Soren's New Game

[Rusty Edge]

I have been playing on the Old World map, random Civs, so they start in their historical locations. Drew  Hannibal.

By the time I conquered Sicily, the Greeks were already established in the toe of the Italian boot and were 50% ahead of Carthage and Rome on points. I moved on to Sardinia and Corsica, while expanding along the African coast. I noticed the city of Roma was only defended by workers. I attacked. Phillip of Macedonia piled on and captured the heel of the boot. I took Roma easily and worked northward until I linked up with Greece on the Adriatic, and moved westward, conquering the rest of the Roman Empire and then the Gauls. Built the Cothon and The Acropolis in Carthago.  Picked up Crete from the barbarians in the course of Eastward coastal expansion.

I kept the 3 Numidian cities loyal the whole game, so they held NW Africa, but they were in an alliance with me.
So Hannibal controlled the Mediterranean from Roma (which became the new capital) to Egypt. He captured the coastal Nile delta cities (Held by Nefertiti, I think, at the time) before he died of old age and his heir continued the conquest up the Nile until he won on points. Might have been tempted continue along the coast to reclaim the Phoenician homelands, but Carthage was too overextended to fight Assyria at that time.

I think Hannibal would have made Hasdrubal proud. The game did master the Carthaginian historical challenges of keeping the families happy at home, the Numidians allied, bringing siege weapons, and attacking Roma from the sea. Oh, and Carthage was Jewish in this game, which would have added insult to injury from a Roman perspective.

Sure, I play other civs. But Persia playing barbarian whack-a-mole isn't much fun to write about. Or a failed religion founding strategy. Neither is Babylon in a drought.