Barbarian Invasion - meine HORDEN tipps

It looks that I did a complete different approach to the Franks than you guys did. Maybe because I used to play the Goths before (and won)?

The starting location of the Franks is pretty nice. Romans do not attend to attack you and so do the other German tribes around. I learned by using the Goths that it is only a matter of time until the hordes come and to qualify all the small victories you may get against the provinces around you. You may grow when you make a conventional strategy, but you will come into trouble.

I decided to turn into a horde after a few preparations. You are way ahead of the conventional hordes far in the east (Huns, Vandals und soon Sarmatians). You will invade lands FREE of any horde for a long time.
AI of Romans is to defend some key provinces. I did not figure out any of them, but here there are some:
Trier (Augusta Treverorum), Pannonia, Milano, Salona.. Okay, some are not in hand of WRE, but ERE do similar.

* What do you need to become a proper horde?
It is essential that you have eyes to see when troubles come at you. I started to make 3 additional spies and send them across the river Rhine into the WRE. Because I prefer to use archers (Frankish ones suck) and cavalry, I made 2 archers and 2 cavalry units too. I did not build ANY building, because I will forsake the city soon. While the last units will start to get build, I upgraded all of my units too. Do not bother with Rebels in you flat land, but do not expand the taxes that your city will become rebellious!

After that I made a HORDE and crossed the Rhine to fight WRE. Those meanwhile conquered Frisi and made some small army stacks between Treverorum and the Alamanni. Main goal of a HORDE is to make MONEY and to prevent WRE to fix their initial troubles and become a power once again.
I attacked some of the small roman packs and forced them back (they did not accepted the battle, so why should I?). I laid Siege at Treverorum, but I want to reach inner Gaul and loot whatever is possible!
Because defence around Treverorum is reasonable my leaders pack laid siege at Colonia Agrippa and took it by force (only 3 defending units). My first loot came into my pocked.
Having an eye on Romans packs at the Rhine, I went westwards into Belgie. Most cities behind the front line are only defended by 2-3 roman units. This calls for what I call Blitzkrieg. One important point is that you have to deal with your armies carefully, because with no city you cannot replace any losses.

Blitzkrieg
In Blitzkrieg you do not want to face big enemy armies. You will only fight them when they urge you to do so. If you have a chance you avoid them and destroy enemy cities (and money).
Make a fast vanguard out of 1 family member and 5-6 cavalry units. All infantry of yours is in other armies. Then advance like a caterpillar. The slow armies take care for enemy forces and lay sieges until the end. It is a good idea to safe a bridge from time to time when enemies are near with such infantry armies too. The top of your trek is always the cavalry army.
It works like this:
1st Your spy checks the next city. When defension is small, the city will becomes target.
2nd Using a second spy to check the next city if you think you will need your first spy to take the actual city by storm.
3rd Run to the city with your cavalry army and lay siege at it. This way they cannot build more units in there, what will happens if you need many ticks to arrive with a normal army. You can build some siege improvements, no matter that you have only cavalry. Meanwhile send a normal army that is able to take the city over.
4th When the new army arrives, replace your cavalry army with it. Best way is to add one unit of the new army into your besieging cavalry. In the same tick you move your cavalry army to the next target like told in under 3rd. Move the rest of the infantry army into the old position of your cavalry army. The siege time you used with your cavalry army and the entire siege improvements you had build are safe this way.
5th Continue with the next city.
6th Bring the besieged city down. Either by awaiting the result of your siege or by attacking with forces. Remember: As long as you own no city, you cannot replace any LOSSES. Fight when required, but pass by when possible

I did not bother in making a new home for my people before me getting enough money and bring down any potential enemy around. This way I pillaged ALL Gaul, Spain and Italy. The WRE had only 1 province left (Frisii) at the European continent. In the year 396 my fat purse had more than 200000 Denari while all the areas I pillaged where in the hand of rebels. Finally I made a new home in Italy (like I did with my Goths in the game before).
This had 2 reasons: I handled Italy with care. I was in front of all other Hordes and with my big armies there at any way into Italy they turned north and left me alone. I managed my sieges, so I took all 3 cities at the same tick and my Horde armies disappeared with this. My new home was:
Ravenna
(Temple with 3 veteran points, fully improved city, full barracks and stables)
Rome
(Complete improved city goodies, maximum smithy, maximum barracks, maximum far distance units = Onagers. No longer endless sieges)
Milano
(Temple with 3 veteran points, lots of good improvements, no matter that I plundered it some years before)

This gave me a great position for the upcoming normal build up and conquer phase. I was able to build the best units while having enough money to pay for all needs over a long time. I made some forts at the entrance gates into Italy. This kept enemy Hordes away until I was ready to fight them. Southern Italy in Rebels hands was an easy match. My expansion was into Gaul mainly. If you focus for the south and Spain, you will not meet many enemies first. Only the Vandals I had to kill there.
Using this strategy gave me first a lot of money and keeps WRE most out of my way. Then I found a new, really good improved home (thanks to WRE) for the best units. Due to my pillaging before I had no big enemies close to me over a reasonable period what I used to become a big and proper power.

Check it out, it works!
Sorry when my English is not that great.