Re: Early Game Maximizing income vs long term grow
 

Certainly, they need more micro than hydras, but if you don't use micro then this discussion has no sense)
Properly placed and scripted, 40 Alae legionnaires will take off 10 not _extremely tough_ indy provinces in 10 turns with almost no losses.
And even your starting army with units recruited on turn 0 can capture indies with minimal losses. Still MUCH cheaper than 1250 gold. Pythium and Ermor both have perfect infantry, really.

Re: Early Game Maximizing income vs long term grow
 

You have made me a Evil Despot.

I tried your Ma Pyth with 3 order, 3 growth, 2 bad luck, 2 drain. It seemed wrong but works good. 140% taxes seemed the best trade off as pop flight seemed to kick in bad at 150. I was using Vestals under a Serpent Lord for patrols cause of speed and holy savings.

The extra money to kick in gladiators to take the edge off strong indies worked nice.

The army of 5 Hydras is a hot knife in butter. With the massive amounts of money I am thinking of fielding two or three more. Then condensing them into large armies backed by archers for other pretenders. It is a matter of choosing the right battles for them.

THE DOWN SIDE.

I did good for awhile. Then the attacks started. A Hero with 40+ knights hit my capital to end my unjust rule. I barely won thanks to patrols. Bogus took the province next to my capital. The knights not accepting loss hit my capital again. Some water Hero took the Sea of Woe. Three turns after my first city started to produce the Knights crushed it with a army of 46 HC's. I sent in 80 gladiators backed by two armies to end the siege.

Then it dawned on me. These are HEROS trying to free the people from a Evil Despot who has death squads patroling his lands to keep the people reduce to poverty by my ruinous taxes from rising up against me.

You made me George Bush. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/evil.gif

Re: Early Game Maximizing income vs long term grow
 

awesome!

The Hydra's are a fun early expansion tool, but you still need to diversify. They can't be the only tool in your box or an observant foe is going to smack you. Getting a decent communion going is job 2. If you can get to that point, MA pyth does well.

I like the notion of purchasing the vestals to patrol. Cheap upkeep because of the bless and good speed makes them decent at the job.