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Rome: Total War FAQ/Strategy Guide (PC)
Written by TestaALT
Version 1.0 - Last Updated 7/17/05
_____________________________________________________________________________
Table of Contents
-----------------
1. What's New?
2. Introduction
3. Controls
4. Factions
5. Running a City
6. Economy
7. Unit Fundamentals
8. Battle Basics
9. Battle Strategies
10. Sieges
11. Agents
12. Faction Family
13. Diplomacy
14. The Senate
15. Campaign Strategies
16. Historical Battles
17. Units List
18. Buildings List
19. Traits List
20. Trait Triggers
21. Retinue List
22. Quotes
23. Useful Links
24. MODDING and Cheats
25. Credits
26. Legal Disclaimer
27. Contact Info
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1. What's New?
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v1.1  (7/18/05): Corrected a big mistake in spelling, added user strategy.
v1.0  (7/17/05): Initial version of guide - everything is done!
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2. Introduction
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Rome: Total War is one of those revolutionary games. Not only does it have a
campaign mode, but you also get to fight all of your battles in the beautiful
3D worlds. What's more, you actually see your troops fighting the enemy;
needless to say, it is breathtaking. It is almost like playing a war scene in
the movie "Troy"! Rome: Total War boasts literally a ton of modes, including
Imperial Campaign, Historical Battles, Custom Battle, and Quick Battle. It's
almost like four games for the price of one! I daresay that it will be quite
a few generations before we experience the quality of Rome: Total War in
other games.
It has been truly a "fun" time writing and compiling this guide. When I first
played Rome: Total War, I was lost. I built farms everywhere and basically
built my way into debt. I didn't know anything about the civil war and became
mice meat to The Senate. Hopefully, with this guide at hand, you won't suffer
a similar fate.
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3. Controls
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-- Campaign Map --
Option Menu: Escape
Toggle settlement labels: Ctrl + T
Toggle character labels: Ctrl + N
Zoom to capital: Home
Stop character walking: Backspace
AI speed up: Space
Quick save game: Ctrl + S
Quick load game: Ctrl + L
Show help window: F1
Select all units: Ctrl + A
-- Battle Map --
Option menu: Escape
Pause: P
Toggle unit run: R
Stop current orders: Backspace
Toggle special unit ability: F
Toggle guard mode: D
Toggle skirmish: S
Toggle fire at will: A
Toggle unit formation (tight/loose): C
Alternative attack: Alt + right mouse button
Rotate unit clockwise: , or  <
Rotate unit counter-clockwise: . or >
Increase formation width: =
Decrease formation width: -
Select waypoint: Shift + right mouse button
Show unit destination: Space
Group select units: G
Ungroup select units: G
Select all units: Ctrl + A
Deselect all units: Enter
Select all artillery units: Ctrl + B
Select all infantry units: Ctrl + I
Select all Cavalry units: Ctrl + C
Select all melee units: Ctrl + H
Select all missile firing units: Ctrl + M
Send message in multiplayer: T
Zoom to general: Home
Show help window: F1
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4. Factions
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-- The House of Julii --
Rome is a place where tradition and history count for much. The legends of
the city’s founding are important, and the powerful patrician families are
directly descended from the first followers of Romulus. These heroic times
demanded harsh, decisive action, and this is a tradition that the often-
conservative Romans have maintained to this day. The Romans, including the
Julii family, are people for whom politics and war are all or nothing
affairs.
The Fates have not always been kind to the Julii. They are a patrician family
but one whose star has not always been in the ascendant. The family’s
fortunes have declined and then risen over the centuries, so much so that
they may almost be considered vaguely parvenu: upstarts newly arrived to
wealth, power and authority. With the loss of position and status in the
past, the other powerful factions of Rome look down (if only ever so
slightly) on these ‘new men’ of Rome. The Julii have had to adjust to the
realities of politics and power, and have cultivated their popularity with
the common people. The rule of Rome may lie with the Senate for now, but the
Julii know that the people also have a say in government. The Senate and the
patrician classes need the plebeians to at least go along with their actions.
This populist attitude to the common people puts the Julii at odds with the
other great families. Which approach will lead to great power within Rome has
still to be decided. The Julii have a commanding position in northern Italy
that means they will be in vanguard of any struggle against barbarians.
Success there can be translated into political power in Rome itself, as the
mob always loves winners...
-- The House of Brutii --
The founding of Rome is shrouded in legend. Legend has it, for example, that
the Romans can trace their ancestry back to Aeneas, the hero who escaped from
the sack of Troy. The founding of Rome also involves violence and murder.
Viewed in a certain light, much of subsequent Roman history can be seen as a
continuation of these aggressive ways. Since this time, the Romans have kept
fine traditions of warfare and high-stakes (or even murderous) politics.
