Spotlight on:   Brythunia

Every few months or so HWE will feature a review of a different kingdom of Hyboria by players who think that they have what it takes to win!  These contain strategy tips, ideas, and a general direction to go for those interested in making the most of their bid for Hyborian dominance.  Crom is very interested in gathering in as many reviews as possible from different players, so don't be shy about sending them in!  

Steve Smith is one of the Old Men of the Sea as far as HW goes, and plays in nearly every Organized game!

BRYTHUNIA - WHIPPING BOY OF THE NORTHEAST?

OVERVIEW

   Let’s face it, you get no respect as the ruler of Brythunia. Literally EVERYONE around you generally figures to grab an "easy" province or two from you. Koth generally has an easier time, since it actually has a couple of allies from the start. As Brythunia, you have to survive on tenacity, diplomacy, and downright dirty play if necessary.

GEOGRAPHY

   What a joy! Brythunia sits nestled right smack in the middle of Nemedia, Border Kingdom, Hyperborea, Corinthia, and Zamora. Each and every one of these fine nations will figure that taking a piece of the "Brythunian pie" is just as easy as that. The only bonus you have is a LOT of open plains and relatively easy expansion through the Wild Mountains (provided you can get it before Zamora). Then, you receive the pleasure of running smack into Turan! What more could a struggling nation need?! Fortunately, though, defense is fairly easy, as your provinces are all pretty much grouped close together. A single defensive army can adequately cover all of your home provinces, and if you are careful with your expansion, that same defensive army can cover most of your expansions as well!

COURT

   The Brythunian court is actually fairly talented. Lacking initially in intrigue and rulership (with only one diplomat and only one general), it gets better. The Brythunian wizards are generally fairly well-steeped in battle magic, including (in my limited experience) summon the dead, fire wall, and phantom warriors. Strategic magic abounds as well, including rains, far sight, and force march. In my game, I got some really talented agents, including some assassins of superior quality. This made up for the initial lack.

   Of your initial characters, it will be important to keep your wizards and (especially) your diplomat (BRYT-4) alive, through protection and long life. Fortunately, you start with some outstanding protectors. Double (and triple, if it can be spared) protection goes a long way, and I was able to keep my entire starting cast alive and well through the first set of warseasons despite continued Zamoran efforts to make them dead.

   Each and every character in Brythunia’s starting cast can be used to great effect, so don’t go sending them off on adventures or trying to get them killed. The following are how I generally used the beginning Brythunian characters:

BRYT-CHA: Actively rule. He will keep the capital happy, which is the only one that levies heavy troops.
BRYT-ADJ: Protection duty on the peace years, and army duty in the warseasons. He was able to get just about any terrain or battle type that I wanted.
BRYT-1: Actively rule. He is actually an able ruler, and will keep the kingdom’s provinces happy (which has its return on the peace years in BIG levies!).
BRYT-2: Put him in an army from the start, so that he doesn’t adventure on you. He is good for boosting the performance of a single troop or flank.
BRYT-3: Protection. ‘Nough said. Move him to the capital and protect protect protect!B BRYT-4: DIPLOMACY! She will get those peace treaties that you NEED to survive. Move her to the capital, and make sure she is protected! It’s also a good idea to long life her everytime she gets to the Prime of Life or above.
BRYT-5: Protection. ‘Nough said. Move him to the capital and protect protect protect!
BRYT-6: Prophecy on the peace years, and keep him with the military for a handy rains spell on war seasons.
BRYT-7: Long life on the peace years, and keep him with the military on war seasons. His Summon the Dead is a great comfort in set piece battles.
BRYT-8: Either protection or military for this guy. I generally kept him in the military, for his force march spell.

MILITARY

   The Brythunian military is one of the most unique in the game. Composed almost exclusively of cavalry, it is fast and powerful, with some surprises that most don’t expect...

