How to deal with the AS

[CaesarAugustus]

Perhaps offer an alliance to the AS for now, just to hold them off in Africa. Every so often, give them whatever amount of money you can spare to keep in their good graces. If they start a war with makedonia, secretly support the Maks with some money - even if you have to make some sacrafices in your own empire.

I dont know the positions of your legions, but maybe you could siphon off some troops to take Illyria or Carthaginian Spain. If you dont think you can afford it, though, then don't spread yourself too thin. I also advise that you try as hard as you can to get a ceasefire with the Sweboz ASAP, so you can forcus on the impending war with the AS.

Enjoy your campaign.

[Boyar Son]

An alliance with the AS?

I dont think that will stop them from attacking Rome (you)

Luckily your legions are superior to the phalanxes of old.

As for Germania...thats tough. I'll think of a plan.

[Sarcasm]

I'd personally invest all my forces in taking out the Carthies, while staying on the defensive in other areas [fortify a few towns and fill them with defensive units]. Their mines in Iberia would be a real boom to your economy, not mention you'd be getting a boatload of trade in those Mediterranean islands [Corsica, Sardinia and the Baleares] which can be held indefinitely by low-cost troops.

As for Africa itself, once you take them out of those provinces, they're not bound to have them back even if they rebel afterwards.

Keep an eye out for AS movements in Makedonia, and keep a legion [less than a half-stack for me] in reserve, just in case you have to intervene. Some of the more recent provinces of the Seleukids might rebel too if you throw a few agents in there especially around the areas of the Ptolemies, which would profit directly from those revolts.

Hold the northern italian cities, by fortifying them and placing some defensive units there. Zee Germans usually underarmoured and your missile troops will probably have a field day mowing them down.

[Boyar Son]

Less than half a stack for you sarcasm?

How do you manage?

[Sarcasm]

Well, let's see, a legion the way I treat it, rarely takes to the field by itself. A Consular army would have 4 of these mini-armies [I seldom concentrate so many troops in one place, but this would ammount to a full-stack] and a praetorian one would have 2 [which would equate to about half-stack].

By itself, it should be quite capable of holding a city, or dealing with some pesky rebels that come along. Out in the open it has a very small frontage, so it's easily overwhelmed by full enemy armies, and why I keep them either encamped [on a foreign province] or garrisoned in a city [at home].

Navies deal with reinforcements. I rely a lot on my navy to get my armies around, so I always have superior maneuverability over enemy forces.

[antisocialmunky]

Personally, I'd try to ally with everyone around the AS and aid them in their battles with money. Save up and buy those mines to really boost your income so you're rolling around in cash. Also, if you can, try to keep them bottled up in Asia Minor. Keep them out of the Balkans and try to utilize the land chokes in Asia Minor(Byzanton and the rivers around Pergamun and Sardis as well as Halicarnasus) if and when you get powerful enough to take the war to them. Bleed them.

[LordCurlyton]

Heh well I just saw a first today: a triple-gold chevroned unit. A Sweboz General no less. Patavium would have held if not for his 63 god infantry. Soon to be god infantry no more *looks to approaching Romani army chock full of nothing but elite units, custom built for triple gold chevron killing*. That army appeared to be most of their elite units so wiping it out will really set them back and let me stomp on them.
EDIT: The triple-gold chevron Sweboz Faction Leader bit the dust quite satisfactorily, as well as a couple "Wolves of Wodan" and some other high end stuff. Ironically I believe it was my Gaeros(sp?) Celtic Spearmen that got him.

[Gazius]

Based on your 240 pic, this is what I would do. Fortify northern Italy along the mountains there, I wouldn't bother with Illyria, expect to maybe expand the Getai there and offer them an alliance. If your at war with Sweboz, I'd recommend keeping it defensive, or else cheating and paying them a huge sum for peace so that they go elsewhere. The arvernii, are dead now? I would also go for peace, same with Aedui, and support Iberia expanding to attack the other barbarians.

The only Offensive I would perform is killing carthage, and siezing the rest of western north africa. Maybe take the coastal Iberian provinces, but you want them to grow out of Iberia and fight the sweboz, who, what I'd like to see anyhow, is fighting the getai and the Iberians from their good sized empire. Who's got Cyrene? I'd recommend handing it off to the KH, give them a free home and a alliance if permitted, role playing wise, free greeks should be a goal. Also, by passing off Cyrene, you'll put a barrier in africa between you and seleukia. I would let everything play out in Asia, and merely sit until they truly become a superpower. Indeed, I would personally hope they reach into greece and stare at you from Ambrakia.