Hyborian War Kingdom Spotlight: Kingdom of Nemedia

(2014)

by J.D.

Nemedia, the central pillar of Hyborian culture and civilization stands ever in defiance to their habitual foes, mighty Aquilonia. The gleaming Nemedian knights are rightly proud for their army which is as diverse as it is deadly. Nemedia may well extend an empire without limit … IF they can stop the hosts of Aquilonia.

From the court to the military to the treasury, Nemedia has it all.

In this spotlight, I’ll go over, in detail, each character in the starting court, each troop type and a few of Nemedia’s unique strengths, as well as a synopsis of the surrounding kingdoms and how they will likely stack up to Nemedia, and many other things. Future Nemedians, I hope, will find this spotlight very helpful and informative… and with a little luck, perhaps even lead her to glory in the form of a #1 ranking at end game.

Lets start with the court…

NEME-CHA: Arianus Tarascus I’ve found Arianus to be a dependable court spy, as well as a decent diplomat. He can secure a treaty (so long as the other kingdom’s avoidance isn’t high), he is surprisingly good at avoiding influence and he also isn’t half bad at breaking alliances; His combination of good diplomacy and excellent intrigue makes for the right stuff on either mission. He has a diplomacy spell that is said to be of benefit, though with his poor magic rating I’m not sure of just how much benefit it can really be. Overall, I think he is a good starting Chancellor, and adventure on the opening turn should be out of the question, as he is a guy you’ll come to value for his utility.

NEME-ADJ: Altairius Numa What can I really say about this guy? His superior military command makes him a keeper, but he lacks in everything else. No utility with this guy. It would be a gamble, but you could always roll the dice and send him out adventuring on turn 1 and hope he dies and is replaced by someone with some heroism or other skill that can be used outside of the battlefield, like maybe some sort of magic or some intrigue. He is one dimensional, but also a very good general. I’ve always kept him around.

NEME-1: Count Enaris Bragorus The King. Enaris is a great ruler. He never fails to keep the loyalties up and the kingdom running smoothly. Actively rule with him on peace years and anywhere in between that his services aren’t needed elsewhere. Conscription is a breeze with this guy ruling, and believe me, you WILL be conscripting. His good intrigue and adequate diplomacy makes him a nice fit for avoiding influence when he isn’t ruling. You could even get crazy and send him out spying, but you have other, more suitable candidates for that so the thought shouldn’t cross your mind. Worth a long life spell, if you ask me. I kept him around the entire game once. Hyborian War Kingdom Spotlight

NEME-2: Istarius Aphenakos Istarius has some utility. I like that in a character. His excellent diplomacy makes him a go to guy for peace treaties and avoidance missions. His good military command and adequate heroism makes him a nice character to have around on the battlefield, too. He has good rulership as well, should the need ever arise to put him in the role of a provincial ruler.

NEME-3: Isolius Nimed Another of those utility guys. He is a super duper provincial ruler. Being the ruler of Hanumar makes it a double bonus, as Hanumar tends to levy a lot of troops, probably in no small part thanks to Isolius’s rulership ability. Also makes for handy conscription with 90%+ success rates. He has poor diplomacy and adequate intrigue, but don’t let that fool you; he is good at avoiding influence. Good military command, adequate heroism and a strength spell also makes him valuable on the battlefield, or even a raid for the more daring ruler.

NEME-4: Lord Ostorio Bragorus Another superior ruler that’ll git-r-done. Numalia, like Hanumar, levies a lot of troops thanks to this guy. He also enjoys the same success rates as Isolius when it comes to conscription. Hmmm… what else? Oh, yeah! The man can scrap! Superior personal combat and good heroism makes for a formidable opponent, and believe me, Ostorio is just that. Throw in some adequate intrigue and you have yourself a good bodyguard or potential assassin, should the mood strike you. Did I mention that he killed Conan while on protection duty for me in one game? You betcha. Even strung his remains up on the city walls for the world to see. He’s a baaaaad man, I tell you. He has poor military command, but add in the good heroism and superior personal combat and he is also useful in battle. He never did much in the way of diplomacy, though. Didn’t matter. I almost always used him for court protection and he almost never failed me.

