Barbarian Allies? Saviours more like it!

Most players find Barbarians annoying, I find them invaluable. This story is one of the reasons why I like them. The year was 1900, I was playing as the Pergamum (Egyptian Colours) and I had a relatively moderate sized empire consisting of 20 cities which were very well built up, SDI defenses, 3 units fortified each, almost all improvments. There were 4 other civs around, I was at war with 2 of them. One of my best allies, the Germans had collapsed only 50 years earlier after a horrible war that strained alot of the Germans and my resources. I had just recovered, switched to Fundamentalism and was happy at my civilization. The other Civs, the Greeks and Americans who I were allied and peaced with were against the bitter Japanese and Mongol empires who were the largest and 3rd largest empires in the world. I knew I did not have enough force to be able to take out the huge Japenese empire so I got my allies to fight the Mongols with me. My 20 cities were spread out around the lower part of the world. Which I have learned not to spread out so much. my Capital city Pergamum and large cities nearby Pergamu, Pergam and Lint were resonably safe from all civs.

After my turn I watched as 2 Japanese transports and 1 Mongol transport headed toward my largest outpost near the Mongol border. The re-inforcements I send every once in a while weren't due for another 4 turns, the transports would arrive in 3 turns. The city, recently fended off several small attacks and my few units were damaged. The city did not have the best production even with Factories and Manc. Plants, there were only 2 Partisans and a Howitzer defending the city with a destroyer patrolling nearby. I knew that the Mongol escorts could easily take out my destroyer and city defense and the 20 units coming towards me would easily take out the city and threatened 3 other newly established colonies nearby. I watched in horror as the transports got closer but suddenly 2 AEGIS cruisers belonging to the Americans popped out and took out 2 of the transports but were destroyed. My city still could not hold out from the other transport.

I decided to let the city be, I bought a transport, shipped off my few defenders, sold my improvments and let the Mongols take the city. It was the first city I lost in 300 years. I decided to take the battle to Mongol space itself, I shipped out a large force of 15 howitzers, 17 armors, 12 Partisans, 9 cavalry, 3 battleships and 8 AEGIS cruisers to head for Mongol space, I watched my allies also send in small forces into Mongol space onto too see them defeated or achieving small victories. My military had to pass through American space in order to reach the enemy which you need to know later on. My shipping fleet passed through 5 small fleets of Japanese ships but destroyed them with no losses but my units were damaged enough that the lower moves would cause them to arrive late from the main force, I hoped that would be the only bad omen. It would not be though later on as I found out. I was halfway through American space since it was very vast until the Americans called me and quickly said "We will have no more of this tiresome alliance". I watched in shock as my large fleet disappeared from 10 years worth of movement back to my cities.

Now I could not send my units on land, I now had to build large numbers of transports to send them over sea. The sea was luckily once of my most controlled areas so I knew I could get to the Mongols quickly. A message popped up saying the Americans signed a peace treaty with the Mongols and declared war on me! a large number of howitzers pounded my outer colonies but without a city falling. I now had a war on 3 fronts which looked grim for me. The Greeks, sandwiched between the Japanese, Mongols and Americans were quickly invaded and having them being far behind in technology, having only discovered Steel just last year were quickly crippled. Out of 32 cities the Greeks lost 5 and 7 more were crippled. I knew I could not be able to call on the Greeks, but I felt responsible to help them since they saved my @** more then once in the past so I sent my invasion force, now a relief force as quickly as possible into Greek space, one by one my Howitzers, partisans and Tanks unloaded and saved 11 cities from capture!!!!

It would prove helpful later on as the Greeks will once again save me later on. But now with the majority of my military into saving the Greeks, my other colonies were without support, my once huge navy was cut in half and spread thin after the American invasions. The Americans who were still at war with the Japanese quickly took out 4/5 of the Japanese military and reduced them to begging for mercy. That was one threat eleiminated for a while. My cities were on full unit production as I tried to re supply my island colonies. The American navy and army growing in strength still could not match my navy but easily could match my land forces. Now without allies supporting my Northern front, I now had to pump more units to supply my once nearly empty supply colonies who were usually protected by the Americans were now fighting them off. I constently patrolled the sea to make sure no transports got into my space but somehow a transport slipped through and with large land invasions by the Americans managed to pound out 3 outer northern colonies that were once my best naval unit producers. My large industrial cities were now within reach of the American bombers and battleships. I quickly shipped my remaining force in Greek space back home only to find a Mongol fleet waiting for them.

With my navy and Army running at 1/3 I was in desperation, the greeks constantly sent out fleets of units only to have them betean back. It looked grim for me, and I was close to retiring until 3 large Barbarian hordes popped up in the American/Pergamum border, happily I watched them march over to the Americans instead of me and recaptured my outer colonies and 2 more American defense posts. I breathed a sigh of relief as the AI's always went for Barbarians first like before in other games. My 17 cities were now safe on 2 fronts out of the 6 ways they could be attacked. My 7 main cities were able to support and defend themselves but the numerous outer colonies with limited resources we unable to defend against a large invasion. As my main cities were busy defending themselves, 3 Mongol and American invasions headed for Carthage and Utica which were closest to the borders. The invasions took out Utica but before they could attack Carthage a Barbarian horde popped out in front of the fleet and took out the majority of their force.

Barbarians seemed to pop up where I needed them most. Lucky me. I still had a bunch of colonies threatened by enemy attack and isolated from my grasp. Without me knowing the German empire popped up from the dead remnants of the Vikings, and magically they appeared on the Mongol/Japanese border which caused the Mongols to declare was on the Japanese and cancel their alliance with the Americans. It seemed the Mongols hated everyone. I signed a cease-fire with the Americans who precedded to take out a number on Mongol cities along with me and the Greeks. The once mighty Mongol empire was also reduced to begging and I happily finished off Karakorum finally silencing the threat. For another 20 years, the world lived in peace, the Greeks caught up in technology, the Americans lost alot of their military to Barbarians who kept coming and the Japanese were perfectly content on their small island which their last 2 cities were located. The Germans happily build up a small empire and I re-built my navy and re-supplied my outer colonies. I let the Barbarians keep the 3 cities the Americans took from me since they didn't attack me with them.

There was a small war between the Greeks and Germans but it ended after only the losee of a few units. My navy was once again the largest in the world until growing hostilities between me and the Americans and Greeks caused us to once again declare war. I was annoyed with the Americans for over 2 centuries and I finally decided to destroy them, 6 cities fell quickly to my surprise, as Barbarian attacks weakened them from the inside. Their war with the Greeks caused a loss of numerour supply colonies and reinforcements. The Americans quickly surrendered to me but I still attacked their weak cities to prevent them from attacking me again. I let the Greeks finish them until I finally took out New York, Washington and Thermopylae and then headed for Greek space. the story isn't over yet, as the Greeks continually pomelled my colonies until I lost 5 of them to cruise missiles and howitzers. I could not be able to send large invasion forces to Greek space safely as the Greeks controlled the majority of my shipping lanes and took out my transports and Cruisers. The Germans bashed them from the north while I invaded from the south until finally in 1970 the Greek empire collapsed to Join the Carthaginians, Mongols, Americans and Persians into the back of my memory. Out of the 20 cities I started with in 1900, I only had 13 in 1970 and when the game finally ended in 2000, I only had 11. I finally learned to avoid placing so many island coloniesso I could defend my cities better.

In total, I counted about 320 Barbarians between 1600 and 2000. They were my saviors and for that I vow not to kill a Barbarian unless it's self defense.

By romwal