My First Experience with EB

[procopius1980]

Off and on, I've been a total war player since December 2002. I had heard of EB off and on over the years, but I've never explored it until now.

In 1-2 hours of playing time (and much more reading about features), here is what I think:

• I love the 4 seasons per year concept. I originally saw that feature in Lord's of the Realm II (still a good game), and I've preferred it above all. I am especially pleased that you are penalized for having armies on the field in Winter - excellent!
• I read where faction leader and faction heir terms are being replaced with tradional ones, but my Casse family still has FL/FH. I did run the advisor script, so what did I overlook?
• From fighting battles at the Greeks (sorry, RTW has me spoiled) and the Casse, I see that battles fight at a speed equal to MTW I. I much prefer the longer battles, as that allows for more time to fret about the outcome, and it gives you time to do something about it. Excellent work.
• It's a nice feature that all the units speak their own language, although my wife remarks that the Casse sound like a bunch of mooing cows then I click on several units. It's still better than RTW's barbarian voices; they were poor in my opinion.
• Speaking of which, it's a shame the units on the strategic map didn't get modified as well. I am guessing this is hard coded.
• I love the more complicated building structure and governmental system.
• Also the homeland idea is excellent as well.
• This mod has an exceptional amount of documentation, and the new map looks fantastic. Thanks to everyone who has made this dream come true!

It is my tradition, if applicable, to always play the British first in any RTS/Turn Based Strategy Game. I have, therefore, elected to play as the Casse in spite of EB's stern warning that only those proficient with EB should try.

From the looks of things, I see two distinct and potential strategies for at least getting started:

The first is to sail the diplomat to the mainland to start a trade alliance with the Aduei. Upon moving the diplomat, disband that ridiculously high priced fleet. With an immediate defecit of 1300, taking 800 off is critical since the Casse's first objective, as I see it, is to conquer Britain.

Next, disband all the non-family units in order to start building an infrastruture and obtain the funds to field a large enough army to take the neighboring provence. The obvious disadvantage there is that chariots manuver well in the open field, but I don't think they'll be able to defend a gate or a wall. If the neighboring tribes want, they can take me about at will.

The second option is one I tried last night. We marched the army straight to the city and laid siege. The next season saw the enemy sally forth. Sadly, I lost both of my family members, but not before I slew most of their midland heros and sent many others scurrying. It looks like an adjustment is needed in terms of the chariots and infantry. Provided infantry take the brunt of the hero's attack, the chariots are excellent flankers. -- This option still included disbanding the ship once my diplomat was on the other coast.

I think I'll try the latter approach again. A well fought battle will bring a second province and enough wealth to defend both cities.

I'll use this thread as something of a blog. Comments are always welcome, and I'll let you all know how I do this evening.

[||Lz3||]

glad you like it , indeed it's my fav mod by far also , not a single other mod that I know is as complete as EB



and about your campaign I've never played casse myself but... I've read that if you disband all your troops you're exposing yourself to be attacked by eleutheroi

good luck! cheers

[Reverend Joe]

It's odd that the strat-map soldiers look the same; all of them have been changed.

Also, how exactly do you use chariots? I have always found them difficult to use, even in flanking; I usually reserve them for morale boosters or javelineers. Do you just charge and retreat, like any other cavalry?

[procopius1980]

It's odd that the strat-map soldiers look the same; all of them have been changed.

Also, how exactly do you use chariots? I have always found them difficult to use, even in flanking; I usually reserve them for morale boosters or javelineers. Do you just charge and retreat, like any other cavalry?

My mistake. I was referring to the voices, not the appearance with regard to the strategic map units.

As to chariots, I am not very good with them. The first unit of midland heroes fell quickly by using facing them at the front with British Shortswordsmen. I then flanked the heroes with my chariots. While chariots may give a morale boost, they also scare infantry. Unfortunately, it took a while for the heroes nerve to give, but their eventual rout took another unit of spearmean with them. My mistake came when the second unit of heroes arrived. Instead of waiting for my shortswordsmen to get into position, I hit the heroes to the front with my general (the heir) and to the flank. While the heroes were eventually obliterated, the general was slain.

From there, the enemy routed. My men chased them back to the gate, where a unit of midland spear held firm. It was here that my second family member perished. In truth, I knew I didn't have time for a full game, so I was just experimenting. In a real battle, I would have pulled the chariots back sooner than I did. When I did pull them back, the spearmen sallied forth, but the morale was already so bad with my men that several units routed. It's definately a winnable battle in the second turn, I will just have to get used to some of the adjustments. (playing on H/VH BTW)

As stated in other posts, building up with one settlement will fail due to the time it would take and the eventual invasion. I will use my spy to march east and check out that city tonight.

[Swordmaster]

It's odd that the strat-map soldiers look the same; all of them have been changed.

