Carthage Ancient Empires Tips

Carthage starting territories are substantial in Ancient Empires, it includes Africa, Corsica et Sardina, as full provinces and has land in Sicily, Numidia, Mauretia, Hispania, and Baetica.
Carthage's factional bonus is a +10% income from commerce and a -30% reduction in mercenary upkeep. This gears Carthage to be a faction dependant more upon commercial building such as Trading Ports and can rapidly build mercenary armies for a lowered cost.

Cartahge is one of the two factions to have dynasties, the two are the Hannonids and the Barcids.

The Barcids are a more war orriented dynasty due to reduced upkeep, increased movement range, public order for war against neighboors, and a reduced occupation penalty. Additionally they have a bonus to public order from Carthaginian or Punic presence. They however have a moderate diplomatic penalty that makes trade harder to come by and war easier to come by.

The Hannonids are a more diplomacy and agriculture oriented dynasty. Agriculture wise they have +1 food in every province along with +5% income from agriculture. The Hannonids also have a moderate diplomatic bonus to everyone making them able to make trade with every one except Rome and make about up to 23000 in the first turn in demands for trade. However they have a +6% corruption rate and a +10% recruitment cost for mercenaries.

Most of your starting lands are good as they usually have a bonus to commercial income and are near the coast along with a few of them have a bonus to food. You also start with the Masaesyli and Massylii as client states and are at war with Syracuse against Rome with two armies in Sicily along a small army and navy in Carthago.

In the early game (except for in Sicily) the greatest danger comes not from foreign armies but instead rebeling natives. The most inclined provinces to rebel are Hispania, Baetica and Mauretia. They are fairly easy to quell with Amphotheratron, Shrine of Ba'al Hammon, Governors, and generals in patrol stance. Numidia and Corsica et Sardina can be quelled with just the Lower Taxes edict which gives +8 public order. Africa can be made happy by increasing tarrifs which will also grant +20% commerce. It is also easier in the ealy game as the Barcids as they get a maximum of +4 public order from your Culture.

Due to starting Imperium levels your cultural rate will have a -1 detriment and aquisition of any more land will make a staggering -2 change. Because of this it is important to go up the philosiphy tab for more than governors, you start with a close +2 culture change making the detriment from imperium go away.

Your income from turn one will be almsot entirely be your trade agreements, it is important to explore using your navy to find more trade partners, this process is much easier for the Hannoid dynasty due to their diplomatic bonus and lack of diplomatic detriment from the Barcids. It is often good to start your search for trade partners with Massilia, Liguria, and Volcae then Knossos, Rhodos, and Athens.

Another tip is that if the likely hood of a trade working is high demand money to help get buildngs.

The first problem you run into as Carthage is a full Roman Amry is Cosentia.
It is recomended that you draw your armies away from an initial engagement by moving them next to each other and possibly buying some Sicilian Mercenaries. This Roman army will be able to rampage through Sicily unless you destroy that Army. I recomend that you let that army take a city then on your turn you take it back and after that army is destroyed you can use your two armies to depend the bridge to Sicily until you can get peace brokered.
Depending on whether you chose Barcid or Hannoid will determine how easily Rome will want peace. However it is crucial that Syracuse makes peace with Rome or else Rome will crush them and have Syracuse which will get them a foothold on Sicily.
It is also important that you continue friendly relations with Syracuse until Rome is knocked out as if they ally with Rome they will make Sicily hard to keep due to them being there and being able to support 2 armies of Sicilian Hoplites.

Sicily is important as it keeps Rome from Africa and keeps the sea around Carthage controlled allowing more money from Maritime Commerce. It also it the only resource of Iron that you have easy access to. Not only that but it also allows recruitment of Crossbow infantry that are devastating to high armor units.

You start with the Masesily and Massyli as client states, Garmatia to the south, Gaetuli to the West, and Cyrene and Nasmones. You can easily make trade with all of them except Cyrene as Barcids.
Garmatia, Massyli, and Masesily will usually go to war with each other. One of those armies in Sicily can easily crush a full nomad army making conflict down there not very hard the problem is that in the early game these lands are not worth taking as they are hard to keep and have lots of detriments so it is better to subjugate as satrapies as they will not go to war with each other afterwards and act as military allies that pay tribute and will accept trade agreements. When it is not possible to create a satrap it is possible to liberate making a military ally.

The Gaetuli are unique to African dominance as they will be friendly to you and are turtles that don't care for expansion. Their city is valuable to you as it has purple dye making substancial increase in value from all commerce buildings, that along with it being the only city not under your control in Mauretia makes it so that conquest of them gives a province that has economic prowess just below that of Africa. The occupation of their lands is important as it will launch your economy to new heights.

The Cyrenecians start hostile to you but tend to not go to war with you as they are busy with Egypt. The city of Cyrene does not have substantial value but can be worth taking for the mercenaries available in such province, however this should not be high priority as they rarely declare war on you and Egypt has a hard time of subduing them.

You start with two territories on mainland Iberia and the issue with them is more the problem cultural differences. Carthago Nova is not a valuable territory at the begining however Gades and the Balaeric Islands are valuable due to the bonuses in Gades including a 1+ public order due to wine along with the +12% commerce bonus in Baetica. The Balaeric Islands are worth holding as the AI has a hard time invading and the recruitment of Balaeric Slinger and Militia makes it easy to hold and offers those elite slingers to passing armies.

Trouble from the invading Iberians is unlikely due to all tribes starting with once territory and your large amries in Sicily deter the AI from declaring war on you. After a while however different factions with become more powerful until only a few exist and they will not be shy to take your lands from you. It is hard to predict which factions will emerge victorious as they can be torn apart by neigboring factions. The best hope to not getting a war before you deal with Rome and the Numidians is to not ally with anyone of them until there are only a few left and that one is beating the others. This is much easier as the Hannoids as they get a diplomatic bonus.

Once you subdued Africa, made peace with Rome, and prevented (and crushed) rebellions you must build yourself up to be a commercial superpower. I recomend that you remove the military warf from Carthago and move it to Cosica et Sardina as they don't have a bonus to commerce. Once you have built your self a large standing army witha signifigant income the sky is the limit for Carthage, you can take go after Rome, Egypt, Iberia, Greece, or anyone, but beware, the empire maintinence is a crushing threat that quickly builds up (in my current campaign I have 93% making lots of my provinces preoduce no income.) In general it is best to make land not profitable into satrapies so that you still get income.

Good luck in your campaign and I hope my tips help.