How exactly do barbarians work. Do they just spawn anywhere that has fog of war? Do they only attack the leader with a higher score?

I was playing a game last night, sharing a continent with Monty. I beelinded to axemen and started getting ready for the inevitable. Then (like I was expecting) Monty declares war. I'm not worried all he's really got it a stack of jags, mixed with a few axemen of his own. It was going to be a good battle that I know I would have one, except the most annoying thing happened. Barbs come out of know where and sack my copper and iron, ever worse the barbs are using axemen so I have so send a couple of my precious backup axemen to claim them back. Between the lack of reinforcements, the time it took to reclaim and build the resources in order to build reinforcements, Monty's jags went on a rampage in my northern territory. To top it all off, after sending the axemen I used to reclaim the resources to support the north, the barbs came back and did the same thing, this time taking out my southern copper steel production, and the eastern horse production at the same time. It was like they were aligned with Monty!

They spawn anywhere in the fog, so a cheap and easy way to deal with them is to use fog-busting warriors. Just park them on some hills or forests outside your culture border, to keep barbs from spawning near your cities. Barbs spawning further out will suicide themselves on your fortified warriors, before pillaging your improvements.

First of all: "Trains", I feel your pain. This story sounds very similar to games I have played.

I have learn after many long hours that running around looking for barbarian cities is pointless. Just put units in stratigic places around your boarders and cut them off before they can do any damage. Once all the land is taken up barbarians are no longer a problem.

There is a succession game FM-01 that we're currently exploring the barbarian horde with.

Or you can PM me your exact question. You need fogbusters, or you can change the map or difficulty setting you're on, or you can have enough military to not be week

You don't play multiplayer much do you? There you learn the value in having sentries on your iron/copper or other key resources early on.

Good advice, thank you everyone.

They spawn anywhere in the fog, so a cheap and easy way to deal with them is to use fog-busting warriors.

Warriors are not a good idea, Archers are much better. Place them on any Hill and even Axemen are going to have a hard time dislodging them. I've even seen barb Swordsmen fall to an Archer who was fortified on a forested Hill.