Franks Strategy

This is a chronical of my experiences playing the franks on H/H difficulty. I'm only going to focus on the starting strategy (up until 400AD when Atilla is born). Every game will of course be different but this will give you an idea of how you can make best use of the Frank's strengths.

This is my first guide so please bear with me.

Overview

The Franks are a Barbarian Faction. Like the Saxons, they have an easier time occupying and converting Roman settlements. Also like the Saxons and the Norse, the Franks do not have a dedicated military training building. the Romans have to build a rallying ground and then upgrade it to train missile, infantry or cavalry troops. The Franks get their troops from their farm, industry and civic buildings. I recommend going through the building browser and familiarizing where their units are found. For example pastures, a farm variant, produces less food and wealth but opens up recruitment for lancers.

The Franks have a pretty well rounded unit roster with a focus on cavlary. In addition they have some very good archers (range 200 vs 150 for normal archers).

Province Building

Province specialization still exists but not to the same extent it did in TWR2. Each province now has to have its own production of food or it suffers a famine. In addition disease and religion can destabilize a province. This is generally how I build my provinces.

City

• City Center
  
• Civic Building
  
• Religion Building
  
• Industry
  
• (Situation Dependant)
  
• (Situation Dependant)
  
• (Situation Dependant)

Town

• Town Center
  
• Farm
  
• Sanitation

Town

• Town Center
  
• Farm (May not need a farm if fishing villages are available.)
  
• Industry

Of course, you can move the reilgious building to the Towns. The reason I put it in the city is so I can get access to priests more quickly. What I listed above is just a recommendation; its how I built Frisia after I united it.

They Make Ready For War

When you start the campaign you have 2 armies and one fleet. The fleet is not going to be particularly helpful but it will keep the Saxon's at bay. The Saxon's should be your first target as they will not have very strong melee units until mid to late game. They share the same unit roster as the Norse, which is not particularly potent early on. However when you start the campaign, your recruitment options are limited as well. In fact you can only recruit an axe unit and a levy spear unit. Neither of which are very good. I chose to focus on the axe unit for the following reasons:

• Axes are armor piercing so I can slay general units easier.
  
• Axes will beat spear units.
  
• Spears are really only needed to deal with cavalry.

I recruited spearmen until I had 4 in each army and then recruited axemen. I spent 2-3 turns recruiting units in both armies and didn't attack the Saxon stronghold until the next year. I used both of my armies since the Saxon king was sitting with a full army and this is a city, not a town. Unfortunately we don't have oganors yet so we have to build siege towers before we can attack.


Start researching military techs especially Roman Logistics System. This will unlock the wood carver which will unlock bow units and the oganer. I recommend getting this tech as soon as possible and having an Artisan ready to upgrade. Getting ranged units and siege units early on will ensure you dominance on the battlefield. It will also allow for same turn city sieges.

After researching that tech, I strongly recommend Militarized Society. This will reduce your melee unit maintanence by a lot. After that work on some civic techs so you don't fall too behind.

Upgrade your starting farm to a pasture. This will allow you to recruit Lancers as well as Melee Cavalry. Personally I went with the Lancers but both units looked good. The Franks have excellent Cavalary so be sure to have 3 or more units per army. Recruit them when you can.

The War Path

After you defeat the Saxons, they will be a Horde. In my game, they ran out of my lands and headed straight for Rome. 15 turns later and they are still puttering around down there; I really don't know why someone hasn't finished them off. Anyway, I recommend securing the rest of Frisia by defeating the Angles. This shouldn't be too hard. In my game they had one stack plus the town defenders so both armies were able to quickly overwhelm them.

Diplomatically you should be seeking out NAPs with your southern and western neighbors. After you secure a NAP keep trying to get a Trade Treaty. It will be easier after you secure your 3 settlement.

Next focus your attentions on the Norse. If you secure the North and you have placated the East you will eventually be able to focus your efforts on the West; your future home. I started with the Jutes, then moved onto the Danes and the Geates. I vassalized all three states with the hope they would become long term trading partners. And lets be honest, they aren't exactly sitting on goldmines. Their land is not that fertile and has no special resources. If you Vassalize the Danes you will get their subject for free.

This is where I eneded at 400AD. This was not a super fast conquest by any means but when I tried that as the Saxons, I had a bad day. The key is to slowly expand and keep public order in check. You will start getting Immigrants, which increase your taxes but lower public order.

[mister.monroeville]

Seems like a good starting guide. Playing as WRE now, but my next game will be as a non-horde barbarian faction. The Frank's have been steadfast allies in this game, and their cheap axe levies are very useful padding for my armies when I need to raise up an army on the cheap in a pinch(rolled really good traits with these guys so I was able to puppet them crazy early).

[Evil Mustaschio]

do u think thet works whit the Saxons?

[Gen_Stoichev]

I think that, you need attack West Romans inmedeatly . I organise big combine between german tribes.

[Rim Reaper]

How would I use the franks in an online battle

[Sayerslot]

Yeah Radious is easy mode im afraid :/ Try vanilla to actually face opposition lol

[Just A Normal Person]

add me if you want to play a full games co-op on attila please :)

[381]

man you don't have to wait full year to take out saxtons I am playing on legendary and i took them in second turn.
from the start get mercenary onager buy spears and move your king to borders. YOu can move other guy to your city for better public order especially on legendary when gives you - 8 public order which is pain in ass. HIt turn saxon shoulds sack romans city and start moving to mainland use your fleet to destroy them with no problemo then with your king caputre city with onager then you can choose pathway: to stay cool with romans and figt off barbarians or break treatis with romans take their lands and be cool with barbarians untill then

[Crusaderkvw]

its a good guide, altough instead of going for the entire northern part(danes, geats and jutes) you could also focus on taking out just the jutes, and with a second army move into belgica(its also a campaign objective so double bonus). im now at 401AD and have the entire Frisia, belgica, britania minor and inferior provinces and the danes have also been taken care of. should note that im playing with radious, so that changes quite a few things

[JecJackal]

Thanks

[brandonlott938]

nice guide