NEME-5: Fondicus Aphenakos Your star diplomat. Fondy is “da man” when it comes to that clutch treaty or a big kick in the avoidance department. He’s taken the avoidance level of a kingdom from none to superior in one turn for me on more than one occasion, no lie. He always seems to come through on that must have treaty after a peace years, too. Throw in some tribute with a negotiate peace command and I’d go out on a limb and say he is a 100% success story. His excellent heroism helps keep the assassins at bay on occasion, which is nice because he is usually the first target when the assassins come to work over your court. It’s also useful on the battlefield, but he is much too important to be using him for that. If you’re not using him for diplomatic purposes, keep him moving around by having him protect a different province each turn. You’ll be glad you did.

NEME-6: Lord Tirus Bragorus I love this guy. Probably my favorite character, if I had to pick just one. His excellent diplomacy makes him a reliable diplomat, but being a general it doesn’t stack up to that of a noble with the same rating. Though, combine that with his superior intrigue and he makes for a nice avoidance guy and can also break that pesky alliance if need be. His adequate military command doesn’t exactly do him justice. I’ve found him to be a competent general. He has good heroism to add to the flavor. However, what I almost exclusively use him for is spying military missions and assassinations. He has always came through on the spying, and more often than not on the assassination. Just be sure to consider his poor personal combat when picking your targets and you should be pleasantly surprised with his performance. Don’t forget about the excellent rulership, also. He’s candidate #1 if Enaris vacates the throne. Another character with a lot of utility.

NEME-7: Lurgon Iristides Meh… pretty much a bum, this guy is. He has poor military command, yet good heroism. I like to use him on the occasional raid and as an additional commander on the battlefield. I’ll use him as the main commander if he is all I have left in the case of multiple invasions.

NEME-8: Ajacios Thespius This guy, I like. His lack of military command, adequate, is made up for in his superior heroism. I’m not afraid to let him lead an army or a raid. He also makes for a decent bodyguard on protection duty. Other than that, well, he isn’t good for much. But, what else can you ask for from a general? Only problem I have with this character is that he always seems to die early for some reason. I could never figure that out.

NEME-9: Astius Nimed Your second best general, behind Altarius Numa. His excellent military command makes him the likely choice to lead that second army into battle. The only thing that hurts him is his lack of heroism, lack meaning none. With his good intrigue, I’ll use him to spy a kingdoms military every now and then, but only a kingdom like Asgard or Pictland that doesn’t have much in the way of intrigue to counterspy with.

NEME-10: Tarrano Thespius Terrano may not be one of your more polished and respected court members, but he has his use. Keep him in an army at all times or use him for protection. He tends to wander off every peace years and usually winds up dead, though, so don’t get your hopes up.

NEME-11: Slyne Noirelle You second best diplomat. Slyne is very reliable, much like Fondy, but not quite the same caliber as Fondy. His superior diplomacy also makes him a common target for assassins, so keep him moving around when you aren’t using him. I’ll use him in battle every now and again, too. He has adequate military command and a fanaticism spell, which makes him suitable for that big battle that you’ll risk your characters for. I wouldn’t use him in every battle, just the most important of them.

NEME-12: Volosino Aphenakos Pretty much the same as Slyne, really. I’ll use him for breaking alliance and avoidance more often, though, with his good rating in intrigue. He has a far sight spell, which is nice I guess.

NEME-13: Lady Zenobia Numa The Lady. A good provincial ruler with a fear spell is about all she really amounts to. One of those characters that you don’t really notice or cherish. She has a poor rating in diplomacy and intrigue, yet she can’t avoid or negotiate or spy worth a hoot. You won’t miss her when she’s gone.

NEME-14: Orvietus Zorbeq Orvy. Good ‘ol Orvy Z. Your only wizard. He has two useful spells, those being long life and far sight. He also has adequate military command and adequate heroism, making him a no brainer to keep in your invading armies. A nice character to have around.

NEME-15: Nivaro Thespius I know, I said that Orvy Z was your only wizard, which wasn’t altogether true when you consider that Nivaro is also a wizard. But, the thing about being a wizard is that you also need some magic ability. This loser has a phantom warriors spell that he can cast a whopping one whole time. He has adequate military command, though. I always kept him in an army somewhere, if nothing else. Another one of those guys you won’t miss when he’s gone.

NEME-16: Bastius Tarascus Your one true agent, Bastius almost always comes through on assassinations. He is a competent spy, but just don’t expect too much information from him. He might tell you the capital of Aquilonia is in Tarantia or something. Another nice thing about him is his good magic ability. His diplomacy is handy, as is his force march for that army on the move trying to get that perfect terrain and desired battle type. His magic armor comes in handy if his cover is blown on assassination attempts. Definately the go to guy for all things murder, though, first and foremost.

