Impossible to win on 'Easy' level

[Javolenus]

This is a very attractive game. I really like the whole design concept. I've been playing the demo on 'Easy' and have yet to win a single battle. Even when Hannibal significantly outnumbers Scipio, victory is impossible as all my troops run away. As well as losing all the battles, campaign resources (men, ships, allies) and options ('cards' etc.) all heavily favour the Romans. I've given the demo a good few hours and, while impressed with the aesthetics and sound, I'll hold off buying the game as it's just too hard. It's not that I'm scared of a challenge, it's just that, having started 4 games on 'Easy' I've been unable to get Hannibal out of Spain.
EDIT: Just tried another go with the demo. This time I ticked the 'standard first move' option, which places Hannibal in Northern Italy. My first battle as Hannibal was against Claudius, a general with a command rating of 5 (Hannibal has 12 I think). The odds were even. Hannibal lost. OK, so now I think I give up! Nice graphics and music though.

[Ron]

Sounds to me like you need to stop blaming the game and instead read the manual to learn how to play. This is a very well designed game, very different from the usual fare, and has many strategic intricacies. As a hint, you start the game with two 'Punic Trick' cards, use one of them in your first tactical battle in Cisalpine Gaul - it is 'impossible' to lose.

[vonRocko]

There is definitely something wrong. What you are describing is almost impossible. If you are having big battles in spain, at the beginning of the game, then you are doing it wrong. Hannibal can win almost any battle early on. Like Ron suggested, read the manual, it is full of tips and advice. Check out the excellent AAR for this game, for opening strategy. Good luck

[Javolenus]

Hi There and many thanks for the replies. I admit that I didn't read the manual, so I'm guilty on that one. But I did play through the demo tutorials and then had a go at the campaign. For the first 4 attempts I didn't check the box that places Hannibal in N. Italy. With this option, Hannibal has to take a city in N. Italy (in order to 'enter' Italy) and Scipio seems to be the guy on the spot. Each time Hannibal had to fight Scipio and, regardless of the odds, Hannibal lost every time. For my fifth go at the demo, I did check the box that places Hannibal in N. Italy. This time, Hannibal's first battle was against Claudius. Hannibal had many more command points and soldiers than Claudius but still lost.

I did notice the cards at the beginning of the campaign, but they seemed of limited use. For example, in one opening move, I selected the card that gives Hannibal two extra units but the Romans countered it with a card that makes one unit desert. Other cards have options that aren't available straightaway - like Gallic/Macedonian aid. As for my battles, they were all related to taking settlements, so no cards were available.

I should mention that, while I experienced lots of setbacks in my opening moves, the Romans managed to recruit field troops and boost garrisons, obtain allies, and mount expeditions to Spain and Carthage. I did try to intercept a Roman fleet at sea but I lost that battle too.

But the thing that really bugged me was watching some tiny Roman army with a mediocre general trash Hannibal's stronger force. And so my initial post was really expressing disappointment and frustration at not being able to get into the game. Seemed to me that once Hannibal loses his first battle it's game over.

I take Ron's point about the manual but as a demo set on 'Easy', I thought I could probabaly cope!

I can see that the game is well designed and I did praise it's aesthetic. When you complete the tutorials you are invited to play for real - so I did. The outcomes I described above caused me some frustration because I was thinking 'This game looks great - I'll buy it'. But all of the above action took place on the 'Easy' level, which made me think that I would simply lose patience with the game and give up.


Well, that's my exeprience of the demo . . .

[vonRocko]

Javolenus, You can move hannibal into gaul and cis.gaul without having cities, across the alps. Read Chocolinos after action report for good opening moves.

[Javolenus]

Hi vonRocko and thanks for this. OK, I'll do as you suggest, but when I played the demo I'm sure a dialog box says that Hannibal must take a city in order to cross . . .

EDIT: OK I had yet another go at the demo on 'Easy', using the 'standard opening'. The game was over by the second campaign phase, by which time Scipio had destroyed my army in Spain and taken both my Spanish cities. In N. Italy Hannibal managed to take a city but a Roman general immediately took another one back. Then another Roman general appeared with 20 units against Hannibal's 11. I didn't even bother to fight the battle but quit. I was unable to move armies by sea because I hadn't got enough ships. I was unable to recruit fresh troops because I hadn't got enough cities (Scipio had taken all the Spanish ones - don't know why I couldn't recruit in Carthage or N. Italy). The cards available to me were useless - Gallic/Macedonian aid that cannot be called on for whatever reason. I've uninstalled the demo as it just seems hopeless.

[SteveD64]

Too bad you've quit.  You're obviously playing "wrong" by the sound of it.  You don't have to take Genua to move into Northern Italy.  You move into Gaul (that green area north of the alps), then move into Northern Italy by storming a city.  If a Roman army comes out to attack you on their turn you play the Punic tricks card (ambush is nice) and destroy them.  Then it's game on. 

[PJJ]

I have never lost a battle with Hannibal in the first two turns of the game, and I'm definitely no military genius. It's practically impossible to lose, because you always have that Punic Tricks card, which will give you a tremendous advantage in battle against Roman generals. Don't waste your troops by trying to assault heavily fortified major cities in Northern Italy. There's no need to do that.  Do exactly as Cleveland suggests in his post, and you can't lose the game in a couple of turns.

