1.x AI Faction Progression Thread

[athanaric]

Sabyn? Expansion by spy?

A wise Sab'yn player would never do this. In early campaign, Palmyra is far more trouble than it's worth (try defending a settlement without walls or archers...). Therefore I guess he is playing Sauromatae or Suebi.

[retep219]

DISCLAIMER: INCREASED MOVEMENT POINTS IN THIS GAME.

https://img29.imageshack.us/img29/5209/rometw2009110617351242.png
https://img687.imageshack.us/img687/6167/rometw2009110811382046.png
https://img29.imageshack.us/img29/2158/rometw2009111321011911.png

Very interesting game so far. Factions of note:

Aedui: Kicked out of Gaul. Roman vassal.

Arveni: Unified Gaul. Loving 'em. Fighting Romani in Alps, slowly winning.

Baktria: Meh. Took over Afghanistan/Gandhara, fighting border wars with Saka.

Casse: Unified isles by themselves, I FD'd Dariortium to them and teleported a full stack that was sitting in Scotland. They beseiged Cenabum with it, but the Arveni repelled them. Who knows what will happen?

Epeiros: Usual expansion, but faster. Put up a good fight.

Getai: Weird thrust into Baltic. They didn't actually declare war on anyone but Sauromatae. Still, they were very strong, with a full-stack in all of their southern cities after the Sauromate invasion.

Qart-Hadast: Unified North Africa, took lower Spain, but remained at peace with Lusotana. Then, out of nowhere, they launched a two-stack invasion of Sicily. The isle has fallen, and Rhegion is now under siege. The Punic Wars are going in a "different" direction.

Konion Hellion: Very good. They took lower Hellas, defeated Makedon completely. When they back-stabbed me, they held everything south of Demetrias. Unfortunately, they waited until Epeiros was reduced to two settlements to do so....

Lusotana: Took Northern Spain. Not at war with anyone. Meh.

Makedonia: Got kicked out of Hellas. One they were down to only Mytilene, they sieged Pergamom. Big mistake.

Pahlava: I know they look weird, that's my fault. They were mauled pretty badly by the Arche, down to only Nisa and Asaak. That was when my massive armies came steamrolling through Persia and realized that it was nigh-impossible to hold on to Ecbatana, Susa, or Zadrakata. So I created a "buffer state." It's held for a while now, occaisionally it's lost Ecbatana or Susa and I've had to recapture it with a half-stack operating out of Phraaspha that guards the border. All in all, they've been mediocre--they retook Khiva and temporarily held Apameia, but seem to be unable to do anything permanent.

Ptolemaioi. Fast expansion: They quickly unified Egypt and the Levant. Then they sieged Tarsos the turn after I finished my Caucasus campaign. It was a hard campaign to send them back to Egypt because I barely had time to retrain, but I succeeded after several close battles, the Levant is now mine. Memphis is now heavily garrisoned, the Yellow Fever has been sending stacks at it for ten years. Hoplitai Haploi are the best unit ever. Without serious spam of heavy elite infantry, I don't know how the Ptolemaioi will ever break fourteen of them, four slingers, and a general.

Romani: Got Marian Reforms VERY quickly, they're now useless. Losing proxy wars in Alps while suffering badly from the Sicilian invasion. It's only a matter of time now....

Seleukeia: It may sound weird, but they're an interesting success story. After a massive string of defeats inflicted upon them Seleukeia was reduced to its territories between Persopolis, Marakandra, and Alexandropolis while fighting a newly resurgent Pahlava. But they've survived. They've defeated the Pahlava (it's only surviving with my help) and repelling the Saka. India is falling beneath their might, Baktria is their ally.

Saba: Useless.

Saka: Figthing proxy wars with Baktria and the Arche.

Sauromatae: Expanded VERY quickly. Beat Getai, took Kallatis and Buridava. Entered Baltic. Attacked me in Greece. Died.

Sweboz: Expanded rapidly in Germania. Fought Arverni. Gained that steppe settlement from a revolt. Traded the two Baltic settlements in the east with me for Gawjam-Silengoz. Now a formidable power. Too many full-stacks.

And there you have it. It's my opinion that increasing movement leads to a far more interesting game, with small factions having a chance of rapid expansion and large factions having to deal with many enemies. Factions like Hayasdan, Getai, or even Casse that usually did nothing become formidable powers. It's a different experience....

...remind me to stop blitzing....:wall:

[IrishHitman]

How can you stop blitzing when every other faction is doing so?

Seriously though, the increased movement is just ridiculous.
Such a campaign would thoroughly bore me...

[Cute Wolf]

It's like seeing army march on steroids... :laugh4:
Seriously though.... Pahlava didn't do anything?

[bobbin]

Continuing my Romani campaign
204BC
https://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g177/0404625/romani204bc.jpg
With my buffer states in the balkans suitably strengthend peace is made with the KH and i can concentrate on my plans for carthage. Baktria down to its last city.

202BC
https://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g177/0404625/romani202bc.jpg
Baktria defeated, Sweboz attacked me and were repulsed they lose two cities and further two sacked for their troubles, the Balearic isles are also seized by my armies. Pontos invades the kimmerios bosporos.

201BC
https://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g177/0404625/romani201bc.jpg
Emporion taken and given to the Lusotanna to isolate Tolosa, i fight many sea battles with carthage resulting in heavy losses for both sides. Conquered Sweboz lands are given to my allies the Arverni to discourage further attacks.

[IrishHitman]

SPQR, 202 BCE
https://img688.imageshack.us/img688/1340/map4.jpg

Previous maps.
240 BCE
https://img4.imageshack.us/img4/5718/map2pj.jpg

233BCE
https://img188.imageshack.us/img188/165/map3l.jpg

A lot has changed since 240 BCE.
My legions crushed the Macedonian kingdom in the 230s, leaving only Thrace, Pergamon and Lesbos in their hands. However, the Aedui backstabbed me in 232 BCE, and I seized the rest of Italy and Massalia. As I am preparing an offensive against the Aedui, with nine legions ready to go, along come the Lusotannii, wandering across the Rhone and sieging Massalia.

With the Aedui caught between the Arverni, my new allies, and the Germans, my full attention rested upon conquering Iberia. Which I did with relative ease, and the Lusotann armies were no match for my legionaries. Only Galaecia held out stubbornly for two years, as all the legions had been severely depleted by the time the conquest of that region came about.

As I finally complete my invasion of Iberia, the Macedonians started a counterattack, capturing Naissos from the Epirote rump state and turning South into Greece where they were comprehensively repulsed. However, it took a year for legions to be sent to Greece to finish the Macedonians off, which they did with some trouble. After Byzantium, a legion was severely depleted and left there as a garrison. The first siege of Mytilene resulted in an entire legion being destroyed, but a quick second siege proved decisive.

The commander was awarded a triumph for his efforts, but just as he left with his bodyguard for Roma by ship, the armies of Hellenistic Egypt sent a tiny force to siege Pergamon. It was repulsed.
A mercenary cavalry force was deployed to attack Ipsos, which was captured due to agents opening the gates.

Current location of legions:
https://img695.imageshack.us/img695/1435/map5.jpg

Other Factions:
Pahlava:
The Parthian Empire is rising in a timely fashion, I am looking forward to continuing where Hadrian refused to.

Ptolemaic Egypt:
Beat the Seleucids soundly in the West, at a stalemate with Carthage.

Sweboz:
Continuing their sweep of the Gallic factions slowly, due in part to my interventions halting a complete blitzkrieg on their part. They occasionally attempt to send troops through the Alps, but are generally caught by the 9th Legion before they reach them.

Aedui:
Doing crap in general, barely holding off the Sweboz.
Next on the hit list.

Getai:
Expanding nicely, still not at war with the Epirote Rump State.
Getting annoying..

Bactria:
Has become an Indo-Greek Kingdom for all real purposes, seems to be holding the Pahlava for now.

[Marcus Ulpius]

That's the situation is at year 205:

https://img186.imageshack.us/img186/5920/205ln.jpg

Previous map from 233:
https://img231.imageshack.us/img231/3189/233nn.jpg

During those 28 years the once mighty Ptolemaoi remained with just a tiny oasis in the middle of the desert; Pontos were destroyed completely and I've started expanding into the Hindus valley and N. Arabian peninsula. Pahlava were reduced only to one settlement. I've also taken Nicaea and Byzantion which will be the main staging point for the northern invasion force to Greece. Qarthadasht tried to capture Lower Egypt and sent several full stacks there, but all were destroyed. Since they lost Cyrenaika, their stacks are wondering aimlessly in the desert between their lands and Ptolemaic oasis.

As for the AI:
Lusos are fighting a fierce war with Romans but slowly losing ground.
Romans have wiped out Aedui, are at war with Lusos and slowly expanding in the direction of Illiria. They'll be ok, unless Sweboz attack them, in which case I suspect they'll collapse. Fighting both Sweboz and Lusos would probably be too much for them.
Arverni somehow are holding the Sweboz.
Sweboz are dominating Central Europe, conflict with either Romans or Getae seems imminent.
Getae - very nice expansion. Probably the best Getae expansion I've ever seen.
KH, Epirosand Macedonia- at one point KH were reduced only to Sparta and Rhodes. I thought that it will be Epiros or Macedonia who will dominate the region. But Getae attacked Epiros, Macs joined the Getae, but were in turn attacked by KH. In that war Macs and Getae have defeated Epiros, but KH have defeated Macs. Now, KH have most of Greece and Macs and Epiros are struggling to survive.

