Nice strategy! That is really an all out rush. I tried something a bit more subtle, but it didn't work.

Try #5 (very hard/very hard) went very well until Egypt and Scipii sent full stacks at Cyrene and Lepcis Magna. I could not get any mercs or build enough to win. I had some nice victories with the light Numidian forces, really schooled the Romans, but fighting two powers at once well away from my troop building regions did not work. You can only win so many when outnumbered 3 to 1. Too bad, because I was consistently making 2800 denarii per turn for the last 4 turns or so and was about to hit critical mass. Unfortunately, the merc supply disappeared when I finally got some money, and the invasions started.

I started by taking Lepcis Magna first using the Siwa army and leaving some foot javs for garrison in Siwa. I had to dump the other slow moving unit of foot javs along the way to beat my ally Carthage to Lepcis, despite building roads for the trip.

I of course allied with Carthage and got trade with Egypt. Egypt was slow to advance on Siwa because a brigand army was on the road, but eventually they bribed my garrison which was what I hoped they would do. I did no upgrades to Siwa other than the road.

My first move was a lot of trade center and port upgrades (2 turn builds) and that piece of road from Siwa. I marched a 2nd army from Dimmidi toward Lepcis as a relief force. And I used some Cirta troops to take Nepte.

When the Lepcis Magna relief arrived, I sent the Lepcis garrison to take Cyrene, and they arrived just two tiles ahead of the Egyptians. Nick of time. I bought enough mercs that Egypt lost the attack and gave a ceasefire. Unfortunately no more mercs arrived, and I couldn't build cav.

During the meantime I built up everything economic and got robust trade. I built a boat in Tingi and sent an emissary to the Gauls and Spanish. The Spanish were happy to ally with me--this seemed to slow their landing in Tingi.

For several moves early on I was running slightly negative, until I took Lepcis Magna and then Nepte. By Cyrene I was cruising. But I probably should have been building more cav in Cirta sooner, and moving them to support Lepcis. I knew Scipii would land eventually since Carthage doesn't put up a fight. The Numidian cav does a number on the roman infantry units...until the archers arrive. I made good use of the slingers I was allocated.

I did sell map info once to the Seleucids to gain some needed cash early on.

I might have to figure out how to kill or bribe the Egyptians. Maybe I should make a stand in Siwa.