Houserules and self-imposed limitations- The Northern Barbarians

[Macilrille]

The title is self-explanatory, most houserules I have seen are for Rome, lets have one for the mighty Warlords of Germany, Getai and the Gauls.

Note that I do not wish to see any "Burn Barbaropolis" posts or the like flaming, this is a serious thread. If you are here but to spam and denigate one particular faction, please remove yourself. We wish to benefit from whatever wisdom you have, not suffer from a flareup of the hopefully dead Romanoktoi spamwar on Rome;-)

That being said, I look forwards to actually benefit from your wisdom.

[DaciaJC]

We don't really impose many limitations on my Getai campaigns (Romani campaigns are a different story). The few that I have: no more than one unit of Traikioi Rhomphaiaphoroi in one stack, all major settlements (10,000+ population) must be governed by a FM, the Faction Leader must conclude whatever major campaign he is on to a satisfactory degree before "retiring" (for example, my current FL is 55 and has been fighting the Karthadastim his entire adult life; in about three years, he will have conquered the northern half of the Italic Peninsula, the other half being under the control of my ally Epeiros, and have put the Karthadastim on a solely defensive footing), and all ships must be part of a local fleet (for example, the Adriatic Sea fleet and the Aegean Sea fleet).

These rules aren't necessarily designed to make for a more historical campaign, mind you; they have more to do with gameplay.

[athanaric]

Only a few. As Swêboz:

- No assassination of enemy FMs, except traitors (who were bribed), and cowards, who repeatedly throw mercenary armies at me and then flee the battlefield.
- Mixed armies, with a decent balance between infantry and cavalry as well as missile and melee troops.
- Use as few mercenaries as possible (only exception would be Worgozez, but they are rare anyway). I just don't trust them, plus I think the native units look nicer.
- Don't attack "neutral" factions unless they do annoying things like sending waves of assassins, blocking my roads, etc.
- Wipe out any faction that assassinates one of my FMs.

That's all I can think of ATM.

[Geticus]

Sweboz Druhtinoz leads the primary campaign in any war and therefore tends to become a warmonger.
Sweboz Theudanaz likewise leads the second army.
All Sweboz armies should be led by a FM and the FM must take his station in the front line, typically in the center of the center formation and may not retreat during battle, but may call in reinforcements in extreme situations. For this reason whenever I play the Sweboz, the starting faction leader tends to die in battle because he has no extra hitpoints. Also for this reason I tend to start the center formation in defensive mode so that they suffer no endurance loss, and the lines are not broken up which can lead to the FM getting swarmed and killed.

Aedui/Arverni
Gaesatae can only be recruited in a city that contains both a level 4 factional MIC AND a fortress temple of Teutatis or Tanaris. This makes gaesatae more difficult to recruit than solduros which justifies their status as one of the most elite heavy infantry in the game, and better supports the religious fanatic theme.
Typically I only allow gaesatae in royal armies (the armies led by the king or crown prince.)

[Macilrille]

My Sweboz FL or heir always leads both the campaign and the first battle line.

I was considering also limiting my conquests by not actually laying sieges until a certain date, but only raid till then. And to send a fullstack rampaging till it dies (Cimbrii and Teutons).

[ziegenpeter]

- No assassination of enemy FMs, except traitors (who were bribed), and cowards, who repeatedly throw mercenary armies at me and then flee the battlefield.
- Don't attack "neutral" factions unless they do annoying things like sending waves of assassins, blocking my roads, etc.
- Wipe out any faction that assassinates one of my FMs.

Why is that typical Sweboz-style in your opinion (man)?

I always try to have even more than one FM in an army, because since warfare was so important for your own glory, I guess not only the King and his successor but all of the men in a family went to war.

I don't use many Skutjonez, germans were manly melee fighters.

If there is a sacred place in a region ("Wonder") I read the description and try to make up what temple would fit.

[kekailoa]

For the Gauls...

I try and not expand anywhere but where there is Celtic culture. I'll expand into places where I can recruit Celtic client kings and Celtic troops and historically has celtic culture.

I also send Gallic FMs on glory raids, just multiple bands of FMs into enemy territory to beat the poop out of everything they can get their hands on.

I also try to relive the great Celtic invasion, sending full stacks into Italy, Greece, Spain, and sometimes Dacia and Thrace to pillage and plunder and get me lots of money.

I don't like limiting myself unit-wise, because I like to build the Gauls into real confederations, like how they might have been if not for the Roman conquest. I feel like that's just as realistic.

[Duguntz]

well, as for me, my houserules goes as this, for Sweboz :

-Never, NEVER an army withour FM when goin' on to attack
-FM in first line, no matter what (Sweboz aristocraty was mainly not from bloodline, at first, but from battle skills and exploits... PLUS it's fun!!!)
-like it have been said earlier, till a certain date, only raiding, and I enjoy specially raiding Gauls, takin' slaves and destroying everything, then leave the settlement in the very same turn.
-I try (as much as possible) to start real expension around the 190's, to simulate the Cimbrii and Teutones (althiugh a few settlements before to help you out against those dang romans when they knock on your door, it's ok!) Even earlier is ok, just not to have 15 settelements at 268BC!!! But hey, it's a game! if recreating history means to have less fun, I still prefer to be ahistorical!