The Brutii know all about Roman politics. The founding of the Republic of
Rome involves them closely, as they have been at the heart of the Republic
for centuries and can even claim to have the ‘Father of the Republic’ in
their family. Lucius Junius Brutus pretended to be an idiot for years to
avoid being killed by Lucius Tarquinius Superbus (Tarquin), the last king of
Rome, and then managed to lead his people in expelling the hated king after
the rape of Lucrece. Casting aside his idiot persona, he became one of the
first praetors, a ruling office of the patrician class established before the
consulship. Lucius Junius Brutus even had his own sons executed for plotting
to restore the Tarquins to power... that’s power politics played out to the
bitter end.
Membership of the patrician class is what sets the Brutii apart from the
other Roman factions. They are counted among the old families of Rome, those
related by blood, marriage or adoption to the founders. These are people who
have always been important within the social hierarchy, people who would
expect to have authority as a matter of course. This is why they now have
control of southern Italy. The Brutii would not have expectations of power,
however, if they had not been able to deliver the political and military
skills that Rome requires. But now, perhaps, with Rome surrounded by enemies
within and without, there is a chance to secure ultimate power, to become the
new Imperators of a Roman Republic that extends throughout the known world...
-- The House of Scipii --
The city of Rome had a violent foundation, one that mirrors much of the
political and military infighting that happens between the great families of
Rome. Romulus murdered Remus for jumping over the walls of the city, and then
named himself King and renamed the city in his own honour. The patrician
families of Rome claim descent from the adventurers, exiles and warriors
Romulus recruited to help establish his city. The Scipii should be numbered
among these ancient bloodlines.
They are not, perhaps, of quite the first rank, although this in itself means
that they are keen to prove themselves the equal of any other Romans, but
they are certainly among the optimates, the aristocracy of the city, and have
been for many generations. They are important people, used to the privileges
of rank and the usages of power, both to further Rome’s ambitions and that of
their own family. They have also produced able politicians and generals - the
two go hand-in-hand in Rome, as political success rarely comes without
success on the battlefield.
They are, however, unusual in a couple of respects for a Roman family of the
old ways. Firstly, they are extravagantly wealthy. Wealth is one thing, and
this always brings power with it, but their use of wealth has sometimes
surprised more conservative Romans (and Romans are nothing if not
conservative). The Scipii also have a taste for Greek learning and culture,
again something that surprises and concerns the conservative elements.
Nevertheless, despite these un-Roman ways, the Scipii have the political
skills and military competence to make their family greatest in Rome, and
possibly the rulers of the known world. They may only directly control a
couple of provinces in Italy and Sicily, but their ambitions are boundless...
and realistic.
-- Macedonians --
After the death of Alexander the Great the empire he had created tottered and
fell into disarray with remarkable speed. His empire was the largest ever
seen, and the generals struggled against each other for the ultimate prize of
being the new Alexander. Something that none of them was quite strong enough
to attain. The Diadochi, or Successors, were only strong enough to hold
together fragments of Alexanders empire.
Macedonia was the original home of Alexander, now ruled by the descendants of
general Antigonus Cyclops or Antigonus the One-Eyed. The Macedonians are the
proud inheritors of Alexander’s original kingdom. Macedonia itself, with
parts of Greece as dependencies, has the potential to be a strong power once
more.
Although the empire may have slipped away from the Macedonians, they are
still deadly warriors and fierce opponents. The Antigonid dynasty commands
the respect of their people and has a strong military tradition. Macedonia
has spent many long years struggling against the other Diadochi or
‘Successor’ states. This military might could equally be turned against other
powers for domination of the eastern Mediterranean, Asia Minor and then,
perhaps, the whole of the known world. A new Greek empire could arise and
equal the achievements of Alexander...
-- Egyptians --
After the death of Alexander the Great the empire he had created tottered and
fell into disarray with remarkable speed. His empire was the largest ever
seen, and the generals struggled against each other for the ultimate prize
that none of them was quite strong enough to gain. The Diadochi, or
Successors, were only strong enough to hold together fragments of Alexander’s
empire.
Egypt was one part of that empire and by anyone’s standards it is an ancient
land. It is now ruled by Greek Pharaohs, the descendants of Ptolemy I, one of
Alexander’s able generals. The Ptolemaic dynasty adjusted rapidly to Egyptian
ways and adopted the royal ways of the Pharaohs - including divine status and
marriage between the Pharaoh and his sister in each generation. All the
succeeding Pharaohs have been called Ptolemy, and their sisters (more often
than not) Cleopatra in the Egyptian fashion.