In the East everything is more or less static. Hayasdan and Sauros are locked in their unending war. Bactria have lost one town to Saka but captured another one instead in India.

[XSamatan]

My new AS campaign:

Houserules:
garrison all towns with 5 units of Kleroucoi Phalangitai; strongholds/strategical important places with 10; important cities with phalangitai and elites
have at all costs in every sea at least one strong fleet; in the ageis and against the ptolemaioi have uber-fleets (mine is bigger than yours style)
don't destroy any factions, better send them in exile
do not conquer the steppe, if they come and attack do some punitive expeditions
do not conquer India, only if Baktria has it already
build,build,build
just 2 offensive armies (leader+heir) with max 4 elites and rest successor style
all rules apply only if the money is available

this restrains me from getting to powerful (have you ever invaded the parthians with just one levy army...that is NOT fun)

The known world in 265:

https://img682.imageshack.us/img682/2503/arche265.jpg (https://img682.imageshack.us/i/arche265.jpg/) https://img682.imageshack.us/img682/arche265.jpg/1/w640.png (http://g.imageshack.us/img682/arche265.jpg/1/)

I gathered all available forces to two points, Antiocheia and Hekatompylos, so leader in the west and heir in the east can lead their armies. Conquering the Ptolemaioi holdings in Cilicia and in the Levante is no great thing, more challenging was the re-occupation of Asaak, the Parthians beat me there as my main army was on the way to Nisa.
Any other factions like normal, some braindead.

at 260
https://img689.imageshack.us/img689/385/arche260.jpg (https://img689.imageshack.us/i/arche260.jpg/) https://img689.imageshack.us/img689/arche260.jpg/1/w640.png (http://g.imageshack.us/img689/arche260.jpg/1/)

In the west I conquered some holdings at the bosporus, in the east much fighitngs with the saka and a peace treaty (by FD) with the Parthians who had just a very small army left. The Saka accepted my peace+tribute as soon as Bartix attacked them too.
Romans and Sweboz are good expanding and the hay are on the move and standing good against the sauros who are getting beaten by the Getai

at 255
https://img697.imageshack.us/img697/36/arche255.jpg (https://img697.imageshack.us/i/arche255.jpg/) https://img697.imageshack.us/img697/arche255.jpg/1/w640.png (http://g.imageshack.us/img697/arche255.jpg/1/)

I had to kill Pontos....all Pontic FM's created a repeatable CTD and I wasn't able to fix that....:wall:

Batrix is on their way to become a real threat....until this no sign of their units near our borders, but that is just a question of time...with the end of the expansion in the east my Leader is on his way to Seleukeia to punish some illoyal FM's who gained some traits like "Ateleia", "Proxenos Under Suspicion" or "Purchases Loyality" which is cutting my income :thumbsdown:

XSamatan

[athanaric]

Baktria, H/M, 1.2

250 BC
https://img163.imageshack.us/img163/1724/baktria250bc.png (https://img163.imageshack.us/i/baktria250bc.png/)

240 BC
https://img33.imageshack.us/img33/1528/baktria240bc.png (https://img33.imageshack.us/i/baktria240bc.png/)

Have any of you guys ever seen anything like this? Saba, of all factions, sieging Antiocheia in 240 BC! Moreover, they actually took the city - after they had already taken Babylon.
https://img692.imageshack.us/img692/9078/baktria12hm240bcreforme.jpg (https://img692.imageshack.us/i/baktria12hm240bcreforme.jpg/)

Otherwise, the AS was strangely peaceful (apart from foiled assassination attempts). When they attacked after 240 BC, they found me ready with reformed bodyguards, Elephants, and heavy HAs. I've actually been able to bribe four provinces, which is rather decadent at such an early stage in the game. Perversely, I'm also allied to the Saka and they haven't attacked yet! Go figure...

My apologies for the ugly white frames.


Update 221 BC - Caius Iulius Caesar found!!!
https://img257.imageshack.us/img257/9840/baktria221bcentercaiusi.jpg (https://img257.imageshack.us/i/baktria221bcentercaiusi.jpg/)
He appears to be an unimportant admiral blocking the port of Syrakousai. Pahlava is still allied to me.

[XSamatan]

Update to my AS campaign:

250

https://img4.imageshack.us/img4/291/arche250.jpg (https://img4.imageshack.us/i/arche250.jpg/) https://img4.imageshack.us/img4/arche250.jpg/1/w640.png (http://g.imageshack.us/img4/arche250.jpg/1/)

I disbanded my armies and started to build up my economy and military infrastructure.
The Ptolies aare attacking Hierosolyma more and more often, but they stopped after I captured Alexandreia and Memphis and gave it for peace back to them.
Baktria is winning ground against the saka, autoresolving prefers phalanxes against HA's.
Rome made the aedui ther vasalls, nice expanding with elites after elites

245

https://img16.imageshack.us/img16/5356/arche245.jpg (https://img16.imageshack.us/i/arche245.jpg/) https://img16.imageshack.us/img16/arche245.jpg/1/w640.png (http://g.imageshack.us/img16/arche245.jpg/1/)

Baktria conquers a province and then it rebels back...this way the saka are coming back and also the parthians attacked baktria, lets see who will win this war in the end

240

https://img4.imageshack.us/img4/2025/arche240.jpg (https://img4.imageshack.us/i/arche240.jpg/) https://img4.imageshack.us/img4/arche240.jpg/1/w640.png (http://g.imageshack.us/img4/arche240.jpg/1/)

lusos, carthies and romans are beating the crap out of the poor arverni, they will not make it long. The cimmerian kingdom is beginning to be built!



XSamatan

[Jebivjetar]

Pahlava, 148BC

https://img28.imageshack.us/img28/6398/pahlava148bc.jpg

[Horatius Flaccus]

Nice, Sweboz creating a Baltic empire.

[Titus Marcellus Scato]

Has anyone ever seen the Sweboz invade Britain?

[SwissBarbar]

Safot Softim biQuarthadast
187 BC
VH/M

https://img682.imageshack.us/img682/7412/unbenanntwy.png


I play Carthage, have conquered the western part of northern Africa, have reconquered Messana and Sicily from the Romans and all of Spain is mine. If you want to read more about the epic war Carthage vs Roma, please read the closer look to the situation here: Epic War - Carthage vs. Roma (https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?t=124029)


But it's not about me, look and enjoy this wonderful AI Progression.

The Koinon Hellenon have founded a powerful empire by exterminating Epeiros and Makedonia and sucessfully fighting the Hay in the east (who had conquered great parts of Anatolia !!!) and by pushing back the Aedui in the west (who had conquered great parts of Illyria !!!) and now fighting the Romani in Italy

The Ptolemaioi have coquered huge parts of the former Arche Seleukeia, but could not exterminate the Saba, with whom they're at war ever since. They are losing the war against the Koinon Hellenon for Anatolia at the moment and regularly trying to conquer Lepki from me

The Aedui, once being most powerful empire in the whole world (!!) for ca. 20 years, are now being pushed back by the Sweboz and the Koinon Hellenon.

The Sweboz have forced the Sauromatae to be their client kingdom

The Pahlava, Baktria and Saka Rauka are fighting each other, making it quite easy to the Ptolemaioi to expand in the east.

The Getai once ruled more lands southwards of their current southern border, but have been pushed back by the Koinon Hellenon.

The Casse haven't had contact to anyone outside Britannia

[Horatius Flaccus]

Wow, nice - surprising - expansion. Especially the Koinon ofcourse.

[SwissBarbar]

Update
Safot Softim biQuarthadast
165 BC
VH/M


https://img229.imageshack.us/img229/931/unbenannteq.png

The news:

The Romani. Too long have they crossed our borders and raided our towns and villages. Too many men have died because of their pride. But pride always goes before a Elephants. Their walls have collapsed due to the warcries of our warriors. Their skies have darkened over the smoke of victory. Their people has been vanquished and enslaved. The Romani are no more.


The enemy alliance. When the dust of the great war against the Romani has abated, our people was known as the most powerful empire under the eyes of Baal-Hammon. Emissaries from all corners of the world have come to Quart-Hadast and have bowed before the might of your people. But dark clouds approach from the east. The still powerful Ptolemaioi, enemies of old, have gathered a strong confederacy. The Koinon Hellenon and the Pahlava joined forces with the Ptolemaioi and with each other, and now try to bring us to our knees. Supported by Pahlavan money, the Koinon Hellenon attack our possessions in Europe and the Ptolemaioi those in Africa. But we are battle-tested like no other people in the world. Our Generals have ravaged in Egypt, have burned fields, annihilated cities and brought home 100'000 slaves from Alexandreia alone. Soon our great fleet will be ready to sail the greatest army the world has ever seen to Egypt, and when we have finished there will be no Ptolemaioi in Africa anymore.

The friends. But not all peoples as eager to go to death like our enemies. The strong and wild tribes in the north, the fearsome Sweboz and the again strengthening Arverni are supporting us in our war against the Koinon Hellenon. And in the east the proud and venerable Saba are fighting the superior Ptolemaioi for over one century and are still not broken.


Ye gods, give us the wisdom to honor you, give us the courage not to fail in battle and give us the strength to subject our enemies, and we will sacrifice their children to you, and you shall be satisfied.

[athanaric]

Senatus Populusque Romanus, 222 BC, VH/M.

https://img39.imageshack.us/img39/3466/romani222bcvhmminimap.jpg (https://img39.imageshack.us/i/romani222bcvhmminimap.jpg/)

Current reform level:

Time of Soldiers
March of Time
Polybian Reforms (229/228 BC)


Epeiros will be the first faction to snuff it. They were fun for a while, fielding large armies with Chaonion Agema, Thraikioi Rhomphaiaphoroi, Molosson Agema and even Elephants. Then they decided to assassinate one of my generals. This of course requires their extermination.

