Observations: Winning on Normal & Hard

[gargoil]

My observations on winning on Normal & Hard:

1. There is not much difference between normal and hard modes once you have captured the 3 central Italian major cities (Pisa, Ancona and Asculum) with Hannibal and 2 other generals in the area. This is because you can survive turns were the Carthaginian Senate is not cooperating with your plans on the reinforcements of those cities, and you are lessening the Roman reinforcements at the same time.

2. With those central Italian cities in hand, and Hannibal in the field, you can limit the Roman ability to take action in the area, and many times crush attempts they make at them.

3. You must counter the Roman fleet by recruiting the largest navy that you can. Take every opportunity the hit the Roman fleet when they are not concentrated.

4. The turning point in most games is early on, before the Carthaginians have established their hold on central Italy. This is were the Romans have the inititave and resources to eradicate you before you can get started.

5. Having one more general to move between other areas to gather troops, although not entire necessary, is something that can seal the game if you can achieve it.

6. Rome is agressive. Use this against them. In every game there is a time where you can either smash a Roman army or two by just giving them the opportunity to move/attack. The game's AI has a roleplaying aspect in that it does not respect Hannibal's abilities until he has proven himself against it.

7. Once you have sieged Rome for 3 years, you should muster all your forces (having more than 2 to 1 strength than Rome's) and storm Rome. This is preferable to giving the Romans another 2 turns to pull something off.


In Summary, I have won and lost my share of games, but I have won on both Normal and Hard (and have only had the game 2 days). In the hard game I just finished, I had my entire fleet of 8 ships sunk in a storm, and still managed to win. There is a lot of thinking on your feet, which makes every game fun and different. But the strategy I have outlined above has been effective for me.

Do any of you have any solid strategies that differ greatly from what I have outlined? Any agruments with it?

Thanks

Edited for grammer and spelling.

[gdrover]

I have played the game over 40 times by now I think... [:)]

Really love the fact that despite having a set strategy, each game ends up playing out very differently due to diverse Roman actions, different Event Cards, and the unpredictability of the Carthaginian Suffete (Senate).

I have the new 1.04 update and am 2 wins and 1 loss on Hard. Before the update I was winning on Hard almost every time, so the new AI seems stronger (with one flaw in the AI related to moving armies out of Rome late in the game to reconquer cities, but leaving Rome vulnerable to an assault by Hannibal's main army...for the sake of balance I choose to ignore this opportunity and fight on.)

My basic strategy is:

1) Move Hannibal to Cisalpine Gaul and conquer 3 cities to activate Gallic Aid. I then leave Hannibal's army in the field to entice the Romans to attack it. I also join all 3 Carthaginian fleets in Carthage to protect them for later use.

2) On turn 2 (or as soon as the Suffete allows it) I reinforce Spain and defeat the Roman invading force.

3) I continue to gather reinforcements in Spain and Gaul.

4) On turn 4 or 5, I Take Genua and bring my Spanish army and the main army in Carthage (if North Africa has not been invaded) there to unite with Hannibal into a very large army.

5) I march Hannibal's army to the far south and conquer all of the heel and the toe of Italy to gather Italian allied reinforcements (and strip these areas so Rome cannot have them).

6) I defeat as many Roman armies as I can face (or trap them in cities and eliminate them)...this allows me to reduce the Roman forces and keep them from going to Spain or North Africa. if they do go to North Africa, I will build my forces there and defeat them.

7) Once any North African invasion is defeated, I will send my forces there to Italy to join Hannibal in defeating any remaining Roman armies and finally seige Rome. I am usually easily able to defeat relief attempts with my very large army and reduce Rome, or if that proves impossible for whatever reason, I will conquer enough of Italy to win the war on points.