Securing North Africa while the main war is in Italy

Although the Roman factions remain the campaign's main threat, a new army could take the Numidian capital. Removing that nearby enemy would greatly strengthen the Carthaginian position in North Africa and reduce the number of directions from which pressure can develop. The move is a target of opportunity within the larger Italian campaign. It captures a common strategic tradeoff: resources spent securing the base cannot be concentrated against the principal enemy.