COURT CONCLUSION

Nemedia has a very able and diverse court, as you can see. She has enough military assets in the line-up that, when used together, make an otherwise formidable army twice as good.

You’ll have all the intrigue you need with Arianus Tarascus, Tirus Bragorus and Bastius Tarascus. Diplomacy, of course, is your strongest and farthest reaching ability in the beginning. You have the unique ability to both peace off multiple kingdoms and avoid the influence of a few so you can begin an offensive campaign right out of the gate without having to worry about defending. Your only weakness is obvious, which is the lack of magic.

Still, it isn’t that much of a weakness. You have enough magic in the right places (strategic movement magic and a long life spell) to get by. As the game wears on, in my experience, you’ll find yourself wondering where the diplomacy went. I never got many characters with much in the way of diplomacy as court replacements over the peace years. However, I did get my fair share of military command and intrigue, with the occasional wizard with black death. Each
game is different, though, so keep your fingers crossed.

Now, on to the military…

THE NEMEDIAN MILITARY

Diverse as it is deadly. True enough, as Hyborian troops go. The Nemedian military is composed of heavy troop types and one light archer type. You have the standard, run of the mill HI and HC, as well as some above average HI and HC. I’ll talk a little bit about each of them now.

Nemedian Knights: Your standard heavy cavalry. They fight just as good as anything around you, they’re fast and you can have 40% of them in your armies. Keep them maxed out or close to it and in your IAs.

Royal Cavalry Guard: One of your two elite units. Will go toe to toe with anything that any kingdom can offer, even the legendary Black Dragons of Aquilonia. You can only have one of them at a time, though. Still, keep it in your Imperial Army that will be seeing action and be sure to raise a new troop of them immediately after they’re destroyed in battle. They have a bonus in fortified terrain as an extra perk.

The Adventurers: These guys are tough. They won’t really fight much better than your Nemedian Knights, but what I’ve found is that they will route less due to their excellent morale, which means that they’ll stay on the field longer and kill more of the enemy. That’s a good thing. Keep them maxed out at 10% and in your Imperial Army(s) that will be seeing the most action. I generally try to keep them all in the same army, rather than spreading them out here and there in the beginning. Later in the game, as your troop base grows, you can spread them out a little.

Nemedian Foot: Your standard heavy infantry. Can’t say much good or bad about these guys. They’ll go one for one with most other troops, save for the above average such as Old Warriors, Poitanian Knights, Brythunian Noble Cavalry…etc. You’ll levy these like mad. Put some in your Imperial Armies as filler and leave the rest in your PAs.

Nemedian Archers: Great troops, if you’re fighting a bail of straw. As with all LIA, they suck beyond belief. What’s worse is that you are forced to keep a minimum % around the house at all times. Let the computer raise them for you as needed and tuck them away safely in a provincial army that will never see battle. Some people say that they’re good to raid with, but I disagree, as they will just be taking away from the more important heavy troops that you could be raising instead.

Royal Guard: Your other elite unit. Like your Royal Cavalry Guard, they will give a better than most performance in battle and stand up against anything. Keep it in the Imperial Army that will see the action and keep raising it each turn after it’s destroyed. I usually keep it in the same army that the Royal Cavalry Guard is in.

Adventurers Foot: Like your Adventurers, where routing is concerned. They’ll stay and fight to the death, making them twice as lethal. They’re on par with any other infantry unit in the game, save for the Old Warriors of Cimmeria and Reavers of Asgard. Keep ’em maxed at 10% and keep ’em in the Imperial Army that’ll see the most action.

VICTORY CONDITIONS

Your victory conditions lie to the north in the Border Kingdom, in the form of anti-victory progress should he lose any provinces. Also, just for good measure, you are additionally assigned to take the Central Provinces of Aquilonia and Shadizar of Zamora, plus maintain control of Belverus and Numalia. No small task, to be sure. In fact, and in my humble opinion, you are faced with the toughest set of victory conditions of all the kingdoms in the game. Should you wish to pursue victory in the form of RSI rankings, you’ll need to go straight for Shadizar and Central Provinces early, and make damn sure that Border Kingdom never, ever, loses a single province. Even IF you manage to achieve these goals, you’ll need to knock off other kingdoms in the top 10 if you ever want to see the win. Ironically enough, if Border Kingdom is doing well, it’ll be hard to pass him in the rankings. Cool, huh? I hope you like a challenge, because they don’t get any better than this.