   Many would caution against using infantry in Brythunian armies. It slows them armies down. However, I actually suggest that you raise some infantry and put them in some of your armies. The problem with cavalry in battles is that they charge at the enemy headlong, and they get slaughtered if the enemy’s infantry sits back in a well-ordered line. I’ve found that putting infantry in the front lines of a battle slows the advance of the cavalry while keeping the effectiveness of your cavalry charge. Your troops arrive in the enemy front lines ordered and ready for battle, and the cavalry fairs much better. Once you have crushed the front line of the enemy, your cavalry will then proceed to push the enemy back.

   I would caution, though, that you should only put ONE infantry type in an army. That way, you can detach those troops (since the detach command only allows ONE type to be detached in a turn) when you need your army to be able to move quickly. Having a couple of all-cav armies is also handy for defense, and as a mobile response unit.

   If you can, keep most of your medium cavalry in your provinces for raids and defense. They don’t do very well against the heavies around you. Do NOT raise the Brythunian Levy Archers. They are a waste. Fill your armies with HIP, MIP, and MI in moderation, heavy cavalry in droves, and let ‘er rip!

   The key to the Brythunian military, in my opinion, is to keep the provinces happy. This will ensure that you levy enough MC over the peace yeras so that you do not have to raise them during the warseasons. Raise large amounts of noble horse (HC) and heavy horse (HC), and keep the maximums of heavy pike and medium pike on hand. If you wish, raise some MI to round out your armies, especially if you plan on moving into hill, forest, or mountain terrain. If you manage to survive the initial set of warseasons, you will have a BIG treat over the peace years, as your happy provinces will reward you with approximately 60+ troops, total! Your provinces actually levy like the Picts, though you have fewer provinces. Use that to your advantage.

STRENGTHS

   There’s no doubt about it. Your strength in Brythunia has to be the large amounts of heavy cavalry available to you! Your armies are fast and powerful! Then again, there is the ease of defending your ever-growing kingdom, especially due to the speed of your cavalry. Of course, you get all of those levies. Then again, your court is talented at what they do. My my, what can we say about the strengths of Brythunia?

   If you ask me, the above strengths are nice, but there is an added strength: position! Many people regard Brythunia as a bad position, simply because everyone around you (powerful kingdoms, all!) will regard you as an easy piece of meat and ascribe your provinces as their meal ticket. However, you can use this position to garner some steady and powerful alliances, deals, etc. Use your position to bully your enemies, and to make peace with others. While you have a lot of potential enemies around you, this also means that you have a lot of expansion opportunities. If you use your diplomats (and your diplomacy) well, you coudl easily find yourself in a position of power on the outskirts of the West.

WEAKNESSES

   Brythunia’s greatest strength is also its most obviuos weakness. Brythunia is easily overcome if it cannot make friends (or peace treaties). Being surrounded by powerful enemies who regard you with less respect than they would afford Koth is not something to be envied. Even the Border Kingdom regards Brythunia as his meal ticket. This is tough to overcome.

   Another weakness is Brythunia’s initial poor treasury, and poor provinces. Your treasury will be almost impossible to maintain until you get some richer provinces producing some serious gold for your military economy. As a result, you won’t raise a lot of troops during the warseasons, and will have to rely heavily on the peace years troops, along with those levies.

   A lot of people overlook Brythunia’s other weakness: an almost exclusively cavalry army. Yes, this is a weakness! An army that is well-stocked with infantry as well as cavalry will generally defeat an army of even heavy cavalry on most battlefields (save perhaps steppe or desert). Brythunia does not fare well in the hills or mountains, my friends. Be wary of using your cavalry exclusively. Throw some infantry into those armies, and conquer your enemies rather than be conquered by them.

ALLIES, FRIENDS, AND ENEMIES

   Brythunia has a lot of natural allies, as well as many natural enemies. It is easy for Nemedia, Hyperborea, Border Kingdom, Corinthia, Turan, and Zamora to regard you as an enemy simple for the convenience of it. However, it is also easy for each of these kingdoms to regard you as a friend, if you are smoothe in your negotiations. Yes, even Zamora is a potential ally!

