Need advice concerning 1- Nation Strength and conqest battles and 2- Faction choices

[The Chalky]

Been playing a while now and there are few things i'd love to get sorted, and top of my list is Nation Strength and Conquest Battles. I have been raiding outposts and the like and I'm starting to notice that even though I'm aligned with Sparta (or trying to be), I'm also raiding Spartan Strongholds and it affects Nation Strength. Is Nation Strength generic in as far as it doesnt matter who I fight (Sparta or Athens), the Conquest Battle at the end is the 1 that matters?
2nd question regards Conquest Battles... It seems im fighting the same Conquest Battles for each region. I think i have fought for the area of Phokis for Sparta 3 times now and Megaris twice... starting to get confused. I would have thought that the Conquest Battle would be a 1 off event... choose your side, win and viola that particular area remains Sparta for the rest of the game (or vice-versa).

[Bee]

You can sabotage Sparta's war efforts and then participate on the conquest battle on Sparta's side, if that's what you wish to know. If you win while fighting the conquest battle for Sparta, they will keep control of that territory and their nation strength there will go all the way up to max again.

Conquest battles can happen whenever the nation strength is low enough, so yeah, it can happen multiple times in the same region. I think they can happen without the player's imput too, I'm almost sure I went back to areas previously controlled by one side and they were then controlled by the other.

[kro32]

Its an ongoing war so territories are going to switch constantly.

The computer is fighting the Peloponnesian war on its own with or without your help, you are just a mercenary partaking in little parts of it to earn money.

You have no allegiance to either side and once you can get wrapped around that concept it makes the game easier to understand.

As for nation strength you are correct, if Sparta owns the region any action you take against Sparta will lower their strength, even killing soldiers until it reaches a point where a conquest battle is triggered.

At that point you can choose to help them defend it or side with the other guys and change the region.

Then you can do it all over again.

It should be noted that Conquest battles give the most experience so pick a territory you like and keep flipping it if you want to level up quickly.

You also cannot change the two capital cities although you can wreak plenty of havoc there if you want.

[The Chalky]

So I could use the Conquest battles to farm for epic items and the like as well?

[Kabob]

Technically, yes, they are 'radiant' quests to use another term. I tend nowadays to let the game run the war, and if I get a 'conquest available' msg while running the odd sidequests (many left over) I usually join for a change of pace.

While I may not 'raid' military structures and outposts as I did when engaged with the main story, I still use Ikaros to scan them for Ainigmata Ostraka or stone tablets useful for maxing my ship.

Others have provided useful details above.

[Jeff Kaos]

The most important thing you need to keep in mind is that you can't effectively "ally" yourself with one faction or the other. It's a little hard to understand at first if you're coming from a standard RPG background where you're required to choose a faction most of the time like in Skyrim. Instead just attack everyone and everything. When the wars occur just remember that if you join the attacking side you'll have to fight another mercenary . I'm not 100% certain that if you're on the defending side you'll not have to fight one but so far I've only encountered other mercs when I'm on the attacking side.

Another thing you need to keep in mind, which has thrown me off a few times, is that once you tip the balance of power to the point that a conquest battle occurs you have a limited amount of time to get in on the fight. I was on my way to the flag so I could join up and by the time I got there it was gone and the region was switched without me doing anything.

[Falaris]

Question:
Let's say I weaken the athenian leader, but then join the athenian side in the battle.

Will it be easier if the nation is less weakened, or harder?

[UncivilS3rvant]

Originally posted by Chalk6ix_NZ:

So I could use the Conquest battles to farm for epic items and the like as well?

Not convinced the battles are worth the effort to be honest.

I stopped after my third one...

[Kabob]

Originally posted by Falaris:

Question:
Let's say I weaken the athenian leader, but then join the athenian side in the battle.

Will it be easier if the nation is less weakened, or harder?

I haven't noticed any difference in the conquest battles, only the state leader. You can go after them at full strength, but they will have serious protection, and generally gives a bounty.

On the other hand - weaken the side to zero, and you run the risk of the sides flopping before you even get to the war camp. This HAS happened to me.

[The Chalky]

Are the battles any harder (or easier) if you weaken to 0 compared to attacking at say 30? (or higher)?

[Kabob]

Maybe someone else can give their views, but from what I've seen, that progress bar is just that - a progress bar. You do things that lower it till: 1) the leader loses support from bodyguards. 2) the conquest battle is triggered.

The only difficulty difference is if you are attacking, or defending.

[Jeff Kaos]

Originally posted by Chalk6ix_NZ:

Are the battles any harder (or easier) if you weaken to 0 compared to attacking at say 30? (or higher)?

I'm almost positive that it doesn't matter how weak a nation is when you start a battle. They're going to play out the same either way. The key to winning them is to personally run around the battle and kill every boss or gold shield you see. I'm pretty sure the bar level indicates how well protected the leader of the zone is. Full bar: tons of elites protecting him. Low bar: one elite, *maybe*, and usually walking around the town instead of walled up in his house.