Defense and Offense -- The Cost of War

[Cheomesh]

So I am Rome, and I am currently stuck fighting Greece (who don't do much often) and the Gauls. Neither accepts peace. I try to avoid defensive sieges as sometimes the AI doesn't do anything. I maintain an offensive army that hunts down and destroys offending armies in an attempt to prevent these sieges. Unfortunately, while the army isn't exactly massive, it makes it very difficult to keep a sizable defensive garrison in a given city. Most cities are on high taxes, and I still don't have enough money.

What's the best method of keeping your cities defended while still having money for growth?

M.

[Quinn Inuit]

You don't really need to keep most cities defended, since the AI will only attack cities that it has a border with (unless it's a naval invasion, in which case it's usually the closest city). I usually keep cities lightly garrisoned and a mobile field army near the border to stomp anyone who comes near.

[Cheomesh]

Well, the "garrison" includes some kind of family member and maybe a unit or two. It just seems that I can't for the life of me gather enough income!

M.

[Carados]

How many (and more crucially what) settlements have you got at the moment, and what is the composition of your armies??
And also what is your date?

(if you can get a screenshot that'd be great too)

[Cheomesh]

I've recently surrendered the northern most city of Sicily and Arimnum. That Sicilian island cost me more than 1,000 gold in operating costs for some reason, so it had to go. The Greeks promptly offered a cease fire after taking it.


http://s9.photobucket.com/albums/a54...rrent=SPQR.jpg

M.

[Carados]

Ahhhh now this is the problem. You've taken forever to (not ) take Italy. This has allowed lots of other factions to expand to to develop a significantly greater economic base with sound militaristic buildings. You're going to be ground down in a war(s?) of attrition here.

I would actually suggest starting a new campaign but the next patch should be available soonish so wait until that, for now you should try and learn a few tricks about ExRM.

You should look at disbanding those equites because they have a huge upkeep and are no better than your generals. With that done recruiting a few more principles if you can would be a nice start. They are superior to most other units except the occasional command ones (like chosen swordsmen) however you typically outnumber them anyway so it doesn't matter. If you really want some extra cavalry, to chase down fleeing units for example, then you should have a look at recruiting some tarentine light cav mercs from near tarentum. The initial cost might be high but the upkeep is much much lower and you get a unit that can harass and isolate other parts of the enemy army. Disband your warships if you aren't using them too.

Buildings. Sometimes it is better to building high cost but high build time buildings, in particular farms. In the long run they are much much cheaper and it relieves pressure on your economy so you can afford a few more units in which to tackle some other problem.

On another note. Don't get rid of a settlement simply because it's showing a negative cash income. The way the game calculates that depends on the size of the settlement and your overall army upkeep (and other minor things). For example, Rome at the beginning is losing the most money, but it is actually the richest settlement you have. The reason it is showing negative figures is because it is having to pay for the army more than the other settlements.

[Primative1]

Money is very tight in this mod. I tried my first campaign as the Galatians and was 20,000 in the red in a few years despite taking a couple of cities. Had to abandon that one (any tips on how to get started with this faction gratefully accepted).

Restarted as the Carthaginians, probably one of the richest factions, and had to disband a lot of units at the start to get into the black. About 20 years in and I'm still struggling financialy, hard to maintain a decent military on several fronts.

This makes it fun tho' - I have to plan in advance where I'm gonna need troops rather than just being able to spam full stacks everywhere.

[Carados]

I've just had a quite go as them on medium difficulty and hard campaign (my usual settings). What I did was this:

~Turn 1~
Glasobrin > attacks Pessinus
Sennias > attacks Nicomedia
Brennus > attacks Prusa

One spear warband stays behind to garrison Ancrya set on very high tax, I start building the high kings hall and recruit one skirmisher warband.

~Turn 2~
Ancrya riots. Settlement brought under control.
Adopted a general who joined with Brennus.
Brennus attacks Prusa. Chosen spearmen lead the assault and take on the phalangites head on whilst Brennus and any other cavalry attack flanks. Combined they will destroy the phalangites. The peltests get attack by everything (again, chosen spearman attacking first).
Occupy settlement.