It's true that the game is challenging, but it's not at all impossible or unfair. You really shouldn't give up so easily. Read the manual again, examine your cards, armies, units and provinces, and you will find everything explained. Think about what you're doing and keep practicing. [;)]

[vonRocko]

Maybe something with the demo? I don't know what to say, you must be missing something somewhere. I've never seen rome take spain so early and easy. [&:]
One tip I can give you is too right click on your cards, and it will give you details on what is required to play it. Gallic aid on the first turn is essential.
I urge you not to give up. I am very critical of games (bugs, crashes and price), but this one excites me because it runs perfect and it can beat me sometimes! I feel that after you understand some game mechanics you will be pleased.[;)]

[SteveD64]

Biggest problem I had, and it cost me dearly, was trouble with the game mechanics early on when I was learning the game.  Knowing how to combine troops, move by sea and when to do these things is important.
 
It took me several games before it sunk in that you couldn't combine armies if there was an enemy army present in the field.  It's a little rule but it's very important to know.

[anarchyintheuk]

Same here. That and planning the activation order.

[Javolenus]

Many thanks for the great support - I really appreciate that.

OK, I re-installed the demo and tried again on 'Easy', using the 'standard opening' option.

On my first turn I decided to capture some Cis-Alpine settlements in order to activate 'Gallic Support'. And so Hannibal attacked one minor settlement with his full army. The settlement was defended by 2 militia units with no leader. I couldn't use a battle card option becuase it was a city battle. I entered the battle and the enemy scored 1 hit and 2 routs and Hannibal scored 0 hits and 0 routs. At this point I gave up.

[SteveD64]

oh c'mon.  one hit!  Hannibal is rolling over in his grave right now.  [:D]

[mercenarius]

One of the points for having the "Standard Move" is so that you won't have to do this. And you don't want to waste your strength capturing cities that you don't really need.

Please try the initial moves that I outlined here:

http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=2593427&mpage=2&key=

Wait for the Roman turn, win a battle, and put Gallic Aid into effect at the end of turn 1 or the beginning of turn 2. You can put Gallic Aid into effect with the control of a single city (in that province) if Hannibal has defeated a Roman general in battle.

If you leave Hannibal's army alone, Sempronius will attack it on the first Roman turn. Use "Ambush" and you'll win the battle.

Then you can decide if you want to consolidate your hold in Cisalpine Gaul and spend a turn or two recruiting there. Or you can move Hannibal and Mago south on turn 2. If you do decide to stay in Cisalpine Gaul then it may make sense to capture the other minor cities.

In your city battle, you either had a bad deployment or bad luck. Probably just bad luck. Make sure to use your Spanish Infantry (and the Companion Cavalry!) in battles to capture cities. Use a couple (or more) of the African Infantry, especially if you have to absorb two hits in one round. Attacking cities, even minor cities, can sometimes involve more losses than you would like. It happens.

[NefariousKoel]

Sorry to hear you're having so much trouble.

It sounds like understanding of the game system, along with the accompanying problem forming a strategy within those confines, is the problem.

Use Mercenarius' and others' tips for awhile and maybe something will click. [;)]

[Javolenus]

Hi Guys,

First of all I just want to thank everyone for great support. I'm really impressed with the level of feedback. OK, I'm getting a better understanding of the game now. I should have read the manual, as Ron pointed out earlier, but I just wanted to play around with the game to get a feel for it. I realise now that you need a more committed approach. I'm getting a better idea of how to deploy troops in certain situations and my battle results are improving. Still need more work on an overall strategy. Thanks again for help. Some things have surpised me in the game - like in the post above, where Hannibal scored 0 hits and 0 routs against 2 leaderless city militia units, but I guess that could be a combination of bad deployment and bad luck. Anyway, it's a cool-looking game and I really like the music. I'll stick with it a bit longer Thanks again and best wishes to all.

[gdrover]

I play the hard setting and win almost every time now. Here is my 'standard opening':
Turn 1) Hannibal moves to Gaul with his starting army, and then moves to attack Turin. Assault Turin (Make sure to use mostly Spanish Infantry as they are better attackers than the Carthaginian Infantry). Hannibal then assaults and takes the other two 0/2 cities in Cisalpine Gaul. Play the Gaul Card, and get the 3 Gallic Reinforcements in Hannibal's army. Finally move Hannibal out of the city and have him camp in Cisalpine Gaul so that he can intercept any Roman armies trying to take back these cities.
Combine all your fleets in Carthage so that you can send more reinforcements.
Move Hasdrubal's Spanish army into New Carthage to await reinforcements.

Turn 2-3)Send reinforcements to Spain and stomp on the Roman army there and retake the other Spanish city. Have Hannibal wait in Cisalpine Gaul and get reinforcements until after he has defeated the main Roman army.

Turn 4-5) Reinforce Spain or North Africa (build a couple of fleets). Have Hannibal take Genoa. Move the Spanish army to Genoa and combine with Hannibal. Simultaneously land troops from Carthage in Genoa to make a huge Carthaginian army.

Turn 6 - 7) Siege Rome. When a Roman army comes to lift the siege, defend the siege if you have a marked superiority; if not, lift the siege and attack the main Roman army using Punic tricks. After defeating them, siege Rome again and stick to it like a bulldog while sending any reinforcements possible.

[nalivayko]

THIS.

I have discovered this strategy on my own, although haven't tried it on Hard yet, only Normal. I use standard first move though and start sieging Genoa on 2nd turn, after defeating a Roman attempt to to enter Cis. Gaul. I do believe Genoa is key to winning the game early on, since it allows reinforcements from Spain to reach you early and without risk of attrition.

Key difference: I do not stomp on Roman army in Spain. 2nd turn I get reinforced from Africa, combine armies and besiege Romans in Emporion. They usually slip away, bastards, and cause me small trouble later on... nothing that can't be handled by Hannibal, of course.

TLDR: I have won the game on turn 7 using strategy very similar to the one described above by gdrover.