Seeking expert play advice (v1.3.3 + DLC)

[MarkShot]

I am playing Rome in the original campaign.

I see Rome's ultimate future in the area around the Hellespont: not Europe or North Africa. (This from v1.1.0 games where most of the challenge and wealth tended to congregate around the Hellespont.)

I am at year #104. I had tried to setup Helevetii and as a very good ally who would guard Rome from Europe. They failed both due to multiple attackers and internal unrest. Although I did not help them to fight, I did regularly feed them military units via transactions for no fee (a Helvetii lend lease program).

Now, I have this idea, and I want to know if it is crazy?

As it is early in the game and the states to the North are all weak ... so, I have time for distraction. I am thinking of forming one client state and then taking either barbarian or weakly held lands and ceding them to my client. Thus, my client will end up being a decent sized state. At the same time, I plan to continuously feed them military units.

My goal would be to get a large buffer state that would not make wars, but be there to intimidate upstarts from thinking that they could walk into Rome's back door. So rather than courting and grooming the perfect ally; I was planning to build the perfect ally.

What do you think?

Thanks.

[Gray Fox]

I always use CS to create buffers. Just don't cede them any regions that are your objectives. You'll get aging tokens for that. Good Luck!

[Surt]

As Carthage I made a couple of CS in north Africa to take the bad provinces and keep them from raiding, then allied with some north European ones to same effect and shared the land between. The bad thing with the allies are they keep at war with people you made peace with ... well it keeps the barbarians occupied.
My CS and allies have been remarkable stable, unlike some of the other nations who all exploded. The allies were stable a long time before I allied, but the CS were new states that I vanquished.

[Faultierasai]

I play as Carthage, and i can say: Take so much CS as you can. The Reasons:
1:) Every CS give you a Piece pf Gold from his income.
2:) Most important, she create here own Army and Fleet. If you have a Rebellion, she attack the Rebels and give you back the region.
3:) In a War she fight on your side. You become so Fleet´s and Army´s for free.
For a really dangerous CS: A CS with Monarcy or State Republic has an excellent Fleet and pay lot of Money.
A Horde give a huge Army ....yeah, ok not the Super Duper Troops of a Republic, but a lot of medium Quality Troops.