IMPERIAL GOALS

Your Imperial Goals consist of Tarantia of Aquilonia, the Nemedian Marches of Brythunia and maintaining control of Hanumar. Your reward for accomplishing this will be an additional Imperial Army and 10 new unique and elite troops. Well, the heavy cavalry is elite, anyway, being of adequate missile, superior melee and superior morale. The medium infantry archer doesn’t stack up quite as well with it’s good missile, good melee and excellent morale. If you achieve this, keep the cavalry in an active Imperial Army at all times and make sure you always have the maximum of 5 of them around each turn. Combined with your other elite units of Royal Cavalry Guard and Royal Guard, that’s nearly 1/4 of a full Imperial Army of elite troops. Fill in the rest with your Adventurers and Adventurers Foot, and you have one heck of an army at your disposal.

THE NEMEDIAN TREASURY

You have some very wealthy provinces, as well as some very wealthy provinces ripe for the taking to your west and south. The treasury will last you around 5-6 turns from the start of the game, given that you use it wisely. After the first real set of peace years, it will go even further… and that’s if you haven’t expanded. Get a few of those rich Ophirean provinces under your belt, or maybe some Corinthian, Aquilonian or Kothian provinces, and you will have the funds to weave war for a dozen seasons without running dry if you use your head and play smart. Gold is not something you’ll be lacking when you play Nemedia. And now, on to some strategy and the like…

FRIENDS AND FOES

Your habitual foe, as the kingdom description notes, is Aquilonia. Well, that’s one opinion anyway.

Friends

Border Kingdom Your one and only true friend in the north is your ally and little buddy, the Border Kingdom. You don’t have to protect him, but it is certainly in your best interests in the long run. Why? Because his provinces make for a great buffer zone against your common foes in Hyperborea and Cimmeria, that’s why. Even if you decide to ignore your obligation of defending BK, you’ll still end up fighting whoever runs over him. It will only be a matter of time, as he is pretty much helpless without the protection of Nemedia. It makes perfect sense to ally with him, especially if played by a veteran of the game. You will have his provinces, his armies, his magic and his diplomats protecting your northern border, and that ain’t such a bad deal right there. Of course, it doesn’t come free. You’ll have to spend a considerable amount of resources holding back the likes of Barbarians and the Undead, and possibly even Aquilonians. If he can secure peace treaties in the opening turns, then you can both focus your attention where ever you desire. From there, there are unlimited options at your disposal and you are already a step ahead of Cimmeria and Hyperborea. By helping Border Kingdom to grow, you are also helping yourself. The stronger Border Kingdom gets, the stronger you get, and more options will become available as the game goes on. Limiting your relationship with Border Kingdom to one of strictly defense is unwise. It is a drain on resources and accomplishes next to nothing. Find a way to go on the offensive with Border Kingdom and you’ll be killing two birds with one stone as the two of you crush your enemies and strengthen his kingdom.

Brythunia

To your east lies Brythunia, who can be a great ally, and situated right where you need one, too. With his position on the borders of both Zamora and Hyperborea, he can be a valuable asset in logistics alone, not to mention that with time and growth he can become a powerful force to be reckoned with. However, Brythunia is also an easy target right out of the gate. One diplomat that can easily be silenced and 5 potential enemies render her a sitting duck for early attack and easy expansion. In 2 out of the 3 games I played with Nemedia, I tore into Brythunia in the very beginning with both armies and took no less than 5 provinces. Be that as it may, if you can get Border Kingdom to agree with you, make an ally out of Brythunia if possible. The rest of the kingdoms that you border need something from you, like provinces. Any of them would make a powerful ally but it isn’t a game of how many allies you can make, now is it?

Foes

Where to begin….