Aedui are surprisigly tenacious. They even reconquered some provinces from the Swêboz.

Arverni are my most active enemies, fielding decent armies with Solduros, Neitos, Arjos, and other interesting units.

Hayasdan is looking forward to serious trouble with Suebi loyalists. Totally wacky epansion.

Baktria required a lot of babysitting on my behalf. Even now, they are beset by Seleukid forces.

Pahlava isn't doing great, either.

Casse are quite active, surprisingly.

The Getai just decided to betray me. Brilliant idea.

Here's my first and, as of yet, only Triumphator, an excellent S/C/V character:
https://img27.imageshack.us/img27/2617/galloromanimperator.jpg (https://img27.imageshack.us/i/galloromanimperator.jpg/)
He was born an Arverni. I can provide more screens if you don't believe me.

[The Celtic Viking]

My Arverni Campaign

234 BCE:
https://img692.imageshack.us/img692/5443/234rl.jpg

No special development by any AI faction that I can see, with the exception of Makedonia perhaps. They've taken both the KH and Epeirote homelands, and are expanding into Mikra Asia as well (which the KH has done as well, possibly through rebellion?).

222 BCE:
https://img692.imageshack.us/img692/3703/222wv.jpg

While I have been busy fighting off the Romans and the Sweboz, Lusotannan have conquered Iberia and crept up on me from behind. Aedui are down to their last settlement, while the Epeirotes have made a small comeback, taking Pella again. Saba expands north, AS takes Alexandreia and Carthage wins the battle over Sicily.

215 BCE:
https://img689.imageshack.us/img689/5650/215m.jpg

Finally 215 BCE and the Lusotannans' holdings in Gaul have been divided by me after they decided to attack and take Avaricum. This is also after I made my raid on Roma, which caused so much problems for the Romani that they got completely conquered by Carthage. Sweboz forced to accept a peace treaty for the return of a couple Germanic settlements I had taken.

Makedonia won the battle over Greece, and the Epeirotes are done. Their holdings in Mikra Asia remain the same. Pontos, however, have expanded a little more on the expense of AS, who's lost territory to the KH, but are otherwise pushing back against Pahlava and still holding Alexandreia. Ptolemaioi have kicked back Sab'yn and conquered all territory south of Alexandreia.

Oh, and I also had a brief encounter with the Getai, in which I got Ak-Ink, but no other changes have been made. I also believe the Getai accepted to become protectorates under Sweboz rule shortly before this picture. (If not, it was shortly after it.)

210 BCE:
https://img18.imageshack.us/img18/7663/210o.jpg

I have completely conquered T. Gaul and in doing so gained a peace with Lusotannan, while Carthage have stabbed both me and the Aedui in the back. Aedui have once again been pushed back to their last settlement.

Otherwise, it remains much the same since 215 BCE. Makedonia expands further in Mikra Asia, Pahlava and AS both lose and take territories from each other, and Saka Rauka are breaking down on Baktria.

202 BCE:
https://img189.imageshack.us/img189/3460/202sd.jpg

Aedui have been defeated, and I have accepted a cease fire with the Carthaginians, who gained Bononia in the war. I haven't expanded much since, living mostly in peace until the Makedonians decided to make for Segestica. I then took Illyria down to Ambrakia, and in exchange of not destroying the wonder and giving Ambrakia back, I managed to get back Ambrakia (which they had bribed) and a peace. As soon as I left Ambrakia and they had it under control, they attacked me again in violation of the peace. Must raid Pella.

In Mikra Asia, the Makedonians have had more success, making it as far as Antiocheia. The AS, while beating back the Pahlavans, are having a hard time with the Ptolemaioi and Makedonians working on them in the west.

[Marcus Ulpius]

Update from my Seleucid campaign:

it's year 193
https://img51.imageshack.us/img51/6396/193b.jpg


Previous maps:

205
https://img186.imageshack.us/img186/5920/205ln.jpg
233
https://img231.imageshack.us/img231/3189/233nn.jpg

Campaign in India is finished. Bactria lost common border with Saka and didn't find better thing to do than to attack me. They paid the price for that. Campaign against Hayasdan in its final stages. They were pushed out of their homeland into the cold void of the steppes. Saka will most likely be my next target and that should bring the East under the full control of the Seleucid king.

AI:

Romani are winning their war against the Lusos. Rome slowly but steadily becoming a superpower.
Lusos are losing to the Rpmani and they also lost a coastal town to Carthadahst, hard to tell if it was a naval invasion or rebellion.
Arverni - surrendered to SPQR and became the protectorate.
Sweboz - busy fighting immortal armies of Satres.
Geate - their expansion stopped for some reason and they even allowed weak Epiros to take two towns from them without any response.
Macedonia - made peace with KH and are desperately trying to take Byzantion back from me.
KH - attacked Epirotes. They have quite significant forces stationed in Greece and if they use only a fraction of those, Epirotes should be crushed.
Carthadasht - they refuse to make peace with me, but they also don't attack.

[seienchin]

Has anybody ever seen the romans taking over AI north africa?:book:

[anubis88]

https://img19.imageshack.us/img19/6663/rometwbi200912141440333.png

This is my current Pahlava campaign.
I hadn't had this much fun in a long time, so let me tell you sth about how the campaign is progressing.
I enjoy playing historicaly, and although i've conquered more then i should, it was due to the fact that i wouldn't survive if i hadn't conquered as much.
I've conquered both Gabai and Ekbatana as a retribution to a huge scale Seleucid attack. I also have to thank Saka and Baktria that they haven't attacked me yet.
I have 4 standing armies, one near Gabai, one near Ekbatana, one near my capital Hekatompylos and one near Antiochia Margiane just in case the Saka/Baktria decide to attack me.

Ok, so on to what my neighbouring faction have been up to.

Arche Seleukia - My first campaign in which they practically destroyed the Ptolemies, even though i gave them money, usually it was vice-versa. I already thought that the AS was going to steamroll agains everyone when the Hai blitzed them, conquered Mazaka, and Tarsos, (i gave them Arbela later on :beam:) but were reppeled in a few years and the AS started their counter attack.
My way of taking down the AS empire is with spies and assasins. I've tried this now and it works prefectly, i sabotage their temples, fill the towns with spies and some cities revolt.
Persepolis did this, Karmana is about to do it, and the most beatufill par was Pergamon rebelling to KH, starting a war between the two, and Ankyra rebelling to be conquered in the next few turns by Pontos. The only ones not at war with the AS are Baktria, but i will leave that be, so that me and Baktria don't share more borders then we should.
AS almost conquered all of Asia Minor and Egypt but now the tides of war are changing. However they are still very strong. I defeat a huge army every few turns, but Pontos, Hai, Saba (they also attacked them a few turns ago, guess they smelled blood) are having their hands full as well.

Ptolemaic Empire - As i said before, the first time they get kicked by the AS, and are now but a shadow of the empire they were in 272 BC.
However, due to the multiple fronts of AS, they may bounce back. I will try sending some spies to Egypt, and make Alexandria na Memphis revolt.

Hayasdan - They gave a run for their money to the Sauromatae, but got too ambitious and attacked the AS. They were succesfull at first, but repelled later, and the Sauromatae conqured their steppe cities back, so now they're back to square one.

Pontos - They didn't do much, conquered only Sinope in the first 50 years ( realistic almost huh?:2thumbsup:). Now they've conquered Ankyra and started a war with AS, we will see how that goes. Oh, just remembered. They've captured Thrace when it was Macedonia's last possesion. Dunno why or how, but they've besieged the damn city for 10 years before it fell and thus ended the Antigonid dynasty

Saba - Didn't pay much attention to them, they did the usual and conquered the Arabian peninsula, but now they have struck at the As, conquering the Hebrews, and starting to besiege Damascus.

Saka-Baktria - they are at war since the begining (they are both still allies with me), and not much has happened between them. They are kinda in a stellmate.

Western world:
Romans are at constant war with QartHadast for Sardinia, Corsica and the Baleares. I helped rome to conquer Sicily. The Lusos are becoming a superpower again, and the Sweboz as well.


My grand plan is to conquer as historically as possible, and help later on the romans, so that i could have my own Carrhae in in the 1st century BC

[Zim]

https://img38.imageshack.us/img38/8717/rometwbi200911140153311.jpg (https://img38.imageshack.us/i/rometwbi200911140153311.jpg/)

In the early decades of the third century BC Carthage had gone into decline. Riven by internal as well as external conflicts, Carthage saw its territories in Iberia fall to native tribes while Sicily, Corsica, and Sardinia fell to Rome. Meanwhile many of the city's African territories went into rebellion, leaving only Carthage itself and the cities closest to it under Punic control.

This would change by the end of the century, however. The Anti-Barcid party came to dominate Carthaginian politics, as many blamed the recent losses on the overstretching of the city's resources. It was decided to concentrate on Africa, and slowly the borders there reached and even surpassed their previous state. Carthage's coffers flowed with money again and even had the strength to not only repel invading Ptolemaic armies but to intervene in affairs in Asia, keeping the balance between their Egyptian enemies and the Seleucids.

