Umbri

The Umbri are a very large Sabellic faction, occupying a mountainous territory in Umbria.

Its starting neighbours are the Picentes, Sabines, North Etruscans, Clevsin and, more distantly, Velathri.

The Umbri are notable for being the largest faction at the start of the Unification Sandbox, having more starting cities than any other faction in the game.

In-game Description
"One of the earliest people to arrive in Italy, the Umbri (also known as the Ombrii) are a widespread collection of tribes including the Isombri, Vilombri, Sarsinates and Camertes. Etruscan growth has been forcing the Umbri east, with 300 Umbrian cities falling to the Etruscans, including Camars, which would be renamed Clevsin. The Umbri would go on founding new cities and settlements, growing and thriving despite the loss of their territory."

Starting Cities

 * Plestia:
 * Asisium:
 * Spoletium:
 * Camerinum:
 * Sentinum:
 * Iguvium:
 * Tifernum:
 * Sestinum:
 * Ariminum:

Strategy
Your starting borders with the Etruscan factions to the west and north are relatively defensible, thanks to the Tiber river and Apennine Mountains. Given that Etruscan brigades in the early-game also have superior stats to your own Sabellic brigades, it can make sense to focus your early-game expansion on the Picentes instead, as incorporating their territory will extend your eastern borders to the Adriatic Sea and limit the amount of land borders you have to defend.

Your starting city sits uncomfortably close to the Sabines, who you will likely have dealings with while you are still uniting your starting territory in the very early game. It might be beneficial to use diplomacy to delay a war with them until you have at least united your starting territory and can bring a large army to bear, as the Sabines' strong melee bonus will give their spearmen the upper hand in an even fight.

Your very large amount of starting cities and population growth bonus are a powerful economic advantage and can allow you to build up a large army quickly, if you can succeed in keeping your multitude of borders safe through efficient use of diplomacy and chokepoints.

Trivia & History

 * The territory of the Umbri was originally even larger, containing some parts of the territories belonging to the North Etruscans and Clevsin in-game. The Etruscans gradually assimilated these areas over the course of the first half of the 1st Millennium BC.
 * Rome first encountered the Umbri during the 2nd Samnite War of the late 4th Century BC, when the Umbri allied with the Etruscans and Samnites against Rome. Roman-Umbrian hostilities continued into the 3rd Samnite War of the 290s BC, which was largely fought in Umbria. In that war, the Umbri allied with the Gallic Senones as well to form an anti-Roman coalition together with the Etruscans and Samnites. The Romans effectively broke the Umbrian resistance during that war, and managed to solidify their control over the area in the subsequent decades.
 * The faction's icon depicts a lyre. The exact design seems to have been taken from ancient coins found in the ancient city of Tuder (modern Todi) in Umbria.