how to play Numidia

does someone know how to play numidia ??, or has advices, bcs i started 3 campaign with them and i always die in less than 20 years.

i play Numidia in VH/VH options
after a few years Carthage attack me, and hopefully for my finance ask me to become carthaginian protectorate, i accept against 14 000 dinari, then they reattack me, so i let them take Capsa and i take Kirtha, main thing is my axe Mouloucha/Kirtha far easier to defend that the axe Mouloucha/Capsa. so i develope gold mine in Mouloucha, in -267 i was the richest faction with 25000 dinari. but several carthaginian armies continue to badger me, Kirtha fall, and Mouloucha will fall in a few turn.

conclusion, i m one of the richest faction and i loss all my cities before - 260.

well if your so rich, try fielding massive armies(recruit every turn if possible). And buy lots of mercs.


I found myself in a similar situation as Pontus on VH/VH.

The first two times, I figured Selucid EMpire is massive so I better go defensive. I find myself constantly attacked by Selucid Empire which exhausts my military and ruins me economy.


Now on my third or fourth try, I have decided to take a risk and be agressive. At first I only attacked one city at the very beginning. Then I was able to get a decent economy running(that one extra city did wonders, plus one less city churning out enemies). Then I invaded 2 cities. For some reason once I started attacking, Selucid armies were less agressive. And now I have just taken 5 more cities(at the same turn). My economy is thriving and I have chopped the Selucid Empire in half. (Plotemic even regained a city, originally the Selucid EMpire had driven him off except for one city, and now they have two cities on this area). By spreading out my armies and attacking various cities(The enemy seems to have been dependant on my fear, since most of its units are in one or two big armies which try to chase my smaller detachments, but since i have so many he cant fight the ones sieging his cities.) Of course now I have to figure out to defend all those spread out cities. Well I have at least smashed their military buildings and this should weaken the selucid empire for me to consolidate a power base in that area. I don't know how carthage fields its army, but most armies I have faced have around 75% infantry and 25% would be archers, skirmishers or cavalry. So to counter that I have built nearly 100% infantry armies. Since I have access to phalangites, I just mass those with some occasional spearmen since they are cheaper. I still have some archers and skirmishers, but it seems that infantry units get the most exp and can handle the constant melee brawls I get into.


So try to attack enemies weak cities even if its far away(since you have a good chance of beating it, and has the chance of pulling enemy away from your main cities). I found it tempting to fight and conquer the rebel cities nearby, but I found it better to let selucid empire waste turns and men fighting them instead.(I was even able to conquer a rebel city after teh selucid empire has been sieging it for many turns). Since carthage is the main contender around you, try to attack him often. And churn out lots of troops even if it devestates your economy. The more troops you have the less likely the enemy will attack you. I have been able to stop a few enemy sieges by sending some reinforcements next to the besieged city.

I played Numidia once. My strategy was to attack as soon as possible. Field a decent army with your starting funds. Take Thapsus, exterminate, and buy mercs. With that army you can take Carthage, exterminate, and buy mercs. And so on.... As long as you attack their cities they are on the defensive, so your own cities will be save.
North Africa is full of mercs, so use it to your advantage.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by lebr

I played Numidia once. My strategy was to attack as soon as possible. Field a decent army with your starting funds. Take Thapsus, exterminate, and buy mercs. With that army you can take Carthage, exterminate, and buy mercs. And so on.... As long as you attack their cities they are on the defensive, so your own cities will be save.
North Africa is full of mercs, so use it to your advantage.

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in VH/VH is not so obvious, it s a real challenge and thats why i like so much the campaign/strategic side of RTW/RTR.
Numidia soldiers are weak (some javelin and cavalry...) and i cant get better soldier bcs my population cant growth bcs of intensive recruitment so i dont get acces to new military barracks and arms manufacture. and if i ruin myself in buying mercenaries, i agree that it can help on the moment, but mercenaries cant be retrained so after a few battles i just let mercenaries unit composed by 1 or 2 men in fort located around my cities or in strategic location on roads (exemple : block the acces road of Mouloucha) bcs ennemy often attack fort before attack cities, even if the fort has a really small garnison.

@sumaznguy

"I have been able to stop a few enemy sieges by sending some reinforcements next to the besieged city."

really true, i already noticed that also, they have to defend their motherland.

about Pontus faction in VH/VH. in my view pontus is a really good faction in -255 i own all minor asia, expanding towards Liban and israel and later all black sea will be mine, so i m in war with greeks, selucid, ptolemaic and armenian but i dont care bcs i m rich as Cresus. but the best is that pontus own some really good units especially for attack, phallange for defense.

when i start with pontus i firstly attack rebels cities on the coast ( first the on close in the north like that i can get better armour on the way to battle, and after Sinope and the one south of Sinope) so in 5 turns i own 3 new cities which will be the roots of my empire. those cities on the coast are easy to defend bcs u can quickly and safely send renfort troops by see if they are attacked. From the very start i make money by salling alliance, trade and map to Macedon and ptolemaic, each pay at least 3000 dinari for it.

As soon as I beat Pontus I am going to have to give Numidia a try.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by lebr

I played Numidia once. My strategy was to attack as soon as possible. Field a decent army with your starting funds. Take Thapsus, exterminate, and buy mercs. With that army you can take Carthage, exterminate, and buy mercs. And so on.... As long as you attack their cities they are on the defensive, so your own cities will be save.
North Africa is full of mercs, so use it to your advantage.

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yep totaly right.
now playing in VH/VH, i m in -259, i own all carthaginians cities in north africa, finance = 65000 dinari...maybe Carthage will come back later from iberia or sicilia but right now i m ruling north africa.

in fact, i took Kirtha as soon as possible, leting Carthage take Capsa. after i did accept Carthage proposition to become his protectorate against 14000 dinari. whiche i used to bought mercenary, sight that cartganian main army was sieging Moulucha i went sieging Hypo (killed everyboddy and got more money so more funds to get mercenary, then same way with Utica, Carthage, Hadrume, Taphsus) i now in -259 carthage has been wiped out from north africa by lil Numidia Kingdom.

The main thing is that any Carthaginian cities had an appropriate garnison to resist my mercenary proudly leaded by Hadonibal son of Syphax. IA still has to be improved bcs is making no sens to let his cities without garnison.

Hmmm, I also played Numidia on VH/VH a while back (Gold) and enjoyed it. Also had a false start but then moved fast on Carthage blitzing them. Once I took their first stone walled city it was over as they tried to take it back from me with their last decent army in Africa. From the walls all those javelins are deadly. Numidian javelin cav are also amazing. The other cool part is unlike other factions once you have Africa secured its not over as you still have to face Rome and numidia has few decent infantry to take them on. The elephant cavalry is good but only when coupled with decent infantry to pin the legions. I found it challenging to the end. My final armies had Greek hoplites in the front lines with Cretans and Rhodian slingers on the flanks. Generals were supported by Numidian javelin cav and the killing blow was mostly my elephants. Fun battles.