Carthage Strategies

[Lord Raneus]

Hi! I'm planning on picking up RTW soon, and have fallen in love with both Carthage and Seleucids. Yes, elephants and chariots are to blame. But, moving on.

I've heard that Seleucids aren't too hard, and I'm not too worried about playing the campaign with them. But what can you recommend for Carthaginian strategies in the campaign, or in battles? (I.e. useful units, army compositions.) I'm concerned about starting close to the four united Roman faction, and really don't want to get steamrollered by them. So, can you give me any advice? Thanks!

[Romulus_A]

Well first I just want to say, Selucia is a bit hard at first due to the fact you have a large amount of territory to defend against horse archer factions, and since you start out with militia hoplites, it doesn't make it very easy :S.

Now for Carthage, I wouldn't worry too much about losing your city in Sicilia. If you build up a large enough force, or send some troops from the mainland, you can usually gain a large enough force to protect it. But even if you do lose that territory, it's not that bad, it just gives you more room to deal with those pesky Numidians.

As for useful units, I'd have to say to always use your Numidian Cavalry, they are a very useful asset. Just as well, don't be afraid to use the Iberian infantry, although they are weak, they are much more mobile than their phalanx counterparts, and can flank a force with more ease, or even hold a force in place while stronger units flank.

Oh and about the elephants...they are useful, but you must also keep in mind that they are expensive. With the money you spend on training elephants, you could train several units of infantry (or even cavalry). Having a few units of elephants can be good, but I wouldn't advise going overboard with it.

As for the Carthaginian holdings on the Iberian Peninsula: you should be able to beef up the forces there, as Spain generally tends to not attack for a while at the beginning.

[Selifator]

You can easily get one of the best infantry units in the game, Sacred Band, through a temple of Baal. Also, using lots of cavalry works wonders against the Romans. Raid through the Italian countryside and exterminate cities to make cash and destroy Roman economy.

[_TubbZ_]

You can easily get one of the best infantry units in the game, Sacred Band, through a temple of Baal. Also, using lots of cavalry works wonders against the Romans. Raid through the Italian countryside and exterminate cities to make cash and destroy Roman economy.

MAybe not kill off rome itselft as you might miss out on the reforms and get stuck with the lesser bodyguards and what not, although with carthage that might be of an advantage...

[Selifator]

You can still raid cities to make big cash.

[falls180]

As Carthage, I like to focus on taking over as much of the Iberia as I can early on. As for Rome and Sicily, I just put enough troops there to defend and delay the Romans. Most of the time only the Scipii will attack you in Sicily anyways. After I take over Iberia, then I have the money and manpower to challenge the Romans and a safe base far away from any Romans.

[achillis]

i always take the romans out first
but it might work better taking out iberia first

[Pontifex Maximus]

Carthage:

Early on is crucial. Numidia doesnt pose much of a threat at all so focus on the Greeks and Romans in Sicily. Destroy them as soon as possible. Secure an alliance with Gaul to discourage Spain from interfering in the west, they try to take some northwest African cities as well as the city in Spain itself. Don't wprry about defending Caralis from the Julii in the opening war with the Romans, secure Sicily first and from there launch an attack to retake Caralis, by that time you should have seom ellies from Carthage to make things easier.

After Sicily is taken I recomend pushing on farther into Italy. Utterly destroy the Scipii and then move on Rome itself. Gaul might have already attacked the Julii by then which would have softened them up (or given them a foothold in Northern Italy, it all depends on how the Gauls did so giving them some handouts every now and then wouldn't be a bad idea). From there you can choose to move on the Brutii, or take Spain. numidia is always open for conquest but their cities are basically useless so I wouldn't take too much time thinking about a conquest to the south (unless of course they decide to be stupid and attack you, then by all means, crush them, but I never bothered with them until I got bored and wanted to see elephants kill something)

Good Luck!

[Xavier Dragnesi]

If you want to prolong the game, while still keeping the Romans in check, you might also like to just conquer all of Italy except Rome, and leaving that till last.

[DashSia]

i take romans, spain, africa and sicliy all together. it isn't a hard thing once you have access to sacred band.

[Summitz]

Early in the game, carthage's power lies in its cavalry, cheap and much more powerful than the roman counterparts, equites, or as a matter of fact, any of its surrounding neighbours. Making a lot of shield cavalry, (both types) allows easy game, this is good with every roman faction as well as all the factions surrounding carthage, as there is a lack of spearmen, esp for the romans, until they get the tiari, but when the romans should get the triari, you should be making atleast poeni infantry. So make a lot of cavalry, and charge into the enemy, dont bother much with iberian or militia, as they as like peasants. When you start a campaign, make sure you destroy the scipii out of sicily, and then you should have a steady income. Then grab lepics magna(sp?) and then alliance with gauls and kick the spanish out of spain. The rest of upto you.

[Hannibal Burca]

I have tried several times to win a campaign as the carthaginians, but either got crushed by the Romans or the Spanish. Its really sad since I have won Campaigns as all the types of cultures except Carthage (Roman - all three; Greek - Macedonia; Eastern - Armenia; Barbarian - Dacia), and Carthage is my favourite faction.

This time I'm going to take a different approach. I modified Pelstats as "Carthaginian Archers" and Slingers as "Sacred Band Archers". Now city defence will be easy once you build a stone wall, and those archers will come handy in taking on Romans and Spanish infantry.

I started the campaign yesterday and first secured Sicily, all three cities. I gave Caralis to the Julii - for the time being. Now Sicily is in my hand, I will move to Spain. There thing will be tough since I have both Gauls and Spanish figting against me.

Once Iberia is under control, I will slowly attack the Numidians while send an Army to lay waste to Capua. I will not hold Capua, just sack it. That will eliminate my chief enemy, Scipii, and give me a lot of money.

Then of everything goes well, I will follow the Hannibal's route from Iberia to Northern Italy, with supporting troops coming from the Southern Italy. Rome will fall and wrold will be mine for the taking.

Wish me luck.

[candle_86]

well if your gonna be hannibal take some elephats with you, just remember though that he lost

[DashSia]

the point is that you have phalanx and your neighbour factions doesn't except greeks that you must kick them out as soon as you can. phalanx is really powerfull and i think too powerfull in rome. however you can manage spain with your earlier troops. just use a lot of cavalry against barbarians and they are dead.

[Xavier Dragnesi]

Always back them up with infantry though, you never know what might happen.

[Selifator]

Well,for most battles round shields will be sufficient. And untill you can build Sacred Band or the Poeni infantry, you don't have good infantry available.

[GreatOne]

With Carthage, just make some iberians for flanking manuvers(sp?), they are really great at those things, because of their super speed.For center use phalanxes to hold the enemy in place.

Round shields are quite good at destroying skirmishers and archers, and occasionally charging at the enemies' back.Don't be afraid in using them to cut them down if needed, but make sure enemy is not facing you, as round shields have no armor, spears or weight to break the enemy formations.

Seleucid campaign is pretty hard because Egyptians come with their desert cavalry, and infantry and then you say goodbye to your infantry, cavalry, skirmishers and generals.......Also Parthians, Armenians and Pontus always seem to form an alliance and then kick your inflexible phalanx armies to pieces.To counter former 3 make militia cav, they do surprisingly good job at destroying cav archers.

Hannibal Best Of Luck!