Absurdly weak Carthage!!!

**Red Harvest** · 10-09-2004, 01:46

The base level (round shield) Carthaginian cav are good enough on very hard/very hard. You need to hit two at a time, you will take few losses because the infantry will rout about the time they both make contact. And getting the long shield cav helps, as well as various upgrades.

Use the Balearic slingers, that will force the enemy to come to you...and your cav can slaughter them wholesale.

The Carthaginian starting position is incredibly weak though. When playing other factions the Romans take Carthage out in short order. It will bet worse if CA fixes the reluctance of the AI to blockade ports. Part of the problem is that everyone gangs up on Carthage. So you have 3 AI Roman factions, plus Numidia, Spain, and Gaul going after them on the ground, plus the Senate boats will attack them at sea.

**Longshanks** · 10-09-2004, 15:54

I was disappointed with Carthage also. I expected it to be the biggest challenge for the Roman factions (as it was historically), but in game that isn't the case at all. It isn't as rich as it should be, and it's units are rather weak. An AI controlled Carthage ALWAYS gets easily destroyed by the Romans.

IMO that has to be modded. I'll probably nerf the Egyptians somewhat while making Carthage more formidable. The most powerful faction in Africa should be Carthage, not Egypt.

**Praylak** · 10-09-2004, 16:49

My Carthage campaign went well once I figured out a good start strategy and IMHO I thought their units had a decent overall balance. I used the Poeni as my main battle line, backed up by cavalry and slingers and they didn't let me down. It just Carthage's starting position thats demanding. Once you cure that, your on your way to owning the world.

I suspect allot of people have not played the minor factions yet. Some of them don't even have half the variety of troops that Carth has. Carthage is hardly weak when you make a comparison as a whole. Actually I would put them in the top end of things. After taking 39 provinces, I think I can say that.

**Inuyasha12** · 10-09-2004, 19:35

One question though, what did you do after taking sicily, i mean if you just sit there the romans will keep on invading nonstop. If you invade italy all roman factions and the senate will gang up on you with huge armies and will beat you down. That's where im having my problem.

Also whats IMHO

**DisruptorX** · 10-09-2004, 19:39

Build stone walls on the top city in sicily. The ai simply cannot take cities of that strength. Carthage is not underpowered, except when they are an AI power. I like the challenge, but I certainly am not having trouble. Spain is exponentially more difficult.

**Inuyasha12** · 10-09-2004, 19:44

they can always lay siege to it, even though it takes like 11 years to win. Will they lay siege for that long??

**Red Harvest** · 10-09-2004, 19:45

I held onto both Sicily and Sardinia. The Julii focused on Sardinia. At first the Scipii and Brutii tried to take back Sicily, but I hammered them down so badly that they gave up after I smashed some large armies. The Scipii took a long time to build up enough units to be a threat again (with only a single province.) They switched their attacks to Sardinia in conjunction with the Julii. Usually the Scipii only sent in 3 or 4 units, every once in awhile it would get quiet, and then they would send in a stack. The Brutii got distracted by Macedon and the Greek Cities and left Sicily alone for a long time.

The nice thing about taking Sicily is that you have just castrated the Scipii, without invading Italy.

**ShadesPanther** · 10-09-2004, 20:28

Yeah Scipii get bankrupt real fast without sicily. But they keep sending over one unti armies which can get annoying after a while.

IMHO means "In my honest opinion"

**Inuyasha12** · 10-10-2004, 01:18

Yeah im in my carthage campaing now and the scipii have lost their edge. The last army they sent had two units in it(including their faction leader HA!)

The thing is i don't want to go into italy right now, but the julii and senate are constantly trying to invade, the senate fights my navy while the julii send over army after army, to get massacred. If i have to fight another julii army im going to retch!
And theres no making peace with them, i offered ceasefire and they attacked and sunk one of my ships the next turn. I don't want to fight any more romans!!