Expeditions Rome The Smuggler: Cave Or Galley?

The Expeditions: Rome The Smuggler quest comes near the close of your Asia Minor conquest, and gives you an important choice which connects to the main story. The Smuggler quest heavily relates to a character called Vitellius Scaevola, who acts as the central antagonist to your character, and the reason you had to leave Rome. If you just need an outline of the Expeditions: Rome The Smuggler quest, or want a breakdown of the choice between the cave and galley, we've got you covered.

• Still require a primer on the best Expeditions: Rome skills?

Expeditions Rome The Smuggler: How To Start It

The Expeditions: Rome The Smuggler quest appears after you conquer enough regions on the Asia Minor map, and asks you to visit the interrogator in your legion camp. After arriving there, all your companions and the interrogator will be surrounding an informant. Talking to him will reveal that a fisherman is bypassing the Roman blockade around Chalkedon (the city you're ultimately trying to capture) and he can be located at a small pier in the fishing village of Troas.

First you need to go back to Lucullus' camp on Lesbos to inform him, and then you can make your way to Troas and to find the fisherman. After locating the fisherman and his boat in Troas you can go to him. You have a couple options to approach, and can figure out that it's Corvinus (someone who works for Scaevola), but ultimately you’ll have to fight him and his guards.

Upon downing Corvinus the other soldiers will run away, and you can begin another conversation where he admits that they were on the way to a galley that belongs to Scaveola, for the purpose of transporting supplies to a cave near Chalkedon for Mithradites.

You then board Corvinus' ship, but you have to choose between visiting the galley to find evidence that Scaevola is involved, or travelling to the smuggler's cave which will aid the war effort against Mithridates and save more of your troops. 

• Why not look at our Expeditions: Rome tips to familiarise yourself with some much-needed advice

Expeditions Rome The Smuggler: The Cave

Choosing to take Corvinus' boat toward the cave will initiate some fights with smugglers. There will be multiple fights because of the size of the cave, and it makes for a tougher combat challenge than the galley due to this. After this, you will be able to collect up the supplies and halt them from reaching Chalkedon and Mithridates' army - making the final siege of the first act easier. 

As you collect no evidence by selecting this route in the quest, arriving in Rome won't allow you to expose the Vitellius brothers. 

Expeditions Rome The Smuggler: The Galley

Selecting the galley option in the Expeditions: Rome The Smuggler quest will initiate a fight with some traitorous Roman soldiers. After finishing the combat scenario, your companions will begin a conversation and Syneros will point out a promising looking chest at the front of the boat. Moving over there to interact with it will show that the crates and boxes bear the seal of Scaevola, giving you all the evidence you need to show his dealings with Mithridates. After discovering the crates, it will initiate another conversation before ending the quest.

That's our rundown of the Expeditions: Rome The Smuggler quest, and now you know the outcome of both choices, and how they change aspects of the first act.

Don't forget to check the guide for the upcoming Expeditions: Rome Vineyard quest which has some more tough decisions to make.