Mid-Late Game Advice(Geats)

[stlcards08]

All,

So, I have been really enjoying Attila. Conquering what I could and slowly building a northern empire. But then the winters got longer and worse, so I am barely above the water line now food wise our with a shortage. (I had 50-100+ before). And not the Huns, who I destroyed like 4 stacks of previously, are knocking at my doorstep with three stacks. Anyone who has played to this point have advice for 1. Dealing with the winters, and 2. Destroying the Huns? (Just search for and destroy Attila's Army for the second time and kill him?)

Thanks guys! Don't really post but Always enjoy reading what you guys say.

[Bramborough]

Recently completed a Saxon campaign. Stayed in the north, so dealt with the same issues. Basically, you just have to build an economy which incorporates non-fertility-dependent food sources.

- Granary in each regional capital; can't really do without it. You need its Sanitation benefits anyway.
- Fishing Jetty in ports. I never felt the need for an actual navy, so didn't really miss not having a military port. DID regret, however, not having more trade ports (I think I did build one in Frisia and managed to get away with it).
- Fairground line. In addition to its income and wealth, also provides a nice food source.
- Among the agricultural buildings, Fertility drops affect Goats the least. Fields are better food producers at Poor and above; Goats gain a slight edge at Meagre, and a substantial advantage at Infertile. So it makes sense food-wise to go with Fields early-game, and then convert them to Goats at the appropriate time.

Using these buildings, I was able to build and maintain a decent economy with food surplus, even after all my regions had gone Infertile. That said, you probably still won't have enough food to build all the Level IV buildings you want, especially settlements. The good news here is that from an economic perspective, Level IV towns/cities aren't really cost-effective anyway; they don't produce more income, larger garrison, whatever...you're basically just paying a huge food price for an extra wall onager. Level III settlements are fine.

As far as the Huns, all you can do is weather the storm until the last chapter milestone when Attila dies. Here's one area where the climate change helps you, since northern Infertile regions remain snow-covered for two consecutive turns instead of one. Use spies to slow the Hun stacks, and let snow attrition help wear them down. Stay primarily defensive, since killing a Hun stack isn't that rewarding; one simply takes its place more or less immediately. But don't avoid battle entirely either; just about everybody is at war with them, so actively fighting them will help diplomacy. It won't turn sworn enemies into friends, but it'll help a lot with the yellow-faced "waverers".

Maybe you get lucky and Attila comes within reach to kill him off early (I never saw him in my campaign; strategic map indicated he stayed over near ERE territory the whole time). Otherwise, for me, he died off at the last chapter milestone ("Survive until Spring 445AD"). I assume his death is scripted to coincide with that milestone. As mentioned several times in other threads, once he's dead, then you can go after the Hun stacks more aggressively, because now the reward is greater; once they're dead, they'll stay dead.

[Bramborough]

Btw, another possible help with the "use snow to help you vs Huns" strategy. Take a look at your armies' skill points. Saxons have a nice trait called "Champions of the North", which can be unlocked at about Rank 3. Plussed up to 2nd level, makes the army entirely immune to snow attrition. Quite useful to have an "all-seasons" army or two, in this part of the map. Hopefully the Geats have a similar army trait available.

[illathid]

Btw, another possible help with the "use snow to help you vs Huns" strategy. Take a look at your armies' skill points. Saxons have a nice trait called "Champions of the North", which can be unlocked at about Rank 3. Plussed up to 2nd level, makes the army entirely immune to snow attrition. Quite useful to have an "all-seasons" army or two, in this part of the map. Hopefully the Geats have a similar army trait available.

Geats are immune to winter attrition period. It's their faction bonus.

[aedn]

If you do not want to manage your food on a province by province basis, just build goat herds at the start on all your non military provinces. you lose extra food early game but you can manage your bulidings better, since, your loss will be less once fertility drops.