Carthage/Epirus

[underthesun]

So, I think that my next campaign is gonna be either Carthage or Epirus.

My question is twofold. When playing as Carthage, what do you generally go for? Conquering Italy first, or Iberia? And if you leave Italy for later, do you abandon Sicily, or do you hold on?

My other question is, when playing as Epirus, do you focus on Rome and then hold off the Macedonians, or vice versa? Because to me, it would seem that SPQR is one of those factions best nipped in the bud.

[HopliteElite]

As Epirus I wiped out Makedonia and KH in the first 4 years of gameplay. Then I was free to reap the rewards of Greece, while building my barracks and economy for eventual war with rome. Rome will not come after you in Greece for a long time but if you let Makedonia live too long they will become one hell of a nuisance. Full stacks of pikemen are far more annoying than full stacks of hastati/principes/triarii.

[Leão magno]

As Carthage I try to keep all my holdings while upgrading my forces... Taking Iberia or Italy in early stages of the game is too easy... chalenge only comes after about 60 years when you can be fighting in both fronts against well prepared enimies (Romans and Lusotanans) while keeping Ptolemies awy from your east fold. As Epirus I try taking Pella, after taking it the Maks are over, than I convcentate in going north along the coast, attacking corinth, and keeping Taras from Roman presence.

[Decimus Attius Arbiter]

Not hold Sicily. Let me think about that. Um, no its a goldmine. I'm 20 years in my Carthage campaign and I've been expanding west along the african coast. I plan to go Iberia and then Italy.

[Obelics]

i do similar, i dont touch messana and siracuse, i go for Iberia, and consolidate my possessions in Africa.
The romans too, will not bother at you for long time, at last in Sicily. I remember that in Chartaginian campaign i have started to conquer sicily after a great number of years...

Anyway Romans, if you play with Barbarian Invasion Exe, will start to siege Alalia in Corsica, so have always ready an army and a ship near chartage, to send in Corsica and defeat the roman invader. This will happen every couple of years, but when you will have money to patrol the sea with some good ships, you can sink every roman ship there around, so you will not have the need to have an army to protect corsica.

[Leão magno]

Romans attacking Alalia? I should try BI seems like a dream for me

[Jaywalker-Jack]

Two of my favorite factions!

As Carthage, my advice is focus on Italy first, while at the same time expanding your holdings in Africa so as to support your economy. Those Romans are just going to get more annoying as the game progresses, if you eliminate them you can take your time with Iberia. If you conquer Italy as far as Bononia and Segesta, you'll have the excellent Neitos and Gaesotae available as frontier troops.

As for Epeiros, if you leave a sizeable garrison in Taras the Romans will hesitate to attack it. In the meantime, conquer Macedon and Greece (quite doable with your excellent starting troops). With this done you will be rich enough to send an expedition to Italy. I recommend you conquer Sicily, starting with Syracuse as theres already a good MIC there waiting for you. The island is a good platform from which to launch operations in Italy.

[underthesun]

@Jaywalker-Jack

I don't know where one would get this sizable garrison for Taras, though. Even getting rid of those Elephants (they're pretty darned useful, too) you start off losing ~5000 mnai per turn. What did you do?

So far I've conquered Pella and Demetrias, and the Macedonians have accepted peace. The rub is that they have a MASSIVE army just outside Corinth.

As for Carthage, that's what I thought. It would actually be pretty easy right off the bat it seems to me, since you pretty much have a full stack army just waiting in the Carthage area.

[gosam]

When playing Epiros, I keep the starting troops in Taras and train one additional phalangitai deuteroi. It is then enough to hold it untill I make money again. I also keep the ships for the first two turns so that I can transfer one of my generals to Taras. I attack Pella right off the bat, and usually succeed in taking it the first turn without much casualties. From there on, I press on to Demetrias and thermon. Once I secure those two, I build up my economy for a while while preparing to go for southern Italy again. Rhegion is the first target, then Messana and Syracusae.

After this, you've got all options before you, either start with securing the rest of Greece, or start by the Romans ...

[marodeur]

Epeiros is quite an interesting faction to play with a lot of opportunities - and a dangerous center-position, bordering to quite a lot of dangerous neighbours. You can easily get in the middle of a multi-front war.
Carthage is a wonderful faction with nice and flexible units, but I think they aren't half the challenge of epeiros because they already in the beginning have quite a sound economy and a secure western flank in africa with no numidian kingdom coming after them. So they can easily enlarge their holdings and strengthen theit economy, even if you (very advisable) wait for Rome and Lusotannan to grow strong enough for a decent fight.

[konny]

With Karthago your worst problem are the Ptolemaioi. That tiny hinterland village between Leptis and Kyrene is a strategical vital position: take and fortify it as soon as possible. Holding Kyrene itself is much more difficult.

In Spain you should wait until the Lusotanns have acitvated the Numantia defense. That stack will do the work for you, after what you can collect the remains of Lusotannia without much effords. The conqeust of Spain should be no problem afterwards.

In Africa you should go for the coastal towns very early in the game. The Numidian desert settlements are not worth fighting for until they have developed mines.

In Italy you should have a stronger garrison on Sardinia, because of the important mine, and secure the rest of Sicily not to late; may be between conquering the African coast and conquering Spain. If the Romans had not taken it before, you should take Rhegion. I would not go for the Romans this early, because there is a good chance that they will leave you alone and concentrate on the North until you have secured Spain.

