Any hints for Carthage?

[Shoebopp]

If you want to trigger the Carthaginian reforms without having to luck out on pro-Barcid family members, do everything in your power to make your starting general in Sicily (his name is Hanno or Hasdrubal) the faction leader and Rab Mahnet. He is Barcid and S/C/V. Since the reforms occur at the earliest on turn 140, where Hanno/Hasdrubal would be 73 years old, you might have to do a little save-scumming to ensure he doesn't kick the bucket prematurely. It's a little hacky, but it guarantees the first reform, which unlocks some pretty sweet units including Late Libyans, Late Libyan Swordsmen, and Numidian Swordsmen, as well as upgrading the Numidian Noble Cavalry's armor.

[qwertykov]

If you want to trigger the Carthaginian reforms without having to luck out on pro-Barcid family members, do everything in your power to make your starting general in Sicily (his name is Hanno or Hasdrubal) the faction leader and Rab Mahnet. He is Barcid and S/C/V. Since the reforms occur at the earliest on turn 140, where Hanno/Hasdrubal would be 73 years old, you might have to do a little save-scumming to ensure he doesn't kick the bucket prematurely. It's a little hacky, but it guarantees the first reform, which unlocks some pretty sweet units including Late Libyans, Late Libyan Swordsmen, and Numidian Swordsmen, as well as upgrading the Numidian Noble Cavalry's armor.

Awesome tip! That would be Hanno.. and yes i might have to do some save-scumming den..

[RodriguesSting]

Sorta, what you described is more akin to Greek colonies. You set up a Polleis (not the Military Settlement, which is another "colony" building they get), and after it gets to a certain size, it contributes to your pools.

Carthage, you can get colonists from only 4 settlements. Cartage, and the 3 immediately surrounding cities (including Lilibaeum), when they reach the maximum factional government level, Council City. That will require the maximum Settler Colony in said cities, and they are the only ones that can acquire your maximum (pre-reform) factional government. Everywhere else will be, at most, Allied Poleis, requiring only the second level of Settler Colony.

So in that sense, Carthage is far more limited regarding colony options than the Greeks. But, they're beating the Romans and Boii as far as pooling colonists go.

Edit: So Carthage, you get from Council Cities, 4 at most, 1 colonists per 4 years per Council City.

Greeks get 1 colonist every 4 years per 3 Medium Poleis, and 1 per Metropolis.

At least with Carthage you don't have to build two separate colony lines in a city to get access to troops. But I think a powerful Helenic player can snowball out of control very quickly.

[Jervaj]

Sorta, what you described is more akin to Greek colonies. You set up a Polleis (not the Military Settlement, which is another "colony" building they get), and after it gets to a certain size, it contributes to your pools.

Carthage, you can get colonists from only 4 settlements. Cartage, and the 3 immediately surrounding cities (including Lilibaeum), when they reach the maximum factional government level, Council City. That will require the maximum Settler Colony in said cities, and they are the only ones that can acquire your maximum (pre-reform) factional government. Everywhere else will be, at most, Allied Poleis, requiring only the second level of Settler Colony.

So in that sense, Carthage is far more limited regarding colony options than the Greeks. But, they're beating the Romans and Boii as far as pooling colonists go.

Edit: So Carthage, you get from Council Cities, 4 at most, 1 colonists per 4 years per Council City.

Greeks get 1 colonist every 4 years per 3 Medium Poleis, and 1 per Metropolis.

At least with Carthage you don't have to build two separate colony lines in a city to get access to troops. But I think a powerful Helenic player can snowball out of control very quickly.

There is a coutnerbalance though. Hellensitic colonies are basically just for recruitment and conversion. They do also unlock some governments but its not a big deal and the first level of colony is usually enough. Economically they are actually a malus. Carthage colinization is more difficult but I feel like they get more out of each one they get. And with only 1 point you can decide to go down the trade colonziation path which can boost your economy and improve recruitment without much colonist expense. It does favour slower expansion though indeed. Specially until you get the reform so you dont ahve to use allied goverments left and right.

[RodriguesSting]

(Helenic) settler colonies will eat away some of your food production, but it is not too bad, as they tend to contribute to law which is always nice. Furthermore, they offer free garrison slots and Greek Units are, in general, a step above the Carthaginian roster (Hoplites are a dime a dozen, and compare pretty well to Citizen Hoplites). They are meant to mostly work in conjunction with the Poleis (that are a fantastic investiment all around), just complementing the military potential of the Poleis that is mediocre by itself.

Furthermore, saying the Carthaginian Trade Post "improve recruitment" is a huge overstatement. Yes, you can use it to immediately pop out 6 units, often for garrison duty (as intended, I suppose, as the system is very similar to Free Cities of the Romans), but you will only be seeing new units there after 9 years, 36 turns. One-Time recruitment, and they are fairly expensive to set up (compared to other colonies, including Carthaginian Settler and Helenistic Settler/Poleis).

So yeah, basically, I just build trade posts as Carthage when I have literally no other option. As I am sticking to the Western Mediterranean though, Settlers are the way to go.

Something neat about Carthage, furthermore, is that Settler Colonies offer local merc recruitment, so if you think Carthage's roster is at fault in any aspect (I don't, I find them more balanced than the Greeks and with better numbers overall too), you can easily integrate folks from somewhere else.