Adopted general and army move adjacent to Nicomedia.
Sennias attacks Nicomedia. All slingers run into position (even reinforcements) to provide support to battering rams. Chosen spearmen unit goes in through gate alone set on defence mode. When enemy units surround chosen spearmen, galatian swordmen charge into enemy. Rest is simple mop up operation.
Occupy settlement.

Sennias and army move to support Brennus. Adopted general and army garrison Nicomedia.
Glasobrin attacks Pessinus. Chariots and heavy cavalry are used to early on during fight on plaza. Everything used to take city.
Occupy settlement.

At the end of all that, I disbanded any surviving chosen spearmen and chariots.
My cities had incomes of 1250, 390, 686 and -591. My tresuary JUST stayed in the green at about 28.
If you can replicate what I did though, you are sorted and should be able to fend of Antiochus and his elephants (maybe? ).


The trick is to make effective use of your chosen spearmen, they are your strongest units and it is a mistake to disband them straight away, because you will then have to recruit galatian swordsmen which in actuality cost you more over those few turns!

An example. Disbanding two units of chosen spearmen = +£1600 per turn. Recruit one galatian swords for ~ £1150 + £450 upkeep. Next turn, £1150 expended. Upkeep increases to £900. So your £3200 saved actually nullified by am expenditure of £1150 + £1150 + £900 + 450 = £3650!!
And you get lesser troops for your troubles!!

Build mines at every opportunity you get. The extra £500 you get from them each turn is a major boost early on.

[Quinn Inuit]

Well played as Galatia!

This mod definitely tries to limit troop production. Our ultimate goal is to make all battles important, and full stack battles extremely so.

[Primative1]

Thanks for the AAR Carados.

I'll have another crack at them at some point, perhaps after the next patch.

Well played as Galatia!

This mod definitely tries to limit troop production. Our ultimate goal is to make all battles important, and full stack battles extremely so.

EB is my favourite mod, so I like this.

[Cheomesh]

That's what attracted me to the mod, the battles of import.

Since the patch is coming soon(ish), I may just hang on to this campaign, or perhaps attempt a completely different faction for kicks (like Bretons!). I've gotten down to a single unit of equites, now with copper weapon and armor (symbols, not literally :p), and a single gold chevron. I think I want to hang onto these guys, as they've proven very handy at slamming my opponents in the back while they try to fight my infantry to the front. I've picked up some Itallic cavalry as well, though that was mostly as a last moment addition to my army against a MASSIVE Gaulic one.

I avoid using my General for charges unless I really need to. My "best" general is unfortunately now the faction leader, so I'm avoiding risking him (though at over 50, he's prone to death eventually). He's a few years short of becoming that high ranking official who's name escapes me...requires 20 odd years of military service or the like.

M.

[Carados]

Praetor? Consul?

Yeh, we are still a slight way off mind. The Greeks in my Pontus campaign have about 10 stacks in all. So too do the Numidians.

Don't be afraid to use your generals in charges, unless you've restricted yourself to playing that way. Especially faction leaders and heirs! The larger number of (regenerating) troops is a great boon when your back is against the wall. The Romans are particularly safe with doing this because the general himself has two officers in front of him. Therefore they'll get skewered leaving your general unharmed ^__^

[Cheomesh]

Well, I've retired my 20 year military veteran (who should be "General" now; I don't know how that works) to a fort somewhere in the south. I've got two armies, one in that fort and the other in the north fighting Gauls -- four family members there. I've taken to using them to charge the rear of attacking enemies fighting my infantry, so they're earning EXP rather well.

I'm pushing into Gaul now, though I really want to end the war with them before finishing off the Epirote cities to my south.

M.

[Carados]

Well, I've retired my 20 year military veteran (who should be "General" now; I don't know how that works) to a fort somewhere in the south.

This thread here should help with that.

Good stuff so far. Are Epirus attacking you at all? You ideally need some pretty good governors to keep Tarentum and Croton under control so keep that in mind when you eventually take them on.

[Cheomesh]

Epirus was attacking me on and off for a while, but after the Greeks retook that island in the northern part of Sicily, they've been at peace with me. Being as they're pretty capable of a naval invasion if I pick a fight with them, I'm sort of ignoring them for the most part right now. I'll need better ships (hah!)

M.