Eventually the losses of the beginning of the century were forgotten and the Baricds again came to power, advocating the reconquest of Spain, which succeeded after a long guerilla war against the Lusotannan and other tribes there. Afterwards enriched by the conquest of all of Iberia, the Carthaginian elite would push further wars, taking the fight to the Romans who had stolen Sicily. Encountering surprisingly little resistance as the bulk of the Roman army somehow deteriorated to the level of levies called "Vigiles", despite great reserves of manpower and riches, the Carthaginians took all of Italy, then turned their sights on the Greeks, who had sunk Punic ships during the war.

Ever since the Carthaginian has continued to grow, sometimes slowly, sometimes in spurts. After the Greek Empire's territory was captured and their leaders banished to the northern shore of the Black sea, only the Seleucids were powerful enough to threaten Carthage. War between the two superpowers raged for decades, but the Seleucids lost large chunks of their territory to not only Carthage but to Baktria and Hayasdan as well. Technically a state of war still exists between teh two nations, but the Seleucids, while still possessing a sizable Empire, are little more than a shadow of their former selves.

Lately Carthage has expanded in a new direction, taking all of Gaul from the Arverni and the remnants of the Romans. Some grumbling has occured, as these lands are poorer than any thus far conquered, and hard to keep order in. However, the Carthaginian leaders have continued to push for more expansion, with the first expeditions establishing a foothold on the Isle of Tin itself. Only time will tell if the Carthaginian Empire is overstretching itself.

[Jebivjetar]

https://img38.imageshack.us/img38/8717/rometwbi200911140153311.jpg (https://img38.imageshack.us/i/rometwbi200911140153311.jpg/)

In the early decades of the third century BC Carthage had gone into decline. Riven by internal as well as external conflicts, Carthage saw its territories in Iberia fall to native tribes while Sicily, Corsica, and Sardinia fell to Rome. Meanwhile many of the city's African territories went into rebellion, leaving only Carthage itself and the cities closest to it under Punic control.

This would change by the end of the century, however. The Anti-Barcid party came to dominate Carthaginian politics, as many blamed the recent losses on the overstretching of the city's resources. It was decided to concentrate on Africa, and slowly the borders there reached and even surpassed their previous state. Carthage's coffers flowed with money again and even had the strength to not only repel invading Ptolemaic armies but to intervene in affairs in Asia, keeping the balance between their Egyptian enemies and the Seleucids.

Eventually the losses of the beginning of the century were forgotten and the Baricds again came to power, advocating the reconquest of Spain, which succeeded after a long guerilla war against the Lusotannan and other tribes there. Afterwards enriched by the conquest of all of Iberia, the Carthaginian elite would push further wars, taking the fight to the Romans who had stolen Sicily. Encountering surprisingly little resistance as the bulk of the Roman army somehow deteriorated to the level of levies called "Vigiles", despite great reserves of manpower and riches, the Carthaginians took all of Italy, then turned their sights on the Greeks, who had sunk Punic ships during the war.

Ever since the Carthaginian has continued to grow, sometimes slowly, sometimes in spurts. After the Greek Empire's territory was captured and their leaders banished to the northern shore of the Black sea, only the Seleucids were powerful enough to threaten Carthage. War between the two superpowers raged for decades, but the Seleucids lost large chunks of their territory to not only Carthage but to Baktria and Hayasdan as well. Technically a state of war still exists between teh two nations, but the Seleucids, while still possessing a sizable Empire, are little more than a shadow of their former selves.

Lately Carthage has expanded in a new direction, taking all of Gaul from the Arverni and the remnants of the Romans. Some grumbling has occured, as these lands are poorer than any thus far conquered, and hard to keep order in. However, the Carthaginian leaders have continued to push for more expansion, with the first expeditions establishing a foothold on the Isle of Tin itself. Only time will tell if the Carthaginian Empire is overstretching itself.



Oh, man: great work and nice roleplay! In my current Carthaginian campaign i tend to do something similar: conquer Egypt and go for Asia Minor. Therefore i have one question for you: which good local units can Carthage recruit in Syria/Asia Minor? I mean, i know there are some levies available for each faction, but i wonder if i can recruit some decent troops in these territories, or i'll be limited to some local levies while more decent troops i have to transport from my homelands and/or have to take mercenaries?

Really nice empire you have! :yes:

[Zim]

Thanks! It's been my favorite EB game thus far. Unfortunately the computer I played most of it on started breaking down a little while back and I lost most of my saves and screenshots (managed to get the newest save off to continue, though...), so that's a bit of an abridged history.

I think when I started into Asia, I had just the settlements required for the victory conditions plus Greece and the Balkans. For a long time I actually did ship armies from elsewhere, putting them together locally and sending them as full stacks oversea. I did eventually start recruiting them locally. There are some ok regional troops in Asia Minor, depending on how much you expect from them.

Classical hoplites can be recruited in many of the western coast of Asia Minor. Cappadocian hillmen are also pretty widely available, and a good buy for the price. Cretan Archers can be recruited in nearby Crete, and to my surprise in Alexandria. Most of the local cavalry have bad charges, unfortunately. Caucasian archers and slingers are also available, and pretty decent. Ankyra can only produce up to about mid level Celtic units, but at least the Celtic cavalry holds their spears underhand and have a decent charge. Antioch has the axemen and other basic local units, Damascus is worse unit wise.

About the best I've been able to come up with is hoplites and axemen, a few Celts (sometimes Celtic cavalry), plus local archers and skirmishers (but the Caucasian or eastern ones, not the Greek ones). Then I might add some mercenary cavalry and maybe merc Galatian Wildmen or other specialty units. It works pretty well against the Seleucid Armies I fight, despite higher casualties than I'd like.

[Hax]

That looks absolutely beautiful.

[athanaric]

That looks absolutely horrible. Way too much Chalk Death and Grey Death :skull:

Zim: Antioch has Cretan Archers, too. As well as Syrian Archers IIRC. One of the best places for recruitment.

[Zim]

Cretan and Syrian archers? That's something to remember in future games...

https://img705.imageshack.us/img705/3673/seleucids251.jpg (https://img705.imageshack.us/i/seleucids251.jpg/)

Here's a Seleucid one I've started recently. I roleplayed it as the Empire falling apart under internal as well as external pressures, with my taking over two fms and territories in Anatolia.

[Cute Wolf]

Koinon Hellenon, Playing relatively slow and rather than doing my usual way (heading west and trashing a certain city), I decide to conquer Kyrene and Stab the Ptolemies at the back... Currently at war with Ptolemaioi, Makedonia, and Epeiros. Allied with Baktria and the Romaioi (Not yet trashing them as usual)

https://i574.photobucket.com/albums/ss184/Cutewolf/KH_Progress.jpg

Special Note:
1) Sauromatae push themself to the west rather quickly, but as the result, their territory are quickly gained, but also quickly crumbled, looks like they want to deliver the finishing blows to the Getai.
2) Makedonia, because I show mercy to them (not yet drive them out of their north Makedonian territory), rather than become usual lesbian local kingdom, they conquer Pergamon and kickin AS' out of Western mikra asia. Attempt to besiege Byzantion and Ankyra, but AS lost their Ankyra holdings quickly, and rebelled to Avernii.
3) Avernii lost their eastern gallic holding because the Sweboz invasion, but getting many troops pumped out of Ankyra, looks like they soon fall in the west because Sweboz are going mad
4) Aedui pushed back heavily by Sweboz, but start gaining an upper hand in their war against Romaioi, maybe they'll sack Arretium soon.
5) Sweboz blitz their way in South and West expansion... looks like they still on their momentum, but Sauromatae checked their movement at the east...
6) Hayasdan is still doing their stupid northward invasion as usual
7) Ptolemaioi pushed toward asia by me, their African holdings is under heavy harrasment
8) AS start crumbling, but they still impressively resist Baktria and Pahlava at the east
9) Unlike my lastest Sweboz campaign... Pontos is docile now
10) Casse is as dead as usual
11) Luso and Karthadast and Romaioi also doing their usual ways, I didn't interfare with their wars yet...
12) Saba and Saka, still usual exspansion
13) Getai is squeezed between Sweboz and Sauro... looks like they are about to fall

[athanaric]

2) Makedonia, because I show mercy to them (not yet drive them out of their north Makedonian territory), rather than become usual lesbian local kingdom, they conquer Pergamon and kickin AS' out of Western mikra asia. Attempt to besiege Byzantion and Ankyra, but AS lost their Ankyra holdings quickly, and rebelled to Avernii.

That's actually a smart move, seeing as they will "convert" Mikra Asia to your culture, and build some nice local barracks and other stuff for you to conquer later.

I love how the Swêboz and Romani put out the Super Eleutheroi in your game.

[Macilrille]

The super Eleutheroi have almost always been taken by Romans or Sweboz in my games. As Rome I watch in amazement how the Sweboz kill armies I dare not tackle with and as Sweboz I watch the Romans do the same:help:

Baktria Campaign pics coming up soon, but I have problems posting pics, so mere to my Album, see how the Lusos took all Southern Gaul and the Italian Peninsula down to Rhegion...