   Try to find a couple of allies right off the bat, or at least some solid non-aggression pacts. One natural ally is Hyperborea. This can seal your northern border and allow both you and Hyperborea to aid one another against foes who outmatch your own militaries. Another natural ally is Corinthia. Aside from your capital, Corinthia has no concern with Brythunia, and Brythunia is in a good position to aid the Corinthian cause! If you decide not to go with Hyperborea or Corinthia, Nemedia/Border Kingdom are a good tandem as allies. If you need to, offer the Nemedian Marches to either Nemedia or the Border Kingdom in order to gain their friendship. This will net you large gains down the line, as these are potentially your second worst enemies.

   Your worst enemy is (obviously) Zamora. Zamora’s own heavy cavalry, combined with its heavy infantry and mercenary strength (not to mention fortified and hilly provinces) are hell for your military. Not to mention Zamora’s assassins seeking the lifeblood of those diplomats who are keeping your fledgling kingdom afloat! However, Zamora’s ire can be quelled as well. A deal with Zamora could make both of you happy and prosperous. Trade the Dry Plains for the Eastern Borders. You get something, they get something. Neither of you really need those pesky imperial goals anyway, so focus on the victory conditions. An alliance between Brythunia and Zamora can both shock and overpower the Hyborian world at large!

STRATEGY

   With Brythunia, you need to expand quickly, to get that fourth imperial army, and to start gaining victory progress. Make certain that you get the Wild Mountains before your enemies do, then keep going until you get to the Turanian Wastes. The desert provinces east of Brythunia are easy meat for your heavy cavalry. Keep your other borders protected with peace treaties (protect that diplomat!) and at LEAST one defensive army. If you find that you are at odds with Turan, peace him and make for the Northern Kozaki provinces to seal him in. Once you are in the superior position, invade him!

   Make certain that you form alliances that are going to allow you to expand while protecting at least one border. An alliance with Nemedia/Border Kingdom and Turan is likely your best bet down the line. If you can, gain peaceful relations with Corinthia as well. Those pikemen are murder on your cavalry!

   When you are ready to take on Zamora (or any other kingdom), go after him hard, and don’t let up until he is crushed. Brythunia is at its best when it can focus. Send a couple of armies in at first, keeping a couple on standby in case you need them elsewhere, then (when your peace treaties are made) hit hard with everything!

   Do NOT, however, go after Zamora right off! Yes, I said that! A competent Zamora is more than a match for Brythunia in the beginning. Zamora has the heavy troops, the terrain to turn you back, and the mercenaries to crush Brythunia in the beginning. Don't get cocky with that extra army that you have. After the first big levy, THEN you can feel free to hit Zamora, especially if you were successful in expanding into the eastern deserts. In this case, you'll have at least four armies, plenty of troops, and you will have sealed Zamora in, so he will still only have two armies. In this case, you can simply wear Zamora down.

BOILING IT DOWN

   Brythunia is a land of opportunity, but it is opportunity taken, not given. You have to be hard as Brythunia, and you have to be tenacious. Don’t get intimidated by your enemies, because you are easily the match of any one kingdom in the area, and in some cases two. Don’t let that make you cocky, though. Everyone has a surprise waiting for you, and Brythunia has its share of troubles. So, start cautiously but aggressively. Get to the Wild Mountains, and beyond, while protecting your other borders. Make sure that anyone who invades you knows that they are going to have to pay in buckets of blood, and make sure that anyone who incurs your wrath knows that they have forfeited themselves in the name of their foolishness. Brythunia is not a kingdom to be trifled with, especially once it gets a steady troop base and some rich provinces under its belt. Never believe for a second, though, that you won’t need those defensive armies, because there are always opportunists out there just waiting for a piece of your pie. Don’t let them have it. Be bold, be beautiful, and be Brythunia!