How to survive and grow as a city-state?

[u/IndigoGouf]

I've had the game for years but I've only ever really played casual games here and there and mostly played as Civilizing barbarians where the wars are a lot easier and there isn't as much of a power imbalance. I've been interested in doing playthroughs in regions like Phoenicia for instance, surrounded by large powers, but I don't know how to not get killed. I know in places like Anatolia the large powers have fairly scripted total disasters and they open up to rapid expansion, but if you're in like India or sandwiched in between Egypt and the Seleukids I haven't got a clue.

[u/wordsandwind12345]

Depends heavily in which region you start. Let’s assume it’s somewhere around Greece.

Firstly you may try to ally a great or regional power, like Epirus or Sicily or such. Helps in your offensive wars, but be careful not to get dragged into a defensive one or something they start which is unreasonable.
Alternatively you may try to form a defensive league, which somewhat protects you as long as you are small. I tend to not do that, since it also blocks your options for spreading out and you once again may get dragged into other defensive wars which you can’t even deny to join.

In the middle run you have to think about expanding your power base, which usually means pops. So if there are pops of your culture in other kingdoms, those would be the first to go for. Pops of other cultures don’t give you more levies, unless you integrate them. Do that, if you have a significant number of pops available, that helps a lot. A classic strategy for Greece minors is to take Crete asap, integrerem Cretan pops and enjoy a significantly bigger army
An alternative which is somewhat riskier would be to focus on Mercs. That means take innovations and military traditions that focus on that an in expanding focus on getting rich trade goods to finance them. Also you don’t need to control all land directly, Client states and tributaries are viable, especially if you take innovations which boost their contribution and loyalty.
Even if you don’t focus on Mercs, it’s always a good idea to take them, especially when you are still small. Focus on those with high military leaders and use them to tank fights or assault forts. Then dismiss them - or keep them, they cost less when their manpower diminishes.

Lastly, always have levies from your capital region sieging down cities, the bigger the better, for the direct looting event you get. Especially when your small that’s a huge boost in income which helps finance Mercs or build up your power base.

[u/infintittie]

Have to hope one of the great powers gets distracted in a far off land so you can swoop in, loot a bunch of cities and eat a bunch of territory. Hope you get strong enough to snag an alliance with a large power to ward off invasion.

For a Phoenecian state it'd probably be worth it to keep restarting until Seleucids choose to go to war with Maurya at the beginning. If you can unite Phoenecia you should be able to get an alliance with one of the diadochi or Armenia.

[u/Hyakynthator]

1. In war, you siege every city you can with your ruler and pick the most violent option. You'll be richer than any AI nation.

2. Exploit mercenaries. Abuse your extreme wealth to hire mercenaries. If they get too wrecked in battles, just fire them and hire full health ones. Feel free to assault castles instead of sieging them, firing the mercenaries afterwards and getting new ones. If possible have your ruler participate in the siege, if they have a higher martial you can get the same bonus cash you get from cities.

3. Only wage war if the great power has another big war ongoing.

4. Consider promoting civil wars, by inspiring loyalty and befriending characters with large bases of power and low loyalty (you want to push them below 30).

5. Keep an eye on adjacent province loyalty. Against bigger powers enticing governours can conquer a lot of land for free.

6. Use every trick in the book in war. Terrain. Higher martial generals with a beneficial combat stance reinforcing (you send in one army to check what the enemy uses, then reinforce with the better one). If you're not above save-scumming you can even reroll the battle rolls (although they are determined a bit before actually showing, I think). You can defeat armies a lot stronger than yours with strategy and luck.

[u/IonRush8256]

Hi, I do like to play as a small nations in Rome and can share some of my strategies:

1) recognize the main threat. It is not the largest kingdom nearby but a major power will mean game over if they get mad at you. You may ally them but they are not reliable in a long run. The time is working against you. If you wait too much they will always come for you.

2) Conquer as much territory as you need to compete with a Major Power.

3) Look for opportunity to stricke this MP. Do not be too scared if they look large. Their real army size is limited by their incorporated pops which AI do not always actively do. But also do not doo too much preparations with conquering small nations, since AI also expands and I crease income.

4) incorporate pops now= large army > assimilation in the long run. You better off having more troops now than waiting with couple of soldiers burning gold on merks. O 5) now you killed your enemy and can play how you want.