Edited to try and add a pic of the time I got bored.
Did not work, here it is https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/album.php?albumid=271&pictureid=2102

https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/album.php?albumid=271&pictureid=2102

[Cute Wolf]

Update:
Constant harrasment on Pella and invasion from Byzantion finally forced me to kick the Macedon out of Hellenes, but they capture Byzantion and right after that my Troops just simply overpower the exhausted Makedonians and drive them out... And their constant harrasment on Rhodos forced me to invade Mikhra asia, to getting more money to fund my Egyptian wars, as the Result, the Makedonians are pushed further east, and The Ptolemaioi are now become crussader states (Having Antioch and Jerusalem), oh yeah, I have try to get Hierosolyma as well, but constant rioting and their always red face forced me to abandon them back to their old Ptolemaioi master, and nowe they become the capital of Ptolemaioi (Yeah, you can call them Kingdom of Jerusalem now :laugh4:). I got Ethiophia, but it soon rebelled for Saby'n and decide to stop my Egyptian blitz there. Right now, my western front are unusually peaceful, Epeirotes are trying their fortune invading Italy, and at one point Burned Barbaropolis (but soon the Romaioi taken their Barbaropolis back), and the removal of Makedonians give me much easier breath there. Only one half stack of depleted Sauro horse archers dare to besiege Pella, but my golden stack "slingers from hell" utterly vangquised them....

https://i574.photobucket.com/albums/ss184/Cutewolf/KH_Progress_2.jpg

Yeah I must admit that much of the mainstay of my armies are my highly experienced hoplitai backbone, coupled with massive numbers of "slingers from hell", the fighting is gonna to become highly repetitive, create a wall of proper hoplitai in guard mode, flanked by either thorakitai or peltastai without guard mode and auto fire, and massive slingers running arround and rain their stones all over the enemies, they are especially excellent at pwning those unshielded hetairoi and Makedonian bodyguards just like machine guns, and I always keep some haploi (or at the eastern and suthern front: Pantodapoi) fresh from the city for meatshield if the enemies decide to come close prematurely (and they usually dies more from my own slinger's barrage.... oh how evil am I... :devil:

https://i574.photobucket.com/albums/ss184/Cutewolf/slingersfromhell01-1.jpg
EDIT : I modify my EDB to get missile weapon upgrade from blacksmith...

Ok, and another faction's note:
1) Sweboz : Aedui pushed them for a while, but they pushed aedui back again, their balkan holdings are constantly harrased by the single Romaioi city and the Getai, but they are still the strongest faction, I hope they still expand, and meet me on the field someday (so my slingers could have easy prey afterall :laugh4:)
2) Aedui : surprisingly resilient in defending their territory, fought several fierce wars with Sweboz, and allied with Avernii.
3) Avernii : Pressed badly, and now they are on their last foot on Gaul, fortunely for them, they had Ankyra and I decide not to doing any mess with them as long as they don't harrasing my holdings (constantly at war with Makedon and AS, so stabbing them at their back is ridiculously easy now)
4) Casee: Only get one more province, they are as slow as usual
5) Lusotann : Gained extra territory in Iberia, but still allied with Karthadast.
6) Karthadast : claiming entire west Africa and start to enroaching my African territory, right now they are sending their libyans to certain doom at my rain of stones.... hope they don't bring their elephants into the play.
7) Romaioi : Their north italian territory fall, the Epeirotes prevail for some time, but they start to consolidate their holdings again. But they are not allied with me anymore after they treacherously sent a fullstack of legions and besiege Ambrakia, Blasted Barbaroi.... luckily, my slingers can be quickly marched before they decide to assault, and they are getting killed under my slinger's machine guns. I think I should let the Epeirotes finish them off because right now most of my army are campaigning in Africa, holding Ptolemaioi and Karthadast stacks after stacks.
8) Epeirotes : Finally, they call for truce, because those stupid Romaioi Barbaroi start attacking me too... they are doing fine in Italy, but recently beaten back.
9) Makedonia : Pushed further east, at war with AS and Avernii, not yet died... and as long as they are harmless towards me, I will keep them alive as buffer state (right now I'm allied with AS)
10) AS : Oh, my most valuable ally.... they are the one who took almost all the Ptolemaioi, Saby'n, Makedonia, Pahlava, Baktria, Saka, and right now, I'm their only ally. Yeah, good large and weak friend for distraction.....
11) Saby'n : Sandwiching the Ptolemaioi, and at war with Me, Ptolemaioi, and AS, right now they are going invasion frenzy and rebel backing frenzy.
12) Sauromatae : Sucessful enough to hold constant war with everyone, and still expanding in the north, but sadly, their stack thrown at me is ridiculously depleted, well I decide to leave them to do anything they want right now.
13) Getai : Not yet died, as they has strong will to live
14) Pontos and Hayasdan : Just small local kongdom
15) Saka, Baktria, and Pahlava : for somewhat reason, the AS seems to hold their northeast province nicely, as the somewhat weird war is raging on the eastern steppe.

EDIT : Oh yeah, and the super Eleutheroi stacks are now mostly gone :)

[Ibn-Khaldun]

Romani
https://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh311/ibnkhaldun/TW%20games/spqr239.jpg
It's Spring 239 in this picture.
Currently at war with Qarthadast and Ptolemaioi.

[Cute Wolf]

Updated again:

https://i574.photobucket.com/albums/ss184/Cutewolf/KH_Progress_3.jpg

Having conquered a whole northeast Africa, and sucessfully hold Karthadast stack spamming at the Augila - Kyrene chokepoint with my crack hoplite army (retrained in Kyrene again and again, until I grow bored and auto resolve all the battles), I decide to turn my attention northward, and toward a certain gigantic clash with the pretty weak (!) Sweboz empire (their units are mostly Teceitos, Boii Cingetos, and several assorted depleted Sweboz army). Conquering the Bosophoran regions and still in progress claiming all the Black sea region. Epeirote harrasment is suspiciously ended (they are losing against Romaioi), and what is WORSE is the Sweboz and Romaioi formed an alliance against me (this is VH ai afterall, duh...). The unimportant trio kingdoms in the Mikhra asia (Makedon, Pontos, Avernii) helps me a lot in keeping a good relationship with the Rejuvenated AS, as they are the one who take punishment and repel invading AS stacks.... Ptolemaioi are now sucessfully stranded themself in the levant area, and they start struggle against AS invasion (curiosly, how long until they sign a peace and attack me together.... :laugh4:)

-> Getai : well, they are my ally until their last moment... after their north province was taken by Sweboz, I quickly betray them and simultaneously besiege Sarmiszegethusan holdings, they are completely taken by surprise, because they only had one fm each in their city, and their fullstacks is located far north.... BANG, and they are dead..... Ohhh... I'm such an evil guy....

1) Romaioi : Quite frightening growth detected, as they almost swept Aedui in a very quick sucession, allied with Sweboz, and forced me to garrison Ambrakia and Epidamnos with my veteran hoplites and slingers from hell, as they also attempt to land massive army each year.... at least the Lusos check them out. I still restrain myself not to invade italy, because I want to see how much that they could grow and ripe for extermination....
2) Epeirotes : What quickly gained, could be quickly lost.... Romaioi mauled them soo badly, as their Ilyrian holdings now under siege.... but at least they still had several fullstack stucked in Italy.
3) Karthadast : Stranded in their sand wars against me.... and now start taking Syrakousai and hope they are heading toward Barbaropolis... not across the sea and invade Hellas.... (Right now, I only leave minimal garrison on Hellas proper.... as I still manage to move most of my veteran hoplites and slingers from hell from their african holdings toward nothren campaigns by sea.... yeah, I also pump a really lot of fresh troops from Hellas to fuel my logistical nightmare campaign on Sweboz holdings right now
4) Sauromatae : I start to prick their nice empire one by one, as their horse archers and foot archers are no match for my Slingers from hell... but I wasn't intended to exterminate them completely...... well, their recent Sweboz backed uprisings in Baltic hurt them badly too...
5) Sweboz : Still expanding in the west, but after they sign an alliance with the Romaioi, their growth are stopped, at war with me, Sauro, and Aedui, just recently made peace with Epeirotes.
6) Lusotann : Start to expand, and now enroaching gauls.
7) Casse : As slow as usual
8) Avernii : Kicked out of gaul, trying to attack me in Mikhra asia (pathetically), but quickly destroyed, I keep them alive for the sake of becoming buffer state between me and AS
9) Pontos : Still sleeping
10) Makedonia : Rather than lesbian local kingdom, they are now an unimportant Cappadocian local kingdom.
11) Hayasdan : lost aramvir to AS, pushed and almost dead (but not yet)
12) Saka : regain their homewolrd from AS
13) Pahlava and Baktria : Start carving their respective empire, harrasing the AS eastern front
14) AS : After renewing their war with baktria, I drop the alliance with them, but they are not yet attack me...
15) Ptolies : A poor levantine kingdom, throwing Klerouchikoi Greeks, Jews, and Arabs towards me in Tarsos and Alexandreia crossings (and badly trashed as usual)
16) Saby'n : I kick them in the nut really hard, driving they out of Ethipohia, recently made peace with ptolies and start sending Arabs against my ethiophian holdings by sea.

[Zim]

VH/M Bi.exe

My "Syracuse" game. I migrated to Sicily right at the start and let my cities rebel/fall to Makedonia.

I think I learned the secret to having a tough game. First turtle, then stay up all night one night drinking and playing the campaign. :clown:

It's been a fun game. I came pretty close to losing a couple times. I spent years in on and off wars with Carthage, the Romans, Epirus, and just about every one else in the area who decided to invade Sicily. It was nice to see the AI send full stacks by sea. Now that things are stable I'm not quite sure which way I want to go, unite some of the Greek cities in the west (like Emporion and Massalia) or head east to Greece and beyond... Probably north and west, since Cute Wolf is kicking so much butt in the east right now.

I really like the Pahalava and Baktrian expansion, which started well before Macedonia rolled over the Seleucids and Ptolemy.

https://img686.imageshack.us/img686/2643/syracuse185.jpg (https://img686.imageshack.us/i/syracuse185.jpg/)

[anubis88]

Parthian Empire, 138 BC ( i think:clown:)
https://img442.imageshack.us/img442/5281/lalala3.png
Still not blitzing... I attacked Baktria a year ago, since i really didn't want to continue my invasion of Syria just yet, and everything looks great. I raised 3 new armies, and i'm still in the green with my finances, however, Baktria still has some kick left, so it won't be easy to deplete their armies. I still haven't decided how many cities i will take from them.

