How to get started as Romans?

[Steelwarrior]

Should I just disband a lot of units and rebuild the economy or recruit even more and start conquering...

[smitty]

Should I just disband a lot of units and rebuild the economy or recruit even more and start conquering...

With what troops you start with, immediately sack whatever you can that is within reach (rebel preferably, early wars make things difficult). Prioritize economy in your port/central cities, abandon the rest to public revolt and re-sack them for cash until they submit to your authority with low garrisons. You will get 100,000 gold every 10 turns I believe for about the first 60 turns as payment from Rome. You should use this cash to invest in border garrisons and economic buildings. Once you've secured a good economic base, Brittany to the left (forget faction name, Powys?) is a much easier target than the Franks. The Franks, however, have tons of high-econ settlements ready for exploit and they usually attack you early on, so be ready.

The Alemanni usually advance slowly through the South and often get hung up fighting rogue Frankish armies and Thuringians, so don't fret about them too much. Once they grab that large-garrison settlement to the far south and their east, then they are a real threat.

When in doubt, go raiding the Dumnonia coasts or Frisia. Both have high-income regions that are largely unprotected in their rear (but easily accessible to your pirate legion boats!).

[Steelwarrior]

Cool - stuff - thanks for the hints!

[Leonnatos]

And should the army contain the very expensive comitatenses units or are the liminatei and militia enough?

[the man, the myth, the legend]

I try to use armies of militia and limitanei for border patrol and for brigands and to hold off invasion forces until my Legio stacks chilling out in the forts can make it to the front line. I guess how it was allegedly done historically, it just makes sense. I will also use those Legio stacks for conquering the highly defended settlements with a militia or levy archer stack following behind to install as garrison. I also like to crank out as many cheap levy archers as I can for other garrison duties.

[Theramines]

Like the man, the myth, the legend says: use them in your armies. Don't disband.

A bit different from the man, the myth, the legend, I used Limitanei and Auxilia for the bulk of my line infantry early in the game, but kept a reserve of 3 to 6 Comitenses in the second line of battle. They are excellent finishers, along with the medium cavalry (I forget their name), after the Limitanei and Auxilia have worn down the enemy. I didn't mass them in 'power stacks' until much later in the campaign.

[Cyning Sigebryht of Suð Sussex]

I'd recommend capturing nearby rebel settlements as quickly as you can and building structures in your cities that will aid your economy, which can lessen your time in debt or even prevent it from happening. While money won't be a problem for awhile since you get payments from the Rome, you still have to worry about the Franks who will undoubtedly march on your lands the moment they get the chance. After you get a strong income going on, build several armies you feel comfortable with that can withstand the brunt of the Frankish invader's attacks since they do attack in large numbers and show no mercy to their settlements. Once you break the back of their armies you can pretty much dominate Gaul (maybe become known as Imperium Galliarum too while you're at it ) and all you have to do next is reconquer Britannia.

[Riothamus]

I'd recommend capturing nearby rebel settlements as quickly as you can and building structures in your cities that will aid your economy, which can lessen your time in debt or even prevent it from happening. While money won't be a problem for awhile since you get payments from the Rome, you still have to worry about the Franks who will undoubtedly march on your lands the moment they get the chance. After you get a strong income going on, build several armies you feel comfortable with that can withstand the brunt of the Frankish invader's attacks since they do attack in large numbers and show no mercy to their settlements. Once you break the back of their armies you can pretty much dominate Gaul (maybe become known as Imperium Galliarum too while you're at it ) and all you have to do next is reconquer Britannia.

Excellent!!