Egypt, therefore, is a rich land under the new Pharaohs and a centre of
learning for the Greek world. The Ptolemaic Pharaohs hold together a
formidable kingdom and must be seen as a major power in the Eastern
Mediterranean. Their potential in warfare against the other successor states
is also impressive, and an aggressive Pharaoh could well expand Egypt’s
boundaries far beyond the Nile valley...
-- Seleucids --
The death of Alexander the Great brought dissolution to his empire almost
before his corpse was cold. It may have been the largest empire the world had
ever seen, but it proved fragile once the man himself was gone. His generals
fought for control of what remained, but none of these Diadochi, or
successors, was strong enough to be a new Alexander. The empire fragmented,
and Seleucia was one of the splinter kingdoms, held together by the
descendants of Seleucus, one of Alexander’s able lieutenants. Seleucus I came
close to seizing the throne of Macedonia too, but was murdered before he
could achieve this ambition. There have been tensions with Macedonia and
Egypt ever since despite occasional marriages between the ruling houses of
these states.
The Seleucids hold the former Babylonian provinces of Alexander’s empire, an
area of ancient cities and rich farmlands along the Tigris. (As an historical
aside, the later Seleucid capital city of Ctesiphon is now under a suburb of
Baghdad in Iraq; the earlier capital, Seleucia, was on the other river bank).
This region also sits on the trade routs to the mysterious east, something
that generates large revenues for the Seleucid kingdom. This, combined with
the manpower and military expertise that are available, could make the
Seleucids into masters of much of the known world. A Greek-Persian empire,
combining the best of both systems as Seleucus tried to do, could be
formidable indeed, and perhaps unstoppable.
-- Carthigians --
By tradition, Carthage was founded by Queen Dido who had fled from the city
of Tyre in Phoenicia after her husband was killed by her brother. Even in the
days of legend there was a link with Rome, because Aeneas of Troy, the father
to the Romans, was the lover of Dido and then abandoned her. In her grief she
killed herself, cursing Aeneas and his descendants as she died.
Carthage - the name means ‘new town’ - continued to flourish, a Phoenician
colony that outgrew and survived its parent land. The Phoenicians - and their
successors the Carthaginians - must be credited with the invention of glass,
the bireme galley and with being expert traders thanks to their superb
navigational skills. Even before the Greeks reached the Western
Mediterranean, Carthage was a superbly wealthy city, thanks to its mastery of
the seas. Carthaginian colonies - colonies of the original Phoenician colony
- now ring the sea (modern Barcelona is named after the famous Barca family).
Carthage is a maritime power, with only a relatively small landowning class
to provide military land power. This, however, does not matter as long as
Carthage continues to be wealthy. Its coffers pay for mercenaries in
abundance when the city needs to go to war.
And it is this wealth, mastery of trade and expansion along the Mediterranean
coast towards Italy that brings Carthage into direct confrontation with the
newly rising power of Rome. Now, perhaps, it is time for Dido’s curse to have
its full effects on the children of Aeneas...
-- Parthians --
The Parthians are a nomadic people who conquered and settled in the area near
the Caspian Sea in the 4th century BC as part of the Dahae confederation.
Since that time the Parthians, under their Arsacid rulers (named after King
Arsaces I), have fiercely maintained their independence. The Seleucids have,
from time to time, claimed to be the overlords of Parthia and, from time to
time, have actually been strong enough to try and enforce their claim. This
is not something that endears the Seleucid Empire to the Parthian kings.
The Parthians have the potential to be a great power - perhaps a great Empire
- as they sit close to or astride the main trade routes from the east to the
Mediterranean. The wealth of the world flows through these lands: a fortune
that could pay for any army that an ambitious king could imagine. This wealth
is there for the taking, for the people with the will to stretch out their
hands and grasp it. Historically, the Parthians managed to become a great
power, and fight off the advance of Rome into their heartlands.
To the north are the barbarian steppes, peopled by fierce tribes who require
watching. To the west, though, lie the Seleucid Empire and the lands of
Alexander’s successors. These too are ruled by ambitious men. And beyond
them, the rising power of Rome, and the traders of Carthage. Perhaps common
cause could be made with them, for a while...
-- Kingdom of Pontus --
After the death of Alexander the Great the empire he had created tottered and
fell into disarray with remarkable speed. His empire was the largest ever
seen, and the generals struggled against each other for the ultimate prize
that none of them was quite strong enough to attain. The Diadochi, or
Successors, were only strong enough to hold together fragments of Alexander’s
empire. Mithradates I, the son of Prince Mithradates of Cius, took advantage
of this situation to establish a new kingdom of Pontus. He was not one of the
Diadochi, but a freebooter who saw his chance and took it. In the confusion
Mithradates rode to Pontus with six horsemen and made himself king.
Mithradates was an able man, to say the least.