As far as the other factions go (at least the more important ones)

the AS are damn hard to kill. I routed their entire Mesopotanian armies, they got attacked by the Saba, Hai, Pontos and Ptolemies, but got out of those wars stronger then ever, invading Hayasdan themselves, and Taking from the Ptolomies almost all of Egypt ( they had Memphis, Parantion and nothing alse for a while.)

Rome fights a huge war with Epeiros, which only had a city left, but they bounced back, and look better then with Pyrhos in charge.

Pontos- Incredible. Conquered almost everything you see in ten years and not stopping.

[Centurio Nixalsverdrus]

You are NOT the Romans?? They did that on their own?? And why do you call yourself Parthia, when you have Saka colours?

[anubis88]

You are NOT the Romans?? They did that on their own?? And why do you call yourself Parthia, when you have Saka colours?

I just changed them, since i got tired of the purple colour.... I forgot that the Saka have similar colors, but the difference is still visible.... Baktria had that border with me when i changed them.


Well rome didn't do that by itself... I helped them... I always give them every spare cash i have, since i make 20k a turn,

I also gave them Carthago through FD.

They would never acomplish this on their own.... They had a huge army in Sardinia, so i just moved it to Africa, and they conquered a city or two.

[Macilrille]

When I try that, even if at war with Carthage, Rome still does nothing, the legion just starts wandering about or stands there looking dumb.

[Cute Wolf]

When I try that, even if at war with Carthage, Rome still does nothing, the legion just starts wandering about or stands there looking dumb.

Well, not in my usual case, even without any assistance, as long as someone allready take care about those super eleutheroi stacks at the central europe (or weaken them), the Romaioi usually grows fast, but when I attack them before they reach Massalia, they usually become mere sitting duck.

[anubis88]

Yes well in my campaigns Rome usually does everything in it's power to not become a superpower as well. :wall:

[Zim]

Nice Empire. I like how Pontos has expanded as well. :yes:


Parthian Empire, 138 BC ( i think:clown:)

[anubis88]

Nice Empire. I like how Pontos has expanded as well. :yes:

It looks that Parthia is quite succesful in your campaign as well. As for pontos, as i mentioned in a previus thread in the main forum, they have gone crazy. It's really a battle of titans in Macedonia and greece, and Epeiros has mingled in there as well, so it could end either way.

I'm just waiting for them to weaken each other, then i'll help the romans to destroy them all:yes::yes:

[Zim]

They really surprised me. I spend the vast majority of that first century of my game turtling in Sicily, and when I finally checked how the factions elsewhere in the map were doing, the whole world had changed around me while I was distracted in my little corner of it. As enar as I can tell, Parthia and Baktria thrashed the Seleucids first, who wasted their armies stalemating with Ptolemy, then after sitting on Greece forever Macedonia just steamrolled the two former superpowers.

And just recently Macedonia and the Parthians broke their alliance, making me wonder if a confrontation is coming up. It's been such a fun game I'm thinking of starting an aar...

So you'll be pushing all the way to Greece to finish what earlier Persian Empiresh had started? I wish good luck to Pontos then, that they may have a brief time of hegemony in Greece before being crushed under the heel of Parthia. :clown:

[anubis88]

They really surprised me. I spend the vast majority of that first century of my game turtling in Sicily, and when I finally checked how the factions elsewhere in the map were doing, the whole world had changed around me while I was distracted in my little corner of it. As enar as I can tell, Parthia and Baktria thrashed the Seleucids first, who wasted their armies stalemating with Ptolemy, then after sitting on Greece forever Macedonia just steamrolled the two former superpowers.

And just recently Macedonia and the Parthians broke their alliance, making me wonder if a confrontation is coming up. It's been such a fun game I'm thinking of starting an aar...

So you'll be pushing all the way to Greece to finish what earlier Persian Empiresh had started? I wish good luck to Pontos then, that they may have a brief time of hegemony in Greece before being crushed under the heel of Parthia. :clown:

Wow, interesting. However, i have a feeling that Macedon will crush Parthia, since Baktria is probably at war with them as well, and they IMHO will not be able to compete against both of them.

Well my plan is to conquer as much as Parthia had IRL, and then wage a huge war with Rome.
First i want to make Armenia conquer some Seleucid land, and i help them since they are my allies with armies and money, since i want them to be strong once i'll fight them. Also i hope the Saka will win their huge everlasting war with Baktria on their own, and if they do, they will probably start attacking my empire, and i hope i will lose a battle finaly:laugh4:.

They have some pretty scary full stacks, full of HA, catas and FMs, which would make some extremly usefull battles.

as for my self, i will slowly conquer all the lands east of the Euphretes, and wait for Rome :clown:

[Dyabedes of Aphrodisias]

Just got EB 1.2 and started up a Sweboz campaign. All good so far, but this picture isn't current (I'm at about 216BC now, the picture is 230BC) but the only big differences involve my own expansion.

https://img138.imageshack.us/img138/4289/progressq.png

The AI expansion in this version has improved excessively! The Lusotannan, Sab'yn, Getai and Casse grew a pair, and the BI.exe has provided some interesting foreign wars. The Ptolemies are effectively extinct; they've been driven into the desert and it won't be long before the Macedonians, Seleucids and Saba are fighting over the booty. The Arche Seleukeia has become formidable only because of the downfall of Ptolemaic Egypt; they're being tempered by Makedonia and Epeiros at the west and the various colors of the east. The Saba seem like more of a serious pest than a serious power; they just keep taking and losing various minor territories of the the Ptolemaioi and Seleukids.

The Romani have produced an interesting expansion as well; going west because Carthago won't let them have Sicily. These two factions are constantly at war, sissy-fighting and trading back and forth various Mediterranean islands. Carthage could do some damage of they landed their stacks in Italia rather than Sicilia. The Romani made an attempt at eastern expansion by landing a stack in the heart of Epeiros, but they failed to send support after them. They somehow let the Gauls get all the way to Serdike, choosing to attack the Lusotanna instead, making some headway there.

The Getai are making some awesome progress (since this picture I've "inherited" Gawjam-Bastarnoz from their clumsy governing). Also currently the Arverni are extinct at my hand, the Aedui have been significantly damaged by my invasion and my raids after they foolishly decided upon an attack into modern-day Belgium and by the Romans to the south (my allies), and the Romani should be preparing for a German invasion after betraying me (they decided to go for an unguarded but totally pillaged and raped Viennos before it got to rebel back to the Aedui).

[Cute Wolf]

The most tiresome period (played in 5 days!) in this campaign, as I command simultaneously massive invasion, consist of 3 Strategos at the west, lead about 5 fullstack (2 are led by captain as reserve), and 1 Strategos led the Black sea encirclement with 2 fullstack (1 are led by captain as reserve).

https://i574.photobucket.com/albums/ss184/Cutewolf/KH_Progress_4.jpg

[Beefy187]

Roman VH/M Vanilla
I just got past 200 BC as the Romans, and I've been in war with combined army of Luso and Getai.

Was playing on 2 army at any one time, having to be led by Consuls. Otherwise, I had to auto resolve.
After a nice and slow reaction, conquering Taras, Region and Sicily, I sat there raising my family members.

Then I got bored and went to fight Satres and his elite Alpine army. That is when the trouble begin....
After a few turns, full stack Getai came and sacked my city. (I had one of the Juliis governing the place)

After fighting few stacks of them in the North Italian front, Luso who just finished conquering the entire Gaul... came and attacked my place.

They had about 6 full stack army constantly besieging one of the three Northern Italian city.. I just couldn't handle it and had to Force Diplomacy ceasefire a couple of times...

I had to call it a end of role playing, and built two more stacks.

KH is occasionally sending a few units via Fleet for Taras too.

I never feared the AI up till now :sweatdrop:

[Hax]

Beefy, there's no picture. Is that intentional?

[Beefy187]

I'm on a different computer.
And my key board doesn't let me do cheat codes :sweatdrop:

[Africanus]

Here's my Romani campaign so far - VH/M.

Just vanquished the Luso a few turns befor this shot. I prefer to beat down my enemies and leave them one province (except for Carthage), but the Lusos sent their last remaining family member to attack me (bad idea :beam:).

I allied with the Sweboz during the first year of the campaign and it's held up so far.



https://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh241/LVA/RomeTW-BI2010-01-0820-02-12-73.jpg?t=1263010349

[Unintended BM]

Makedonia, 216, M/M

https://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w276/Indoril_Jarsa/EB%20pics/aiprogress216.jpg

Getai and Pontos are my protectorates, and stupid Rome keeps getting to like 23000 is Capua and then all of the sudden their population growth dips down to -2%. I guess I'll take Tarsos and start a war with the Ptolemies. I bought like half the land I have. Makedonia is a peaceful nation.

As for AI, I like what Baktria has done. They've gotten quite large since the last time I looked at them. The Getai rarely get such a large amount of land in my games, but I've been paying them off with huge amounts of money most of the time. Pontos had Ankyra, Sinope, and Trapezous, but I bought all of them because they're my protectorate and I didn't want to ruin that. The Romans and the Sweboz and sandwiching Gaul. The Ptolemies and I are splitting up Seleukid land.

