Do rebel stacks on my territory affect the economy?

[Calypze]

I guess this is more generally applicable to the Medieval II Total War Engine, but since Europa Barbarorum II is currently the only incarnation I play with than engine…

Do rebels stacks in your territory affect your economy?

In my Romani campaign, the rebel stacks are quite ridiculously big, and they are composed of powerful troops. I have mostly, though not completely, ignored them (and those strolling my borders play a useful role as buffers against invaders), but I am always short of money, despite having quite a significant territory (the Italian peninsula, the four originally Celtic provinces right beneath the Alps, Massalia, southern Gaul, all of Iberia, all of north-western Africa, Sicily, Corsica , and the Balearic Islands). So I was thinking if those rebel stacks could be affecting my economy.

Recruiting troops to defeat all of these stacks would be expensive and time-consuming as well as taking resources from other pursuits, so I want it to be a good investment if I am going to set out to do that.

[Shoebopp]

They do. If a rebel stack stays on a tile in your territory for more than 1 turn, the land beneath the army will turn more and more grey/rugged. This is to represent that army devastating your farmland. The more messed up the land beneath the rebel stack, the bigger the loss to your income. To find out exactly how much income is being lost, open the Settlement Details scroll on the affected settlement and look for a small wrecked grey building icon. The maximum lost income for a settlement due to devastation is 1200, which is a lot, so make sure you eliminate costly rebel stacks

[QuintusSertorius]

Devastation also takes a really long time to fade away. The longer you leave it unchecked, the worse impact it has on your economy.

[Airos]

If you don't want to fight rebels, the trick is to build watchtowers : the stacks travel each turn between two watchtowers.
That mean they don't stay in the same tile more than one turn and devastation doesn't set in.

[Roma_Victrix]

If you don't want to fight rebels, the trick is to build watchtowers : the stacks travel each turn between two watchtowers.
That mean they don't stay in the same tile more than one turn and devastation doesn't set in.

Interesting! Thanks for sharing, I never knew that, so +1 rep.

They're still annoying, though, and the cost is unreasonable. If you control all of Italy, southern Gaul, Iberia, the Mediterranean Islands, and Northwest Africa, your economy shouldn't be in the toilet just because some small groups of bandits here and there are stealing some horses and grain along the roadside. That's just silliness.

The only good thing about this mechanic is building chevron experience points and better military traits for family members who fight them. That's about it.

[stupides Throwawayoui]

They can also block roads and reduce trade by a sizable margin, you can see the trading caravans on the roads if the road isb blocked, once they reach a hostile army(in this case the rebels), they disappear. This has an effect on road trade to that city and could also (I think) affect sea trade if the road they're blocking is the one that leads to the port.
Enemy armies standing at ports also blockade it similarly to fleets, but I cant remember rebels blockading ports.

[QuintusSertorius]

Enemy armies standing at ports also blockade it similarly to fleets, but I cant remember rebels blockading ports.

All these years playing M2TW and I didn't know that, thanks!

[Primvs Sextvs Loverlord]

You must take up the sword and slay all rebel scum within your territory! No creature is worse than one that rebels against his just master.