[AntonioHundangir]

And dont forget: your strenght is your army and navy. You have a secret weapon: the nomads. The alans laeti of sangiban, the hunnic foederati, taifali. Etc they should not be used for make battle start: they should be used for the battle. Exploit their speed for hit and run attacks on eneny flanks and rear, simulating retreats for make some enemy unit follow you lonely. And when their far away from their army, massacre they alone. Continue so on until you finish arrows and enemy is he avily weakened by your attacks. And only now launch the attacl with all army. Make chavaucee too. Raids in enemy territory for loot, burn, destroy cities etc without rngage no big field battles. Thats will force enemy to deliver many forces for try to counter you. But without result (dont accept battle in open field. Too risk. Better follow sun tzu theory of guerrilla approach. Like belisarius and his small force theory. Few elite troops, while the rest still to garrison. ). Usr your fleey for land by surprisr few forces in the north sea, to the back of enemy, raid germanic villages, destroy sll. Snd withdraw immediatly before enemy come with an army. They wipl fall into frunstration. And you ll make yourself stronger. With the money of firat years instead build yourpolitical structurs. Like treasury etc

[Riothamus]

And dont forget: your strenght is your army and navy. You have a secret weapon: the nomads. The alans laeti of sangiban, the hunnic foederati, taifali. Etc they should not be used for make battle start: they should be used for the battle. Exploit their speed for hit and run attacks on eneny flanks and rear, simulating retreats for make some enemy unit follow you lonely. And when their far away from their army, massacre they alone. Continue so on until you finish arrows and enemy is he avily weakened by your attacks. And only now launch the attacl with all army. Make chavaucee too. Raids in enemy territory for loot, burn, destroy cities etc without rngage no big field battles. Thats will force enemy to deliver many forces for try to counter you. But without result (dont accept battle in open field. Too risk. Better follow sun tzu theory of guerrilla approach. Like belisarius and his small force theory. Few elite troops, while the rest still to garrison. ). Usr your fleey for land by surprisr few forces in the north sea, to the back of enemy, raid germanic villages, destroy sll. Snd withdraw immediatly before enemy come with an army. They wipl fall into frunstration. And you ll make yourself stronger. With the money of firat years instead build yourpolitical structurs. Like treasury etc

Very good points!

[AntonioHundangir]

Thanks rio i m a latin with a barbarian military soul. (guerrilla.) beat them with their own method and in my region (frentania. Near samnium. Indeed we speak an "neo oscan" dialect with an heavy latin and romance influence. Half of the words we use are of oscan stock. Like 'ndoccia'. Torch. A religious ritual that mix christian and samnite rituals. An ld our highlanders cousins of samnium in molise continue to transhumance with sheeps, cows etc like ancestors.Beside that people continue to call their self "frentani", "sanniti", "irpini" etc) where there is a tradition of cavalry especially around larino area (capital of frentania) where the frentani socii trained their missile cavalry . They didnt passed to. Phyrrus and hannibal and helped romans to harass their armies with hit and run attacks. Oplacus a socio general of my town (histonium) died while trying to kill phyrrus at heraclea. He killed phyrrus horse but later was killed by hetaeroi that surroinded him. So here we ve a long tradition of "guerilla methods" and i learned from this school

[AntonioHundangir]

And is also a strategic tactic: starving people with the looting, destroying buildings etc make they rebellious when the enemy reoccupy the destroyed settlement. Forcing to mantain a strong garrison for the public order. And cities revolt. I destroyed franks once in 2turn after they attacked me: destroyed completely 5 enemy armies in diverse battles in 1 turn only with cavalry, and killed their king. The faction collapsed. But the diverse warlords, and bands, etc continued a resistence (now rebel fsction) for several years attacking my garrisons. Just like during gothic war in italy. And the watch tower and fortified cities should be exploited to maximum: once enemy enter roman territory he should found a chain of fortified citied and watch towers. That make his march slow, you sally out with missile cavalry during sieges, kill as much enemies you can and immediatly withdraw in walls before accept battle. The limes isnt build for dont let enter some band of strangers, it is build for not let they go out so easily once entered.....you understand what i mean guys. Exploit the limes and limitanei: it is your declaration to the others: i arrivrd until here. If i wanna i go forward. For the moment I dont. But be careful: the long hand of rome can reach you everywhere if want. ahaha should ever make barbarians think that you have some "secret" and "supernatural" resource.