What tribe will claim Hegemony in the Barbarian World?

**Imperator Invictus** · 02-13-2011, 12:08

Hi everyone, I want to ask you something before I start a great EB campaign.

Historically, after the decline of the Celts, the most successful Barbarians in the Barbarian Europe were the Germanic tribes (Goths, Saxons, Franks). I want to give that chance to others in an alternate history...

I want to begin a campaign in EB with a barbarian tribe who will create a barbarian confederation and assert hegemony. And then I can involve with more power on the Mediterranean “Civilized” world. The winner of the Punic Wars and the new Unifier of the Hellenistic World will have a terrible barbarian adversary.

I have although a problem in choosing between the Aeduii and the Getai.

Aeduan tribe - because they can reverse the decline of the Celts, a campaign with them will be awesome: civil war in Gaul, resistance against Rome and Suebii, counter-alliances with Epirus and Carthage, landing in Britain and later “pacification” of Iberians and Thracians. Also they have a nice political system, with many magistracies and they can give a voice to all the tribes of their future confederation.

Getic tribe – because they can bring a new religion for the barbarian tribes and their fighting style and tactics are awesome in terms of firepower (a lot javelins and arrows) and assault (the rhomphaia and the falx). Also they are more despotic and they can create a “Barbarian Theocracy”, with units of mounted Ktistas supervising the allied troops of the other tribes.

With any of these two, will be a very interesting campaign and an interesting alternate history. That’s why I haven’t decided yet with whom I will start.
If you can help me, perhaps give another arguments for or against those two tribes.
(please don't bother with others, Arverni believe that their king is a god LOOOL, Suebii are germanics and I've said I want others, and Lusitani have a terrible geo-strategical position)

What is your opinion? ….Aeduii or Getai?

**Duguntz** · 02-13-2011, 13:15

The true barbarians who claimed egemony over the world are the romans... But between your two choice, you i'd go for Aeduii. Civil war, counter alliances very interesdting game play. plus, you can recreate the invasion of greece by Brennus. even make some people migrations like they unsed to do in their golden age... Getai offers a great gameplay as well... but eh1 I prefer gauls!

**Ca Putt** · 02-13-2011, 15:15

I always have the feeling that getai could have claimed hegemony if they would have tried harder as they probably have the more sophisticated roster and are quite sophisticated overall. almost the same goes for the gauls but with them there was more interference romans, tribal wars and those nagging germanics. which imo would be more accurate as something historical gauls could not cope with but you could. plus gauls have a far better AoR which makes lategame more comfortable.
as Aedui you'd unite all the celtic people.

so in a nutshell:
Aedui because of more plausible alternate history and better AoR/better local support.

getai would become opressors pretty fast and would rather be an alternative rome or persia with several vassal states. if you play them be sure to modd in some civilisation boni (roads Temples sanitation etc) and maybe some "colonial" troops(getic supervisors) to for low level factional mics.

**Titus Marcellus Scato** · 02-13-2011, 18:18

Definitely the Getai.

Stopping the Hellenistic powers (Macedon, Seleukia, Ptolemies) is a lot harder than stopping Rome. In EB, Rome (when controlled by the AI) is a pathetic weakling, easily conquered even by the other AI factions - Lusotanns and Carthaginians conquer Rome all the time. But the Getai have a much tougher time against the Hellenistic phalanxes.

**Arjos** · 02-13-2011, 19:58

Historically the Getai became a huge power too, they even offered support to Pompeius Magnus during the Civil War...

**Maeran** · 02-13-2011, 23:35

The Getai were certainly the rising stars of the barbarian (i.e. non Mediterranean or eastern) world at the time of Caesar.
But the EB period is 200 years before this.

The Celtic peoples never had a truly unifying power. But were feared by both Roman and Greek at the start of the game. Later on Vercingetorix unified some Gallic resistance, but what if there really had been some 'king over all the Gauls' like the Mediterranean historians suggested?