A guide to EB blitzing, for new players.

[Titus Marcellus Scato]

A couple of points:-
With any of the "Greek" 3, Epiros, Mak or KH, I'd say taking the whole of that Peninsula asap is almost essential for a sensible game. You know that any shared borders equals inevitable war, with the utterly illogical ai, so why postpone it?

Hi Drewski, thanks for your thoughts.

My aim with this guide is to help new players do just enough to get their economy working and making a profit. That, and no more.

Enough to ensure your faction won't go bankrupt, but not enough to win the game. There's still a lot of work for the player to do to achieve their faction's victory conditions.

This guide is not about 'quick winning' the entire campaign in the first 5 years. That takes all the fun out of it. If your faction is already almost invincible after only 5 years, then there's no risk anymore, little challenge, and little incentive to continue the campaign.

[Drewski]

Hi Drewski, thanks for your thoughts.

My aim with this guide is to help new players do just enough to get their economy working and making a profit. That, and no more.

Enough to ensure your faction won't go bankrupt, but not enough to win the game. There's still a lot of work for the player to do to achieve their faction's victory conditions.

This guide is not about 'quick winning' the entire campaign in the first 5 years. That takes all the fun out of it. If your faction is already almost invincible after only 5 years, then there's no risk anymore, little challenge, and little incentive to continue the campaign.

Sorry for getting a little gung ho ;) - I was going to do a seperate Epiros blitz guide, and it sorta fell in here...

I actually disagree on the incentive though. I actually love playing a faction with a full build tree, Spartan training etc. Getting rid of surrounding "pests" asap, allows you to sit back and grow in peace and quiet, without having to fight endless similar battles turn after turn, that aren't actually getting you anywhere.

For example, playing as Rome, I take Taras, then Segesta and Bononia then Rhegion, then sit there and not fight another battle (excluding brigands) until after the Polybian Reforms. Then expand extremely slowly.

But that's Rome's uniquely isolated position. All I'm really doing with the "Greek" 3, is quickly producing a similar "isolation" position. It's completely possible to abandon Taras, and just continue slowly and peacefully with Greece to yourself as Epiros, Rome will sign a peace treaty then.......it's just against my nature to give away a Homeland City. And if you try to keep Taras, you will have to fight neverending battles against Rome, with it's unlimited resources/mercenaries, as peace is then impossible.

Each to his own, as they say ;)

[Titus Marcellus Scato]

And if you try to keep Taras, you will have to fight neverending battles against Rome, with it's unlimited resources/mercenaries, as peace is then impossible.

True, but that is very historically accurate!

The Romans (in the EB time period) really were stubborn, pigheaded, unreasonable bastards who just would never quit a war until they'd won a total victory, no matter how many times you beat them in battle. They had no respect whatsoever for normal civilised Greek diplomacy, where people acknowledge when they're beaten and make peace. If the Romans hadn't taken Taras in 272 BCE, in real life, they would never, ever have stopped attacking it - sending a new consular army every year, until they'd either taken it, or until Roma itself was a smoking ruin!

Actually, the stupid AI does a great job of reflecting Roman attitudes to diplomacy and politics! ;)

That's why it's just not worth spending too much money on defending Taras - it's just not worth the effort against mule-brained Romans. If it can be defended on the cheap, great - if not, let it go.

The way I roleplay defending Taras, is this:
The city has to take full responsibility for its own defence. The city can only purchase what new recruits it can afford to buy with its own farming and trade profits (see the settlement screen to find out how much that is). It has to pay for its garrison unit upkeep costs as well. Taras can't spend money out of the rest of the Epirote pot, only it's own income. If that's enough to defend the city, fine. If not, tough! Pyrrhus is fed up with fighting Romans and isn't interested in Italy anymore. So Taras is left to stand or fall on its own.

[Skullheadhq]

As AS, I usually try to blitz the pahlava as soon as possible, saves you a lot of trouble later on.

[Titus Marcellus Scato]

As AS, I usually try to blitz the pahlava as soon as possible, saves you a lot of trouble later on.

But that trouble is such fun! I love it when the AI beats me in battle, it's really special!

[Poulp']

But that trouble is such fun! I love it when the AI beats me in battle, it's really special!

Well, as a gaul (Aedui or Averni, doesn't matter) I make a point of wiping germans from the map.
I can deal with endless stacks of legionnaries; it just means more loot once I tear down their MIC.
Mid to late game, the sweboz are too much trouble for too little loot.

[Hax]

The best manner of taking cities for Hayasdan is in this order:

1) Kotais
2) Mtskheta
3) Ami-Kamah

Those three cities, combined with your capital at Armavir, should be enough to be able to keep your economy in the green.