u/SkyCompetitive3370

So ive tried to give the Syracuse campaign a go a few times over. Always find myself between a rock and a hard place with Rome and Carthage--i've tried migrating to make the early game easier but honestly, Syracuse is a top tier city. Having access to Samnitai Xiphophoroi feels like you can weild a mid-late tier roman infantry unit immediately. Coupled with crossbowmen and siege units, theyre actually a terrifying battlefield force.

Im running a campaign now (no auto battles), liberating my province and the southern tip of the Roman Peninsula. With 10 units of Samnitai as my core, and it feels like a hot knife through butter. Cathage is otherwised distracted with the liberated cities and navies and the greek mainland is finally warming up to me.

Whats your best strategies for this faction? Looking for tips and criticism

Form an offensive and defensive league of nations? Just curious to see others' campaign strategies are around diplomacy--how many defensive vs military allies do you all typically have in mid game (turn 40-60ish)?

Whats the thought behind it?

When the AI initiates a deal with you thats less than favorable and you decline, do you lose diplomatic points faster than normal? Or is it just a standard deal

Say I were playing the nomads running around with full horse archers and a baggage train for the added ammo bonus. If I were to immediately withdraw my baggage train from the battlefield, would I still have the ammo benefit? Or would i lose that buff with the unit?

Does anyone else immediately make neighbors buy up a trade agreements and then use that diplomacy stipend to buy yourself harder to reach trade agreements?

Playing a campaign as Rhodes and by turn 15 i owned my province, had trade and defensive treaties with all other greek factions barring the Seleucides. And even managed to get as far across as diplomacy with Rome (although temporary) without leaving the homeland. I have a small navy and max (stacked) armies with a culture economy.

How do you guys treat diplomacy in the opening turns?