Opening Moves – Dacia

By Hussarknight

By default Dacia is an unplayable faction. If you want to play as them you have to make them playable first. This guide was written and tested while playing on the hardest difficulty level. It applies to all levels of difficulty, however.

Dacia’s initial turns are quite hard. Your economy is weak so you can’t support a large military, but expansion is the only way to sort out your finances. Your goal will be to defeat Thrace quickly, so you get a larger income. Selling map information and trade rights is an important goal as well, because the money gained with it will allow you to expand.

First turn

Raise taxes to Very High in both your settlements. Train a unit of peasants in both as well. Disband the Warbands in Campus Iazyges and send the Archer Warband to Porrolissum. Move Scyles and his army east as far as possible. Send the Barbarian Cavalry from Porrolissum after them. Construct a shrine of choice in Campus Iazyges and Roads in Porrolissum. Send your diplomat south and your spy east.

Second turn

Move your diplomat further south and negotiate with Macedon. Sell them trade rights and map information. They will give about 2800 denarii for this. Keep your military units moving towards their destinations. Build a shrine of choice in Porrolissum and a Warlord’s Hold in Campus Iazyges. Send your spy to infiltrate Tylis.

Third turn

Sell Trade Rights and Map Information to a Thracian diplomat near Bylazora, if you can see one. Negotiate with Macedon, you should be able to sell them an alliance for 1200 denarii. Send your diplomat south. Sell your map to the Greek if you run into them. Build Land Clearance in Porrolissum. Merge the Barbarian Cavalry with Scyles army and besiege Tylis, preferably from the north-eastern corner. Thrace will probably attack you with a relief army in their turn. This battle can be tricky, so here’s some instructions on how to win it:

Position your army near the high ground. As soon as the battle start run your men to take it. Defeat the Thracian re-inforcements. Re-position your army to face the other Thracian army. Use your Archers to soften them up, paying special attention to their general. By the time the Thracians get to the top of the hill they will be exhausted and rout easily.

Fourth turn

By now your faction leader may have died. Don’t worry, he isn’t that important to you. Assault Tylis if it isn’t already yours. Retrain whatever units you can and queue a unit of peasants. Build a shrine of choice in Tylis (or a Tavern if a shrine is already present) and Roads in Campus Iazyges. If there’s a Thracian army nearby attack it with your army from Tylis, but make sure you can return to the city this turn. Move your spy south-east to scout Byzantium. Keep moving your diplomat south.

Fifth turn

From here on things start to vary. Sometimes the Thracians will ally with Macedon, so you and Thrace get a ceasefire automatically. If this happens send the garrison from Tylis (excluding the peasant unit) south-east towards Byzantium. If not deal with any Thracian armies near Tylis, then send the garrison of Tylis (excluding the peasants) north towards Campus Getae. Use your diplomat to sell the Greeks an alliance if you run into one of their diplomats. Queue an Archer Warband in Tylis. Build a High King’s Hall in Porrolissum and Stables in Campus Iazyges. Move your spy to Byzantium.

Sixth turn

Keep moving Scyles towards his destination. Send the garrison from Porrolissum (excluding the peasants and the governor) east to re-inforce Scyles if he’s going the north route. If Scyles is moving towards Byzantium he should be able to besiege it. Build a port in Tylis. recruit a warband in Porrolissum. Send your diplomat east to get into contact with the Brutii. If you’re at peace with the Thracians move the governor of Porolissum east so he can just get back in the this turn. Then build a watchtower and send him back home.

Seventh turn

Assault Byzantium or besiege Campus Getae and let the army from Porrolissum join Scyles. If you take Byzantoium chose to occupy the town. Recruit an Archer Warband in Tylis and re-train your men in Byzantium if possible. Also queue a unit of peasants there. Build a shrine of choice in Byzantium. Move your diplomat further east. If possible negotiate with the Romans and try to get an alliance. Send the governor of Porolissum south and build a watchtower. If you are at peace with the Thracians build a watchtower near the Donau using the general that will have appeared in Tylis by now. This will leave you with enough watchtowers to keep an eye on your neighbours.

By turn eight you should be able to capture Campus Getae, if you sent Scyles north. After that you will want to make both Byzantium and Campus Getae are yours. Keep building up military buildings in Byzantium as it will be a key city later on. Your economy should be coming along nicely now and you’re in a good position for further expansion. Best of luck while playing the Dacians and may the Horns of Victory sound for thee!