a gothic army enters your province and starts sieging your favourite

>>2165563
Welcome our new overlords

>>2165563
Open the gates and let them in

don't negotiate, keep fighting against overwhelming numbers then take a trip to Rome with some of my grizzled veterans

make an impassioned plea in the senate to create a standing army with limits on generals to assuage fears of the army being used for political purposes, not only appeal to patriotism but subtly question their masculinity so if they do not contribute it will be seen as a sign of weakness

create 4 classes of legionary, engineers, archers, infantry and cavalry

because there is not much time, they will be initially levied from the countryside like normal troops and given only a few weeks drilling, each with their own local commander, these commanders select a suitable competent general and swear an oath to obey him for the duration of the campaign while the general stakes his reputation on his success, listening to subordinates and maintaining a high degree of professionalism to achieve victory

promise soldiers, officers and contributing landowners any loot they can capture plus a share of the land liberated if the previous occupants have been killed

return to the province and spar with the goths, only engaging in battle if we have the upper hand, because Rome has control of the med, supplying our tropps is easier and so the Goths will either have to attack us in a defensible position or retreat, if they lose the battle we will immediately follow their retreating army into Gothic lands making use of lighter troops for raiding so as not to risk our core of infantry, if they retreat from the province we will have to prepare supply routes inland to challenge them in the same way, possibly down the Danube

that is how I'd do it

File: Eugene_Ferdinand_Victor_Delacroix_Attila_fragment.jpg (170KB, 906x1110px) Image search: [Google]

170KB, 906x1110px

Hire this guy

>Oh fug, the smell!
>Wait patiently for typhus to eat away at their ranks
>Offer them fake relics to go home
>couldbeworse.jpg

>>2165563
What year is it?

This is important

>>2165667
375

>>2165696
In that case, harass them as long as they choose to siege while asking the Emperor for aid. If they keep sieging, which the Goths were never particularly good at, they will be whittled down and made easier prey by the time the Emperor arrives. If they choose to abandon the siege, continue harassing and skirmishing them as long as they continue to stay in the province. Either way, they can choose to flee, or fight the Emperor, who, as long as he keeps proper control of his army, and understands the importance of cavalry, should have minimal trouble in routing the army.