Arche Seleukeia Tips and Tricks

[abou]

The Seleucid Empire may be one of the coolest factions in the game - let alone history. Unfortunately, even on H/M they are not just incredibly difficult, but may be too difficult. Here are some quick tips and tricks for starting out and keeping your empire together.

- Your first step is to move the capital to Seleukeia in Babylonia, which is the heart of your empire. Historically, at the time the game starts the Seleucids had a policy wherein the faction leader would manage the west and faction heir the east. Due to engine limits you can't have two capitals and so consider this a compromise solution to aide in distance penalties in the east.

- Disband your two fleets. One is in the Aegean near the port of Sardis and the other (which I frequently miss) is in the Persian gulf near the port of Persepolis. With these disbanded, you will get an extra 1,000 mnai each turn.

- Build roads as fast as you can. Within two or three turns all settlements should have dirt roads. After that, try to focus on temples that provide tax or trade bonuses.

- Avoid raising taxes. Populations don't grow amazingly fast anymore and it is the best you can do to avoid brigands.

- Disband unnecessary troops like the Peltastai in Mazaka and the interior of you empire. Pontus shouldn't attack anytime soon so that means a few hundred more mnai.

- Try building local levy buildings. At only 900 mnai for 3 turns you will be able to train local levy troops that are cheaper and have lower maintenance than Pantodopoi for garrisons - all about economics.

- Take the war to the Ptolemies as soon as possible. Try taking the Phoenician cost instead of the south of Anatolia. It seems to have a bigger effect on them, but be careful about mercenaries which they will recruit en masse because of the money the AI gets through scripts. Due to this you might want to keep some mnai around to pick up any mercenaries in the area before the AI does.

- Take warning with regards to Seleukeia. If Damaskos falls you will find Seleukeia besieged and possibly with not enough troops to defend it.

- Some of your eastern cities just want to be unhappy. If you just can't figure out what the deal is, it is possible that it is your government building. Cities like Hekatompylos and Apameia start with Type III governments, but can support Type II. Although you lose the chance for cheaper local troops and the +1 experience, you will gain order and happiness bonuses of a difference of 15%.

Any more tips from other players?

[Thaatu]

Any more tips from other players?
Run. Run far and don't look back, DO NOT look back. Seriously though, it helps to have a sizeable army overlooking the Baktria-Parthia border. Should diminish some of their imperial dreams.

[Mordecai]

Those are some good tips. I will have to try some of them.

But I think that you can get away with taxing people higher. You need to in this build because the mines don't mean so much anymore. Taxing everyone at their highest and moving your capital can make almost 7000 in your first turn. Which is good to start building your empire.

Zadrakata, Asaak and Hekatompylos are the towns I use to make armies to send to Pahlava and Baktria.

[Empedocles]

After conquering Sidon, hold it as far as you can. the Ptolemaioi will send armies and you have a good defensive situation there.
While doing this, build an army and conquer Side and Cyprus from them, this will give you a huge boost in your economy.

On the east, build regional barracks and train as many persian archers as you can.

[Watchman]

Judging by the stats those Iranian and Persian slingers are also Teh Hurty. Long ranged too, and cost pennies.

[Mordecai]

I just figured out a little something. You can sell your map information to Ptolemy in your first turn. Try trading map information for 3000 Menai and you will probably get another offer for like 1500 for 3 turns.

If you feel like expanding early you can take the city of Kiat from Pahlav with two Pantodapoi, persian archers, and peltastai and a general from Antiocheia - Margiane. Kiat has mines right off the start and if you attack your Allies first I noticed that the others(Baktra, Hayasdan, Pontos) will tend go to be on the side of the attacker.

[NeoSpartan]

My tips.... for VH/M on Huge unit scale.

Take on the Ptolemoi FAST! U Gotta RUSH 'EM!!!!!
-Build a Pezetairoi in Anatolia (sp), and whatever u can make in Truky.
-Send troops from the interior of the Emipre to the Mediterranian coast.
Start kicking the Ptolemoi out of BOTH Turky and the Missle East.
-As u take the cities exterminate the population so u can get extra $$ to build ur Economy.
-Try NOT to take many cassusalties!!!!
-Keep Pushing into the Nile with reinforcements from ur mid-easter provinces.
-Take and massacre the population of Messenia (sp) and Alexandria. Then keep moving south and terminate the outher major southern city.
-Finaly impose a Protectorate or a Ceasefire on them so they stay as a "Buffer zone" against the future Carthagenian threat. If they don't accept? "Kill 'em All" (Metallica 1983)
(u gotta be swift, deadly and relentless. Try not to loose momentum)

Now try to maintain the Alliances with all ur neighbors!!! That means, do NOT declare a ceasefire with Saka Rauka (sp). And in case ur allies go to war again's eachother, side with the Biggest OR with the one with big stacks close to you.

If you want keep a good # of troops in the far-East and build some level-1 Local Barracks so u can get Archers JUST IN CASE.
-NOW, IF ur AI neighbors don't bother attacking u. Move some of the far-east troops to the west so u can re-join it with Ptolemoi-Killers and go after Pontus.

Good luck!!!

-ECONOMY:
--Build roads 1st, small markets and ports, then bigger roads, IF u can build a Mine at a time. (the $$ from the sacking of Alexandria will be VERY useful).

[Conqueror]

All cities bordering your "allies" should be developed with security in mind. Each of those cities should have:
- Ability to recruit good missile units (which means slingers, or archers from regional MIC).
- Stone walls.
- Ability to recruit Pantodapoi Phalangitai.

While the first thing to build are always roads, the second thing to build depends on which of the above the town lacks. Missile units should be given the highest priority. Once you have the necessary MIC up, start recruiting missile units and begin upgrading walls if needed. Archers should be bought before slingers - archers can use fire arrows to burn battering rams which can save you if you're attacked while still relying on wooden walls. The final thing required for comfortable minimum defenses, is 1-3 units of Pantodapoi Phalangitai. These guys may be a bit on the expensive side, but they will save your town if the missile units fail to prevent a break through the walls. When it comes to stopping an attacker on the streets on it's way to your town square, a phalanx is the way to go.

With this kind of setup, most of the eastern factions will have a hard time capturing your cities, which means you can play defensively against them untill you've eliminated the Ptolemaic threat. Beware of the Baktrians though, they can be quite dangerous in siege battles.