I know this is cheating, so don't tell me! (Need Campaign Advice-Romani)

[Nerdymidgetkid]

Hi guys, I know half the forum will have me crucified or beheaded (depending on which faction you are from) for this, but I'd like some advice on how to go about my Romani campaign as I'm new to EB and obviously it is very different from Vanilla in the campaign.

Here's my plan so far:

I: I think I should leave the northern free states free, since assaulting them would probably take thousands of men and cause huge casualties. They also are a sort of 'buffer' between me and gaul. If this is stupid please tell me!

II: I think it's best that my first target be Epiros. My thinking is that I want to stop the tyrant Pyrrus before he takes control of all of Greece and becomes very powerful. Also, I was thinking that either the Greeks/Macedonians would make good allies in the future, maybe so I could get one to take out or weaken the other. Again, tell me if you think this is a bad idea!

III: Assuming it was a good idea and I end up finishing the line of Pyrrus, I'm not sure what to do about Carthage. They're my allies and they have a very strong navy which may be able to defend me from pirates and the like, but would they actually do so? To be honest, I have no qualms about allowing Carthage to live, but emphasis on the word Carthage there. What about the Silver of Sicily??? According to the treaty of Messenea, (I think that's what it's called) I'm not even allowed to SAIL into the straits of Sicilly (you know what I mean!) So, should I violate it? Should I march on Carthage itself? Should I do both or neither? And if it does lead to open war, do I look at Corsica and Sardinia? And what about Iberia, since that produces much of Carthages millitary force? (Historically, I have know idea when it comes to the game) Not to forget the mines of Iberia...What should I do?

IV: Remember the Athenians? Darius would be proud. But anyway, what should I do about them? And what about Crete? I was thinking I could send a diplomat to get trade rights with whoever is in charge of the coast of Asia Minor, then if I took over Crete and Rhodes, they could become massive trade ports. Is that plan at all sound? If not, what should I do? Talking of Islands and trade, what should I do about naval power?

V: What should I do after all of this? Please make changes to anything in this plan you think needs changing. Also, can you give me some good armies to use and tactics for them for the differnernt reforms? (I've never reached Polybian, so I'd have no idea what to do with Polybian troops) I'd kinda like a standardised army. Should I recruit some italic mercs too? I need YOUR help!

[lolpah]

First off, asking for advice is not really cheating - after all, everyone needs to ask for advice once in a while

Romani are a faction with many possibilities, and you basically have three directions you can expand to (north towards Gaul, south towards Sicily and Carthage, and East towards Greece). You should probably expand a little in every direction, but starting with Greece is just fine. It's easier if you ally with one of the greek factions at first and generally pick them one by one, but you really shouldn't stay allied for long unless you want to roleplay.

You don't have to worry too much about your strategic choices, though - the game is fairly easy if you play on VH/N or N/N difficulties, and even more so on lower ones.

Iberia has many mines which take some time to build, but once you have done it they will produce hefty amount of money. In general, I suggest that you should build a lot of economic buildings at the start - they will pay themself off.

In the EB FAQ ( https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showt...Barbarorum-FAQ ), there is a list of Roman reforms you can get during the game. The Polybian and Marian reforms occur automatically, whereas you have to create specific conditions for the Imperial reform to work.

I am not that good in commenting on battlefield tactics, but the general rules apply - flank with cavalry and light infantry, soften up the enemy with missiles, and use high ground for your benefit. Also, use the pila (javelins) that your legionaries use. Mercenaries and other non-natice troops make your army more diverse, don't hesitate to use them if you like them.

Last but not least, I suggest that you read Quintus Sertorius' Guide to Conduct Becoming of a True Roman ( https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showt...(Redux-for-EB) ), it offers helpful advice if you want to make your campaing historically accurate.

[Nerdymidgetkid]

thanks man, you just made my day! FOR ROME!

[rickinator9]

thanks man, you just made my day! FOR ROME!

You should kill Epeiros early though. In many of my games they rush through Macedonia into Asia Minor. Once you´re in Epeiros, go north. There´s some rebel settlements there which have mines that are already built.

If you´re having trouble with rebels, try just besieging them and waiting them out. Don´t assault the walls, that will get you a lot of casualties. They will sally forth eventually, which gives you an advantage. Most of your legionaries have javelins. Click the fire at will button to force them to use the javelins. That will decimate the salliers. You should use the Hammer-Anvil technique a lot in these battles.