Aquilonia

Your habitual foe? Not exactly. While Aquilona has, easily, the best military in the game, it is also in no position to impose it upon you any time soon. Usually up to it’s ears in trouble, and lacking in diplomacy a few turns in, Aquilonia is not the threat that you might think. However… if and when you go to battle with her, your troops don’t stack up quite as well. I believe that there is a hidden code in the HW program that gives a bonus to certain kingdoms when fighting other kingdoms, such as Aqui/Neme, giving one an advantage. In this case the advantage goes to Aquilonia. Perhaps it’s just my luck, but in each game where I’ve fought Aquilonia, I always come out on the losing end of the kill ratio. In the game I won as Aquilonia, I always came out ahead of Nemedia in the kill ratios. So, my point is, prepare for a grim fight if you do battle with her. That said, if you’re going to go after Aquilonia, do it sooner than later, and go in with both guns blazing. Make nice with other kingdoms surrounding her, even if it is only temporary. Work to take out that star diplomat, Valkia Terentius. Bastius Tarascus, your agent, should be able to do it. If you want to hire out then look to Vanaheim, Zamora, Corinthia or even Cimmeria. Taking her out is a must if you want to fight, though. When invading, use overwhelming force. Go into Tarantia with 2 full armies or more and then branch out from there after crushing the troop base. Just be sure that you aren’t the only kingdom invading, as Aquilonia can easily fend you off if you come alone. Let Cimmeria and/or Pictland hit Aquilonia first, and then come in while she is distracted, if possible. There is always the option of allying with Aquilonia, too, but it is seriously frowned upon by the rest of the world and will make the two of you the target of every kingdom in the northwest. Aquilonia’s court only gets better with time, too, so keep that in mind if you decide to wait until later in the game to invade. Whatever you do, keep Aquilonia in check by any means necessary.

Corinthia

Another one of those kingdoms with a great military, Corinthia is probably your greatest threat if hostile, due to its military, location and potential allies. The pikemen are renowned worldwide for their tenacity and efficiency in battle. Yet, fear not, for your troops match up surprisingly well… even your knights. The one thing that Corinthia has going for it is the terrain. STAY OUT OF MOUNTAIN TERRAIN. You’ll get eaten alive there if you happen to send cavalry, and your infantry will be lucky to keep the odds at 1.5:1. I like to send in an army of Nemedian Foot and Adventurers Foot, with plenty of leadership on the side. Don’t be intimidated by Corinthia’s reputation, because you are every bit as good militarily. The thing you need to worry about and keep an eye on is who Corinthia chooses as her allies. A Zamoran or Ophirean army moving through her provinces can ruin your day if they catch you sleeping, so beware.
Corinthia can also make for a great ally, though. Should the two of you decide to ally, nothing can stand in your way. However, that decision lies with Corinthia and the goals of her king.

Ophir

Ophir isn’t likely to pursue it’s Imperial ambitions in most games since it has, arguably, the toughest ones to take. Still, don’t take her too lightly. Militarily Ophir just doesn’t stack up well against Nemedia, but with the possibility of an alliance with Corinthia or Aquilonia, she can be a real pain. If you go in on the offensive against Ophir, expect to hit FA terrain in Ianthe almost every time, and for the battle to time out with little progress as far as wearing down the troop base. Go around Ianthe, if possible, and shoot for open field battle where you’ll make short work of them and their Achilles’ heel, that being their medium infantry and light archers. Just be sure to take out the wizard, Redmin Zarus, who has a devastating firewall spell in the abundant open terrain. You’ll find Ophir’s wealth a nice reward for your troubles once you get a few of her provinces under your belt. On the other hand, as an ally Ophir can make for a nice gate into the rich provinces of Koth, and for a adequate sidekick against a hostile Corinthia or Aquilonia. At any rate, you should be calling the shots here. Why? Because you can.

Zamora

While Zamora needs nothing from you, you need something from her. Like Shadizar. No small task, Shadizar lies safely behind Corinthia. The only other way to it is through alliance with Corinthia or Brythunia, or Ophir and Koth. The problem here is two fold. If you make too many allies, there will be no room for expansion later in the game. If you decide to fight your way through Corinthia, then it will push that player into alliance with Zamora, which will leave you with your hands more than full. Go through Brythunian allied territory and you have to take Yezud first, not to mention that that course of action may push Turan into alliance with Zamora. Plus, Zamora can put a real hurtin’ on your court in a short amount of time; something you can’t afford. Zamora is more powerful than you’d think, especially later on if she can get a few provinces under her belt and enough treasury to keep the armies stocked with mercs to compliment the great heavy cavalry. But, once you get into the soft underbelly of the Zamoran home provinces and medium infantry, you’ll have smooth sailing from there since Zamora will be forced to raise more medium infantry due to it’s percentage maintenance of 25% to 45%. This is the key to fighting Zamora. Be sure to be the guy on the offensive and get at that medium infantry crutch like a hound dog in a rabbit hole. Just double your protection duty, or triple it, and keep a few diplomats on the move at all times. Of course, like any other kingdom, you can always ally with Zamora, which would make a very powerful and deadly alliance against the other kingdoms of the northwest. If you’re not playing to win via victory conditions, seriously consider either making a friend at the least of Zamora, or better yet an ally if possible. If you make alliance early, throw the idea of alliance with Brythunia to the wolves and go in for the easy pickings.

