Help a Rome: TW newbie

[RedRalph]

Just got the game yesterday, and for once it seems I'm not going to be massively dissapointed by any game other than Civ. I got the anthology edition, but havent installed the XPs yet, so on the basic game could someone tell me, as a learner

what should my initial priorities be?

whats a good mix for an army?

should every senate mission be completed? Is it ever advisable to ignore one?

the senate advised me to get reading reations with Macedon, wich I did, now it wants me to assassinate some leaders, but I dont know how to do this, even with a spy? any tips?

I attacked a walled city, I thought using onagers against the gates would bring them down, bt it had no effect... then suddenly, they opened! WTH?

I'd appreciate any advice

 

[Longus]

Hi RedRalphWiggum,

Here's my one tip for you: At the risk of sounding like a crazed politician, Economy, economy, economy! Focus on that economy. Might sound a little single-minded, but it is honestly the best way to win; only the richest factions can control the largest armies and the sooner you start saving, the sooner you can buy in bulk, fielding massive forces and supplementing smaller ones with plenty of mercenary steel. Build paved roads and ports a.s.a.p and watch the coffers swell. Military buildings can wait until you can afford to put them to best use.

As for the Senate, I only ever carry out missions when it is in my best interest to do so, i.e. they are forwarding my larger military campaign (either that or they offer a large reward!). A random request to go to war with a faction I'm simply not ready to invade won't really get me anywhere in the long run. You can afford to aggravate the Senate a little, particularly early on when they're unlikely to do anything much about it.

 

[Backwards Logic]

The first few builds in every city should be economy based. Ports, Markets, Roads, and especially farms. Once your economy is rolling, then you can focus heavily on military units.

What I like to do is beeline for the archery range. Hastatii are more than capable of fending off just about every infantry in the early game, but the Romans as a whole at this point lack good archery troops. I always try to have roughly 4 -5 archery units in a full army to go with infantry and cavalry.

As for the Senate, they are important, but shouldn't be a priority. Blowing off a few missions won't get their favor to ten mind you, but ignoring them all is a sure way to have terrible leaders. Probably the biggest help the Senate gives (In my mind anyway) is the offices. Most of your governors/generals with not exactly be the best rulers you can have, especially before academies become prevalent (don't underestimate them, they pay for themselves in the long haul). By not completing the missions, the Senate will not look favorably on your faction when vacancies for offices come up. To win the game, you only need to worry about the popularity with the people. This is accomplished by capturing territories and defeating other factions. There will be a message that pops up informing when the people are behind you to march on Rome. Then, you'll need to prepare for the civil war, which is so much fun when it happens.

To assassinate other leaders, you will need an assassin. These can be made once you have the economic building that comes after market (sorry, I can't remember exactly what it is called). Also, this assassin will need a ton of subterfuge to have a better chance at killing anything let alone political leaders. I usually have him "practice" on rival diplomats and army captains before I let him have a go on the real thing. As for how high you think he should be, well, higher is better. So if you have time, try to get him a bit more practice.

As for attacking walled cities, the only thing I use onagers for is taking out any towers they have. I leave the gate capturing to infantry loaded on siege towers. Set the onagers to fire normal shot, and target the individual towers while the siege towers take the walls. I like to build one tower for every two infantry units I have. This gives me plenty of muscle on top while leaving fresh reinforcements on the ground waiting to relieve them. For the giant cities, I never use a battering ram, as the boiling oil wipes them out rather easily. Unless you have a unit of mercenaries you don't care too much for, then by all means, go for it.

Hope all of that helps. Good Luck!

 

[Owlywowly]

Try to do what the other roman factions should do before they do. Example: if you are green, attempt to take the two cities on Sicily before blue does. if you are blue, try to take greece before green. This limits this other faction's ability to expand, which gives you an edge later in the game.

Build infrastructure whenever possible, and don't forget to keep folks happy, like in civ, at all times.

