Early Rome campaign help

[E.K]

I just started a roman campaign and im having a fair bit of trouble.
First Hannibals army lay siege to Arretium(i think thats the name) so I sent the army thats right next to Hannibal at the start. Well the battle didnt go that well I lost badly. I managed to kill about 600 of his men but he took Arretium. To make things worse the Roman rebels appeared and lay siege to Rome with a full stack.

Has anybody got any tips on how to get past this stage?
Im playing on M/H difficulty. Aswell as BI

[Caesar_1991]

Numbers,numbers and Numbers. They beat Hannibal. Put Arretium under seige then you have too destroy the rebels. Be warned they are FAR superior too your men. Whittle them down. Have multiple cities produce multiple armies.

[E.K]

Numbers,numbers and Numbers. They beat Hannibal. Put Arretium under seige then you have too destroy the rebels. Be warned they are FAR superior too your men. Whittle them down. Have multiple cities produce multiple armies.

Thanks will try that

[Marcus Licinius]

i fought hanibal in turn 1 and won, but i do play on MM, and on the rebelion mercanries can be a great hope

[Anibal at portas]

use the historical fabian tactic.
not fight with hannibal army and carthaginians army in italica peninsula.
then concentrate all roman armies and fight with the carthaginians and easily defeat.
while with one army,obstruct the roman rebellion in the south, until it is defeated hannibal in the north.
i am play in hard/hard and is very easy for my.
in my next campaign i will play in very hard/very hard.

[tone]

Don't play on VH/VH, VH campaign is easier than H campaign.

[shireknight]

Uh oh I'm playing on H/H which means I'm on the toughest mode then lol -I'm doomed

[apple]

Well almost.
h/vh is the hardest.

[Fridericus Rex]

I usually attack him on first-turn with two armies -
One army with a general and the best troops (Campanian cavalry, Rome legionaries, etc.).
The second army with everything else I can lay my hands on (without a general, you will lose this general). Attack with the stack that includes the general and enable computer control for the second stack.

Following this procedures I utilize a weakness of the AI - the AI will split Hannibal's army (1/3 and 2/3) sending only 2/3 of their army against you while the remaining 1/3 battles it out with your second army. Since Hannibal stays with the 2/3 part he is easier to kill and you just have to mop-up and kill what is left of his army after that.

Works every time on HH.