Since then, Pontus has managed to maintain its independence from both Greek
and Persian influences, even though the royal family have Persian roots. The
kingdom has a good position on the Black Sea coast and the potential to
expand into much of Asia Minor. Nearby lie the great trade routes from the
east, a significant source of revenue. It is also home to many warlike
peoples, a fact that could be exploited by expansionist rulers.
-- Gauls --
The Gauls are a confederation of many tribes who have successfully expanded
their territorial range over centuries of migration. Their culture is
vibrant, aggressive and proud, valuing courage in both their leaders and
warriors.
Do not mistake the Gallic people for simple barbarians. They are far from a
simple people. Their culture is ancient. They have kings, coinage and
developed trade. Their metal working skills are superb, easily the equal of
their so-called civilized neighbours. Their towns are well organised and
prosperous. Their culture is rich and they have Gods aplenty to keep them
from harm. They have warriors aplenty to do harm unto others. They may lack
the writing of the Greeks or Romans, but this does not make them savages.
They are from the same robust Celtic stock as the Britons and indeed many of
the same tribes can be found in both Northern Gaul and Britannia. The sea has
been no barrier to their expansion. Like the Britons, the Gauls have a proud
warrior tradition and are not people to lightly accept conquest or setbacks.
They will fight, and fight hard, to preserve what is rightfully theirs, and
to take new lands that could be rightfully theirs. A certain degree of
bloody-mindedness also colours their druidic religion and warfare which many
outsiders find deeply intimidating - headhunting does that to other people!
The Gauls are a people with a great future, if they can find the space to
expand successfully. They face many threats, from both ‘civilized’ people and
other ‘barbarians’, but these threats can equally be seen as opportunities
for greatness and glory.
-- Germans --
The forests of Germania are dark and deep, and home to many brooding gods and
malign forces. Some of this darkness, this menace, can be found in the people
of the forests, men not easily tamed or turned to gentle pursuits. They are
born to war, savage in battle, unforgiving of insults, implacable when
feuding, and cruel in victory. Their gods are terrible and demand hideous
sacrifices of men, women and children. This much, at least, the scribes of
civilized lands believe to be true.
The Germans are much like their Celtic neighbours, but with their own
distinctive styles of dress, their own language and their own ways. They are
a confederation of people who speak the same tongue and honour the same
warlike and harsh gods rather than a nation. Their constant feuding amongst
themselves make them distrusting of strangers and difficult allies. Warlords
rise and fall among them almost continuously, and the difficult conditions in
their homeland make sure that they have few large towns. Peace is almost
unknown to them, except when won with an axe or sword.
All of this has produced a race of warriors second to none. The Germans may
not be sophisticated fighters, but they are cunning, clever, and do not know
the meaning of fear. Ambush and treachery they understand in full, along with
vengeance and the importance of leaving no enemy alive. They are a vigorous
people, a people who could be great across the whole of the world. All they
need is leadership, and the chance to fight!
-- Britons --
The Britons are very similar to the Gauls - they come from the same robust
Celtic stock after all, and many tribes can be found in Northern Gaul and in
Britannia. The sea is no barrier. The Britons have their own sophisticated
culture, within which trade and kingship flourish, and they have well-
organised towns, a small but growing merchant class and age-old trading links
to the world. The Phoenicians, for example, came to these islands for tin and
lead.
They also have a proud tradition as warriors. Britons are fierce fighters,
and present a terrifying appearance to their foes. They dye themselves blue
with woad, think nothing of danger, and often lime their hair into
fantastical spikes, making them appear truly horrific. Perhaps a later Roman
description of Britons as ‘Brittunculi’, wretched little Britons, is only
partly contemptuous: it might equally be intended to make them less terrible.
For the Britons can be terrible: their spirits are rarely broken by defeat or
enslavement. They plot revenge, and then take it as brutally as possible.
Their druidic religion can be savage to outsiders, demanding human sacrifice
as a matter of course. Their traditional method of warfare involving fighting
from light, highly manoeuvrable chariots can also put fear into many enemies.
The noise alone is enough to scare many into flight.
All in all, from their island home the Britons have much to feel confident
about. They are a vibrant people, with a tradition of bravery in warfare and
Gods who will aid and protect them. Protected by the moat of the sea from
invasion, they can gaze out towards the mainland, and plan their conquests...
-- Greeks --
The Greeks have a right to be proud. They are the fathers of democracy and
reason, bringers of civilization and culture to the lands around the
Mediterranean. There are few corners of the known world that have not felt
the tread of a Greek army, or been graced by the magnificence of Greek
architecture. The world is only the way it is because Greeks fought off the
despots of Persia, and because Alexander led Greeks to the ends of the earth!
