Goths (RTW:BI Faction)

Goths (RTW:BI Faction)
Name:	Goths
From Game:	Barbarian Invasion
Religion:	Christian/Pagan
Culture:	Nomad
Playable:

The Goths are one of the playable factions in the Barbarian Invasion for Rome: Total War. They are in the Nomad culture group.

Game Play

Starting Position

The Goths start with a small settlement named Colonia Dacia on the northern border of the Eastern Roman Empire. They are likely to be caught between the Hunnic hammer and the Eastern Roman anvil. They have the ability to horde, which is vital if the Goths are to survive.

Cities

Colonia Dacia

• Starting Buildings - High King's Hall, Meeting Hall, Stables, Practice Range, Great Market, Roads, Communal Farming, Mines, Christian Chapel
• Income - 81
• Public Order - +70%
• Population - 11507
• Population Growth - +15%
• Population Required for Next Level of Settlement - 12000
• Official Religion - Christianity
• Recruitment - Peasants, Gothic Spearmen, Runaway Slave Spearmen, Gothic Raiders, Goth Lancer, Spy, Assassin, Diplomat
• Army - Ermaneric: Faction Leader, Peasants, Gothic Spearmen, Goth Lancer

Win Conditions

The Goths must hold 16 provinces, including Thracia (Constantinople) and Northern Italy (Rome).

Unit List

• Gothic Warriors

Attack 10 Defense: 20 Charge: 4 Armor: 7 Cost: 560 Upkeep: 189

• Gothic Spearmen

Attack 7 Defense: 20 Charge: 3 Armor: 6 Cost: 450 Upkeep: 163

• Runaway Slave Spearmen

Attack: 6 Defense: 12 Charge: 2 Armor: 2 Cost: 300 Upkeep: 150

• Goth Raiders

Attack: 7 Missile attack: 9 Defense: 12 Charge: 2 Armor: 6 Cost: 540 Upkeep: 167

• Goth Lancers

Attack: 5 Defense: 15 Charge: 10 Armor: 6 Cost: 630

• Goth Noble Warriors

Attack: 10 Defense: 22 Charge: 6 Armor: 9 Cost: 970

• Alan Horse Archers

Attack: 7 Missile attack: 8 Defense: 14 Charge: 4 Armor: 6 Cost: 730

• Goth Horse Archers

Attack: 5 Missile attack: 8 Defense: 11 Charge: 4 Armor: 5 Cost: 630

• Steppe Horde Chosen Warriors

Attack: 11 Defense: 22 Charge: 5 Armor: 7

• Steppe Horde Horsemen

Attack: 5 Missile attack: 8 Defense: 9 Charge: 4 Armor: 3

• Goth Horse Archers

Attack: 2 Defense 3 Charge: 1 Armor: 0 Cost: 190

• Barbarian Peasants

Attack: 3 Defense: 5 Charge: 2 Armor: 0 Cost: 90

Unique Units

• Gothic Warriors
• Gothic Spearmen
• Goth Raiders
• Goth Lancers
• Goth Noble Warriors
• Goth Horse Archers

Strategy guides

The Goths start the game inhabiting the fertile lands surrounding Colonia Dacia, which they have wrested from the Romans. They will have time to recruit a very few permanent units before they are ousted by the Vandals. It is best to clear out just before the Vandals invest the town, and destroy anything you can so you keep the value rather than leaving it for the Vandals. When the town falls, you will receive several horde armies with horse archers and some good infantry units. Your campaign should focus on mid and southern Europe, staying ahead of the Vandals until you get to Italia. You will want to sack Ravenna, Rome and Tarentum before anyone else does, as the take from these cities is very rich. You will also want to check out Gaul and cities like Massilia, Augusta Trevororum and the Roman cities on the eastern tier of Gaul. If you can sack these cities first, it leaves less for the Vandals, Sarmatians and Huns and gives you that much more denari. And that means those other tribes must fight harder for less and spend their precious manpower against each other.

Finally, when all of western and middle Europe is awash in anarchy and the Western Roman armies are reduced to a shell of their former strength, you will want to go back to the Italian peninsula and take over the rich cities of Ravenna, Rome and Tarentum, timing it so that the last of your horde units are able to take the third city. Here, you will realize the value of your early recruiting before leaving Colonia Dacia. The more spearmen you recruited early on, the more permanent units you will have to defend against other tribes trying to come against you now that you have settled down. Plus, the cash you got sacking cities and not settling down earlier comes in handy to repair the expensive markets, ports, stables and barracks you now own so you can hold onto your new kingdom and to grow your economy. Taking all of Italy gives you a very narrow front to defend in the north, with no one able to attack your flanks.

You will want to build your forces so that you can hold what you have and field a strong army to go back and take Constantinople. Thesssalonica and Athens are also very desirable trade centers with their well-developed ports and markets.

History

In 410AD Alaric led the Goths in the sack of Rome. They later split into the Ostrogoths and the Visigoths

See Also

• Factions in BI

Barbarian Invasion Factions
Eastern Roman Empire | Western Roman Empire | Huns | Goths | Sarmatians | Vandals | Franks | Saxons | Alemanni | Sassanids | Celts | Burgundii | Lombardi | Roxolani | Berbers | Slavs | Romano British | Ostrogoths | Eastern Roman Rebels | Western Roman Rebels | Rebels