[Hax]

Arche Seleukeia
231 BC
BI.exe
No cheats/force diplomacy (save toggle_fow)

https://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x152/Elphir/EB/Seleukeia231BC.jpg
Allies: Saba
Enemies: Ptolemaioi, Pontos, Pahlava (the three P's), Saka-Rauka, Makedonia
Dead: Arverni, Aedui

Arverni: Dead. Killed around 5 years ago by Romani
Aedui: Idem
Baktria: Not doing that much at the moment. Just...walking around my borders and taking some cities in the far east. Allied to the Pahlava though, scum.
Casse: *tumbleweed (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZOm_G1as7g)*
Epeiros: Was reduced to Taras by Makedonia, took Capua at one point, but now is reduced to Taras again.
Getai: Engaged in a fatal struggle to the death with Makedonia. Their death, I think. I might just help them out.
Hayasdan: ... (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2r0JILoJLA)
Kart-Hadast: Doing their own thingies in North Africa, I think
Koinon Hellenon: Well, they actually got Syrakousai and started expanding from their. They are the blue thingies in Sicily and Olbia.
Lusotannan: Taking Iberia, cool and easy
Makedonia: Betrayed me, sieged Pergamon. They learned they shouldn't do that when I have a fullstack nearby. So I killed that army and took Mytilene. I don't want to cross into Greece just yet, although it might be very handy to have more factional troops hanging around..hmm...
Pahlava: Betrayed me in the first turn! Vhat a tvist! Took Asaak, lost it again after twenty years. I then took Nisa as well. They are pretty much reduced to nothing right now.Pontos: Betrayed me around 235, I reduced them to just Sinope.
Ptolemaioi: I took all of their cities outside of Egypt by 250 BC. I moved into Egypt around 245/240 BC, and took most of their cities. They sometimes try to attack Diospolis Megale, but are kicked back to the south all the time
Romani: Went totally insane. They killed the Arverni and Aedui and controls the lower part of Gaul.
Saba: Pretty cool guys. Meroë rebelled to them and they took all of Arabia. I have this foreboding feeling that they'll betray me (soon) though.
Saka-Rauka: They're not really that spectacular, as they haven't managed to run over Marakanda yet. They took Eschateia at one point, but that city rebelled back to me.
Sauromatae: Do I need to mention the Tumbleweed again?
Sweboz: Assisted the Romans in killing the Gauls, and controls Germania as well as northern Gaul. Let's see what will happen...

[Zim]

I've always wondered, does the Black Sea area produce much income? I keep meaning to start a Getai game and taking all the ports along the Black Sea...


Makedonia, 216, M/M

https://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w276/Indoril_Jarsa/aiprogress216.jpg

[Unintended BM]

Well, the main reason I took most of those towns were these guys:

https://www.europabarbarorum.com/i/units/eleutheroi/blacksea/rebel_thureopheromenoi_toxotai.gif

And horse archers.

Other than that, I think Kotais and Trapezous have mines. Coastal cities in general give you decent amounts of money. The two towns in the steppes, the ones east and west of the Crimean towns, they probably don't give you much money, but once you hold them for a while, let the population build up, etc., I bet they're pretty good trading cities.

[Cute Wolf]

Yeah, the best archer in the game..... save for Kretans that was better in melee anyway.

[anubis88]

Yeah, the best archer in the game..... save for Kretans that was better in melee anyway.

I thought that to, but now i use subeshi archers. They are killers, since i think they have the maximum range in the game, so they really kick unarmoured units asses.

EDIT: Damn, it seems that this was just my imagination, since i looked up the unit details :S

[anubis88]

Anyways, here's my Parthian Empire at 118 BC:
https://img517.imageshack.us/img517/7030/lololols.png

I further attacked Baktria, and conquered some land from them, which i made vassal kingdoms. I made the mistake of capturing Samarkand and letting it rebel, since it rebelled to my allies the Saka, which are now at war with me.

Baktria is no more then a petty province nowdays.

the AS are just incredible. They still have huge armies. And they kicked Ptoly asses, kicked the KH from cyrene and Augila, and are giving me a hard time. They get to war with Pontos every turn, but then declare a ceasfire the same turn.

Pontos has gone crazy. They practicaly destroyed the KH mainland, despite KH being the second or third power in the world for most of the game, at some time holding the entire starting positions of Eperios and Makedonia, + the wester part of Micra Asia.

Rome is still trying to put down the "rebellions" in Spain, but they can't quite finish them off. Velika is a real stronghold. They are going back and forth with Carthage in Africa, and if they had a competent commander there, they would destroy them by now.

Epeiros is a regional power, not letting the Romans invade a greece.

I attacked a few AS holdings, but managed only to get Damascus and gave it to the Ptolys, + Pork hayk (or whateva) and gave it back to the Hai.

Hayasdan can't get Armavir back to them. IMHO when they succed, the entire AS power may diminish, since Hayasdan will be a worthy adversary once more.


Oh, and sorry for the white crap at the bottom, but my MPaint skills really suck:clown:

[bobbin]

Romani 195bc
https://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g177/0404625/romani195bc.jpg
Currently fighting the Lusotann and have seized all their Gallic holdings, I'm hoping to make peace with them at some point as I have no desire to involve myself in Iberia right now.
The Getai have also attacked me but have been halted by the presence of one of my armies camped out on the only bridge into my territory, they seem hesitant to attack now only having a few small armies hovering nearby doing nothing.

My next move is strengthen my position in Gaul by conquering the Aedui who are weak and ripe for the taking as well as absorbing the Sweboz enclave. As for the Arverni I shall leave them be as they have been faithful allies for many years and will serve as a strong buffer against any Sweboz attacks.

In other parts of the map, the Pahlava are attacking Pontos who has cleverly established a foothold in the Crimea as a safe haven, it remains to be seen if the Pahlava can capture and hold any settlements so far from thier centres of power.

The Ptolemaioi are embroiled in a war with the Saba but whilst besting them in almost every battle they are not making much headway due to the remote and rebellious nature of the Saba cities.

The Seleukids having nearly completed their miraculous recovery from complete defeat are poised to capture the last Makedonian city and a reinforce their postion as a strong regional power.

Greece is a complete warzone but the Eporites seem to have the upper hand now.

[XSamatan]

I love your map Hax! Nice idea and beautiful done!

XSamatan

[anubis88]

Well here it is... My first game to go beyond 100BC...:2thumbsup:

My Pahlava campaign at 95BC.
https://img36.imageshack.us/img36/8983/nanet.png.

It took ages for me to help Rome to get Utica. I bribed a Carthaginian general, and made a full stack of mercenaries and after about 10 years i managed to conquer the City, and give it to Rome. Now there's no more worries of their Republic to brake down in Africa.

On the Eastern part:
The Ptolies were about to be destroyed, having only Damascus left, so i started an invasion in Syria, captured Antiochia, Palmyra and Sidon, in gave them with money to the Ptolies, just so i don't have to fight an extremly rich Seleucid Empire.

I just attacked my long term allies, Hayasdan, since i was really starting to get bored, and i decided to capture Arbela and Phraaspa.:shame:

I also helped Rome a bit, on their eastern front, and they finaly managed to destroy what was left of Epeiros. Now the war with Pontos will probably start.

SPQR has like 8 full stacks patrolling W Gaul and Spain, and they still let their provinces rebel!!:wall::wall:.

I will probably have to move those armies myself, in order to give them a chance in the following Mithridatic wars.:yes:

P.S. Notice the irony, with the Seleucids having Egypt, and Ptolies Syria.

Oh, and i forgot to mention the KH creating a Bosphoran kingdom by now... I forgot to write it on the picture... Oh well

[Molinaargh]

I wish my maps were balanced like that in the late game. One AI faction always conquers most others. Maybe they're too agressive on VH? What difficulty are you playing at, anubis?

[anubis88]

VH.

But i'm using Force diplomacy to steer the Romans in the right way. Other then that i help the Ptolies(without FD, they're more like my vassals in syria) but noone alse. It is indeed remarkable how long some factions are alive.

Lusotana for one, just wont go away. Iberian Cities keep rebelling to them. Also the Getai are protectorates of Pontos for about 50 years, so they are safe. KH was once a great empire, but now they live only on Crete and the Bosphoran kingdom, which are pretty secure. (Altough the Ptolies have 2 huge stacks on crete, but neverming.

I recommend you try using FD. But use it only to help the stupid AI.

[Dyabedes of Aphrodisias]

Update:

The Known World According to the Swebozez, ~160BC
https://img62.imageshack.us/img62/5007/mapt.png

Right now at war with Rome. Going to sack a few more major cities and trade peace for Patavium and protectoracy so they won't be a problem in the future. The Seleukids are mighty (mighty!). They've decided to reunite Alexander's empire I guess, and are currently working on Hellas proper. They've got dozens of stacks running about north of Greece, spewing over from Anatolia. They've made the Getai their protectorate, kicked Makedonia out of their homeland and now are wresting the rest of it from Epeiros (though somewhat unsuccessfully). It seems to be stalemated, and has been for the last several years. The Epeirotes, Getai, Makedonians and Aedui combined produce just enough regional power to equalize the Seleukid war machine in the area. The Aedui are on their deathbed I predict. Their migration to Illyria wasn't too good for them; too many factions vying for those lands, and they're without their factional troops. At war with Rome, Epeiros and Seleukia without factional troops...

[Horatius Flaccus]

Beautiful expansion! I like how the Seleucids haven't expanded to the steppes or into Meroe.

[anubis88]

Beautiful expansion! I like how the Seleucids haven't expanded to the steppes or into Meroe.

