Faction Choice

[Total Roach]

Can XGM players give me an idea of what these factions are like to play a campaign with, especially early game and any other tips you may have would be great.

Rome
Macedon
Carthage

[Illyrians]

rome is tough in the beginning. You have a monster stack by Pyrrhos which is nearly impregnable and then a fully fortified city of Tarentum. Also have the Roman Rebels which will throw stacks at you also and not to mention the Guals up north. Carthage also attacked me by 269 BC. The first 14 years had alot of battle in it for me and very challenging.

[Spartan198]

All three are excellent and entertaining campaigns. Roman and Macedonian victory conditions can be a bit intimidating at first, though.

[Scutarii]

Carthage is the easiest of those, in my opinion. At least, if you use the right strategies (fine tuned after many a Carthaginian campaign). Currently doing my first real attempt at a Roman campaign, and I can tell you its hectic. To put it in perspective: you start with one stack under Decius Mus, some vigiles, a decent income (not enough to build and recruit but at least you're not going under) and two extra hastati. Pyrrhus has a stack that outclasses yours by quite a bit (3:4 odds against), and a second stack in Tarentum. The RR have a combined one stack, of Samnites and Hastati, not too much of a challenge, and Carthage declares war in the first few years and sends half stacks for eternity to Capua if you don't do something about it. The early game is the hardest, after that you have a good economy to build on and solid troops (except Equites SUCK!). Although, Rome's position as a Western Civilized power on with a lot of barbarian and eastern territory to conquer (Gaul, Iberia, Africa, Central Europe) makes it difficult to move to fast.

Carthage, just retreat from Sicily, and put a decent almost half stack on Corsica/Sardinia patrol, and concetrate on uniting Africa, then Iberia. I'm doing that one next, after I'm done Rome. Its my favourite campaign.

Macedon is another good one. The Indie Gauls spawn in the North (Sardica) and give you a good run for your money, while the GCS in the south will only stay allied for so long... Again, for perspective, you start off with an almost half stack in the south (troops from Thebes, Corinth, and Larissa), and a full stack in the North. The Indie Gauls have 3 stacks and a bit, one should go to Thrace, though. And they're good stacks, chosens and everything. You need to kill a couple of their stacks, try to make peace, get and alliance with Thrace, then march down to the south of greece to kill some GCS traitors before they can get the upper hand (they usually betray me right after I get the North under control, gah!)

[Illyrians]

Carthage is the easiest of those, in my opinion. At least, if you use the right strategies (fine tuned after many a Carthaginian campaign). Currently doing my first real attempt at a Roman campaign, and I can tell you its hectic. To put it in perspective: you start with one stack under Decius Mus, some vigiles, a decent income (not enough to build and recruit but at least you're not going under) and two extra hastati. Pyrrhus has a stack that outclasses yours by quite a bit (3:4 odds against), and a second stack in Tarentum. The RR have a combined one stack, of Samnites and Hastati, not too much of a challenge, and Carthage declares war in the first few years and sends half stacks for eternity to Capua if you don't do something about it. The early game is the hardest, after that you have a good economy to build on and solid troops (except Equites SUCK!). Although, Rome's position as a Western Civilized power on with a lot of barbarian and eastern territory to conquer (Gaul, Iberia, Africa, Central Europe) makes it difficult to move to fast.

Carthage, just retreat from Sicily, and put a decent almost half stack on Corsica/Sardinia patrol, and concetrate on uniting Africa, then Iberia. I'm doing that one next, after I'm done Rome. Its my favourite campaign.

Macedon is another good one. The Indie Gauls spawn in the North (Sardica) and give you a good run for your money, while the GCS in the south will only stay allied for so long... Again, for perspective, you start off with an almost half stack in the south (troops from Thebes, Corinth, and Larissa), and a full stack in the North. The Indie Gauls have 3 stacks and a bit, one should go to Thrace, though. And they're good stacks, chosens and everything. You need to kill a couple of their stacks, try to make peace, get and alliance with Thrace, then march down to the south of greece to kill some GCS traitors before they can get the upper hand (they usually betray me right after I get the North under control, gah!)

Those Scippi rebels are a pain too. After I am done finishing out pyrrhos and free my land those rebels come in full stacks besieging my cities, then the carthagians, then other Rebels and Guals. Right now I basically free'd up the Italian peninsual and on my way too Sicily but its been a hell of a 16 years...

[Total Roach]

I am leaning towards playing as Rome, it has after all been a long time I've been fighting with phalagnites and hoplites.

Could any Rome players please post some screenshots of their stack compositions and battle formations?

[Scutarii]

I don't have screenshots at the moment, but I usually go for: 5 Hastati, 5 Principes, 3 Triarii (semi-historical, its what Mus starts with), 2 velites, 1 Equite, 1 general (and maybe a tribune general if you can spare one), 2 missiles (slingers, archers, artillery) and either leave a slot for mercs, or put in another Equite or something. Once you go into Gaul, I replace the Equites with Gallic Heavy Cav, its so much better...

I usually use the checkerboard formation it sets you up with in most battles. Occasionally I go for 2 solid lines.

[Lord de Lyonesse]

Can XGM players give me an idea of what these factions are like to play a campaign with, especially early game and any other tips you may have would be great.

Rome
Macedon
Carthage

Definitley be Carthage and watch Rome fall.

[Scutarii]

Hey, just noticed 5.8.23 is out. You could always try the Roman Civil War campaign, now.