Tips for BI

[orangat]

Is there some sort of guide for the RTW->BI players?
Is there a unit stats guide for BI?
Any tips for the historical battle of badon?
The shield wall seems interesting since low level troops can stand their ground quite well. How many points of defense does it add?

I played WRE/ERE to get a feel and it looked somewhat difficult. Every city seems to be on the verge of rioting which squeezes the cashflow so its hard to even prioritize.

[The Spartan (Returns)]

badon hill? quite easy! charge your infantry and rout as many saxons as you can including graal knights and those mercenary cavalry. while the river is still open bring your general and sarmatian auxillia across to the hill and wait. when the last of saxons charge, flank with two sarmatian and attack his open general with yours and 1 sarmatian. then kill the rest of the saxons (not the one by the river) hope that helps!

[4th Dimension]

Well for both empires, priority number one is to swithch all setelments into one religion (preferably christian). That would make setelments more governable

[Garvanko]

With the WRE you can mix it up though. Keep all settlements in and around Italy Christian, while those in barbarian lands Pagan.

With the ERE, since you'll predominantly be fighting the Sassanids and defending against hordes, best to keep them all Christian.

[econ21]

There are good guides to the BI factions in the guides section of the Org.

WRE is great fun in the first few turns, managing the loyalty and the cash flow problems. With loyalty, I find moving the capital to Massila helps, as does giving people the religious buildings/governors they want. With cash, disbanding most cavalry, fleets and buildings will quickly put you into the black, as will exterminating a few barbarian cities.

With both WRE and ERE, rivers are extremely important as chokepoints for the hordes - bring lots of archers. Plumbatarii are amazing units for the Romans, Samartian auxiliary cavalry are excellent for WRE (IIRC, the ERE get some clibanarii types instead).

[GeneralHankerchief]

ERE priority number one is to Christianize.

Priority number two is make ground against the Sassanids. At the very least secure Turkey.

Priority number three is to brace for the hordes. If you fail then wait for them to burn out and retreat to Turkey.

[Mithras]

Actually Christianization isnt nescisary or even desireable, especially in the earlier stages of the game where you have a large amount of both religions milling around the empire. My advice simply go with what you wish since both factions have their pros and cons from faction to faction, for example it's a good idea to stick with paganism with the Alemenni due to their Beserkers but the Franks are better of Christian by a mile.

WRE tips-
Build roads and ports
sack every city you take
Whichever religion you choose convert Gradually rather than in a few turns
Focus building on Italy and southern france.
Churt out commitanes-they rule
Disband foederti Calvalry

[Quillan]

For ERE, going christian is desirable. For other factions, it may not be. ERE situation:

At the beginning, several cities are suffering from social unrest. ALL of these cities are pagan, with a majority christian population. In most of these cases, the pagan official religion is imposed because of the temple. Destroying the temples will bring these cities back under control. In a couple of cases, the pagan temple is supplemented by a pagan governor. After destroying the temple, moving the governor out of the town will bring it back under control. The bulk of your cities are christian anyway, and it's quite possible to bring the entire empire back into good order in a single turn, without having any riots.

[Avicenna]

WRE:

Disband all the units you don't need for border security or city happiness. This means a lot of the Foederati. Or, if you want, send them off to suicide missions against barbarian scum. Do this until you will not have a deficit the next turn. Then, check all your cities' religion and religious building. If the wrong building is present for the city, destroy it. You don't have the resources to convert just yet.

Finally, first turn over. You have to spend all your money now in pumping up your economy while you are safe from the hordes, and perhaps making one or two stacks to defend the eastern border. Forts should be constructed at bridges at your border. All the bridges.

A few notes on happiness: get the right religion into each city, and the right governor. Then, you can use Spurius Flavius to do a bit of converting with his startling starting FIFTY FIVE PERCENT conversion per turn to Christianity. Converting the Cisalpine Gallic regions first would be ideal (ie Mediolanium and Ravenna). Then spread out from there. You could also lump in a few christians with him to make a CCT (christian conversion team ) that converts in one turn. A high influence person is highly recommended, provided that he's not needed elsewhere and is Christian. To get more extra useful converter members, dump a christian into a pagan settlement for a while! Results not guaranteed.

[Monarch]

Is there a unit stats guide for BI?

http://www.totalwar.co.kr/

[orangat]

Thanks for the tips. Its a little counter intuitive disbanding units and ships left and right when it seems I'm trying to hold an empire together by chewing gum and baling wire.

http://www.totalwar.co.kr/

I like it but its not downloadable like soulflame's guide.

A big hump is learning what units are useful. The Roman cataphracts in ERE have low attack stats. I tried a custom battle and that unit seemed horribly weak as an offensive unit.

[x-dANGEr]

Use it as a "formation wrecker", and it can beat any other cav unit head on. (I mean the Equite Clibnarii by the way )

[Monarch]

Thanks for the tips. Its a little counter intuitive disbanding units and ships left and right when it seems I'm trying to hold an empire together by chewing gum and baling wire.


I like it but its not downloadable like soulflame's guide.

A big hump is learning what units are useful. The Roman cataphracts in ERE have low attack stats. I tried a custom battle and that unit seemed horribly weak as an offensive unit.

Lol, trust me, Clibs are like mini elephants that don't go amok. Really awesome.

[orangat]

You're right the clibs is a real tough unit when they are still fresh or warmed up. But they get tired rather easily.

[Quillan]

Assuming they're both fresh and not charging, I'd think the Clibs would be the Cats, since they have those armor-piercing maces.

Oh, VERY important side note: the Roman Armored General bodyguard unit has the same AP maces as a secondary weapon. When engaging high-armor units, use alt+click to order them to charge. It makes a HUGE difference on things like Sassanid clibanarii and opposing generals.

[Razor1952]

Heres's a tip for all factions.

Making sure your province doesn't revolt can be a pain. Don't be afraid to destroy all troop making buildings then leave it to revolt, generally the rebel city will be garrisoned by peasants, so just moove back in with your army exterminate the population , pocket the cash and let your troops gain experience by slaughtering peasants.


Moove your capital as often as necessary.


Cultivate the plague (build lots of agents to spread it and keep it alive), particularly Carthage(wher growth is so high).

[orangat]

Heres's a tip for all factions.

Making sure your province doesn't revolt can be a pain. Don't be afraid to destroy all troop making buildings then leave it to revolt, generally the rebel city will be garrisoned by peasants, so just moove back in with your army exterminate the population , pocket the cash and let your troops gain experience by slaughtering peasants.

Moove your capital as often as necessary.

Cultivate the plague (build lots of agents to spread it and keep it alive), particularly Carthage(wher growth is so high).

Simply diabolical.

[4th Dimension]

But efective. Verry efective.