LC: Set to sack Rome and win my 1st IC

[the_Genghis_Khan]

I've had the game a few months now and this is my first full fledged IC, so I'm rather excited about it.

Here is the quick and dirty list:
-Playing as the Julii

-The first half of this campaign was done w/o the knowledge that I've gained from this forum, and since I bought the game off-line, I also didn't have a manual to teach me the ins and outs of the different character pieces.

-I control 48 provinces including all of the Iberian Peninsula, Brittain, Western Europe, Asia Minor, all of the northern most properites across the top of the screen and have Parthia pinned down to it's capital in the northeastern most province on the screen. Egypt is the only other non-Roman faction that survives. The Scipii control all of Africa, including Alexandria and truthfully don't seem to have a lot of ships in the water.:hmmm:

-Unfortunately, the Brutti control a huge bubble that has swelled northward above the Greek peninsula. They have a huge contingency of stacks in the province immediately north of the Black Sea. (I mean a dozen or so stacks in this province.) They also have a massive fleet of ships in the Black Sea.

-I've never had a battle with my Roman allies through this point, which means, Yes, I've had to assassinate my faction leader once.

-Asia Minor is firmly secured against any Egyptian uprising, so I've sent a full stack back to Italy which should land next turn just east of Rome.

-I've recruited in the last 5 to 10 turns, or so, enough troops to be greater than a full stack which will come together as we lay seige to Rome next turn and I've also recruited a single Bireme off Capia to blockade Rome's port. (the rest of my fleet surrounds Asia Minor, which I've just conquered. They will be blockading Brutti ports and locking up the naval control next turn.)

-I have a large force gathered on a ship preparied to cross the Straight of Gibraltar which should easily conquer a lightly-defended Scipii province.

-I also have a strong force in Pattavium which will be marching east next turn to lay seige to an ajoining Brutti province. There are 2 2nd generation onagers in this province which I'm really considering transporting down to Rome after I drop off the stack of troops on these transport ships from Asia Minor.


So, based on what you've read here, all questions, advice, strategies and encouragements are welcomed. I'll try to close the deal on Tuesday night.

[htismaqe]

If you intend to siege Rome and breach the walls with just onagers, you'll want more than 2. Rome has the best walls a city can get.

You should cut off the Brutii cash flow as quickly as possible. I would suggest landing an army at the south edge of the Greek peninsula and immediately take Sparta, Corinth, and Athens. Take those 3 and you will have crippled them significantly. Don't stop to fight them out in the open, head straight for the cities - you should have plenty of cash so bring a diplomat with you and bribe away their forces.

[Legio]

Sap points are the way to go. Just one is enough,a nd you are in Rome and just need to kill a few senators.

[the_Genghis_Khan]

If you intend to siege Rome and breach the walls with just onagers, you'll want more than 2. Rome has the best walls a city can get.

You should cut off the Brutii cash flow as quickly as possible. I would suggest landing an army at the south edge of the Greek peninsula and immediately take Sparta, Corinth, and Athens. Take those 3 and you will have crippled them significantly. Don't stop to fight them out in the open, head straight for the cities - you should have plenty of cash so bring a diplomat with you and bribe away their forces.

Sapping points and seige towers should let me breach the walls, onagers are there to knock the tower's offensive capabilities down while the seige towers and sapping points do their things. My biggest worries center around the generals and all their heavy cavalry and how to defeat those.

Attacking the Greek peninsula would be a great idea if the game didn't end when I took the 50th province + Rome. But, the game does end when I achieve these goals, so I'll make the deal a quick and dirty surprise that snaps the victory into my hands before my enemies can react.

Thanks for the sapping point advice Legio, I'll try to implement them here, but I've never used them in the past.

[htismaqe]

Sapping points and seige towers should let me breach the walls, onagers are there to knock the tower's offensive capabilities down while the seige towers and sapping points do their things. My biggest worries center around the generals and all their heavy cavalry and how to defeat those.

I was hoping you were going to say this, because when sieging Rome two onagers isn't good enough to do much more.

[Faction-Leader]

Congrats and good luck

[decimator22]

You can keep playing after u get the 50 provinces and rome, I thionk u need to save after the movie and reload than u can continue your game or simply leave Rome be.

[Confederate Jeb]

Actually, the game asks you if you wish to continue playing.

[the_Genghis_Khan]

I think I'd like to play a different faction after this. My wife would like me to take a break...

[htismaqe]

I think I'd like to play a different faction after this. My wife would like me to take a break...

I was at the same point after my first campaign too. On BOTH counts.