Also, how exactly do you use chariots? I have always found them difficult to use, even in flanking; I usually reserve them for morale boosters or javelineers. Do you just charge and retreat, like any other cavalry?

I use the chariots to ride through the enemy line from one side to the other (that's from left to right, not front to back). That makes big gaps in their line, through which my swordsmen storm. I put the chariots in a square-like formation for that.

[Senshi]

Tell me if you find a city to the east of Camulosadae on the island or are you searching for Atlantis? ;)

I think you mean west...

Chariots are absolutely useless in frontal assault or close combat encounters.

Use them almost the same way as you use standard cavalry: Hammer and Anvil.

Assault the enemy with infantry head-on, go around with your chariots and smash into them from the rear, better: smash THROUGH them from the rear! Most of the enemies will fall in the moment of impact, given the huge Charge-Bonues of your chariots combined with their mass, and the rest of the formation will be completely messed up as your chariots push them aside and cause giant gaps for your infantry to fall in. But as soon as the enemy starts to defend himself (especially if they are spearmen) your chariots will fall like flies.

If you repeat this tactics for some time or have additional scary-factors like superior numbers, flaming arrows etc. the enemy will rout very quickly when your chariots smash into them.

Cheaper levy troops rout almost immediatly (at least for me) the moment of impact when 10+ soldiers die in less than a split second.

The run-them-through-from-left-to-right tactic is also quite good, by I noticed heavier losses and easier routing if I smash from the rear (but of course that only works if you have the room to surround and not if the enemy fields thousands of men)

[Foot]

Chariots are there to disrupt not to fight. Use them and their javelins to whittle down the opponents infantry but be careful of enemy skirmishers, archers or slingers as they will tear your chariots apart. Chariots are generally good against cavalry. Against light infantry they'll die quickly so don't even approach them. Their uses against heavy infantry are generally to push through the formation, disrupting it and making holes, which you can then fill with lighter troops. Once a unit of heavy infantry is out of formation it loses a lot of its strength.

Generally, melee with chariots is a mistake.

Foot

[Bouketsu]

Tell me if you find a city to the east of Camulosadae on the island or are you searching for Atlantis? ;)

I think you mean west...

On the map, East = -> That way
West = <- That way.
To the East would be Gaul, to the West would be water, or Ireland. :P

[procopius1980]

Tell me if you find a city to the east of Camulosadae on the island or are you searching for Atlantis? ;)

I think you mean west...

Chariots are absolutely useless in frontal assault or close combat encounters.

Use them almost the same way as you use standard cavalry: Hammer and Anvil.

Assault the enemy with infantry head-on, go around with your chariots and smash into them from the rear, better: smash THROUGH them from the rear! Most of the enemies will fall in the moment of impact, given the huge Charge-Bonues of your chariots combined with their mass, and the rest of the formation will be completely messed up as your chariots push them aside and cause giant gaps for your infantry to fall in. But as soon as the enemy starts to defend himself (especially if they are spearmen) your chariots will fall like flies.

If you repeat this tactics for some time or have additional scary-factors like superior numbers, flaming arrows etc. the enemy will rout very quickly when your chariots smash into them.

Cheaper levy troops rout almost immediatly (at least for me) the moment of impact when 10+ soldiers die in less than a split second.

The run-them-through-from-left-to-right tactic is also quite good, by I noticed heavier losses and easier routing if I smash from the rear (but of course that only works if you have the room to surround and not if the enemy fields thousands of men)

Hey! I know my directions, I just somethings get them confused in my head when I speak or type them.

Speaking of Altantis, perhaps you should try reading Stephen Lawhead's Taliesin since you subscribe to the theory that Atlantis could have been near Britain... or perhaps that's why you said it!

[Senshi]

Yup, the first Eleutheroi encounters are the toughest one for the Casse.

The "economic" approach is senseless, with only one city, no matter your infrastructure, it will be very hard and time-consuming to pay a whole good army.

My approach with the Casse: Diplomat shipped to mainland, disband fleet (not affordable at all in the beginning, as you noticed too), diplomat then makes trade alliances etc.

With the starting money, I recruit all the troops possible so I can field every possible man, while my starting armies turn west and take Ictis, which in my opinion is not so hard defended. With the recruited troops replenishing my armies, I then take on the next settlements.

The settlements on the British mainland tend to have an excellent economy, and once you have three or four settlements, the money really starts to roll in.

Conquer all of the Islands and you are unstoppable, granted. You get a sh*tload of money every turn, have a completeley safe region and can fully concentrate on your campaign in Gaul.

The most difficult part really are the first turns...

[Teleklos Archelaou]

I think he means diplomats, spies, and assassins, because the generals and soldiers on the strat map have been changed. We just didn't have the FX people or time to do it honestly (outside of basic coloring of their textures). I actually did the only real changes on them I think - the sabaean diplomat and spy texture changes.