Carthaginians having endless amounts of armies and no money problems?

[Freighttrain4]

I know about Carthage's ability to basically make mercenary armies, so I understand how quick they make them. One thing I don't understand is that they hold only 4 cities in my current campaign as Rome. Yet they can field 4 full armies while I can barely afford to field 2 full armies. On top of the navies which they have more than me too. I understand that they are supposed to be strong but I simply can't defeat them in open battle. I thought it was the Romans with the number advantage during the Punic wars, not the Carthaginians. I'm having battles where I'm fortified and that's the only way I can beat them in any way. There are about 3,500 Romans vs. about 7000-10000 Carthaginians, that's happened twice.

Anyone else having the same problem? Is the AI just given huge bonuses in the campaign? They make less than me in trade and even when I blockade them they still can field army, upon army, upon army, upon army and still keep recruiting!

[Tariq]

I know about Carthage's ability to basically make mercenary armies, so I understand how quick they make them. One thing I don't understand is that they hold only 4 cities in my current campaign as Rome. Yet they can field 4 full armies while I can barely afford to field 2 full armies. On top of the navies which they have more than me too. I understand that they are supposed to be strong but I simply can't defeat them in open battle. I thought it was the Romans with the number advantage during the Punic wars, not the Carthaginians. I'm having battles where I'm fortified and that's the only way I can beat them in any way. There are about 3,500 Romans vs. about 7000-10000 Carthaginians, that's happened twice.

Anyone else having the same problem? Is the AI just given huge bonuses in the campaign? They make less than me in trade and even when I blockade them they still can field army, upon army, upon army, upon army and still keep recruiting!

My understanding is that Carthage has quite bit of discount on Mercenaries (due to that being historical ) and that they are probably boosted to helped them survive those little African tribes from the south(Garamantia..). How much..depends on difficulty level...OnVH they probably can field 4 armies with cities with ease.

[Korvyr]

Boostd by DEI and boostd by difficulty, further boosted by their faction ability...

[capomafioso393]

On VH campaign I'm finding the same thing, carthage is a beast! The worst part is when I finally end up negotiating a truce the bastards leave their armies just sitting around brundisium, so they're constantly a threat. TBH I can totally see why Scipio would wanna go over to africa and rip that up.

Have you made friends with the spanish tribes? in my campaign nearly every spaniard is resisting carthaginian rule, and a bonus of that is that they send their navies towards sicily, so I can take a few enemy navies down with reinforcements, while their armies distract carthage and it's allies in the west. Sadly Syracuse was utterly useless, getting wiped out in the first turn, and even when liberated refused to declare war on carthage instead dicking around with epirus.

[stalkingvengeance]

I had the same problem, as Rome. Their armies in the field were so powerful that I had to wait until they defeated me in one battle, so I could wipe them out with a full stack afterwards (as they were very weakened). I played tug-of-war with them for my first 120 turns or so, and then Ptolemaoi (or whatever it is) joined in and I had these two nations constantly sending armies at me, left and right.

Eventually I built up a couple sizeable navies to keep their armies off my land (the whole sea battle thing is pretty messy still), because if you can manage to get the catapult ships, 4 of them with a few melee/missile ships can usually destroy a whole stack of transport ships in auto resolve (while being raped in manual battle).... Anyways, thats how I got breathing room.

After I was able to rescue Syracuse, we both stomped down Carthage, and I made my way East towards Alexandria, where I massacred the hell out of those bastards and left with with a couple cities as my satrapy.

It was definitely a hard start as Rome, but at turn 261 I just got my Marian reforms and am pretty much destroying anyone I go to war with now.

[Ygraine]

In most of my campaigns their holdings in Sicily and north Africa get conquered by Syracuse.

[Augustusng]

In most of my campaigns their holdings in Sicily and north Africa get conquered by Syracuse.

My last campaign went a somewhat different way. Carthage and Syracuse ended up allied, and invaded Italy together.

[KAM 2150]

In my campaign Carthage always conquers Syracuse In general those small nations like Syracuse are crucial for easy victory over Carthage, without my intervention, Carthage took over or subdued entire western Africa, took 1/2 of Spain and entire Sicily after long fight with Syracuse. At that point I made friends all over the world, then I used tchem to take down Carthade slowly, Ptolemaioi occupied their African armies, Iberians were slowly taking their lands back and I landed in Africa, taking down Maesyli. Later with few big attack I took their islands and Carthage itself was cunquered around 130 turn.

[NYG 5]

In my campaign Carthage always conquers Syracuse In general those small nations like Syracuse are crucial for easy victory over Carthage, without my intervention, Carthage took over or subdued entire western Africa, took 1/2 of Spain and entire Sicily after long fight with Syracuse. At that point I made friends all over the world, then I used tchem to take down Carthade slowly, Ptolemaioi occupied their African armies, Iberians were slowly taking their lands back and I landed in Africa, taking down Maesyli. Later with few big attack I took their islands and Carthage itself was cunquered around 130 turn.

very interesting. In my campaign, tiny Syracuse managed a very long back and forth war with Carthage, even taking Carthago for a time. When Carthage started to rebound a bit, the Iberians took the opportunity to seize Carthage's coastal territories there, and then moved in on their North African territories. As a good opportunist, I took this opportunity to come upon Corsica and Sardinia, then quickly snatched up lilybaeum after a weakened Carthaginian army took it from my faithful ally Syracuse LOL.

