Rome early game

[PcolaTy]

Just wondering how you guys start the early game with Rome seeing how their early tier units are fairly week.

1. Strategy?
2. Start techs?
3. Army comps?
4. Initial conquests?
5. Italia build choices.

[Ano2]

Well in my current campaign I did a quick strike north and took Liguria before they could raise an army. I then upgrades my barracks to lvl 2 and make a decent legion with a mix of hastati, principes and triarii with missile and cav support. I then struck north against the insubres, taking the town before the enemy army could respond. Losses were heavy (900 to 1300) but I took it. I then found the army and fought in the field and won, the principes are a lot stronger than most celtic levies so it wasn't too hard. I upgrade a few other buildings and put down 3 rebellions with a smaller anti-rebel legion. I've now got almost 3 full stacks, two full of good roman troops and one of questionable aor levies. Sending two of them south to backstab the syracusians. Tech-wise I've gone mainly military but am now researching a few civ as the coffers need refiling.

[shawn858]

What I usually do is try to get a non aggression pact with the veneti and insubre, wait til they hate Liguria and then attack Liguria, take genua, then focus on Illyria or Carthage.

Early game using hastati, principes and Italian allied spearman with slingers. Once you take genua you can get some decent cav.

[airborne guy]

I Installed the early Polybian mod, and attacked Syracuse as soon as I got a full stack. Man, Syracuse was tough! I finally wiped them off the Earth but at a great cost. I played a battle that lasted 40 minutes. They had about 8000 to my 6000, what a fight. I am now going into North Africa to attack the Carthaginians

[skysyk]

Just wondering how you guys start the early game with Rome seeing how their early tier units are fairly week.

1. Strategy?
2. Start techs?
3. Army comps?
4. Initial conquests?
5. Italia build choices.

Fairly Weak? Compared to other Civs, yeah. Fairly Cost-Effective and a wide Array of Units with First Barracks available ? Yes. Declare War, attack, and well, as Romany History goes, its no shame to loose one or two or three Armies, just raise a new One.

Profit.

[PcolaTy]

Fairly Weak? Compared to other Civs, yeah. Fairly Cost-Effective and a wide Array of Units with First Barracks available ? Yes. Declare War, attack, and well, as Romany History goes, its no shame to loose one or two or three Armies, just raise a new One.

Profit.

How do you profit if you loose an army, or a good portion of one anyways and than have another AI decide to DoW your butt within another turn. Also, I don't see the Camillian units being cost effective if they can barely hold up to the Ligurian Levies, and with how cavalry will take decent casualties, even on a rear charge, I just don't see any point in having them, at least until their Polybian reform ones appear.

[skysyk]

How do you profit if you loose an army, or a good portion of one anyways and than have another AI decide to DoW your butt within another turn. Also, I don't see the Camillian units being cost effective if they can barely hold up to the Ligurian Levies, and with how cavalry will take decent casualties, even on a rear charge, I just don't see any point in having them, at least until their Polybian reform ones appear.

The "Profit" was sarcasm. Really, you just have to accept the fact that not every engagement you have with your camillan romans will be victorious. If you completely dislike it, just tweak reforms to have Polybian on turn 2 ^^

[A_I]

it`s always work, i start from home of kornelia. I in first turn take a trade and non agression trait for all hellenic faction. With gives east is secure and some big income from trade...
My spy go on west to take a trade and massalia and pact non agression ( and soon defensive pact) .
U start with 3 not full stack i put them into one build few hasatii and attack north take genua, mediolanum and paravitum it`s very important because very soon will someone take them if not U.
This gives u opportunity to expand where u wanna... and still have yours ally.

i sail my navy on east to see more of hellenic nation with we have bonus on diplomacy and mass trade aggregment and pacts...

Syracuse i left for themselves they i got trade with them and they fight with carthage and sooner or later they dead. Because west i got defended by massalia east by hellenic factions.
When syracuse dies i attack carthage i take sycyliia and rest of islands...

On start i focus on ecomony with give me fast big income till i attack cartage i don`t build army... i all money put into cities.

In province with rome focus on armor, weapons and lvl of barracks , temple of mars, one port one fisherman, temple of neptun and some bonuses for public order

we go on sout there i focus on food and income building.

On north where is mediolanum i build still food and income building And on mediolanum support barracks for bigger garnison when barbarians will attack first...

when i take a islands i go on west with massalia and take out arveni and all place where are spain and portugal regions.
Than i go on measalia and carthage and take all africa with egypt...

This is how i start... on very hard lvl.