 

[germanicus12]

If you play as the Julii, always mass infantry into one army as they do well against Gaul. But once you reach Spain you will need to mix your army up a bit, but keep it mostly infantry as the Spanish will have some of the toughest soldiers west of Rome.

Cavalry will be great but keep them behind your lines as they can be decimated pretty easily by Gallic and Spanish troops. Just use them to clean up after the battle.

Archers wont do any good against Gaul in my opinion since I lose almost every battle I have archers in. So I generally keep archers out of my armies until I reach Spain or Greece.

 

[Ajidica]

Archers are awsome against the lightly armoured gallic and spanish troops. Remember: For every man they kill, one less man for your infantry to kill. Best tactic when using archers. Neutralize enenmy cavalry(easier said than done against cataphracts), advance into bowshot, rain hell down on the enemy, if they advance, cut them down with a cavalry charge. Move your cavalry around their back. When archers are all out of ammo, full fledeged charge. It actually makes you feel sorry for the AI.

 

[Hasdrubal Barca]

Tip: Don´t allow rebel armies to remain on top of roads, ports or anywhere for that matter, a single peasent rebel army will lower trade in that region for us up as 66%.

For economy grows - ports are the best, so if you wish to conquer, expand to coastal cities.

Make armies that don´t die easily, spears, mercs, cavalry, keep it moble.

Build señtry towers along roads and near frontier to watch out for aproaching enemys, use spies to scout possible oportunities, weak spots...

Military:
Peasents - only usefull for garrison towns or make enemy spend pilums/javelins against them.

Town Watch/Militia - Usefull in a single line on guard mode on very tight formation top hold vs light infantry, keep them on high ground and with a general nearby.

Light Cavalry - chace down skirmishers and archers, riot easily
Medium Cav - Use on flanks for breaking charges
Heavy Cav- use for after melle batle as started and gice the death blow on emeny formations

Elephants - Keep them on the rear and let enemy archers and skirmishers spend/target your other troops, then move im always charging on diagonal moves and targeting farthest unit avaiable.

Archers/Slingers/ Keep them on loose formation and try to hit enemy troops from sides or behind, even a testudo dies easily if you get an arrow on their backs

Catapults - Very effective if used on medium range with fire ability.

Scorpions/Ballistas/Repeating Ballistas - use against Phalanxes to kill large compact units, also effective on sieges or destroying enmy hevay units, like armoured elephants or cataphracs cav

Spearman non-phalanx - Keep them on the rear or flank of your main troops

Spearman-phalanx- center on a single line and learn how to move it flexible (phalanx mode off when deploying, moving and so on), phalanx mode on for absorbing enemy missiles or fighting

Heavy Infantry - keep them fresh and use thei melee strenght to kill enemy infantry, best on attack

Chariots - Excellent against cavalry

Camels - Excellent against cavalry. bonus on deserts

German Beserkers - use after main battle starts, keep em away and fresh, they are a fearsome killing machine

Pharoas Bowmen - the best archers of the game, keep these babies alive or kill them fast if you are the enemy

Cretan archers - mercs avaiable for recruting in Crete or Greece mainland and Turkey, one of the best archers

Balearic slingers/Rhodian Slingers- less range than regular archers but with much more ammo, if enemy lacks missile troops these babies will kill an entire army

Peltasts/Skirmishers/Velites - Use them to skirmish or behind your main line to penatrate heavy enemy units - they kill elephants/chariots as well

Strategies: Always take the high ground, even a weak phalanx can put up a fight and sometimes win vs a spartan hoplites if its facing a downhill opponent.

Arrows fire from above have 35-50% more deadly effect.

Onagers firing stones are very accurate to destroy other enemy siege engines, if using fire it will be innacurate so use it at a medium range with fire and against hilghly concentration of forces for maximum casualities.

Use sappers for taking cities, repair walls later.

When conquering a citie always enslave on beggining game and exterminate on later game.

Conquer Egypt, Greece and Mesoptamia for wonder beneficts, Statue of Rhodes provides +20-25% increase in profits as well as Hanging Gardens.