Strangely enough, I've had quite a few turns now. For example, Libo is like 78 and still ticking. Carthage has been in Last Stand mode for a while now, they only have their last original territory on the border of Ptomatolai. For some reason Syracuse/Turdetani haven't finished them off yet.

[geala]

I usually don't play as Rome or Carthage as I've no sympathy for either. In my current campaign Rome managed to conquer Sicily, all the African possessions of Carthage and most of the Spanish. Rome is allied with the big player in Spain (Celtici) and the Arverni. I got into a stupid war with Rome because I helped an ally and now have to face Marian legionaries. As player you have to use campaign moves to get to a local superiority. F.E. I managed to catch a whole legion on the see with my lonely fleet and two additional armies mostly filled with weak units. I managed to win even in manual battle with ramming tactics despite the totally dump transport-ship-touches-slightly-and-enters mechanic, although I lost horrible amounts of soldiers. I think it's the same as Rome against Carthage, you have to outmanouevre the AI. It's also not very wise to complain about difficult gameplay if one is using vh campaign.

[Grizwald714]

I think I need to restart my campign on very hard because I am demolishing Carthage with ease. I did make 3 tribes in Spain my satrapies in preparation for the war. Carthage then went to war with one of client states in Gaul before I was really ready to take them on but I decided to defend them anyway. So far In about 8 to 10 turns into the war and I have taken most of Carthages Spanish holdings except 2 cites but one was just sacked by my satrapies and the other one that is on the island I sent an army to but they were hit in transport and destroyed so far the only real damage Carthage did to me. In North Africa I took 3 of their cites over the course of 2 turns so far not a Carthage army in site. It looks right now like the war will be over in a another couple turns. I thought they would of had more armies or they must be hiding some were because as of right now they are only at war with me and my satrapies. I went in to the save parser to see how much money Carthage had and they have around 150k just sitting in their treasury so I'm not sure why they aren't using or creating more armies.

I was wondering does Carthage defense scripting cover cities in North Africa like Carthage because so far I have only seen them spawn an army when they lost their city in Sicily?

[qlum]

In my sabian campaign Catharge was reduced to the western half of sardinia and its core province in africa. So when I declared war on them after finishing the remainders of egypt they effecttively died in 3 turns, I took their african province and syracuse took western sardinia aided by 2 roman legions.

btw is it just me or does baktria always explode. In my campaign they killed of the selucids and I am no waging a war against their coalition which really is huge.

[KAM 2150]

In my campaign Baktra was destroyed around 110 turn.

[FlashHeart07]

Before version 1.0 it was a problem that Syracuse would destroy Carthage within a few years. Now Carthage is too strong Im playing a H campaign as an Iberian tribe and I find it extremely fun to ally with the other Iberian tribes to fight a strong Carthage while also being attacked by the Gauls from the North. The way the AI gives and make use of military acces is a real killer.

[Lord Saruman]

In my campaign as Rome, I declared war on Carthage by taking an Lilybaeum (spelling?), they then proceeded to surround me with three full stacks of armies in transport ships, plus a fleet of about 10 ships, I had two full stacks to defend it. I won the battle, but then I happened again, about 7000 Carthaginians surrounded Lilybaeum again, I won the battle once more. It was epic, but after these two battles, Carthage was pretty much defeated, I invaded and took Africa easily, and made a peace treaty with them. They kept four stack, not one full, around Massaesily's Iol, but they never invaded me.

I don't know about you, but I have right now four full stacks, and I have a ~5k income, and I possess Italia, Magna, Cisalpina, Africa and one region in Illirya.

I didn't focus on building up my navy, but instead sent a admiral by himself around the Mediterranean on diplomatic missions. I ended up with about five or six new trade agreements which really helps my economy. Without trade I would have a less than 1k income.

[Butan]

Wherever they find their money, Carthage has a lot of AI army disposition issue and dies too much in all grand campaigns, so they need it to survive.

Its actually pretty balanced as is.

[Dresden]

This problem makes me so happy. I started modding to expand Carthage's starting territories and have them survive. When Rome 2 was released, Rome and Carthage would die fairly early.

The fact that they are nasty juggernauts (especially at higher difficulties) makes me smile

[M@x1mus]

The fact that they are nasty juggernauts (especially at higher difficulties) makes me smile

+1

[Skoran]

This problem makes me so happy. I started modding to expand Carthage's starting territories and have them survive. When Rome 2 was released, Rome and Carthage would die fairly early.

The fact that they are nasty juggernauts (especially at higher difficulties) makes me smile

Started 1.0 as Rome and ive been fighting for my life against Carthage. Also my bad because I underestimated the big changes 1.0 delivers, started the war way to fast.
I take Sicily, they re-take it, I re-take it. They manage to conquer it again and even invade Italy a couple of times. Managed to drive them back to Sicily, they invade again (always through land or sea)

I am finally at a point where I can say "Sicily is secure". I think it took me 60 turns or so.
ing LOVE it, finally a challenge. I sometimes had the feeling I could actually loose my campaign. I never ever had that feeling in any total war game.

[Litharion]

we put in a lot of effort to make Rome and Carthage the most challenging factions to conquer.