Hyperborea

This kingdom is one that you’ll probably come to loathe. Time and again, Hyperborea will come for Border Kingdom provinces and be that pest that you just can’t get rid of without smashing it into the ground. The problem with that, though, is that Hyperborea’s diplomacy is both effective and abundant throughout the game, leaving you frustrated and usually playing a defensive role in Virunian. Militarily, they don’t even begin to stack up to your troops, especially in open field where you will slaughter them by the dozen. Set piece is more to their advantage with the magic available to them, not to mention your kill ratios will be considerably less one sided, usually coming out to 2:1, maybe 3:1 at best in your favor. One weakness that Hyperborea has and that you should look to exploit early is her lack of characters who can protect the court. Get after those diplomats and pave the way for an offensive campaign that will leave Hyperborea in ruin. Keep in mind, though, that Hyperborea and Turan are natural allies. Also, Hyrkania allies with Hyperborea more often than not. Keep the spy networks up and running and a keen eye on the situation there after the first peace years.

Cimmeria

It really depends which way Cimmeria wants to go. You may find that all he wants is the large provinces of Aquilonia and peace with Border Kingdom and Nemedia, or you may have a true barbarian on your hands who wants to plunder everything around, especially large kingdoms, and obtain Imperial status to boot. But, being a barbarian kingdom, Cimmeria will still be a threat later in the game when the ice age comes around unless you work out a deal otherwise in player to player diplomacy. Should Cimmeria be hostile, convince Border Kingdom to slap a treaty on him immediately. You can almost always gauge a kingdoms intention by their communication with you, or lack of. Cimmeria is no exception. It would be wise to take the fight to Cimmeria if he is not friendly, as the barbarian kingdoms need time to build up forces and a treasury large enough to supply their armies. The nice thing about that is, they will only raise 6-8 troops a turn without a treasury, while you will raise twice that with a treasury, which you’ll have. Thus, a war of attrition is in your best interests. It would make sense to make an enemy out of Cimmeria for a few reasons. First and foremost, his provinces are right on Border Kingdom’s front step. Cimmeria is the perfect kingdom for expansion, where Border Kingdom is concerned. Provinces that can be directly attached to the homeland, and wealthy ones at that. Perfect. Second, once Cimmeria is beat up a little bit and his troop base is dwindled down, he is a sitting duck. It would be a perfect set up if Cimmeria invaded Aquilonia with both armies in Northern Bossonia, leaving him crippled and ill-prepared for a Nemedian and Border Kingdom army, or two, to come sweeping in and taking province after province. Of course, things don’t always work out just like you want them to, but you get the idea. Plenty of opportunity on the Cimmerian front. Militarily, you’ll be pretty even with a slight edge in most terrain going to Cimmeria and a noticeable edge in hill terrain against your infantry. Don’t send your infantry, m’kay? Load your armies up with heavy cavalry and shoot for hill terrain and set piece battle, should you be fighting a few full armies. If not, then go for the open field if you have the larger force. 2 to 1 odds should be plenty to win open field against Cimmeria. (keeping in mind the 75% loss acceptance the barbarian kingdoms naturally have in open field). Your heavy cavalry fights well enough in hill terrain to off-set his advantage there. Your Adventurers should get you nearly even odds. If you go to work on his diplomacy, try to hire out. His heroes are handy with the steel and make some of the finest protectors in the game. Also, make sure your intelligence is updated and you know who his allies are. Last thing you need is a Vanir or Aesir army marching in to defend, or worse yet into Lowland Fiefs. Be prepared to sunder those alliances ASAP. On the flip side of the coin, if you want to make an ally out of Cimmeria, it can be a lucrative deal for both parties. You have automatic help against Aquilonia and Hyperborea, as well as a secure northern border for Border Kingdom. Plus, a big surprise for anyone on your southern border that isn’t suspecting a barbarian invasion early in the game. However, I’d recommend against it, as you stand to gain much more going against him, and in my opinion, the going won’t be all that tough if you do it right and use every possible scenario to your advantage, and your resources to their fullest potential.