Now, however, the Greeks are reduced in power, and largely confined to their
original homelands. A loose confederation of city-states and petty kingdoms,
held together by a need for mutual protection, is what remains. But there
could still be greatness within Greece. The same blood that once defied
Xerxes still runs in the veins of Athenians, Thebans, Spartans and the rest.
The men of Greece still value their independence and civilization, and could
still take this back to every corner of the world.
Perhaps now is the time for the Greeks to be great again. Alexander’s heirs
still fight amongst themselves for the spoils of empire. The rising power of
Rome has yet to break out of the confines of Italy - they face the
Carthaginians as rivals. To the north, the semi-civilized Dacians and other
barbarians are surely no threat to civilized men, and Greeks have never bowed
the knee to Eastern despots!
The following factions, although playable by mods, have no description:
* Armenians
* Dacians
* Numidans
* Scythians
* Spanish
* Thracians
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5. Running a City
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It is hard to win battles if the infrastructure of your empire is screwed up.
Bringing a few hundred more men to the fight that have better equipment and
more uses will make battles a cinch. To do this, one needs to be good at
running their empire.
At first, you only start off with a handful of provinces. These might already
be developed somewhat, but let's look over them and figure out how to manage
them. Every settlement has four "details" - income, public order, population,
and population growth. In addition, every settlement can construct buildings
and train units. Constructing better buildings means better units, but you
need a certain level of population before you can construct a new slew of
buildings.
So, the consensus is that you want to get population as fast as possible,
right? This is totally wrong. If you're population is at, say, a 5% increase
per turn when you have 2,000 people, that's all nice and dandy. But what
happens when you reach 24,000 people? You'd be getting a boatload of people a
turn - too many that squalor would rise and everyone would revolt.
With that in mind, you don't want to the biggest percentage of population
ever. You want population to have a screeching halt at just above 24,000, so
you can get all the last good buildings and not have the city rioting. Public
order is directly connected to squalor - the percentage indicates how happy
people are in the city. The higher, the better. If the percentage is
extremely, they will riot and killing will commence.
To keep public order in a good range, buildings and garrisons apply. For
garrisons, it doesn't matter the quality of the troops, but how many you have
stationed. So, you should always stick with peasants in towns - they have the
largest numbers, cost nothing, and will keep public order high because of
their numbers. Buildings also raise public order - especially temples.
Income tells us how much money that city is making. All cities make money, so
even if it's in the negative amount, all it means is that the city isn't
performing as well as your top cities. If the income is in the negatives,
you'll need to build more stuff that makes money. More information on that in
the next section, economy.
Usually players make a settlement a "military" or "economy" settlement. That
is, they make buildings that only have to do with one of them. This is a good
idea at first, but I would build economy (money-making) buildings in every
settlements. Having a ton of money is always a good thing, unless you're
flirting with the fifty thousand denarii range. At fifty big ones, you'll
start to get the "corrupt" expenditure, which will leave your family members
susceptible to bad traits. Unless you're way other the fifty thousand range,
try to stay below it.
But, back to the point: choose a settlement as "military" or "economy" and
try to build almost exclusively on that. When you're done with that, it's
nice to put economy into the military, as having oogles of money is good. You
also *might* want economy settlements to focus on one type of unit, but it's
optional.
Raising and lowering the tax rates for a city is your friend. It makes
population growth slower and gives you more money. Public order is lowered,
but stopping population growth will be key for some settlements. For military
settlements, it is obviously a bad idea to jack up the tax rate to very high,
considering you'll just suck away at the population. Toy with the tax rate
until you find a good level for all your settlements. For some, you'll
probably just want to stick it at "very high" and reap the rewards of the
settlement with worry of too much population.
All cities also have health. If a plague drops by, it could desolate your
city. To stop this, build things like sewers to raise public health. But that
raises population growth, so don't go overboard on building health-related
buildings. The Plague lasts around five turns, and it takes quite a few more
until they are ridden of it. Quarantine cities who have plagues so it doesn't
spread.
If you recruit a hundred men from a city, a hundred will be taken away from
the total population. Makes sense, right? If you dismiss a unit in a city,
the population will go to that city. So, if you want, you can make peasants
and ship them to cities that need more people.
When taking over other factions, you'll always have a lower public order.
This is due to the fact that all cultures are different, and people like
their current cultures. To boost public order, destroy any temples of the
other faction and build your own in their place.
If you press the little round button at the bottom right-hand corner of the
screen (it will have your faction's symble and colors on it) you can view how
much money you are making in the "Financial" tab. This shows you exactly what
you are making/losing, it even includes what it actually is. It is good to
reference back to this every now and then to see what you can improve upon.
The turns are six months, alternating between the hot, sun-drenching summer
and cold as ice winter. To end a turn, press the hourglass button at the
bottom right-hand corner of the screen.
