The sack of Carthage! (didn't quite go to plan!)

**Weebeast** · 09-01-2009, 03:27

Sounds exactly just like my sack of Carthage but mine went as planned...until the next turn that is :p I was so desperate, it's the first time I destroyed "wonder" complexes including the legendary port. I regret it now cus Carthage is officially provincia Romana.

If the enemy phalanxes were fighting in the town square, they would never break.

I'm a bit of RTW noob, so I don't know much of new features and mechanics that are different from MTW and Shogun. Is that because the fact they're unable to rout or it's because they get bonus fighting there? I'm thinking the former but I thought I should ask.

**DaciaJC** · 09-01-2009, 03:33

Originally Posted by Weebeast

I'm a bit of RTW noob, so I don't know much of new features and mechanics that are different from MTW and Shogun. Is that because the fact they're unable to rout or it's because they get bonus fighting there? I'm thinking the former but I thought I should ask.

The former.

**Weebeast** · 09-01-2009, 03:56

Gah I've been sending my experienced troops to death all these turns.

Thanks.

**kneecaps** · 09-01-2009, 14:10

Thanks for the info. Good stuff.

Speaking of generals...how does one build up/go about getting a decent general. Most of my FMs have no command stars. Even my faction leader only has 1 star.

**DaciaJC** · 09-01-2009, 14:14

Try going for family members that are Sharp/Charismatic/Vigorous. If you are playing a civilized faction, I hear that keeping an FM in school for a few years will help him pick up useful traits and ancillaries. Have your general fight battles where the odds are in the enemy's favor.

**kneecaps** · 09-01-2009, 14:49

Originally Posted by Frontline1944

Try going for family members that are Sharp/Charismatic/Vigorous. If you are playing a civilized faction, I hear that keeping an FM in school for a few years will help him pick up useful traits and ancillaries. Have your general fight battles where the odds are in the enemy's favor.

Ah...Sharp/Charismatic/Vigorous, some daughter has just married a 25 year old one of those.

I shall send him to Rome for a few years. Simply being in the city where the schools are is enough right?

I'll give him a legion following that and have him campaign to the north...

Does fighting battles where the odds are in the enemies favour really work? I always try to engagements with bad odds but if it really boosts the command points then i'll do it!

**Andy1984** · 09-01-2009, 14:59

I'm not sure what exact traits Xanthippos gets, but you may want to check before you decide to attack or even fight him. From my experience, killing units that are commanded by commanders with sufficient command stars (and potentially morale giving bonusses) is really hard. Therefore, you really need to make sure to separate this general from his army, and try to kill them when the odds are truly in your favor. In your case: breaking up the siege and allowing him to wander around (hopefully leaving his elite army) might have solved the problem. You might have been able to fight him with better odds that way.

It's a dishonorable exploitative strategy I've used against the Aedui many, many times... but it works.

About Hard difficulty: this shouldn't be a real problem, since you were playing as Rome and should thus be capable to field significant armies. Rather than playing on an easier difficulty level, I would suggest you just pay a little bit more attention to generals and their skills. Should you still be defeated when outnumbering a great enemy general... that's the way it might go.

About your inferior unit selection: You may want to have some pedites extraordinarii, or at least triarii in your next armies. At least they can hold the line. When fighting on H or VH battle difficulty, you should always make sure not to use too many inferior units (like camillian hastati vs carthagian line infantry). Their morale might drop too fast due to the casualties they tend to take.

**kneecaps** · 09-01-2009, 15:13

I won the battle, but my losses were heavier than expected. I'm thinking 800 strong Roman army with auxillaries...should be able to cut down 300 Carthaginians..but no. They had almost a 2:1 kill ration on me.

I've considered using large amounts of Triarii and such, but I try and field my armies with historical (generally) composition. I used a mixed bag of mercenaries to make up the auxillaries.

So I'm talking, big on Hastati some Principes and generally just the one (maybe two) units of Triarii which I hold in reserve before comitting them at the 'decisive' point.

This is to much fun!

**athanaric** · 09-01-2009, 14:52

Originally Posted by kneecaps

Speaking of generals...how does one build up/go about getting a decent general. Most of my FMs have no command stars. Even my faction leader only has 1 star.

I find it difficult to get decent commanders with the Romani because of their FM bodyguard. If you play Pahlava, Swêboz, or KH, you can leave your general in melee for a while, getting him nice morale relevant traits and ancillaries. If you leave a Roman FM in melee, he dies. OTOH Roman generals are good for mopping up fleeing enemies, which will at least get them a lot of kills, too.

**Macilrille** · 09-01-2009, 17:16

Originally Posted by kneecaps

Thanks for the info. Good stuff.

Speaking of generals...how does one build up/go about getting a decent general. Most of my FMs have no command stars. Even my faction leader only has 1 star.

There is at least two extensive threads on training FM as generals and governors. My advice would to use the Forum Search ability here and you can get much useful info on the matter.