Conclusion to Friends/Foes

As you can see, the list of friends is short, while the list of potential enemies is rather long, and that’s without even getting into kingdoms that you don’t border. There are no real natural allies for Nemedia, other than Border Kingdom. However, as the game progresses, keep an eye on what is going on and some lucrative opportunities will arise for you, whether they be mutual goals through campaign or wounded kingdoms ripe for the plucking. There is no rule set in stone about which way to take Nemedia. Make your own way. Any of the above kingdoms I’ve listed as enemies can also be great allies, and many times the situation will dictate as the game unfolds that you’ll wind up friendly with any number of them, as each of you struggle to accomplish your goals and use one another to achieve the best advantage possible. Whatever you do, make sure that the number of friends, as well as enemies, is manageable. Meaning, too many friends is just as bad as too many enemies, if not worse. As Nemedia, expansion is your key to true dominance. The sooner the better, too.

Now, on to your greatest asset…

THE PROVINCES OF NEMEDIA

This is where it gets good. I mean really good. Nemedia’s greatest strength, in my opinion, lies in her wealthy and levy heavy provinces. When people think of a kingdom that levies like mad, they tend to think of Pictland. Well, they should be thinking about Nemedia. It isn’t uncommon to levy 8-12 troops per province over a peace years, and on a rare occasion even more. You have the monarch and provincial rulers to really get the most out of your levies when you actively rule. Numalia and Hanumar will be your biggest producers, with the Heartlands coming in at a close second most times. They levy Nemedian Foot, primarily, which is also a blessing because it naturally brings the percentage of them up and drops that of your heavy cavalry and Adventurer types, which is great. With your provincial armies stocked with Nemedian Foot, you can wage war with your best units, exclusively, and not have to worry about raising that infantry to keep the percentages up.

How to get the most out of your levies

After the first real peace years, you’ll find your provincial armies well stocked, usually with anywhere between 18-20 troops each. After the second peace years, if you manage to keep the enemies at bay with your diplomacy, which you should be able to do easily, your provincial armies will be sitting at the maximum capacity, or damn close to it, of 30 troops. This is where you will want to conscript so you have room for the next round of levies when the peace years roll around again. Put your conscripted troops on your border provinces that you should have by now in any number of places, or even in depleted Imperial Armies if necessary. If your provincials border a kingdom you plan to attack, like Corinthia, you are also in a great position to follow up on a failed invasion with another full army from the provincials, led by an Imperial Army of 8 troops, thus taking 22 troops out of the province for direct duty on the battlefield without having to risk losing some to conscription. When you do conscript, though, be sure to actively rule both the province and the kingdom. Even if you have to assign a character with little or no rulership qualities, make sure you have someone ruling each and every home province. You should be pleasantly surprised with a very high rate of success, which I’d say is 90% or better of the troops obeying your conscription command. Also, do not attempt to conscript from every province on the same turn. Very bad idea, as it seems to me that the more provinces that you try to conscript from, the less favorably your people will react to it. Conscript from 2 provinces at a time. Of course, you don’t have to wait until the second set of peace years. You can always conscript when you need the troops or as the situation dictates.

GENERAL STRATEGY

First and foremost you are going to need some extra Imperial Armies to put all those troops into. Early expansion is a must for Nemedia in order to project your power where it is needed most, with that being on an offensive and possibly defensive front at the same time. You’ll also want to make some room, somewhere, for Border Kingdom to expand. This is tricky and largely dependent on how the Border Kingdom fares diplomatically on the first few turns. You’ll want to convince him to peace off all of his potential enemies immediately, even if it means using tribute. This is essential, as it will allow both of you the breathing room you need to expand without worrying about defending here and there. If the time comes that you have to fund the process, so be it. I can’t stress enough, though, just how important a good start is with Nemedia.

Those additional Imperial Armies are a must have to make the most of your situation. The easiest route, in my opinion, is through either Brythunia or Ophir, with Brythunia being the best choice, due to her lack of diplomacy and treasury. Just be sure to kill the only diplomat they have, if Zamora hasn’t done it already, by turn 2. Ophir has good diplomacy, and a treasury that will support a tribute for enough turns to stop you dead in your tracks, being the only problem there. Otherwise you could roll right over them. Perhaps you can get lucky enough to tie down all of their diplomats in set piece battle in Ianthe? There’s an idea.

