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While looking at watchtowers, check out forts too. Less useful as they’re too easily avoided, but excellent to put near mountain passes or river crossings, to allow a smaller force to hold off a larger. (With even forces you’re better off offering a battle on even terms so forts are a waste of money, so you’re unlikely to end up doing the real-life Roman thing of fortifying your encampment at the end of every march).

Oh, and yes – elephants – scary!

Re: your Medieval campaign – I didn’t even know you could take prisoners!

It does sound like you need to build more watchtowers, though. A couple of watchtowers a couple of turns’ march into the Mauretanian desert could have spotted the oncoming Carthaginians in plenty of time to allow you to reinforce Tingi by sea. Spies are also excellent for this kind of thing.

I still remember one of my generals from the first Medieval, though not his name I’m afraid (Henry something I think). My English had defeated the French but I’d overstretched myself in trying to hold onto the domains I’d conquered. The Almoravids invaded from Spain, leaving a small force of 500 English, fortunately led by Henry, an excellent and experienced general, to try to defend against 2000 of them. My English held the crest of a steep ridge flanked by cliffs, forcing the invaders to attack uphill, and bowfire weakened the first wave enough for my cavalry to charge downhill and drive them off, taking hundreds of prisoners. The second wave attacked but the casualties I’d taken meant there was no way I could withstand it. Reluctantly Henry ordered the prisoners to have their throats slit. This bloodbath unnerved the oncoming Almoravids so much that rather than fight such brutal murderers, they fled.

I reinforced my army up to 800 men but Henry had already earned a reputation as the most bloodthirsty man in Europe. A year later, the Almoravids attacked again, this time with 3000 men. The same scenario unfolded, and after this second battle (which featured over fifteen hundred prisoners executed at once, which finally caused the third wave to flee) Henry became unhinged, awoken from his sleep every night by the ghostly screams of the dead, and seeing blood and gore everywhere he looked; he was a haunted man. Feared across the continent he may have been, but his mind was shattered and his generalship adversely affected. Feeling sorry for him, and now with better generals available, I recalled him to England, where I imagined him living out the rest of his days shivering constantly, with a thousand-yard stare, with his servants always making sure he wasn’t allowed near sharp objects. (The Almoravids never attacked again, though).

Yes, I think it’s fair to say I love Total War.