Thrace

[EAGLESQUAD]

i liked thrace because u can easely rebuild the byzantum empire. scythia is rather peacefull.. and just bribe when a army comes near campus gatea.. this also counts for dacia army. when macadinia attacked i took bylazora, wich for i had to figth my falxmen vs much calavery. than i signed peace, i let the macadionans as a border between brutti, greece and me. in the beginning i took byzantum and nicomedia and let the pontic sign a ceasefire. than greek attackd nicomedia.. i let them pay.. and now im gana attack all turkeys harbor/citys/// (pergamum, sardis, halicarnus) 2 wonders + very rich.
i like thrace because of ther pikemen wich are defencive great. and there ( forgot there name: they look like tracian mercanairys but a bit stronger and they can be build) they are good attackers.. (or pikemen in the mid and they + falxmen on the sides to flak.
i now have a rather small empire but im very rich. soon ill take out dacia and thessalonica. thracia is very fun to play with

[sapi]

The thing that turns many people off thrace is that phalanx pikemen can only be gotten after about 20-30 turns. the macedonians can get them in 4.

[BlackStrider]

Pontus didnt bother me atall. I felt that going straight for Dacia led me into a strong position against Macedon. Signing an alliance with Brutii took some time but it works to you advantage. Whislt they battle away with Macedon's big armies, you pop away at their towns. They provide a great economy.

[soibean]

I went for dacia too... I took 3 cities and just about saw the end of their armies for quite some time

[The Apostate]

Played several campaigns on VH/VH/Huge Thrace and was wiped out every time before 250.

My problem was that until you can build phalangites you have nothing that can stand up to the stacks full of lancers that Macedon throw at you.

While falxmen and peltasts should be able to deal with the early Mac militia pikemen they usually do not get a chance to flank them as they are routed by the lancers.

The lack of decent cavalry is a real problem and totally unhistoric - Thracians were famous horsemen and should probably have light lancers of their own.

They should probably also have Getic horse archers (the Getae were a Thracian tribe that adopted HA from the Scythians).

Shame - as with better cavalry the phalanx, peltasts, falxmen and archers should make a good combination at least in the early game.

A simple and more historic alternative would be to give the Thracians militia pikemen at level 2 as well as light lancers and horse archers at level 2.

They should also have a Thracian noble cavalry unit at level 3 - a tougher version of the barbarian unit.

It also seems rather unfair that whereas the Greeks and Macedonians get extra experience from their temples of Ares, the Thracians only get a + to morale - rectifying this would at least give them the upgrades to stand up to the Brutii in the middle game.

(Have used RTR but can't get on with it - too many dubious and unnecessary additions).

Think I will try once more using an all-out rush at the Macedonians before they can build the lancer hordes....

[Ignoramus]

Here is my Thracian Guide:
I have gone extremely well with Thrace, because they have falxmen and pikemen.

After a few turns, I quickly captured Porrolisium, the Dacian Capital, it is very easy to defend this settlement, because it is surrounded on all sides with impaasable mountains, except for 4 passes. Simply build a fort in each of the passes, and you're impregnable!

Then, I quickly moved south and captured Byzantium, an important settlement guarding the channel into the Black Sea.

Unfortunately, soon after this Macedon attacked me, I had a difficult time with them and very soon I lost Byzantium and Tylis, the Thracian Capital.

I changed my capital to Porrolisium, as it is much easier to defend. And then I gathered a smallish army of about 600 there.

I marched my army to Byzalora, recruiting mercenaries as I went, which was ill-defended by Macedon, only 100 men there or so, and promtly stormed it. I only occoupied it, because I need the income from the settlment, and a new training base on the front line.

Then, I delibrately accepted becoming a Macedonian Protectocate, so they would lift the siege of Byzalora. Then, I delibrately offered them a gift, and they quit the Protectocate.

I was next planning on attacking Dacia more, but then I got attack by an army of the House of Brutti. The odds were even, but I had my General's Cavalry and a unit of Sarmatian Cavalry(Mercenaries) with me, and they had none. I easily defeated their Hastati-Velitite army, and marched northwards toward Northern Italy, and recruited more mercenaries.

I delibrately by-passed Patavium, as I didn't want to invoke the Gaul's wrath. I easily defeated a few one-unit Julii armies, and marched into Latium.

The Senate, quite stupidly, left their main army out of reach from Rome, and only had about 200 men in their city. I quickly besieged it, and constructed as many Siege Towers/Ladders as I could. I ended the turn expecting a Senate attack, and suprisingly although they could have easily reached me, didn't attack.

The next turn, I assulted Rome. With 1000 men at my disposal, and the Senate's puny 200, it was a relatively easy storming, although it did get quite close to the time limit.

That's how I conquered Rome in 20 years. Hope you enjoy it, and maybe use the general guide yourself.

Cheers!

[Claudius Maniacus Sextus]

iv hit asia minor with an 16 year old gen. some hoplites falx but cav or archers.after 2-3 battles iv got my gen to 10stars and then i captured all of asia minor and my new borders are with armenia,greek cities,bruti and dacia.after that dacia attacked,so i cap. their 2 starting reg. and now battling brutii in grecce.i won thesalonic,byzalora,athens,and one more(cant remeber the name,but it is right next to thermon).