You could also invade Corinthia, but the going wouldn’t be as easy and swift as it would be in Brythunia or Ophir. Given the proper scenario where Cimmeria invades Aquilonia, I’d say that would be your second best option – if you have taken the necessary steps of proper avoidance and good intelligence. Even without Cimmeria weakened, you and Border Kingdom should be able to make short work of him. At any rate, no matter which kingdom you decide to invade, do it with both of your armies.

When you get that 3rd army, send it in, too. Keep the momentum going full steam ahead, and don’t let up, until the peace years come around. You need to put your troops to work en masse, and overwhelm the enemy with superior force and tenacity. Also, load those armies up with characters. An army loaded with characters is twice as formidable as it is without them.

Early on, you won’t need to send both armies into the same province in Brythunia, Ophir or Cimmeria. Use 1 army for each province you invade and keep hitting them in pairs each turn if possible. Later in the game, as kingdoms grow in strength and provincial armies start adding up, you will probably want to send multiple armies into the same province, to win the day, decisively.

As for your court, make the most out of it on the first turn. Secure treaties with everyone that you don’t intend to fight and avoid the influence, heavily, of the kingdom that you do decide to fight. You could probably avoid a few kingdoms with the diplomacy at your disposal, but for the best results, focus your attention and resources on just one very unlucky bastard. Keep your agent, Bastius Tarascus, busy with either assassinating diplomats with even adequate diplomacy (of the kingdom you’re invading), or assassinating diplomats in kingdoms that you plan to invade in the future (or just want to see crumble by anyone’s hand, should it further your agenda).

Keep the intelligence network running at full speed. Use your able characters to keep up to date on where your enemy’s military is, who they’re allied to, and where their characters are located, at all times. Things will go much smoother for you, that way. Be sure to get Border Kingdom involved with the effort, too. Above all, keep your starting court alive and well.

As others can verify, your starting corps of diplomats is the best you’ll likely see with Nemedia. Keep them moving around each and every turn that their use isn’t essential.

I liked to have most of them protecting various provinces every turn, while using just one or two to avoid influence or seek peace treaties, and always having a few characters protecting the court as a whole.

Probably the most important part of any game is player-to-player diplomacy. Keep the dialogue open with as many kingdoms as possible. You never know where your next bit of vital information may pop up. North, South, East and West, anyone can be useful, at any time. Try to conserve your treasury, whenever possible. War faction bribes can cost more than stacking multiple armies in the same province. Know what you want to do and plan ahead, to make the most of your treasury. With careful and calculated planning, you will have the treasury the entire set of war seasons, to keep that military machine of yours running at full speed and raising the maximum amount of troops.

With all of your potential enemies, you’ll need as many troops as you can get, too. I’d also suggest finding one additional ally, other than the Border Kingdom. Doesn’t really matter where, just someone that you can go to for missions that your court isn’t best suited for, such as breaking the alliance of two kingdoms with high avoidance of you, or assassinations, should you find your own court lacking in intrigue. An ally close by never hurts, though.

Also, don’t forget about the Ice Age. I almost made a separate chapter of the spotlight for this. The barbarian kingdoms of Asgard, Cimmeria, Pictland, and Vanaheim will all be given a large kingdom to migrate to at the end of the game, as a goal. Nemedia is just as likely to be one of those kingdoms as any of the others are. There is no defense against it, and they can move to any of your interior or exterior provinces, without restriction. No peace treaties are possible against them, either. So, be sure to prepare, accordingly, late in the game. The best option would be to just destroy them, though. You’ll find no lack of support in that endeavor from any of the other large kingdoms. Look to Turan for help, here. Even kingdoms such as Aquilonia, Hyperborea, Koth, and Khitai might jump on board, as they all stand to be the target of the migration, come the Ice Age.

CONCLUSION

I like Nemedia more than any other kingdom in Hyboria, obviously. I’ve played it 3 times now, and feel that I know it pretty well. Well enough to write this novel of a spotlight, anyway. I plan to play to win a game with her, sometime in the future. Nemedia has everything you need in the beginning of the game, and as such, you should put your numerous resources to use, with no inhibition, whatsoever. Take the northwest by surprise, and come storming out of the gates like an enraged Scarlet Dragon, laying waste to those who stand before you. Send forth your diplomats, your agents, and your armies. Conquer. Dominate. Fulfill your destiny as the greatest ruler Nemedia has ever known…

What is good in life? To crush your enemies, to see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentations of their women.