-Armies composition : do not have 6 fullstack! 2 maximum (outside cities, that is. I'm not counting city guard...) i mean, 2 fullstack on the ''war path''
-mainly medium troops (duguntiz, swordmen with too long names to remember, clubsmen great AP!!!) that is, no superstack of black nudes guy with 5 FM and heavy cav...)
-when we use levies during raids or campain , after burning, pillaging and saccaging, send them back in their cities (or any other if you don't remember) and disband them there... they're levies afterall!

well, that's about it for me! i'm not trying to be as historical as possible, just to add roleplay in order to be as fun as possible!

cheers to all!

oh I forgot :

-build gov. 1 everywhere when it's possible, otherwise, only gov.4... it simulate the different tribes...
- every gov.4 are on auto management

[Macilrille]

well, as for me, my houserules goes as this, for Sweboz :

-Never, NEVER an army withour FM when goin' on to attack
-FM in first line, no matter what (Sweboz aristocraty was mainly not from bloodline, at first, but from battle skills and exploits... PLUS it's fun!!!)
-like it have been said earlier, till a certain date, only raiding, and I enjoy specially raiding Gauls, takin' slaves and destroying everything, then leave the settlement in the very same turn.
-I try (as much as possible) to start real expension around the 190's, to simulate the Cimbrii and Teutones (althiugh a few settlements before to help you out against those dang romans when they knock on your door, it's ok!) Even earlier is ok, just not to have 15 settelements at 268BC!!! But hey, it's a game! if recreating history means to have less fun, I still prefer to be ahistorical!

-Armies composition : do not have 6 fullstack! 2 maximum (outside cities, that is. I'm not counting city guard...) i mean, 2 fullstack on the ''war path''
-mainly medium troops (duguntiz, swordmen with too long names to remember, clubsmen great AP!!!) that is, no superstack of black nudes guy with 5 FM and heavy cav...)
-when we use levies during raids or campain , after burning, pillaging and saccaging, send them back in their cities (or any other if you don't remember) and disband them there... they're levies afterall!

well, that's about it for me! i'm not trying to be as historical as possible, just to add roleplay in order to be as fun as possible!

cheers to all!

Germanic aristocracy was hereditary though the expectancy to be successful warlord was also there. Royalty/chieftaincy and aristocracy was hereditary.

Cimbrii and Teutons seems to have left Jutland about 130 BC, not 190. At some point I might try my hand at a Sweboz Timeline like the Roman one.

[mountaingoat]

-you need to grow a beard before you can play them.

[Macilrille]

LOL, I am 39 and it takes me about 14 days to grow a nice short reddish-blonde-brown beard. thing is, all the figures you can get are so stereotyped. Where is the romanised chieftain who shaved?

That is what I need, so if anyone knows of some, pray tell...

[SwissBarbar]

I started a Sweboz-Testgame with the following rules:

1. You have two classes of people

- There are the common people who live in villages and towns on your land. They can defend themselves and fight intruders back as archers and light infantrymen (cityguards)

- There is the warrior class. All your FM belong to it, and therefore we come to the second rule:

2. All FM have to fight in your army. All of them. Your army is consisted of:

- All your FM, who field the heavy infantry
- Archers and maybe some light infantry, but not many.

3. In battle, your FM have to attack the enemy in the first battleline.

5. When - IF - one of your FM reaches 50 years, that's when his picture turns into an older man, he may retire from his service in the army. He has gained enough glory and now is allowed to govern a city.

6. The capital city may only be governed by the faction leader - of course only if he's over 50 years.



Advantages of this system:

- Your armies are quite strong but very cheap, for FM don't cost upkeep
- The bodyguards that die in battle are replaced automatically in ANY city by time. Other units can be recovered only in cities where this specific units can be recruited. Not so the bodyguards.
- With Archers and your FM's you will be fine against other Germanic/Celtic units.

Disadvantages:

- The bodyguards are recovered in any city, BUT not in only 1 turn like the other units.
- The bodyguard units are not many in number, rarely more than 110 per FM, mostly less than 100. Other infantry-units of the Sweboz are 160-200 or more.
- If one of your FM dies, all his bodyguards will disappear forever, no matter how few losses they suffered from in battle.
- With Archers and your FM's you will have a hard time against Hellenic factions or the Romans
- If your army, with all your FM's at sea and the ships get killed, you will have a "Faction news" message with all your FM's dead. That's quite "unfunny", so prevent ^^



If you have fought many battles against "civilized" factions, and have taken some of their greater cities, your FM may become more like them, and your armies may become more professional by time. Only led by 1 general, and better mixed etc. I'm still testing the possibilities. It could also be a reason for civil war, when some of your FM want to become more civilized, and the others prefer the old way of things. Actually the campaign is going great atm, and still not too easy.

[Duguntz]

Germanic aristocracy was hereditary though the expectancy to be successful warlord was also there. Royalty/chieftaincy and aristocracy was hereditary.

Cimbrii and Teutons seems to have left Jutland about 130 BC, not 190. At some point I might try my hand at a Sweboz Timeline like the Roman one.

oUps, thanks for correcting! i did read about it, but it's been some time ago already, I just didn't remember good the dates!