Best units in game:
Urban Cohort, Pretorian Cohort, Pretorian Cav, Archer Auxilia, First Cohort, Triarii, Pigs.
Sacred Band Infantry, Sacred Band Cav, Armd Eles, Balearic Slingers.
Armd Hoplites, Spartan Hoplites, Creran Archers
Cataphrace Cav, Cataphrace Horse Archers, Hvy Spearman
Macedonian Royal Pikeman, Companian Cavalry
Chosen Archers, Foresters, Noble Barbarian Cav, Gothic Cav, Beserkers, Head Hurlers, Briton Hvy Chariots, Chosen Swordsmen
Bull Warriors
Sycthian Horse Archers, Amazon Chariots, Pharoe Bowmen, Pharoes Guards

 

[Longus]

I attacked a walled city, I thought using onagers against the gates would bring them down, bt it had no effect... then suddenly, they opened! WTH?

Did you have a spy inside the city at the time of siege? Depending on your spy's experience/ability level there is a varying chance that he will be able to open the gates of a walled city when your forces attack (signified by an icon on the pre-battle information screen). The gates will also open if defending troops attempt to leave the city and face you head-on in open warfare (unusual behaviour for the A.I.). Failing either of these possibilities, I'm not sure what the cause could have been, but you were on the right lines with onagers, though as several others have mentioned, sappers, ladders and siege-towers are often the quickest way to get your heavy infantry troops over those walls. Ballistas are indeed best used against tightly woven and/or slow moving troop formations though they can also prove effective against the gates of cities with wooden defences.

 

[RedRalph]

thats lads, this is all great stuff, I will study in detail! Cheers

 

[Mr_Fusty]

Be flexible in your tactics. What works against a 'barbarian' civ may not against a 'greek' one. Battles against Nomads out in the steppe are even more strange.

At the start, select 'manage all settlements' this allows you to change the tax rate for all your cities, even if you don't have a govenor there.

Using stacks of spies on cities can often raise the chances of them opening the gates for you upto 100%. Good if you suck at assults.

Dont let the computer fight for you. Once you are competant with your troops, you will be better than the computer. I personally only let the computer do it if my general has 6 or more stars for command.

Beeline for Greece. Her cities are rich and populus. Once any Roman faction controls this, you have as good as won in the civil wars. Even the Juili can have a stab at this by travelling through Illyria.

Be careful into being sucked into crap places. Often, you may end up suffering from overstrech on one or more fronts. Dacia and Germania are classic examples. If you find yourself having to take a city there, and you are deployed elsewhere, just exterminate the population, rip down all the buildings, jack up the tax rate to the max, and leave them to rebel. Leave a garrison in a fort in a stratigic place (river crossing, mountain pass, etc) to stop them following you after. They will be small and poor now, so no threat.

It takes real effort to rid the seas of pirates. You are going to need many fleets. Just one entering an infested zone is instant death.....

Keep an eye on family member's traits. Every family member who has at least one Management skill, have them in charge of a city. They may be crap, but better than nothing. Naturally, have the most skilled in charge of the largest or most problematic cities.

Make sure you have at least one obvious candidate for 3rd in line in the family. I keep a tab on my family development, and when a promicing 16 yo comes along, I do as much as I can to make him good (put him in a large city for a few years, then give him a small army to clear rebels, then later, a full army against real enemies.)

Elephants - I personally use them against phalanxes like a WWI tank. Use Elephant to go through phalanx, then have my swordsmen to pour through gap. The elephants also cause confusion galore, which helps defeat organised armies, such as greeks.

 

[kulade]

No matter who you play, don't waste your time conquering obscure European villages. Try and get Italy, Turkey and Greece and forget about all the meaningless forests and steppes.

 

[Stuck in Pi]

Above has mentioned everything I would mention, but money is the key to success as anybody. Personally, I would play as the Seleucids, but the AI always declares war, and the only time I've seen them succeed is pulling back to three islands, then getting the best troops and marching on Greece.