And Pergamon is the only "superpower" whom the Seleucid can't conquer!:2thumbsup: You gotta love that little rebel spot:yes:

[Dyabedes of Aphrodisias]

And Pergamon is the only "superpower" whom the Seleucid can't conquer!:2thumbsup: You gotta love that little rebel spot:yes:
That is kind of a funny little thing there. The Epeirotes, too - they were down to just Ambrakia not terribly long ago. Then they exploded, taking all of Hellas proper from the Makedonians, whom I thought were going to be the next major regional power, then themselves being pushed back by the Seleucids.

[Zim]

In 272 the Sweboz were, at best a regional power, but that would change with the ascension of Heruwulfaz. Heruwulfaz led the confederation against neighboring tribes, bringing ever more of them into the confederation. As his people's territory grew, so did his fame, and every tribe conquered eagerly provided troops on the promise of a share in the loot, as well as a share in the leadership of the Confederation for their own rulers. Heruwulfaz would become known as Waldondz Theudom Alaizom, "Ruler of all Tribes". Even many of the Baltic and Celtic tribes became vassals of his, and all across the Confederation and its vassal states mourned when he died in 228 B.C.

Since then the Sweboz have been under the rule of a succession of shortlived rulers, none who would gain the fame of their predecessor. Sweboz land and influence would continue to grow, but in fits. Neighboring tribes and nations, sensing weakness in the Confederation's lack of a strong ruler, have attacked. In the east the Getai are barely held back, their archers raining death on German troops, while the presence of horsemen with both riders and cavalry clothed in chain on the northeastern borders frightens the garrisons there. In the south the incessant raids of the Romani have forced the current ruler Leubaweniz to strike at the Po Valley in an attempt to prove to the Sweboz vassal states that the Confederation can still protect them.

Current extent of Sweboz influence.

https://img7.imageshack.us/img7/5619/sweboz219.jpg (https://img7.imageshack.us/i/sweboz219.jpg/)

1. Sweboz core territories.

2. Allied German tribes.

3. Baltic and Slavic allied vassal tribes.

4. Alpine Celtic vassal tribes.

5. Enclave of Patavium, ruled by Erilaz.

Important figures in the Confederation


Herulwufaz, regarded as the Confederations greatest ruler, who passed away in 228 B.C..

https://img7.imageshack.us/img7/6659/rometwbi201001101755219.jpg (https://img7.imageshack.us/i/rometwbi201001101755219.jpg/)

Leubaweniz, current ruler of the Sweboz. Accusations of cowardice and weakness have just finally started to fade away after his successful campaign in Northern Italy, but the overstretching of Sweboz resources may prove disastrous.

https://img196.imageshack.us/img196/6561/rometwbi201001172312546.jpg (https://img196.imageshack.us/i/rometwbi201001172312546.jpg/)

Erilaz, a close compatriot of Leubaweniz, has grown covetous of the riches of the civilized cities to the south. He's been placed in Patavium both in an attempt to satiate his greed and to keep a watch on the Celtic vassals nearby.

https://img508.imageshack.us/img508/6774/rometwbi201001172313104.jpg (https://img508.imageshack.us/i/rometwbi201001172313104.jpg/)

Young and ambitious, Segumerjaz was granted rulership over the Alpine Celtic vassal tribes in exchange for his service in conquering them. He would like to see his kingdom gain further autonomy from the Confederation, but unable to withstand Roman excursions on his own he's been forced to call upon Leubaweniz for aid, further tying his fortunes to the Sweboz ruler. On the plus side, he's likely to gain Mediolanum out of the deal...

https://img199.imageshack.us/img199/2568/rometwbi201001172313542.jpg (https://img199.imageshack.us/i/rometwbi201001172313542.jpg/)

Brandafusaz is the supposed defender of the eastern tribes, and responsible for the Baltic peoples since their last native ruler died. However, he's become tied up in attempted conquests of Getic land, while behind him Carrodunum is sieged by Steppe peoples.

https://img16.imageshack.us/img16/5231/defenderofeasterntribes.jpg (https://img16.imageshack.us/i/defenderofeasterntribes.jpg/)

[Molinaargh]

I like your characters, Zim.

Pahlava VH/M, 231 B.C.
https://img407.imageshack.us/img407/8126/ebscreenshot9.jpg

Restarted playing an old Pahlava game. Baktria took 2 cities from me at some point, but now I'll be the one taking cities :smash:

[Tiberius Claudius Marcellus]

***UPDATED! PICTURES NOW AVAILABLE!!!***

I am playing the Romans (VH/M) and am not using Force Diplomacy or toggling FoW. All intel comes from spies and map swaps.

STARTING IN 272 BC
https://i569.photobucket.com/albums/ss132/usmarinestanker/EBMAP272-2.jpg

262 BC


https://i569.photobucket.com/albums/ss132/usmarinestanker/ebmap262.jpg

Europe
10 years into the game the fledgling SPQR has soundly thrashed the Epirote presence in Kalabria (city: Taras) and has put the traitorous rebels to the sword in Brettia (city: Rhegion). The Senate has decided to work on the economy of the land and attempt to make relations with the various tribes more harmonious. Peace and trade has been achieved with the Sweboz and Arverni, the fragile alliance with Carthage remains in tact, and tempers are beginning to cool towards the Epirote Greeks.

Hellas is a hotbed of military strife and conflict, but the Makedonians appear to be gaining the upper hand.

The Sweboz are working on subduing all the tribes within their greater homeland region as are the Arverni - steadily manhandling the Aedui on the battlefield without managing to conquer any settlements that would enable them to control the region.

Asia
The Ptolemies have completely annihilated the central and eastern forces of the AS. They have conquered all Seleucid territory east of Anatolia with the exception of three remote and mountainous provinces: Parapomisadai (city: Kophen), Sogdiane (city: Marakanda), and Arachosia (city: Alexandropolis).

All other factions remain rather unimpressive at this time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

252 BC


https://i569.photobucket.com/albums/ss132/usmarinestanker/EBMAP252.jpg

Europe
The SPQR has achived an uneasy alliance with the Arverni in an attempt to mutually dissuade the Aedui from further aggression. Closer to home, the tribes in the areas of Liguria and Aemilia have become more accepting of Roman hegemony in the region - possibly because of the constant presence of two legions in the area to "assist" the tribes in repelling further Celtic invasions of the penninsula. Trade relations have been established with the Epirotes. No further expansion as the economy continues to grow.

The Aedui have continued to dominate the battlefield against the Arverni. The only thing stopping their complete subjugation of all Gallic tribes is the tenuous Triumvirate of the last strongholds of the Arverni, Sweboz, and SPQR.

The Lusotannan have firmly allied themselves with Carthage and have used the occasion of a secure southern border to extend their influence over all of northern Iberia, up to the Pyrenees and the contested border with the Aedui.

The Makedones have been halted from complete control of Hellas and Illyria by stout Epirote resistance, however, both city-states of Athenai and Sparte have succumbed to Makedonian oppression. Not to be deterred from their stalled westward expansion, the Basileus of the Makedones has sent his armies north and eastward into Dardanoia (city: Serdike), Odrysai (city: Tylis), and Chersonesos Thraikia (city: Byzantion) to obtain tributes and men-at-arms to crush the Epirote resistance.

The Epirote Greeks have stalwartly smashed several full stack Makedonian armies and sent the remnants fleeing into the hills. Emboldened by this turn of events, the Great Pyrrhus has taken advantage of the weakness of his neighbors and subjected the tribes of Dalmatia (city: Dalminion), Pannonia Illyrica (city: Segestica), and Scorcouw (city: Singidunum) to his levy of taxes and soldiers.

Seemingly unbeknownst to the major combatants in Hellas, the Getai have extended their influence to include Getia Koile (city: Sarmiszegethusa), Mikra Skythia (city: Kallatis), Thraikia Hypertera (city: Naissos), and Skythia (city: Olbia). Meanwhile, refugees of Athenai and Sparte, aided by ships of their Rhodian allies, have established a government-in-exile in Bosporion Tyrranesis (city: Pantikapaion).

Asia
The AS have re-conquered one or two provinces from the Ptolemies, however Baktria has expanded into India, without having re-taken Marakanda) and now has units with elephants.

The Pahlavans are holding well against continued Ptolemaic incursions in to the steppes, but are otherwise stagnant, having only captured Dahyu Mazsakata (city: Gava-Mazsakata). The Saka and Sauromatae are also stagnant, having only captured Saka Yagbu (city: Gava Saka) and Dahyu Yugra (city: Gava-Yugra) respectively.

In Anatolia, the ruling dynasty of the Hayasdan has been either captured or killed by the burgeoning military machine that is Pontos. The Pontic forces have annihilated all Seleucid forces in Anatolia and filled the power vacuum by supplanting the regional satrapies of the AS with their own. Heady with the sense of invincibility that comes from having so soundly defeated a super power, a Pontic army has freed the Ptolemaic city of Side, in Pamphylia, from "Greek oppression".

Ptolemaic response to this assault has been - in a word - :flower:. Rather than send an army to relieve the besieged city, they have taken to spawning half stacks of crap to patrol their internal regions.

Africa
The mighty trading empire of the Carthaginians has spent the last decades eliminating strongholds of pesky desert tribes that were raiding their caravans. Hegemony of the western portion of the continent is complete and a mighty fortress and outpost at Kyrene, in Kyrenaia, has been founded in order to dissuade Ptolemaic westward expansion. Diplomatic efforts are underway in Iberia to attempt to sway the southern tribes to their side, rather that submit to a greater Lusotannan-led collective. