Assuming I DO take it, I don't know how I'll hold messana.Д¬arthage is only hard to play because you are constantly on the defense from the start of the game.

Hopefully I can manage to take Syracuse, but it won't be easy. That, combined with the Julii blockading lilybaem, and the rebels sieging carthage, is really squeazing my finances. I just now decided to send everything I can manage from cicily to take Syracuse, I realized that the greeks are pumping out armoured hoplites! To make matters worse Carthage has been sieged by a group of rebels, twice! The first time I sent two units from thapsus in relief which they attacked, i retreated, they attacked again and they won even though I killed their captain the moment battle was joined. The scipii have an army right next to syracuse but apparently greece doesn't care. IT's been about five years and the Scipii and greeks are not fighting. Soon afterwards greece sent almost all of their units for lilybaem. The small scipii army outside the city was too far to help and sat there afterwards. I took messana on turn two with hanno's army as well as some backup from lilybaem (sp?) and one merc hoplite. (i've already completed a m/m carthage campaign) This is how it started: I just finished my greek campaign, started carthage on h/vh. My advice is get up the tech tree to this level at least if you want to prosper against some tough opposition. I have routed early Roman forces regularly with this combination. Eles and longshield cav (esp Eles) are shock weapons. In the custom battles I have fought on hard, poeni infantry/libyan spears form a reasonable center. I use this money for military/economic up-grades. I know it is harsh, but I exterminate any settlement I take for the money it brings. I view the units I have now as good enough to secure Nth Africa and Spain. Once you get to elephants/longshield cav and Libyan spears you are at least competitive. Get up the tech tree ASAP and build some useful units. Early Carthaginian units (mercs and eles aside) are hopeless vs Rome. The moral is cripple of kill off the Scipii to give yourself some roon to move. I'm six years in (early days I know) and have a force of elephants/libyans/longshield cav ready to sail for Tingi- and then Spain. I use Thapsus to built naval units and Carthage for Army. Spain has tried one assault on Corduba (repulsed) already. If they sit there for the next hundred years wasting their time I will be grateful.

Meantime the Julii took Caralis off me with a 10 unit force. Built up a small, but up-graded force and took Numidia. Moved my army to Spain and took New Carthage. I used the loot from Messena to kick start a military up-grade in Carthage. So far they have only one cohort hanging around on the island.

I am hoping that the Scipii are crippled as a faction. So I sail back to Sicily and wipe out the Scipii there in turn. Except the SPQR has a 12 unit force supporting the small garrison. Then I sailed to Capua with the intent of taking it. This happened as the Scipii landed 6 cohorts on the island. I took the place and looted it, then withdrew-giving it to the Greeks. Reinforced Hanno and attacked Messena straight away. For what its worth, here is what I did as Carthage on m/h.

Medieval 2 total war sicily