So yes indeed it is a hard strategy to play, not fighting Caesar until your units are trained fighting his allies, but in my view, it is the only way to win as Pompey.
Yes indeed it is a hard strategy which is why I'm starting to really enjoy these games. A damn fine system you've created.
I can see that my approach as Pompey is wrong or wrong-ish. Building up legions and blooding them in simple battles before sending them up against Caesar does seem to be a key. I have been paying too little attention to the stats - especially experience - of my units and just trying to take back the ground.
Still I'm not doing too badly. I've got a foothold in Italy again thanks to an amphibious landing. That worked really well.
One other thing I've noticed is that the game engine collects a lot of Caesar's forces into one big army and one big navy and moves them round crushing my smaller forces. "Firefighting" I'd call it. Does this always happen?
Did you attack Theava from Salduba (river crossing)?
I believe we were both in an open terrain province, but I'd have to check back to be sure.
But I will open the combat log after each turn and study it carefully.