[underthesun]

What is the Numantia defense? I assume it occurs when Lusotanns take Numantia..?

[Watchman]

It's one of those huge-ass rebel armies the script spawns if anyone's army wanders near certain settlements. Simulates assorted powerful tribes, mini-empires etc. that didn't make it into the faction roster (due to the hardcoded limits) but were historically rather major players not easily subdued by anyone.

[Jaywalker-Jack]

@Jaywalker-Jack

I don't know where one would get this sizable garrison for Taras, though. Even getting rid of those Elephants (they're pretty darned useful, too) you start off losing ~5000 mnai per turn. What did you do?

So far I've conquered Pella and Demetrias, and the Macedonians have accepted peace. The rub is that they have a MASSIVE army just outside Corinth.

As for Carthage, that's what I thought. It would actually be pretty easy right off the bat it seems to me, since you pretty much have a full stack army just waiting in the Carthage area.

Re Epirus, keep the elephants, the ability to assault a city without waiting a turn is a huge advantage.
Instead, disband all your fleets except one, which will suffice for ferrying troops between Ambrakia and Taras later. (As long as a fleet is in a port, it is invulnerable to attack, and the short distance between the ports of those two cities means you will never have to end a turn with the fleet exposed in the open ocean. As a result you only need one naval unit.)
You also start with a lot of light cavalry, keep maybe one unit of those to accompany Pyrrhos and disband the rest.
A stack of 4 or 5 levy phalanxs plus a few light troops in Taras should keep the Romans at bay for the time being. That means you have to build your MIC there to level 2 ASAP.
As for the remainder of the Macedonians - youve got a breather now - they are at war with the KH, and Athenai blocks the route from Korinth into your territory. If you wait a little while, the Macedonians will probably use that giant army to attack one or more of the Greek cities. Both sides will be worn down by this conflict, so you should be preparing a reinforced army to swoop in and conquer the Pelopponese for yourself!
Afterwards, youl have the finances to take the fight to the Romans.

With Carthage, just watch out for the fact that like the historical Hannibal, the commander you send into Italy will not be able to rely on reinforcements from home. As long as your economy is strong though (through taking lots of eloutheroi settlements) you will be able to afford mercenaries, of which in Italy there are plenty.

[Jaywalker-Jack]

When playing Epiros, I keep the starting troops in Taras and train one additional phalangitai deuteroi. It is then enough to hold it untill I make money again. I also keep the ships for the first two turns so that I can transfer one of my generals to Taras. I attack Pella right off the bat, and usually succeed in taking it the first turn without much casualties. From there on, I press on to Demetrias and thermon. Once I secure those two, I build up my economy for a while while preparing to go for southern Italy again. Rhegion is the first target, then Messana and Syracusae.

After this, you've got all options before you, either start with securing the rest of Greece, or start by the Romans ...

I use a very similar strategy, except when going into Italy and Sicily Id start with Syracuse (its got a good MIC ready made), then secure Lilibeo, Messana, and finally Rhegion. Taking Rhegion first you must have gotten serious hassle from Rome?

[Centurio Nixalsverdrus]

Playing Carthage, I stayed allied with the Lusos until about 220BC. By that they had conquered Tyde and Numantia. They were so worn down, especially after some Heroic Victories of the Celtiberians, that they couldn't bring up much of a war.

The war went basically this way: A stack of three depleted units of medium infantry besieged Emporion a few turns. Then it moved on to Arsé. Then to Baikor, then to Sucum-Murgi. They always lifted the siege after a few turns. In the meanwhile I had conquered now Lusitanian Numantia quite easily. After a few turns of securing actions, I moved my General, a "restless warmonger", who had spent half of his life putting down the numerous rebellions against Carthaginian authority in Numidia, further west, where he set up a fortified position in eastern Lusitania.

Underway, he was ambushed by a strong Celtiberian army, which he managed to destroy. Camping then in Lusitania, he was besieged by a Lusitanian army. A smaller army of mine came to help, and the Lusitanians retreated after 10% losses due to arrow fire. The next turn, I merged the two armies, and moved north of the Guadiana river heading west for Oxtraca. There I had a big battle fullstack against fullstack with the Lusitanian faction leader. I won, wiped out their forces and killed the Lusitanian king. After the battle I was quite surprised to notice that the king was the last of the Lusos!

That was not the end of the war though. I was attacked next turn by a semi strong Lusitanian force, which was called differently now of course but I can't remember the name. They desperately seeked revenge for their king and their crumbled empire! Of course I won and took Oxtraca. Currently Milkherem Mainake, that's the name of this general, is heading for Tyde. They are presently only two independent settlements left in Iberia.

I have to say that so far the conquest of Iberia lacked any problems. This war was really a cake-walk! Italy is a bunch of obedient client kingdoms, and the Ptolemies are almost driven out of Egypt proper. I own the Peloponnesos since some decades, after wiping out the Koinon Hellenon who had mopped up the Makedonians in Greece. I gave them their lost territories back, but the AI Maks are so stupid, they are again down to Athens and Euboia, Pergamon and Mytilene, and the Epeirotes have control of all of Hellas, Dalmatia and Thrakia all the way to Byzantion. I have already a Hoplite army ready on the Peloponnesos, which will help the retarded Maks again. Epeiros is my next victim!

[underthesun]

@Centurio

It sounds like at this point you could just land in Phoenicia and take it back in 3 turns or so, thus completing the VC.

But I suppose chasing the Ptomelaioi across the desert is a bit more fun...