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6. Economy
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So you learned about running a city, and now you want to make the big bucks?
Well, it isn't entirely simple; it's not like you flip a switch and the game
does everything for you. You have to work for it, or build, depending on how
you look at it. Most economical buildings raise your income, so it is
imperative that you build them.
But which buildings jack up your income? And when do you build what? Here's
the list, in order of when you should build them:
1. Without roads, your city will have very little trade, and on top of that
it will be hard to move with your army. Roads are the number one thing you
should construct, as they jack up income. Always build roads first when you
capture a settlement/are starting out. It will be very hard to make a good
income if you can't get much trade.
2. If you've captured a settlement, destroy any temples or shrines that
settlement has. It will make the cultural unrest less. If you're not on the
blue face or riots, head to step three. If you are, immediately build your
own public order bonus shrine.
3. Farms are the second item you should construct. ONLY BUILD THE FIRST level
of farms, which is called "Land Clearance." If you build any more, it will up
the population growth and you'll have a big problem later in the game when
you're getting 5% of 24,000 and have big unrest. The first farm, however, has
many good qualities in income.
4. The next step is to build ports if you can. Obviously, you can build a
port if you touch water. Ports raise your trade income, and it's always nice
to have a ship or two in the ocean.
5. After that, there is mines. Only some provinces are able to create mines -
if you can, then do it right away. Mines have a constant income that doesn't
change, so you'll be profiting off of them for quite a while.
6. Either build a market or a military barrack of your choice, depending on
what your plans are for the province.
7. After this, build the lesser buildings like blacksmiths, academies, and
other troop barracks. If the province was military, build a market after you
build your first barrack - income never hurt anyone.
8. Walls can go first or last, depending on how much of a threat you think
your city is to attack. If it's clear, then build them last. If a band of a
million Gauls is parked right next to the city, definitely build walls first.
Screw economy, you need to hold onto the city!
9. You can build sewers and other public health buildings, if you desire.
They raise population, but couldn't you just destroy them when you reach
24,000 people?
Well, that pretty much covers what to build. Everything else falls in place
once you have all the buildings layed down. You'll be rolling in the dough on
your province.
Tax rates affect a lot of your income, also. But how high is too high?
Really, the skies the limit if you don't have any military plans for the
settlement; just keep it as high as possible and you won't ever have to worry
about squalor or too big of a population.
But what about military settlements? Well, in the beginning of the game, I
suggest that you raise the taxes high if you don't have much money and a
pretty decent population - money is going to be needed in your early
campaign. If you have money, just stick it at normal so it raises to the next
level this millennia.
Tribute
-------
If you give another faction something favorable, you can sometimes get
"tribute" in the form of money. This can add up to a ton of bucks if you play
your cards right. Map information is the most basic thing to trade that
really doesn't do much to the game - you can get a few turns of thousands of
gold if you haggle right and have seen some of the map.
In some cases, you can get an inane amount for map information, but that's
only if you've seen a majority of the map. Trading map information for
tribute is essential early in the game, mostly because money is scarce early
and you need all you can get.
Trade Agreements
----------------
Also with diplomacy, having trade agreements with other factions is a good
thing. It will boost the income (obviously) of your trade. Sometimes, you can
also get a tribute out of them, if you are pesky enough!
Fifty Thousand
--------------
Once you reach 50,000 denarii, you get an expenditure labelled "corruption."
The more over 50,000 you are, the more this will cost you. Faction members
generally get greedy after this amount and take a little for themselves. This
may seem harmless enough, but it can lead to bad traits and retinue. If
you're flirting with 50,000, build something so you're lower than it or bribe
a great general.
Quick way to look at things:
Roads: Essential to any province, bring in trade income.
Mines: Slow but steady income, only some provinces have it.
Farms: Only build the first level so you're population doesn't spurt out of
control.
Ports: Sea income is pretty good, also.
Markets: More trade income, yay!
Taxes: High if not a military settlement and don't want growth, medium to low
if you're recruiting inanely.
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7. Unit Fundamentals
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Infantry Units
==============
The backbone of all armies, infantry units serve as "meat shields" or
"walls" for the enemy attack. They are very well equipped defensively and
offensively, making them perfect protectors that can harass enemy troops.
Infantry's main purpose is to fight the other infantry - distract the enemy,
more or less - while other units charge or fire in (literally) for the kill.
Infantry units include the very defensive Pikeman to the well-rounded Roman
infantry.
Infantry is more than just a meat shield, though. In addition, most infantry
can kill pretty effectively, if given the opportunity. Infantry typically
don't pick the fight (unless going up against other infantry, of course)
mostly because of their slow to mediocre speed. Missile units skirmish away
and Cavalry can outrun infantry by a mile. Still, infantry is needed in all
armies, if only to keep a good line.
