Playing WRE; ERE's so weak it's not even funny

[pagulhan]

Hello. I wonder why is ERE so weak in its attempts to stop hordes? They simply have no units. While hordes keep getting like 3 or 4 new units every turn, ERE just sits there, wandering around with a few spies/other hero-units, swimming there and back again with 2 ships (really, it makes me angry. Those 2 ships swim the same way over and over again, asking me to destroy ERE just to make them stop). It's a nation that simply cannot survive. I remember playing a few months ago, before the ~1gb patch. As WRE, I stopped ERE from being destroyed, protecting their northern border and becoming an ally with Sassanids. You know what happened? Nothing. 2 ships kept swimming, several hero-units hept wandering and they kept having no army. Why? What do I do so they won't cease to be?

[Revan The Great]

There's not a whole lot you can do. Total War strategic AI is awful, and cannot handle an empire with the size and geographic challenges of the ERE. Plus the Sassanids are pretty overpowered so there's that.

[emcdunna]

The WRE playes at least 3 times worse when under the AI's command.

Personally, they should have made the Romans work similar to the sassanids, where theres one main empire with a bunch of vassals.

Just look at how strong the sassanids are in the game. In over 10 campaigns, the sassanids have expanded in every single one. In the same campaigns, the WRE and ERE have shriveled and died in every single one.

[Theramines]

Insta-transports strike again. Ruining campaigns with great success since September 2013.

[emcdunna]

Well the insta-transports just make it so the AI thinks it's a good idea to send full stacks out to sea to gaurd the ocean instead of their actual cities. It's stupid beyond belief.

[econ21]

What do I do so they won't cease to be?

I always send full stack WRE armies to protect the ERE. It takes time, as your first priority is stabilising your own lands. But by around 400 AD, you might be able to think about sparing some men. A single stack might be able to accomplish something, especially if led by a night fighter. But typically you want at least 2 stacks mutually supporting (e.g. the second being to make up losses in the first so retaining momentum or to guard your latest conquest) to stop the Sassanids proper and then go on the offensive. Then maybe one full stack vs Armenia and one full stack in Arabia.

In my experience, you can "rush" the Sassanids: win some defensive battles (e.g. in fortify stance) and then when you have smashed 3-4 stacks, they can't quickly regroup, so you can start taking their settlements. Their capitol is quite near the front lines, so rather vulnerable. Their vassals tend to operate piecemeal, so aren't that big a threat. And their settlements tend to be further to the rear, so you can leave them and let them become your vassals once you subjugate the last Sassanid settlement.