Buying precious time in N. Italy

[bigmilt16]

Anybody have any good ideas on how to hold the line in N. Italy against the Averni?

The only solution I have found is to NOT advance into Genoa or Bononia, which creates a buffer of Greeks, Carthaginians, and Boii states between me and the Averni.

Thanks

[AntigonosDoson]

I've got quite a good idea.

KILL THEM ALL!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ol4zInHFD3g

[bigmilt16]

I've got quite a good idea.

KILL THEM ALL!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ol4zInHFD3g

LOL! I want to do that (and can't wait), but I want to focus on conquering Spain, Greece, and Africa first. I can't do those things and hold the line against the Averni; that's why I want to keep them at bay with minimal cost.

[gascarus]

I guess the only way is to have a buffer state between. I'm sick and tired of fighting Dacia, Boi, Gauls, Averni and Carthage spaming me all the time.

[Kozmonavt]

Well if you already have Genoa, you can always give it to someone else using Force diplomacy. Or if you want to cheat a little, build one fort on the coast to block the only passage into Italy and then use Force diplomacy to declare peace every time they besiege it.

[bigmilt16]

Well if you already have Genoa, you can always give it to someone else using Force diplomacy. Or if you want to cheat a little, build one fort on the coast to block the only passage into Italy and then use Force diplomacy to declare peace every time they besiege it.

You are right, I tried previously holding Genoa, but the Averni still pour in from Mediolanum. You MUST NOT hold Genoa if you want the buffer to work. Better to turn Arretium and Arminium into military bases and hold the line there

[General Brittanicus]

You could gather a big force in north italy then send them on a rampage of burning and looting around gaul, take a few settlements, destroy all the buildings in them, kill as much as the population as you can, and then either give the settlements to the greek cities/ another state which could give the gauls a problem when they try to expand again or just let them rebel. Then you will have a nice buffer zone between you and them and you will have longer before they attack you, that is if they do even manage to recover enough. This means you can concentrate on spain/greece/n. africa before going to gaul.

[chris10]

You could gather a big force in north italy then send them on a rampage of burning and looting around gaul, take a few settlements, destroy all the buildings in them, kill as much as the population as you can, and then either give the settlements to the greek cities/ another state which could give the gauls a problem when they try to expand again or just let them rebel. Then you will have a nice buffer zone between you and them and you will have longer before they attack you, that is if they do even manage to recover enough. This means you can concentrate on spain/greece/n. africa before going to gaul.

HERESY !!!

[NightEye]

Or just mass troops up in Bononia, three stacks (two to fight the and third to garrison the city) keep them along the border to together and they'lll never attack.

[Marcus_Antonius]

I had the same problem, but ya gotta look on it as an opportunity. As the guy says, take Syracuse and Massilla. This will look after your income, place one infantry army with silver weapons/armor (one general, one first cohort and about 12 ordinary cohorts) on the bridge just before Mediolanum and the same on the bridge around Massilla and keep one in reserve. When they attack just auto resolve the battle, you'll loose a lot of men at first but just retrain them in Arretium or Rome and use your reserve one, the more experienced they get the less you'll loose and the less you'll need to retrain. It's also a great opportunity to get your armies more experienced for when you are fighting in Greece, Spain and Africa. I've rarely lost any battles against the Gauls using this strategy. Just make sure you have your large foundry or pantheon of Vulcan built in either city as well as the economic/fortified region building.

[Dramatic Cat]

hmmm, how to defend N. Italy...

lulz, thers somethin called FORTS dude...

One in every mountain pass, at least theyll delay any stack attacking for a couple turns until you raise a legion.

Also, I find Massilia quite easy to defend once you take it from the greeks (and honestly its better if YOU take it rather than letting the carthaginians or the arverni, if they take it they wont stop sending stack after stack at you), The same, put a fort in every river pass and there you go.

And pleaseeee, dont put an entire legion in each fort... thats just idiotic, you can put a single velite or or whatever cheap AOR or merc troop you can find.

Hope this helps, I do it. I take gaul only after I destroy macedon and ive got africa and half spain under my comand. But thats just meh

[bigmilt16]

I just wanted to thank everybody for their really good ideas and give a quick update to how my campaign was going:

Its 567 and I am just now starting to turn the corner in the second punic war. I have two open fronts (Sicily and Iberia) and I have four cities in Ibera and five in Macedonia. The Carthaginians control Genoa and have amassed a four stack army to protect the city, but they have not tried to invade Italy since Hannibal was ran off. The Greeks control Masailia and have been sparring with the Averni relentlessly. The Averni have completely ignored me because I only share one border with them at Emporiom. The Boii control territories in Bononia and they have left me alone as well. I have turned Arretium and Arminium into military fortresses in the event the Boii or the Carthies want to come south.

Up until now it has been a HARD slog (before the polybian reforms, winning a city was like conquering a nation) but sacrificing potential gains/war in N. Italy has paid off in saving me money and troops to go west/east.

Without having to focus on N. Italy, this was the first time I could hold and advance in both Greece and Iberia simultaneously. However, I can't overemphasize 1) my alliance with the Gallecei; and 2) the polybian reforms, those two are critical at this point.

[Dramatic Cat]

Polybian reforms...

LOLWUT?

You mean the marian or imperial reforms.

[bigmilt16]

Polybian reforms...

LOLWUT?

You mean the marian or imperial reforms.

No. The polybian reforms was not a single event, but instead a gradual unification of the military in Italy long before the Marian reforms. It was a turning point in helping Rome to win the second and third Punic wars and successfully invade Macedonia. I try to build a campus martis in most Italian cities in order to unify the military in Italy long before the marian reforms. It eases the pressure on Rome to pump out stacks each turn.

Also, it forces me to ensure that i have (at least) a half-way decently developed homeland once the Marian reforms hit.

[Visarion]

if only we could buy time...