Playing as Gauls, How to Avoid the Early Roman Juggernaut?

[A Terribly Harmful Name]

Hello,

I'm thinking of starting an Aedui campaign, and since I'm experienced with the Arverni, I know that sooner or later the Romans will starting knocking at the doors, looking for my blood and women. I know I will have to face them sooner or later, and the only way to make the AI comply is to completely annihilate them, but this time I want a different approach.

I'm using ALEX-EB with Victory Conditions, if that really impacts on it, and I want to stay away from Italy for at least a century while I focus on Gaul and possibly some Celtiberian-British holdings. I may not, or may, stick to Mediolanum according to the recommendations, but fact is that in my previous Gallic campaign I wiped the Romans out too soon. Now I want them to stay alive for a good time, and possibly at some sort of alliance or just peace with me. Have you any good ways to appease the lion for time enough?

I was thinking of gifts + bribes, abandoning Cisalpine Gaul, making an Alliance with them, etc... Maybe even acccept a Protectorate. I think an early Celtic expansion into Italy would be ahistorical and would spoil the later fun of fighting Polybian or Marian Romans. Ultimately though I think I could just hide behind the Alps, ambush them constantly and keep a war of attrition until I decide to lie my decisive strike. Any recommendations?

[Mediolanicus]

In my experience Alliance = treason in RTW.

The best thing you can do is just neutral + regular tribute + a small cash gift everytime you load the game (AI memory resets) - and maybe even after battles?

The problem with protectorates is that money goes from the client to the protector. So if you accept, you won't have enough money. If you FD the Romani into a protectorate you get lots of free money.

You could aways force them into a protectorate and gift the money back each turn... Though I don't know if that actually makes a difference since it will be given back to you the next turn...

[NeoSpartan]

well the big tribes Gallic tribes in northen Italy will hold the Romani 'till about 260-50. My sugestion after the arverni is to go for settlements around the alps (not the alps themselves they are too strong) so u can get the GAESATAE!

Also I would develop that northen Italy (forgot the name) settlement's MIC, you can make the Gaesatae from there too

As for Alex.exe. i've heard it makes the AI smarter, although you gotta understand, the only way for the AI romani out of italy is UP (the AI rarely does concentrated and consistent amphibius assults).

[Mediolanicus]

Also I would develop that northen Italy (forgot the name) settlement's MIC, you can make the Gaesatae from there too

Mediolanum, says Mediolanicus.

[Zeibek]

Becoming a protectorate sounds like a good idea, since so far I haven't encountered the AI attacking it's protectorate. Then again I have no idea what are the negative consequences of you becoming one.

[gamegeek2]

The AI usually attacks you right after you become its protectorate. I had nasty experiences with overpowered Egypt in Vanilla.

And I let Mediolanum go in my Aedui AAR, read below plz.

[Subotan]

Becoming a protectorate sounds like a good idea, since so far I haven't encountered the AI attacking it's protectorate. Then again I have no idea what are the negative consequences of you becoming one.

When I played as Armenia in Vanilla, I was asked to become a Protectorate by Egypt. Their message? "Give up! All your base are belong to us!"

[llib]

I have find way, capture cities northwest of Taras and give them to Epeiros, and occupy the city north of Rome (but not one slightly more to the nort but on the eastern coast of peninsula). That leaves Romanoi in charge of three cities with Epeiros in between(did I mentioned I took them all at some point, destroyed all militery building and left them to rebell - although beware of the gold chevrons rebel armies afterwards and lot of mercenaries?).
Now the Rome is still in war with mighty Aedui, but not sending armies for quite some time(possibly they spawn their armies in the south and cannot pass through Epeiros).
And Epeiros has no borders with you -> also pretty good.
And after Epeiros got kicked from Greece by Macs(strange, at start they took Pella so I thought they will hold but KH cities maybe gave them the boost they needed), maybe the extra spawned armies in Italy was too much for their coffers), they started the war with Romanoi. So that front seems calm, which is only good, since Ilyria is now battlefield between me and Maks.

[a completely inoffensive name]

Destroy them, keep Rome and everything above, let all the rest rebel and fall in the hands of the Greeks, or just give the cities to them.

[llib]

Destroy them, keep Rome and everything above, let all the rest rebel and fall in the hands of the Greeks, or just give the cities to them.

I suspect that he does not want to destroy them but want to enjoy fighting them later, and occupying the cities when fully developed(economically).
And giving all to Greeks is not best - you will have to fight them as result, i.e. exactly what he was trying to avoid.
Giving two cities to collapsing Epeiros thus creating separated Roman enclave in south seems best to me at the moment - but seems like Epeiros won't be able to hold it's own afterwards, so you might have to occasionally reliberate the cities for them ;-)

[antisocialmunky]

You could just continually send waves of guys down there with tons of slingers and stuff to prune that particular tree.