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Perhaps I'm not understanding this card. I had Hannibal in Bruttium while Scipio was in Latium/Campania. I used Surprise March (because Hannibal was alone) to try to get him to link up with Mago in Latium/Campania but Scipio intervened every time. I had chosen Latium as my Surprise March place.

Also, is the manpower available a lot lower on Hard?

Thanks!

EDIT: One other question while I'm at it. The strategy guide recommends not taking mediolanum and patavium on the first turn. Why not? This prevents Rome from raising and allows Hannibal to use Gallic Aid.

The Surprise March option was designed to allow Hannibal to march through a province without being intercepted. But it doesn't overrule the usual restrictions for combining armies.

So, no, this isn't a bug. But I can see that the manual could be more clear.

Good question, by the way! This is an option which didn't turn out to be as useful as I thought that it would be. Maybe the link-up you are trying should be legal? This might be another thing to put on the list of "one of these days I'll do another Hannibal Patch." [:)]

Also, is the manpower available a lot lower on Hard?

The available manpower in Africa is noticeably lower on Hard compared to the Introductory level. It should be the same as the "Normal" level.

Really, the manpower in Africa is increased significantly at the Introductory level to help new players. The other recruiting pools are not affected by the level of difficulty.

The strategy guide recommends not taking mediolanum and patavium on the first turn. Why not?

I felt that the player generally should not risk losing valuable units. My thinking was that it would usually be better to take one city and then play Gallic Aid after winning a battle.

Of course, there are a number of choices at the beginning of the game. Perhaps your way is better? I think that many players have designed strategies which are better than my own recommendations! [:D]

Thanks for the quick reply! Actually I wasn't even originally linking up. At first I just put Hannibal alone in Latium and he was intercepted. So by "through", then do you mean "out of?" (because it doesn't work for "in to")

Strange about the manpower because I played my first game on Hard last night and I didn't have any manpower on the second turn in either spain or cisalpine gaul (I had New Carthage not under siege in spain and the three small cities in CG not under seige) Thought that was weird. Also, did you make the game easier? I noticed complaints about the difficulty and I won quite easily both times I played on Hard in less than 10 turns. Not bragging here - certainly don't consider myself a Hannibal

At first I just put Hannibal alone in Latium and he was intercepted

I misunderstood your original post. That would be a bug. The "into" movement should not be intercepted if Hannibal is using Surprise March.

However, I am unable to duplicate this. When I use the card, Hannibal is not intercepted.

Do you happen to have a saved game which can duplicate your particular situation?

Also, did you make the game easier?

Not deliberately. [:D]

Seriously, I didn't do anything to adjust the difficulty of the game in the latest patch.

You may have found a chink in the AI's armor, so to speak. Or you just play a mean game. [8D]

I didn't have any manpower on the second turn in either spain or cisalpine gaul

Just to make sure: you did qualify for recruiting there? I.e., you had a general (not under siege) in each province? Forgive me for asking, but I just don't see how the recruiting pool in Spain or Cisalpine Gaul could be drained after one turn.