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Thread: Good faction for beginners?

  1. #1

    Default Good faction for beginners?

    What is a good introductory faction to begin with for IB? I'm a veteran of the vanilla RTW, and I've played a few campaigns of vanilla BI.

    I started as the western empire and got raped within the first few turns, then I started as the eastern empire. It's nowhere as difficult as the WRE, but I'm still being attacked on all sides.

  2. #2

    Default Re: Good faction for beginners?

    Roman Britons, you still have rather dominant troops, with a healthy dose of foes to fight off, but it is not as crazy as everyone else and once the Picts are gone you have a fine base.

    Armenia is fun too, thought difficult as the Sassanids and Romans compete over you.

    If you want impossible, try the Arabs! I did them in IJ and then in this mod and they are one of the most difficult and enjoyable factions to play as.

  3. #3

    Default Re: Good faction for beginners?

    Thanks for the advice.... I'm gonna go try a Romano-Brit campaign now. =)

  4. #4
    Gen.jamesWolfe's Avatar Vicarius
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    Default Re: Good faction for beginners?

    Quote Originally Posted by misplacedgeneral View Post
    Roman Britons, you still have rather dominant troops, with a healthy dose of foes to fight off, but it is not as crazy as everyone else and once the Picts are gone you have a fine base.

    Armenia is fun too, thought difficult as the Sassanids and Romans compete over you.

    If you want impossible, try the Arabs! I did them in IJ and then in this mod and they are one of the most difficult and enjoyable factions to play as.
    seconded. arabs rock in gaming experiance (they got decent units, but they're lightly armred, and surrounded be the straongest of foes)

  5. #5

    Default Re: Good faction for beginners?

    You definitely need to use tactical stratagems, taking down Sassanid cataphracts with your light infantry is quite difficult with no woods around.



    That is probably one of the most satisfying victories I've ever had.

  6. #6

    Default Re: Good faction for beginners?

    Gee! That is impressive.

  7. #7

    Default Re: Good faction for beginners?

    The only reason why so many of my men survived is because most of them ran away took quickly.

    I tried to split my army in two, it sort of worked, I guess. With one force getting whooped and the other struggling against the odds.

  8. #8
    Gen.jamesWolfe's Avatar Vicarius
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    Default Re: Good faction for beginners?

    Quote Originally Posted by misplacedgeneral View Post
    You definitely need to use tactical stratagems, taking down Sassanid cataphracts with your light infantry is quite difficult with no woods around.



    That is probably one of the most satisfying victories I've ever had.
    I had the exact same armies in size vs one another-only at night. took 5% losses. hard battle, and elephants were scary as hell). none of my units routed though. clue: I remembered Khalid ibn Al-waleed.
    Last edited by Gen.jamesWolfe; June 24, 2008 at 01:17 AM.

  9. #9

    Default Re: Good faction for beginners?

    Bastard! haha, must've been very impressive.

    I remembered my Maurice in some ways, I suppose, but for the wrong faction.

  10. #10
    Gen.jamesWolfe's Avatar Vicarius
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    Default Re: Good faction for beginners?

    Quote Originally Posted by misplacedgeneral View Post
    Bastard! haha, must've been very impressive.

    I remembered my Maurice in some ways, I suppose, but for the wrong faction.
    so you haven't figured out how it was done? well, it worked like this:

    1-I took my best general (a fellow with 8 stars at night), and deployed the line with my crap infantry in the center, and the good ones in the flanks.

    2-sent some raiders out to pepper the enemy-there a savage arrow fight broke out; 1 raider vs 2 savaran (I later sent 4 archer units). I loosened my formation and slowed the enemy down, jumbling the enemy line.

    3-they hit the main line-pushing the crap infantry backwards, and at that moment, I sent the lancers (who up to that point were hiding), smashing into the rear. the enemy bolted and ran. the whole thing lasted ~10 minutes.

    read this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Walaja (he gave me the idea)

    only diff. I had more and better experianced archers..

  11. #11
    Jingles's Avatar Praefectus
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    Default Re: Good faction for beginners?

    I am totally trying the arabs next!

  12. #12
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    Default Re: Good faction for beginners?

    Quote Originally Posted by Jingle_Bombs View Post
    I am totally trying the arabs next!

    good luck!

    be careful not to piss the sassanids off until you are stronger-fight the romans first-they're easier.

  13. #13

    Default Re: Good faction for beginners?

    I can't tell whether to exclaim shenanigans or cheater for the archers :p

    Must've been good show, anyhow.

    Do not allow Roman armies to bes

  14. #14
    Gen.jamesWolfe's Avatar Vicarius
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    Default Re: Good faction for beginners?

    Quote Originally Posted by misplacedgeneral View Post
    I can't tell whether to exclaim shenanigans or cheater for the archers :p

    Must've been good show, anyhow.

    Do not allow Roman armies to bes
    the more accutrate phrase is "genius!"
    I haz a culler!! (really, who gives a darn? its totally meaningless, and it doesn't really accurately reflect who I am)


  15. #15

    Default Re: Good faction for beginners?

    Quote Originally Posted by Quirinal View Post
    What is a good introductory faction to begin with for IB? I'm a veteran of the vanilla RTW, and I've played a few campaigns of vanilla BI.
    If you like eastern factions, Sassanids are great for starting. They have somewhat secure position except the danger of White Huns. Also their economy is awesome.

    For White Huns just build stone walls and defend your cities. Try not the get caught on open filed since their armies consist of mainly horse archers it is really hard to deal with them.

    For armenia, if it easy prey at the beginning,, in my campaign I quickly eliminate them.

    The Arabs at the south, Lakhmids (sp ?) is not much of problem also. Their units are no match for Sassanid heavy cavalry.

    But, your real enemy is Romans. They will throw you stack after stack. My strategy was that; Hold the bridges and wait there and let them attack you. In battle while they are crossing the bridge use your onagers and slaughter them. If you like horse archer armies, like me, you could build up full stacks of them, since they are cheap and build in zero turn, throw them to enemy and try to soften them. Then send your main army and crush them.

    For giving you the opinion here some screes form my M/H campaing ;

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 






    Good luck

  16. #16

    Default Re: Good faction for beginners?

    Vandals are reasonably easy as there a few rebel cities nearby + North Africa isn't to hard to take over from the WRE and the Romans are relativley weak in Spain.

  17. #17

    Default Re: Good faction for beginners?

    Weak?? Never!!!!!

  18. #18
    Gen.jamesWolfe's Avatar Vicarius
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    Default Re: Good faction for beginners?

    Quote Originally Posted by PSEUDO ROMANUS View Post
    Weak?? Never!!!!!
    maybe to an allpowerful commander. but in the AI's hands? easy money. remember the rhine and danubian provinces I had in 442 AD that weren't mine in the beginig? they were siezed within 4 years, losing around 400 men. took me 40 turns to seize my first Sassanid prize.
    I haz a culler!! (really, who gives a darn? its totally meaningless, and it doesn't really accurately reflect who I am)


  19. #19

    Default Re: Good faction for beginners?

    romans aren't weak there just stupid sometimes in the AI's hands.

  20. #20

    Default Re: Good faction for beginners?

    And in mine, too .

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