Epic IV - Rome vs the Barbarians

Prologue

You can find all the needed information about this game on RB site.

I wanted to use the "real start", but having no experience with Deity AND raging barbarians, I played a few 'trial' on various map mainly to know what to expect from this settings (mainly when are warriors, archers or axe coming).

The main observations:

Barbarians warriors arrive very early, so IF you explore with your 'free' warrior, it has to come back within your border around turn 10-15. They will also attack the city almost ASAP, so having 2 warriors there is needed if you don't want to lose after an unlucky fight.
Whatever you do, barbarian archers could arrive before you can get our archers defending; and they are a real challenge to warrior defending (even with proper promotion and on hill).
When barbarian axes arrive, you need to have metal otherwise it is just a matter of time before they pillage everything and even kill your arhcer defending cities (even on hill with City Defender III, with a bit of luck).
As a bonus, if you have AIs around (but very unlickly here), they will steal all the open space before you even get a settler out AND are ready to settle 3 titles away for Rome (and win the culture battle easily).
Happiness is a very limiting factor (especially with 0 religion).
Army maintenance is a often the main limiting factor IF you want to feel secure and have several frontline to defend.
Also don't even bother with religion, no chance at all to get any.

As a conclusion:

Cities (especially Rome) should be built on hills whenever it is possible.
Research to Archery is mandatory, then to Bronze (and to Iron if no Bronze close).
Rome should be building troops only to start with, warriors then archers ASAP and after having enough for 2 cities (2 each) a settler which should be ready when Copper/Iron is revealed and go and secure metal ASAP.
Always build the most effecient and expensive troops to reduce maintenance (ie 2 praetorian are much better than 3 axe).

The Opening

First I moved the warrior on the Gold Hill to check the surroundings. Nothing to make me change my mind about founding Rome on the Gold, as it is necessary for defence and is the only hill that will let Rome have both 2 food bonus (rice+pig). It will also allow Rome to reach size 5 a lot earlier than normal.
Research is set towards Archery (so hunting first). Rome is set to max growth (so flood plain most of the time) and slow producing warriors (in 11t, same as growth) while the initial one is exploring the surroundings.
In 3640, Rome reaches size 2 and produce a warrior (fortify to defend), with next growth in 9t, next warrior in 11t and archery in 9t.
The first barbarian warrior is spotted at Rome borders in 3520BC, so Rome is switch to better production to get an extra warrior ontime at a slower growth just in case (was not needed in fact as the first win with 1.1 left).

While exploring and after discovering money in 2 huts, I was very lucky (and quite stupid not to wait 1t to finish Archery just in case) to get the best technology I could hope with Bronze Working.

There is Copper quite close to the west, but I still need at least 4 archers before even thinking about going there with a settler, so keep exploring to know better in all the directions. I will wait until I have 1 archer defending before revolting to Slavery. The research is set to Iron Working (as I will probably discover that before building a settler), growth is stopped to build the 1st archer in 6t.
In 3280BC, 5 barbarian warriors are 2 titles away from Rome (and more to come) with only 2 warriors defending. Not wanting to take any risks, I changed my mind and revolt right now to be able to whip the archer to defend next turn.

4 barbarian warriors commit suicide the same turn, leaving a very injured archer with 8XP, promoting him to city Defence II (and healing) then CDef III a few turn later secures Rome enough (with another archer) to send the warriors out to scout better.
The babrbarians are coming mainly in big waves (5 or 6 at the same time), but as shown after the defending archer is so strong that he gets almost no scratches from combat. Whenever possible (when only 1 can attack) the 'super defender' move away to let the 'fresh' archer get some XP to catch up (with an extra warrior just in case).

After the second archer, Rome finishes a barrack (my mistake, it was queue from a long time ago and I didn't realise it) before going back to archer.
Rome reaches size5 in 2470BC and is reconfigure for max production, with barracks and Iron in 5t.

There is Iron in a very convenient place in the NW, Rome produces 2 archers (with Hills promotions) that are send on the way before building the first settler. Waiting for the settler, the archers are gaining some nice promotion to be able to hold the ground.

In the meantime, the research is set to Animal (to see horse, south of Rome) and Wheel, well to actually being able to connect the Iron. And then writting (need cultural building and improving the research).
Antium is founded in 1420BC, start a worker, while Rome build another archer (for Antium) before starting a worker as well.

The Iron is finally connected in 760BC and Rome start pumping out a few Praetorians. With Preatorians securing the area, the workers start building a few cottages between both cities to improve the economy.
During quiet period, the Praetorian are going on the rampage around, pushing the borders throught heavy fight. Carib (280BC) in the immediat NE and Khoisan (95AD) in the SE.

Another city is founded for the Copper East of Rome, and then with 5 cities and a too big army, the research has to go as low as 20% (10gpt for army, same for cities) to be sustainable. Therefore the Praetorians on the rampage outside are kindly asked to either get some money somehow (pillage), get back home or get killed.
Despite being very nice and poorly defended, Visigoth had to go and burn as I have to way to pay for it.

Getting the economy back on track