I got off topic there, but the main thing you want is cash. With cash, you can build units and keep improving your cities.

 

[Civfan333]

never do ALL the senate missions, if you don't do them, your popularity with the plebians go up!

 

[WumpusCivName]

if you ask me, i'm inclined towards playing the greek faction. i just suffer the roman factions at the very start of RTW so that i could begin playing other factions from the 2nd, etc., times i play.
o.k. you play greek--big advantage, you've got a powerful infantry force. all you need is add slingers and archers, and you're in smoothly. especially if you have Spartan hoplites--they're almost invulnerable. big disadvantage, the greek infantry moves so slow. not much use in chasing retreating enemy. and the greek cavalry is pathetic--use militia cavalry to chase down retreating enemy, bu never for starting combat. the remedy: hire sarmatian cavalry, if they're available and asiatic mounted archers (both merc units).
but the main key to all these is to build up your economy--and, noble friend, the greeks are a faction good in building economy. so that you can hire mercs. so that you can bribe enemy and neutral generals to move to your side. but first, suffer the roman phase of RTW until you qualify yourself to play greek the next time.
hawooh.

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

never do ALL the senate missions, if you don't do them, your popularity with the plebians go up!

That's not necessarily true. I had a game as the Brutii where I was maxxed out on both Senatorial AND Plebian popularity. The Senate likes you if you complete their missions, and the people like you if you're a good Roman, i.e. winning lots of battles, conquering territories, like good Romans do! Having the trait "True Roman" helps a bit, too.

My advice about the Senate is this: do their missions and generally be their lapdog until you're powerful enough to stand up to not only them, but the other two Roman factions as well. You see, once you openly defy the Senate, meaning, you declare war on them or refuse a demand to commist suicide, they will exile you from Rome, declare war on you, and the other two Roman factions will follow suit; thus begins the Civil War. Sometimes, as I've experienced, the other Roman factions will declare war on each other and the Senate, too, during the Civil War; I once teamed up with the Julii as the Scipii and we jointly ruled the world. But the Roman factions are the toughest in the game, so you really need to be prepared when you make your grab for Rome.

Perhaps the best thing to do would be to get the 50 provinces you need BEFORE starting the Civil War, so that you can drive straight for Rome, take it, and win the game without all the hassle of fighting good Romans. Unless, of course, that's what you WANT to do.

In which case, as Billy Crystal would say: "Have storming the castle!"

 

[Mr_Fusty]

Agree on most of the points. I found that in 75% of the time, if you exterminate the senate, unless the other two factions combined are stronger than you, they will make peace with you.

 

[kulade]

When playing as a Roman faction, try to circumvene the other houses. Conquer Greece to stop the Brutii, Carthage for the Scipii and the Alps for Julii.

If you launch very early attacks in all directions: Massila, Carthage, Sparta, Dacia and Asia Minor, you will catch all of your enemies off guard and weak. Give them no time to prepare.

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

When playing as a Roman faction, try to circumvene the other houses. Conquer Greece to stop the Brutii, Carthage for the Scipii and the Alps for Julii.

If you launch very early attacks in all directions: Massila, Carthage, Sparta, Dacia and Asia Minor, you will catch all of your enemies off guard and weak. Give them no time to prepare.

This is especially true for Greece. Don't give either faction time to unifty the place, otherwise you're in for some real trouble. I made the mistake of doing this once; Macedon literally drove me back into the sea (as the Brutii). Divide et impera should be your rule of thumb for RTW.

 

[Stuck in Pi]

So that's why I always fail as Greece. I never kill Macedon early enough.

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

So that's why I always fail as Greece. I never kill Macedon early enough.

Indeed. My goal as Greece is always to unite the place first. The place becomes quite the venerable fortress once you get rid of the Macedonians, not to mention an industrial powerhouse and a goldmine.

I don't think I've ever won a game as any faction without controlling Greece, save for the Scipii.