Light Infantry
--------------
Yes, I just ranted about the slow to mediocre speed of infantry, but light
infantry is actually pretty quick. They are severely less armored than heavy
infantry, but if you ever need a diversion, flank attacks, pesty missile unit
charges, and rout killing, light infantry might serve you well. Usually,
though, you'll only be using them in the earlier parts of your campaign. If
you're really early in a campaign, these guys might even be your main
protectors.
They serve many decent purposes - really a jack of all trades, but they
aren't masters of anything besides good diversion. It's especially nice to
pull off a heavy infantry unit and turn the battle in your favor because you
have a nice opening. Light infantry, however, sort of become obsolete when
you're mass producing Cavalry, considering Cavalry are the experts at light
infantry's job, and light infantry can't hold a line like heavy infantry can.
Heavy Infantry
--------------
Meat shields! All generals and missile units need them, why not get heavier
infantry? Not only can they hold the line, but they can also dish out some
respectable damage. Heavy infantry usually have good morale, meaning it will
take some time before they rout. The only drawback is that heavy infantry
are slower than other units and, because of that, they usually will only find
themselves fighting other heavy infantry and the occasional flank attacks by
Cavalry.
Still, heavy infantry aren't as good defenders as Spearmen, thanks to the
fact that they don't get Phalanx formation, but Testudo formation. Testudo
makes enemy arrows go away, but it leaves the infantry vulnerable to hand-to-
hand attacks and tires them out quickly. Testudo is good for sieging but not
much else. I'd rather use Spearmen as defenders, personally.
Spearmen
--------
Spearmen might be slow, but they can take a big beating. These units really
are walls - face them head on and you will find yourself dead as a doornail.
Spearmen are pretty darn slow, though, so they are very susceptible to flank
attacks and archers. They kill Cavalry like shish kabob head on, but they'll
really find themselves in trouble if they get hit from the flanks by those
same ponies.
The Phalanx formation, although trash-compacting movement, is effectively a
wall that can kill. Face a unit head on in Phalanx formation and you probably
won't kill one unit. Spearmen are superb in bottleneck situations, where the
only place an enemy CAN go is into their spears. However, Spearmen move
slowly, and, in combination with the fact that they are only decent killers,
you won't find Spearmen racking up the kills unless the enemy likes spears.
Missile Units
=============
Missile units are designed to pepper down the enemy numbers before the hand-
to-hand fighting starts. They are skirmishers, most always running away from
the enemy enough to get another volley into the gut of the enemy. But don't
let them skirmish into a position where they can potentially shoot your own
men! If ever put in hand-to-hand combat, most missile units are demolished
within ten seconds of the engagement - literally torn to shreds thanks to the
no armor and small, weak-looking dagger clause.
Cavalry feast at the opportunity to charge in and desolate'em, mostly because
all enemies fear Missile units. Though they only have a limited amount of
ammo, they can seriously destroy the enemy if they are not left alone. Being
fired on at will isn't very fun. Fire arrows make bow-wielding missile units
even more needed in a fight - they take care of the chariot and elephant
"problems."
Archers
-------
Bow-and-arrow at their best, cloak-and-dagger at their worst, Archers are the
game's most basic Missile unit. They have a good shooting distance, decent
kill rate, and are pretty fast - what's not to like about them. Their
weakness, though, for the most part, is hand-to-hand, mano-y-mano fighting.
Archers are glass cannons. Fire from a distance and hope you don't get poked
at!
Fire arrows are particularly fun because they ruin the enemy's morale. I
mean, c'mon, would you like to see a man burn until his little green uniform
was all black? Fire arrows wreak more havoc on the enemy's morale than them
regular wood sticks, but have a worse kill rate than regular arrows. Fire
arrows have more ups, however, as they spook elephants and annihilate
chariots.
Skirmishers
-----------
Mostly including the Roman Velites, skirmishers are pretty decent, all-around
soldiers. Their main purpose is to pepper down the enemy at the flanks, maybe
distract an infantry or two. And then, *gasps* they skirmish away and throw
more spears at the enemy. One obviously can't throw spears too far, making
them almost obsolete when archers come around. Additionally, skirmishers
don't come with the best amount of ammo.
What gives skirmishers somewhat of an edge, though, is the fact that they CAN
fight hand-to-hand combat. Most archers will just fall to the ground with
their paper armor, but skirmishers usually come equipped with a shield and
sword, making them borderline close-combat fighters. When they run out of
ammo, just have them charge the enemy's flanks or give'em enemy archers a
tough time.
