How to unify Italy before the Trait comes?

**I Am Herenow** · 08-11-2007, 19:41

At the start of my Romani campaigns, I never manage to unify Italy before the "Year in History" trait arrives telling me that they'd already done it historically.

It's probably due to the fact that, upon beginning a campaign, one naturally assumes that the situation one faces is relatively stable; so being launched into a war with the Epirotes as the Romani - being given a "rolling start", as it were, and a 100 mph rolling start at that - is somewhat unexpected. Consequently, the initial delay (or "lurch") as the player gets to know his empire and what is happening around him may be what delays their actions.

Nevertheless, how would I defeat the Epirotes in Italy before the "time limit", if you will? It seems near enough impossible to me.

Indeed, has anyone considered making it somehow easier for the Romani to unify Italy in two or however many turns? Perhaps by placing Epirote/Roman armies in positions more threatening to the other faction at the start, in order to prompt the Roman player (and AI) into action. Or having a Roman spy in the Epirote cities, so that the gates are opened?

I don't know what happened historically - so if the army positions and compositions as they are now were actually attested to by someone, then fair enough, but I would assume that the scarcity of historical records for the period (more specifically, the scarcity of information on the Italian penninsula in 272 BC) would give you some leeway.

Again, if your hands are tied and your armies cemented by historical sources, then so be it - but trying to increase the pace of Italian conquest by the Romani in EB to match that of their real-life counterparts would be very much appreciated.

**MarcusAureliusAntoninus** · 08-11-2007, 19:46

Well, the Epirites withdrew from Italia, so historically they just kind of handed the city over without a multi-year seige that RTW has. The fact that normal seiges take more than a year, really screws up some of the realistic speed aspects.

**Thaatu** · 08-11-2007, 20:05

Mine went something like this:

I moved the southern army near Taras and sent the fleet to pick up the northern army, which I began moving to Brettia. On the second turn either the Epirotes attacked the southern army, or moved most of their garrison out of the city. Either way they were beaten and the survivors holed up in Taras, which I put under siege in the same turn. The other army was about halfway on their journey. In the autumn of 271 BCE I took Taras. By winter the other army reached Brettia, and in the spring they layed siege to Rhegion. By autumn of 270 BCE, the town was mine. It was in a hurry, but at least it's doable.

**Warmaster Horus** · 08-11-2007, 20:11

Me, I take the Arpi Army, install a suitable leader with reinforcements and by Autumn 272 BC am beseiging Taras. I take it during winter. I then send 7/8th of the Army to Rhegion, which I capture during Summer 271BC (approximately). But realistically, MAA is right, of course.

**I Am Herenow** · 08-11-2007, 20:21

Why not, then, reduce the Epirote garrissons in Italy - or completely get rid of them - and move the necessary armies over to Greece? This would then, surely, let the Romani historically cakewalk the rest of Italy; and would liven up the start of an Epirote campaign, forcing the player (who would presumably have different ideas to Epirus) to swing back to Italy in a mad dash to protect his cities in it.

**Foot** · 08-11-2007, 20:34

Originally Posted by I Am Herenow

Why not, then, reduce the Epirote garrissons in Italy - or completely get rid of them - and move the necessary armies over to Greece? This would then, surely, let the Romani historically cakewalk the rest of Italy; and would liven up the start of an Epirote campaign, forcing the player (who would presumably have different ideas to Epirus) to swing back to Italy in a mad dash to protect his cities in it.

Far as I am aware the surrender came after Pyhrrus died, which doesn't necessarily happen. But we have reduced the garrison in the internal build.

Foot

**The Stranger** · 08-11-2007, 20:47

i just gave the romans 2 full legions, one in the north and one in the south... i install 2 generals who lead them as consuls... now this may look like it is easy and at the start it kinda is... but there are rules... i only use those 2 armies, no other but quick raised levies to fight of rebels. so when you expanded your empire to some extend those 2 legions really dont do it anymore and the fun begins. had some really fun battles using the quincunx formation.

**The Stranger** · 08-11-2007, 20:50

Originally Posted by I Am Herenow

Why not, then, reduce the Epirote garrissons in Italy - or completely get rid of them - and move the necessary armies over to Greece? This would then, surely, let the Romani historically cakewalk the rest of Italy; and would liven up the start of an Epirote campaign, forcing the player (who would presumably have different ideas to Epirus) to swing back to Italy in a mad dash to protect his cities in it.

or he will train atleast one unit it so its secure, and land one general with some troops asap and hire some mercs and beat the hell out of the romans.

beter idea is to start the game at 271 B.C. and just give it to the romans...

**MarcusAureliusAntoninus** · 08-12-2007, 00:17

Changing the date would be a huge undertaking. We would have to reset all of the possitions and ownerships of people and towns. I think Damascus may have alternated hands and may belong to Ptolemai in 271, for one thing. And Epirus would be out as a faction, which would upset all the Epirus fans.

Taras has been changed and I should be a bit easier for AI Rome to take. I'm playing a Saba game on the interal version and Taras has fallen to Rome (but Epirus took Rhegion before Rome took Taras so the Romans still have a problem in the south).

**mAIOR** · 08-12-2007, 22:56

And removing Epirus is wrong because it was one of the "Rising Stars" as I heard someone call them around here. Not a decaying empire but a new one with potential to grow as much as Rome for all we know should Epirus live to tell the tale of course.

CHeers...

**Intrepid Adventurer** · 08-12-2007, 23:58

That's what I like about Epeiros: a great 'what-if' campaign.

**Thaatu** · 08-13-2007, 10:28

Would it be plausible to give Pella to Epirus at the start of the game? How much control did Pyrrhus really have in Macedonia? And is it true that Antigonus used Demetrias as his administrative capital over Pella?

**Reno Melitensis** · 08-13-2007, 18:46

As Rome, after the fall of Taras, I decided to continue the war and invaded Epirus with a full Legion. Alexander took his full satalk army and marched into Macedon, but came face to face with Antigonus. It was easy to take Epidamnus, I massacred its inhabitants, destroyed every building and marched towards Ambrakia. Antigonus defeated Alexander, and the Epirotic leader marched towards Ambrakia. I offered them a ceasefire and to became a protectorate, but they refused, so I decided that it was not in my interest to leave them to Macedonic mercy, so Epirus was no more in 268bce. Ambrakia is a rich city which help my economy a lot, and the struggle between Hellenon and Macedon was more than interesting, its 228 bce and both are financially exhausted. Macedon is at war with Selucia too and manged to take some cities in Anatolia. Pergamon and Helicarnassus are still independent, having full stalks in their cities, Galatia revolted to the Arverni and another cities to the Hellenies.

One thing happened that I still found imposible to believe. The Selucids, early in the game conquered almost all the Ptolemaic territory up to Alexandria itself, but them Petra revolted to the Saba. This changed the course of events, the Ptolemies rallied and took all lost cities, reaching Damascus by 229bce.

Cheers.