How Have You Started Your Barb. Campaign?

**The Lacedaemonian** · July 29, 2006, 03:57 PM

have you ever turned into a horde your first turn? or have you kept your capital and fought like a "civilized" people? i find keeping your capital is best, but sometimes its good to turn into a horde.

**MadeManG74** · July 29, 2006, 08:02 PM

Most of the time i start off keeping my capital and fighting it out like civilised factions, at least thats what i did with the Franks and Celts.

Turning into a horde might be a good idea though, you could then go and take a huge city like Ravenna or Constantinople off the bat, giving you many more units available to build. The problem is though, i imagine finances would be very tight during the opening moves. I might try it actually, could be interesting

**The Lacedaemonian** · July 29, 2006, 08:14 PM

it is. try using it with the Goths. since Huns and Sarmatians will knock and your door next turn.

**hellheaven1987** · July 29, 2006, 11:07 PM

It really depends. I have tried both horde and staying for Frank. I find out both ways are pretty fun to play. Especially when I play Frank hord I immediately destory Saxon and force other two factions in Germania form horde and march into Gaul... pretty much like what Huns did in history.

**Scorch** · August 14, 2006, 05:11 PM

The Franks are the new huns! =D

I like how easy it is to settle as a horde, but I hate being a horde because they mostly start ages away from anything. I should try this, be the franks, become a horde, take italy in like, 5 turns. =D

**Joul Ironhand** · August 15, 2006, 05:29 AM

Downloaded the Darth Formations Mod, playing as the Lombardi. Became a horde in the first turn, marched all the way into Italy, took Rome and two surrounding towns. If anyone wants the save game, i can upload...

Anyone else think that hordes are far too powerful?

Joul

**Virridovix** · August 15, 2006, 07:35 AM

This is a good topic. When playing BI its the major decison you have to make as a barbarian faction - especially one west of the slavs and huns.

Playing IBFD mod as the Burgundians I wasn't really paying attention and got my king and most of my heavy troops tied up in a siege when the slav horde rolled in. I horded with what was left and with some difficulty began to establish myself in the Milan area. Fun campaign but really a huge mistake to horde because I had to, not because a I planned to. With planning you can liquidate your buildings etc and not lose your main army to a siege. Felt fairly realistic as thats probably what happened to these people in reality.

The Roxalani can sit tight and watch the hordes go on by, the Sarmatians almost always have to horde because the Huns hit them too fast and they don't have the kind of fortifications they need to plan a defense.

I think the designers did ok with the horde thing. It's a function where you hit one button and suddenly have thousands of "free" troops but it still doesn't totally unbalance the game because you either wear down or settle down.

**Shaun** · August 15, 2006, 08:23 AM

Meh, I turn into a horde immediately, then head off for Italy to do some pillaging, as they are undefended lands for the most part.
But you must also be pretty quick about it too, after a while some of your horde units will start to dissapear!

**mike_espo** · August 15, 2006, 01:03 PM

I am playing as a western Roman. Setting hard/very hard.

The worst aspect of BI is diplomacy. I never can get a ceasefire, or an alliance. In fact, The East Roman Empire just set siege to one of my cities in Dalmatia!!!

I asked them many times to attack the vandals, never agreed when allies. Then they just stab you in the back! It is rediculous.

I have more enemies than the line in the diplomacy scroll has!!!!!

I wish there were some file to edit to make more realistic.......

**Omnipotent-Q** · August 15, 2006, 05:49 PM

Originally Posted by The Lacedaemonian

have you ever turned into a horde your first turn? or have you kept your capital and fought like a "civilized" people? i find keeping your capital is best, but sometimes its good to turn into a horde.

I once went horde straight away as the Burgundians and immediately took all of a weakly defended Italy, but I simply got bored of there unit options.

**The Lacedaemonian** · August 16, 2006, 08:54 AM

the thing i hate in RTW/BI is how hard it is to get a protectorate. a faction has one city left i have one full stack, i attack next turn, i lift the siege and offer them a protecterate or we will attack, and they wont take it! any help on making protectorates?

**vikrant** · August 16, 2006, 09:43 AM

well spain is ideal place for hordes to settle {isolated from heavy action}
defending few mountain passes gives u absolute power all over peninsula and then to develope and became civilized is not much difficult {rich mines}

**Virridovix** · August 17, 2006, 03:02 PM

Not too far off topic I hope -

Does it matter how high-tech your last city is when you go to horde status? For example - I have a city at 10k pop. Its quite developed but under threat and its time to pull up stakes and go horde. Can I demolish the blacksmith, archery range etc for the cash first? Or will this limit my chance of getting decent units in my horde in some way?

**Virridovix** · August 29, 2006, 07:01 AM

Can anyone speak to my earlier horde question? I'm wondering if its worth demolishing buildings before abandoning my last city and turning horde - or do the buildings have an effect on how good/many/upgraded my horde ends up to be?

**penance_of_discord** · August 29, 2006, 08:15 AM

well, i started my Samaritan game, and those huns started out like next door. :p stupid huns.... so i ran down to rome, owned everything there. then i moved in, created my empire. ionno about the samaratans tho, they have lots and lots of different horses, but i always end up losing more troops than i would if i was playing partians. its always fun t hear that 'this is no longer a battle, its a hunt! no.. a coward-chase.'