money.Instead of Antioch,tho,i normally head for alexandria then Antioch.It should be extremely easy to take down the ERE no matter which way you take.theyll be way to busy wit the huns,vandals etc, to bother you.

**Quintus.JC** · 06-11-2008, 20:02

Originally Posted by Omanes Alexandrapolites

As the ERE I've always found that the financially best course of action is to move the capital to Antioch. ....

I do that too in the early stages when I'm busy fighting the Sassanids. But later on I move my capital back to Constantinople when I start attacking the West. Although Antioch is much closer to some of the most important cities in ERE.

**El Diablo** · 06-11-2008, 21:31

I had a quick run through last night (on E/E ha ha - I am such a wimp) and a few thing struck me.

It is awesome when you have no idea what a any troop types are capable of.
Advanced on some roman "spearman" and pow out fly pila. Was not expecting that.

Also it seems there are some severly overpowered troops in BI. Clibanarii are just tanks. Almost unstoppable (albeit on easy), but then up agianst a roman general and three units of Clibanarii took an age to route him.

I also found that HA don't really do all that much damage. Insaying that I am sure that Limitarii and Commis-whatever are probably highly armoured. Who do they hurt then? Or do they require weapon upgrades to become effective?

It is also a quite a hike from the starting cites to anything really. Troop producing cities that far away are not all that helpful really.....

Thoughts?

**Omanes Alexandrapolites** · 06-12-2008, 07:26

Originally Posted by El Diablo

It is awesome when you have no idea what a any troop types are capable of.
Advanced on some roman "spearman" and pow out fly pila. Was not expecting that.

BI does have units which do things you wouldn't expect them to. Pretty much all Roman Infantry units, with a couple of exceptions, can fire some form of javelin or another at the enemy prior to charging.

Originally Posted by El Diablo

Also it seems there are some severly overpowered troops in BI. Clibanarii are just tanks. Almost unstoppable (albeit on easy), but then up agianst a roman general and three units of Clibanarii took an age to route him.

Clibanarii themselves are fairly overpowered, although the general's bodyguard, Clibanarii Imortals, are the most powerful and unstoppable unit in the game. One unit of them can change the entire cause of a battle, as I learnt when one rammed into the front of an engaged Comantes of mine once.

Originally Posted by El Diablo

I also found that HA don't really do all that much damage. Insaying that I am sure that Limitarii and Commis-whatever are probably highly armoured. Who do they hurt then? Or do they require weapon upgrades to become effective?

I don't think they are quite as powerful in BI as they were in R:TW. Of course this doesn't stop you using hit and run style tactics, but enemy forces will take much longer to get run down.

**Quintus.JC** · 06-12-2008, 20:18

Originally Posted by El Diablo

It is also a quite a hike from the starting cites to anything really. Troop producing cities that far away are not all that helpful really.....

forget Ctesphion. You don't need any troop producing cities in the East, just pull all of your starting armies and capture Antioch, you can use that as your biggest troop production centre, once you get Antioch it's almost game over.

**El Diablo** · 06-12-2008, 20:51

Ahhh the wise words of the orgahs.

Played a wee bit last night again and the money troubles disappeared in a flash when I took Antioch (as predicted above) and that was with out having trade rights with anyone!

I was a wee bit lucky as I fought an intense battle outside Antioch (even with 3 units of Clibanarii) and afterwards got a "man of the hour" which gave me a unit of CI to add to an already impressive army.

That left a pretty pathetic army inside Antioch and a super-impressive one outside!

I also exterminated Antioch (for public order) and demolished the church building a temple to the great god Z.

However there is still some pretty horrific public order issues. I know that peasents are not good as garrison troops (I dont use them for that anyway). I managed to sneak a wee bit of the army out to take tarsus (again exterminate and buld Z temple). But now it will be quite a few turns of waiting till I can move on. Also if the ERE shows up with any sized army it will be hard to take them out and remain as garrison troops.

Is this usual? The religion thing being used to slow "blitzers" down and let the AI have time to retaliate?

**Magraev** · 06-13-2008, 09:25

This is typical for the Sassanids. Christians really dislike being under Sassanid rule, so get the area converted asap. Remember any type of character with the Zoraastrian (sp) religion will assist in conversion - family members, diplomats and so on.

Remember to move spies in to remove enemy spies too. If they are Zoraastrian that's only better.

**Quintus.JC** · 06-13-2008, 16:00

Antioch should have the facilities to train Cataphracts, if not then build one. A combination of Cataphracts and horse archers will prove impossible to beat (if used wisely) even against the mightiest of the ERE army the AI sent against you (in the open field). Clibanarii are great but Cataphracts are even more powerful, there’re unstoppable. Their only short comings is the time it takes to train them, also the recruitment cost and upkeep comes to mind if you aren’t very rich.