[the_Genghis_Khan]

So, what's the best method for killing SPQR Generals and their cavalry (the year is roughly 185BC?) If I remember correctly, most heavy cavalry are very archer resistant, light cavalry will get eaten alive by them, onagers are too haphazard... Should I just use overwhelming numbers? I think I have enough for this w/ >2 stacks coming in.

[htismaqe]

So, what's the best method for killing SPQR Generals

Assassins.

[the_Genghis_Khan]

Assassins.

I've got one who just came out of the womb w/ unbelievable stats, unfortunlately, he's up in Northern Europe. I've recruited 5+ in the last few turns and all but 2 have died after they've missed. I've had one successful attempt in Asia Minor but that's it.

I think yours is good advice but I don't think that I'll have or take the time to train one properly before the seige begins.

[htismaqe]

I've got one who just came out of the womb w/ unbelievable stats, unfortunlately, he's up in Northern Europe. I've recruited 5+ in the last few turns and all but 2 have died after they've missed. I've had one successful attempt in Asia Minor but that's it.

I think yours is good advice but I don't think that I'll have or take the time to train one properly before the seige begins.

You're gonna have a tough time fighting in the streets against multiple Roman generals. Even sheer overwhelming numbers isn't going to be a great help because you'll be fighting in close quarters.

If I were you, I'd siege the city and wait for them to sally forth.

[NobleNick]

So, what's the best method for killing SPQR Generals and their cavalry (the year is roughly 185BC?) If I remember correctly, most heavy cavalry are very archer resistant, light cavalry will get eaten alive by them, onagers are too haphazard... Should I just use overwhelming numbers? I think I have enough for this w/ >2 stacks coming in.

Spears will do it; but Legionary Cohort are better. You are post Marius, right? Then you should be building LEGIONARY COHORT. Then, yeah, just run them into the city (much better than being in the field) and butcher that cav.

H.I. (and Legionary Cohort are THE most cost effective H.I. in the game) eat cav alive; even generals. One unit of LC per enemy general (or maybe 3 for 2) and you should be fine.

[htismaqe]

Spears will do it; but Legionary Cohort are better. You are post Marius, right? Then you should be building LEGIONARY COHORT. Then, yeah, just run them into the city (much better than being in the field) and butcher that cav.

H.I. (and Legionary Cohort are THE most cost effective H.I. in the game) eat cav alive; even generals. One unit of LC per enemy general (or maybe 3 for 2) and you should be fine.

Hmmm...that hasn't really been my experience. But I'm sure you have alot more experience with legionary cohorts than I do, I've only played a couple of roman campaigns.

[NobleNick]

Hmmm...that hasn't really been my experience. But I'm sure you have alot more experience with legionary cohorts than I do, I've only played a couple of roman campaigns.

Well, I should qualify that by saying I stink at phalanx warfare. The problem with spears is that they have such low defense, and that you have to do everything just right. And --IF-- you do everything just right, then spears probably will get a better kill ratio. Honestly, I don't know, since, in my three or so Roman campaigns, I rarely used them.

However, I used Legionary Cohort, a lot. Here is just one anecdote that illustrates my experience:

In a fiercely fought siege, I was more than mildly outnumbered by my attackers (forget both factions, but I was Roman and the attackers were Barbarian, IIRC). I had a quarter of a unit (about 12 LC) with no assignment. So, to give my archers more time to shoot an approaching group of half-naked lads with a ladder, I sallied the LC to harrass them.

About 50 yards out of the gate, an enemy heavy cav unit (about a 1/2 unit = 10 horses) broke away from what it was doing and charged my running LC.

"C*R*U*D!!" I thought. "My guys are toast." This is shortly after I first got LC.

So, determined to make my loss sting the enemy a little, I stopped the LC, reformed them, and barely had enough time to charge into the oncoming horses. The LC killed all but one or two horses before the cav routed. I lost 3 or 4 LC.

At that moment a light bulb popped on: These guys are really tough. I did follow-on custom battle experiments, and proved to myself that LC are, for a given cost, the toughest unit in the game.

[the_Genghis_Khan]

Dang, that'll take 10 turns or so. That mass build up north of the black sea will rip me a new one before that happens. Good thing there's the ability to save your game at a good point before you engage in a series of actions.

[htismaqe]

Dang, that'll take 10 turns or so. That mass build up north of the black sea will rip me a new one before that happens. Good thing there's the ability to save your game at a good point before you engage in a series of actions.

Well, if you can manage, you could build a formation of spearmen and put archers behind them. Force the enemy generals to charge your spearman and hope you can cut them down.

Unfortunately, the Roman factions don't have great late-game spearmen that I've found and those enemy generals are going to be VERY tough. One of them is a faction leader, so he'll be double strength.

[enigmagic]

Noobie question from someone who's just got the game, but what do sappers do ?