Cavalry Units
=============
The completing piece of any army, Cavalry units are more valuable than they
seem at first. Although mowing down Missile units and other no armored foes
seems like their only purpose, Cavalry serve as the unit that "paints the
bigger picture" in this game. So far, we've got infantry on infantry with
archers pelting arrows down, but a heroic charge into the flank - that is,
the side or rear of an enemy - can desolate most enemies.
Cavalry are fast, so they CAN get to the flank, unlike other units. They also
have good charge bonuses. In addition to these uses, Cavalry are also
excellent at hunting down routd units and have a ton of stamina - you'd have
to run (or gallop) all the way across the battlemap before they get tired.
With all this in mind, Cavalry are a great fit to any army.
Light Cavalry
-------------
As the name states, these Cavalry are "light" - they don't have much defense
and only wield spears. Light Cavalry are excellent for quick strikes at the
flanks of infantry - just don't let them get torn to pieces after the charge.
These Cavalry will mainly be your "extra" unit, ready to take down any
weakness you see in the enemy's army.
If archers, or even skirmishers, aren't being protected well enough, it's the
light Cavalry's duty to slice them in half. Just don't charge into the front
of heavy Cavalry or infantry, because light Cavalry gets manhandled by units
that have more defense and hand-to-hand power. Although light Cavalry's main
purpose is to take out Missile units, they can also be the deciding punch in
overpowering any unit that is already engaged - use them wisely to see the
enemy routing out.
Heavy Cavalry
-------------
Heavy Cavalry will serve mainly as your flankers and, in some occasions,
protectors. The power of a heavy Cavalry's charge is one that few enemies can
survive and, if they do make it passed the charge, the enemy knows that
you'll either bash into them again with a heavy charge, or force them to
fight a losing two front war.
Heavy Cavalry really make it so we don't just have boring infantry on
infantry. While the infantry is going blob on blob, the heavy Cavalry are
suppose to turn the tables in a fight by charging into the infantry's flanks.
Since the enemy also wants to do this, heavy Cavalry also have the job of
protecting flanks. Heavy Cavalry aren't any different in their weakness,
however. Even though they can fight better in hand-to-hand than light
Cavalry, Spearmen still make shish kabob out of'em.
Elephants
---------
Good thing the AI isn't smart enough to spook the elephants with fire arrows.
Elephants mow down infantry, a fact that even the developers admitted when
they released patch 1.1 of this game. They are designed to rush threw enemy
infantry and destroy lines. Elephant, really, are a forced to be reckoned
with, they kill tons and scare tons.
Even though elephants are fearmachines, they spoke real real easy. Fire
arrows can make them run amok (that phrase is almost cliche now) and pound on
their OWN troops. Nothing is more satisfying than watching the enemy
destroying itself. Spearmen also take care of elephants.
Chariots
--------
Yes, chariots are good at breaking infantry. Yes, chariots are fast and
powerful. And yes, chariots are tough little punks. They take a few units to
take out effectively. Really, you need to pincer them - that is, attack them
from both flanks - and make sure they don't move. Chariots don't have much
defense, so they will die pretty quickly if they can't move at all. Heavy
Cavalry and infantry work wel against them if you pincer them effectively.
Another way to destroy chariots is fire arrows, though this isn't extremely
effectively. If you play a faction that has chariots, you'll find yourself
using them to break lines and flank infantry. They are, overall, pretty good
units. Archer chariots are even worse to pincer, but if you lead them to the
end of the map it should be easier because they'll have no place to run.
Peasants
--------
Every civilization has peasants. They come a dime a dozen - you get more
units and it costs less than, say, Hastati. However, they really aren't
designed for combat. Pitchforks are the worst weapon in the game, and
peasants usually wear paper armor. They also have horrible morale and will
break quickly.
Never put peasants in your armies. Instead, stick a unit or two in a city -
cities count the number of units you have stationed, not the quality, in
terms of riots and happiness. This is there only real use. If you ever face
peasants, firing with arrows usually downs their numbers pretty quick.
Horse Archers
-------------
Practically invulnerable against infantry, horse archers are as quick as most
Cavalry and can kill from a distance - what's not to like about them? An army
of horse archers could desolate another army, albeit slowly, without losing a
single unit. It's all in the run-away-and-fire-backwards strategy that's sort
of self-explanatory.
Facing against horse archers is somewhat of a pain - this is where light
Cavalry really shines. They can catch up and liquor, or him, so to speak.
Though it will be a bloody battle, you'll take care of the problem.
Obviously, the pincer strategy of double flanking them and boxing them in
works. And, of course, pursuing them to the end of the battle line never
hurt.
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8. Battle Basics
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Now it's time to discuss the basics of battle. In this section, you'll find
some strategy, but it will mostly cover all the basics and how to use them to