Best campaign ever

[Steeven]

I would like to hear the best campaigns from people on this board. My best campaign I'm actually still playing as it just came out of the blue, because I haven't played for almost a year and I played dozens of mostly boring, predictable campaigns. But now I've picked up the game again after reading some books about Roman warfare and there it is, my best campaign.

I'm playing with Carthage, Vanilla RTW, version 1.5 I believe. In the 4th turn a small group of 450 soldiers gone aboard a ship, which set sail for Rome. I took Rome by surprise, eliminating the Senate Faction, and I plundered the city. The Scipii weren't happy about it and took Rome from me, so far my Roman Expedition...

Meanwhile the Scipii continued hassling me. I launched a expedition on Sicily, which was meant for Messina, but the Scipii were too powerful. Before a battle was fought I had to retreat, alterning my plans. While retreating, the Scipii besieged Lilybaum. For the sake of my campaign I had to hold on to Sicily, so my army which was meant for Messina now headed for Syracuse, which was held by the Greeks. I took and hold the city.

The Scipii took Lilybaum and left a small force there, and came besieging Syracuse. Luckily for me, when they assaulted, they lost. That meant I had to take the oppertunity to take the whole of Sicily. A small force liberated Lilybaum and I immediately besieged Messina with freshly trained troops from Syracuse. After a few battles I took the city, and so all of Sicily, ending the Scipii threat.

Meanwhile, my economy was florishing as never before, but as always as you do good, other factions try to weaken you. The Numidians tried some foolish attacks, and so did the Gauls, but they never got far.

At this point I could already train Sacred Band Infantry and 500 of them took Rome again and sacked the city. I launched another campaign into the boot of Italy and plundered Rhegium. Now the Brutii and Scipii had only 1 city left on Italy and were no longer a threat. Carthage is on the winning hand.

The Julii don't like mighty Carthage in Rome, so they gave everything they got and launched a siege, which ended in an assault. I already reinforced my weakened Sacred Band and quite simply beat them. Now, they are nothing and they'll have to wait before I pulverize them, because I have other things on my mind.

I destroyed the Scipii by taking their last city on Italy and I'm besieging the last city of the Brutii. Italy seems safe for now, until I and the Julii have new armies ready, it will be clear that I will win.

I have to give up my settlement in southern Spain. The Gauls are besieging it for the 3rd time and I don't have many soldiers left. I'm too busy getting things done in Italy and pumping up my economy.

My plans are to take control of all of Italy, take Africa, and then Spain, moving to the Middle East.

What I find so interesting about this campaign is the unpredictability. I mean, I never before lost so many battles, lost so many cities (but retook them too). On almost every turn I'm alterning my plans, because they don't fit in anymore. I would like to hear these kind of stories from you too.

The most amazing thing was that my Spanish allies attacked the Gauls who besieged me to free me. I only saw that once or twice in Medieval, but never in Rome.

[God]

I know it's the best Rome Total War campaign you're talking about, but I've always preferred Medievel Total War campaigns... so I'm going to talk about that.

I was playing as the Italians. Because the MTW pope is evil and I didn't want every Christian nation to crusade against me I started my campaign by attacking the Almohads in North Africa.

Anyway, I conquered Almohadland(?) and headed East. By this time I had lots of money and could afford huge mercenary armies and crusades. I destroyed Egypt and the Byzantine empire pretty easily. After I controlled all the non-Catholic provinces the only factions left were the French, the Papacy and myself.

I had no choice but to attack my Christian allies so took Rome and the Papal states. Big mistake.

The Pope reappeared with a huge army and took all my lands in Italy, provinces rebelled in Egypt, the Golden Horde attacked, Spain reappeared and I was at war with France which controlled all of Europe.

It got worse. France and Italy both fell into civil wars and the Danes reappeared. By this time my once-mighty empire had become a few provinces in North Africa.

Then I got fed up of losing I quit and haven't played that campaign since.

You don't see campaigns that good in Rome...