Suebi strategy anyone!?

[Casimir21]

Hi, how should I play with the German tribe? It is almost impossible not to get barbarians to overun and lower your civilization. Do I even bother fighting them?
The only thing I can think of is take the army they leave once they destroy me and march on someone else with it.
Any suggestions?

 

[Alfred Packer]

I love playing tribes. You definately need to get your hands on horses or iron and build a bigger army than your limit (keep them fully funded though) - I do it through warring on gallic and mediterranian small powers periodically for tribute and gold - really, its the only way you can afford to maintain an extremely over-strength army. In my current game as the Vandals (edited in, just Vandali), I've conquered Suebi and warred on Cisalpine Gallic tribes with an 8 unit army (4 Light Infantry, 2 Heavy Infantry, 2 Archers - I want more Heavy Infantry but I lost my iron trade route during a barbarian invasion). (my military limit is 3 units)

Yeah, I've been occupied by Barbarians, but it happened when the army was out making war on weaker Med. nations, so it is a risk but I didn't fully get conquered by them (got the army back in time - having 2 provinces helps here)

 

[unmerged(175562)]

Interesting one. Hard (without cheating), but quite possible. I already did it. First of all: declare war on a small but distant, high civ nation (Crete?). After a year or so without any fighting it should be possible to sue peace. Make sure you give them a minimal monthly tribute. This will make your own civ rise quickly, enabling you to colonize quite soon.
In the meantime: Get a 9 + general and an mixed army of HI and archers. It should be as big as you can afford. Maybe max 3 of each, total 6 units. no mercs though, too expensive! immediately (even with a 4 unit army) go into the barbarian provinces bordering you, and provoke them to rise. First the smallest ones, then with raising experience of your army, bigger ones. Constantly fighting those barbarians will make sure, that they will never grow big enough to be a real danger. Finally do the same to the barbarian provinces north and east of you, even the far ones, because they will most likely come for you as well some time. None of these provinces should grow bigger than a population of 4 barbarians

and thats it! with this strategy you have a fair chance to reach 50 % of civ in a couple of years / decades. then immediately chancel the tribute and colonize. make sure you get grain to your capital very quickly, because you will need the population. from there on it is just about expanding, maybe even conquering some gaul tribes (preferably the British ones - make sure you don't border Rome) and so on. until, of course, you inevitably boarder the huge Roman empire, which smashes all you build up in no time and ends the game you might try and get allied to them though, or at least to give them military access. this will win you some time.

after this you will have to compete against the big players and try to take away their land. But this is a completely different game again. Anyway: playing a tribe like Suebi can be hugely entertaining, confronting you with always new and growing challenges

good luck!

ah, and don't chose republic, but monarchy, when the choice pops up

 

[Praylak]

As a new player, I have to point out the above post by Gievlos has been extremely helpful to me. I love barbarians and this game, but felt these types of nations were really neutered, that is until now. I'm mean sure, its a tough ride as a barb, but now I can see its doable and fun. It didn't occur to me how civilization spread worked until after I started exploring this strategy.

I started by first getting my stability up to +3, so I delayed DoW'ing a distant civilized nation for some time. If you DoW right from the get go, your stability drops into the negatives. Aslo playing as the Suebi I found it difficult keeping my less civilized nieghbours BPV low enough not to cause me problems. There is just so many provinces, in all directions. I even had a horde of Bastarnae come up from the far south east. But on the second try I was able to become a reasonably strong 7 province nation by 550avc.

 

[Hardradi]

You should consider reviewing the "Achab strategy" - horde absorption and civil wars => power.

He wrote an AAR which demonstrates it here

 

[Praylak]

Thanks Hardradi, I will do just that. Now I will learn how the pro'
s do it?

 

[Leon_Aditzu]

first you must rise the population of slaves, by hunting all barbaric population from uncolonised provinces, to make more money, that would give more chance to vassalize a minor civilised nation like illiria, bosforus,