Yes, Praetor Rick, you can win the short campaign as Germania. I have just won two, the first at H/H and the second at VH/H.

But you need a game plan. Mine has two phases. The first or Expansion Phase has three objectives, 1) grow your empire to meet the 15 settlement requirement - I go for at least 16, 2) stabilize your finances and defenses and 3) get some level three cities so you can build high-end units, esp., Gothic cavs and chosen archers. The second or Blitz Phase has one objectivre - to search out and destroy (not necessarily hold) Dacian and Scythian settlements.

So, in the Expansion Phase you start with 5 settlement in Northern Europe. Set all taxes on very high and build roads, temples (all to Freyja, except for Mogontiacum and the "special cases"), traders, and farms. In Mogontiacum build a Wotan temple, upgrade it to level 2 and build a blacksmith as soon as you have built a trader. Build spear warbands only in Mogontiacum and only after you have competed the second level Woptan temple (that it, from turn four on). And, upgrade all of your spears after you have completed the blacksmith. Your strategy depends on complete dominance on the battlefield which you will have in the early game with spears with two legels of experience and a blacksmith. You don't have a lot of money so you cannot affort a lot of spears at 200d a trun each. So, go for quality, not quantity. Don't build other military buildings until the end of the Expansion Phase.

There ar four early game special cases. In Trier, from the start, train peasants and disburse them in Mogontiacum. This will off set the training of spears in M and allow it to grow. In Damme, have Arminius take the spears north and a little west and take Bordesholm. Train a unit of peasants there to keep order, build roads, a Freyja temple, etc., and bring Arminius and the spears back to Damme. In Vicus Marcomanni, build a temple to Wotan and train a unit of peasants on the first turn. On the second turn, train a unit of spears and retrain the unit you already have. On the third turn, train another unit of spears and have Hariulfus take two spears south towards Lovocise. Train spears in VM for the next three turns. Take L the next turn, after which, leave the two spears there, and bring Hariulfus tack to VM. Build a warrior's hold, a temple to Freyja, roads, etc., in L and, when you get several free spears in VM replace the spears in L and retrain them in VM. In the meantime, have Hariulfus take two spears from VM north and a little west, and attack and take Vicus Gothi. Train a unit of peasants there to keep order, build a temple to Freyja, roads, etc. (don't forget the mine - good money) and bring Hariulfus and the spears back to VM. There retrain the spears and send Hariulfus, with the separs, off to the east and a little north to take Home Sweet Home. Finally, in Mogontiacum, when you get three free level two Wotan trained spears ("free" means that you don't need them for the war with Britain - did I mention that the Brits will attack you five or six turns after the gane starts?), take them with a general, maybe Vanius, south and east and take Iuvavum. You will be there for a while and it will be a key defendsive post later - so reinforce from M after you have blacksmit/level 2 spears. If you keep a general and five or six spears there, you will be able to defend against Gaulish or Roman armies several time that size.

These "special" cases will allow you to double your empire to ten provinces. But, they will not solve your cash problem and they will not get you a level three city - at least not right away. For that, you need to turn west to the rich North Sea trade and the developed cities of Gaul and Britain.
`
As I mentioned, Britain will attack you within five or six turns. You defend with a smaller army in the north and a larger army in the sourth. In the north, build a unit of peasants and city walls in Batavadorum and take all of the other units and Richburgis and join Arminius in Dame, when he returns from Bordeshold. The old gentleman will die soon - to be reborn in 260 years to win the battle of the Teutoberger Wald and change history. But, for now, transfer his retrainers to Richburgis, a worthy successor. This is no insult to Arminius as history has great plans for him. You may wish to retrain your spears at Mogontiacum while you wait for the Brits to attack. In the south, build a unit of peasants in Trier, and bring Ariogaisus and his army to Mogontiacum. Retrain, build spears, and wait for the Brits. By the way, treat Ariogaises with respect - he will be your faction leader for may years and, like Hariulfus and Richburgis, has 10 star potential.

When the Brits attack destroy their armies, retain and go for Samarobriva. They may have bigger armies, but nothing that will stand up to level 2 Wotan spears trained with a balcksmith. From there, it is on to Londinium and the rest of the British Isles. You will need 8 or so spears and two generals when you go to the British Isles.

Often, after you take Samaro, the Brits will come to you with a cease fire offer. They will pay at least 3500d for it. You might accept and use the money build you cities and prepare your invasion of the British Isles. This would also be a good time to reduce the taxes on Damme, Mogontiacum and Samaro to help them build to L3.

At some point, Gaul will attack you, too. Not to worry. Your spears will fininsh them off. But, and this is important, all you want from Gaul is Alesia. It will probably be at or near level 3 when you get there, so build to level three, and then buld a level 3 Wotan temple, a Weaponsmith and an archery range, retrian your spears and start cranking out chosen archers and Gothic cavs. But, don't do anything more to the Gauls - make peace, if you can. Their elinimation is a victory condition for the Julii and they serve as an importand buffer aginst the Romans. Londinium will also be at or hear level three, so build up and start cranking out high-end units, there, too.

Establish defensive garrisons in Alesia, Mogontiacum, Iuvavum and Vicus Marcomanni - and you might build some watch towers to see what is coming.

This compeltes the first phase. In my last game, I got there in 243. I had 16 provinces. Alesia and Londinium were at level 3 as were Damme and soon Mogontiacum. The trade/total income figures were as follows:

Samarobriva 1354/1913 Londinium 2576/2271 Vicus Gothi 595/1384
Eburacum 430/889 Deva 1039/1722
Tara 417/697 Batavadurum 580/1095

All that was left was to search out and destroy the Dacians and Scyians. I recommend an army heavy on chosen archers and Gothic cavs: 6 spears, 6 chosen archers, 2 chosen axemen, 5 Gothic cavs, and your general. I also recommend a small "trailer army" with, say, 3/4 spears, 3 gothic cave, 3 chosen archers, a couple of chosen axemen, and a couple of generals. The extra cavs are important because you will not be able to retrain Gothic cave along the way., Extra generals are necessary if your general dies. The others can be important, e.g., to hold a city while you train locals.

Finally, you need spies to locate cities. The idea is truly to seek and destroy not hold - at least hold only long enough so that the Dacians and Scythians don't retake them.

So good luck.

SKeller