How I employed Rebel Armies..or RTW Volleyball

[ericostermann]

Well last nights Election Activity gave me an excuse to stay up late and play...actually till 2:00 and then up at 6:00 without the other half scolding me for staying up late to play games.....Anyway I realized something quite interesting. When you hit those rebel armies with equal or greater sized forces everyone knows they will retreat or for me seem to. As I was enthralled by the TV I was only half interested in my game also being in my pop grow avoid war build economy phase, so as I was trying to keep the Enemy from any major invasion I kept noticing that when I just chased teh Rebels every turn eventually herding them into enemy territory the enemy would pull out forces from its settlements and drive the Rebels back...what evolved was a game of volley ball as it happened to take place in a valley between two territories. It went on for 10 turns before I invaded via another valley and took the nearby city his troops had left minimally defended while using most of them to drive the rebels back to my side of the border. After that event I have been herding many other brigands like a cowboy and it has been a nice way to keep the enemy troops busy especially in territories of those I am not ready to wage war with. Sort of free marauders. I especially like forcing them into Brutii Territory.

[Lord Ovaat]

I never tried hurding them into enemy territory. Neat. But then I really do like butchering the little fellows. Helps keep the troops sharp and out of trouble, you know?

[Oaty]

Funny!!!

I love seapong too especially in the straights of byzantia

[Siris]

Ah, killing Bruti's... cant go wrong there, same with Scipii's.

(my main enemies in my Roman war, aside of the Scipii, which were the main ones, but after getting their @$$E$ kicked repeadeatily, they've lightened the attacks, but Bruti is only making them more frequent & larger, also why I just beached 4,000 men 5 miles away from Bruti's Capital, Friday night, its sacquing time!!!)

[Sin Qua Non]

Funny you should post that, because I was doing just about the same thing. I was playing while flipping through the channels, and I too didn't want to be bothered with all of the rebels, so my tactic for dealing with them sounded a lot like yours. That, and every time the election map came up, I would look around for my armies.

[Siris]

I just chase them until they have to attack, and then their crushed.

[Mr Frost]

I just chase them until they have to attack, and then their crushed.

Me too ; if rebel armies camp near your roads , they slow down the flow of trade {same goes for pirates and naval trade routes} , so I destroy or bribe {especially when I have a use for them beyond sharpening some of my own troops} them as soon as is reasonable .
I think it might keep neibouring factions a bit more cautious of testing my patience if their agents or watchtowers see my armies destroying any hostiles swiftly , and might have the opposite effect {make them assume I'm weak or timid} if I let the rebels remain too long .

[R'as al Ghul]

I take a similar approach when I try to sink enemy fleets.
What you need is several fleet stacks. Imagine you're Greece and the Romans give you a hard time trying to invade by sea. What you do is attack their fleet and defeat it. He will withdraw somewhere with the remaining ships. If you attack this same stack again in the same turn and defeat it, it will have run out of movement points (works also with armies) and will sink. The whole stack will disappear even if you haven't sunk a single ship. This is great to get rid of those 3*Senate fleets. Repeat this a few times to determine to where they withdraw after a defeat. The places/regions of withdrawal are almost always the same. In these places you put your fleetstacks while one stronger stack is serving the volleys to these positions.

R'as

[ericostermann]

You fellow son some posts ar emissing two things here...One it is an indirect way to fight a war against a Neutral or Ally by causing them potential financial loss and also troop caualties by forcing the Brigands into their territories and reduces any casualties to you. Two I do not think the AI notices how many rebels you crush in your own territory. Not like you or I who might say..."Jinkies! Hans look at how those Romans keep crushing those Rebels and how well trained they are...maybe we should go raze Athens instead". Nice if the AI was that complex, but to each their own.

[RZST]

Jinkies! Hans look at how those Romans keep crushing those Rebels and how well trained they are...maybe we should go raze Athens instead". Nice if the AI was that complex, but to each their own.

that would be pretty cool though. imagine if you can even make your roman units do drills in front of the enemy army =P

[warlordmb]

Well last nights Election Activity gave me an excuse to stay up late and play...actually till 2:00 and then up at 6:00 without the other half scolding me for staying up late to play games.....Anyway I realized something quite interesting. When you hit those rebel armies with equal or greater sized forces everyone knows they will retreat or for me seem to. As I was enthralled by the TV I was only half interested in my game also being in my pop grow avoid war build economy phase, so as I was trying to keep the Enemy from any major invasion I kept noticing that when I just chased teh Rebels every turn eventually herding them into enemy territory the enemy would pull out forces from its settlements and drive the Rebels back...what evolved was a game of volley ball as it happened to take place in a valley between two territories. It went on for 10 turns before I invaded via another valley and took the nearby city his troops had left minimally defended while using most of them to drive the rebels back to my side of the border. After that event I have been herding many other brigands like a cowboy and it has been a nice way to keep the enemy troops busy especially in territories of those I am not ready to wage war with. Sort of free marauders. I especially like forcing them into Brutii Territory.

I remembered your post last night as a small rebel army appeared on the borders of one of my territories.
Ah Hah! Outnumbering them hugely (about 6-1) i attacked. They retreated. Instead of attacking again I waited. Next Turn. Attacked again. They retreated. This went on until they left my territory and ended up in one of the Brutii territories. Nice little tactic.

[Siris]

I like forcing small Roman armies into attacking vs. my large stacks (I only keep large stacks, so I always have an army worth fighting with). I then crush them, out numnbering them horribly, and that is that.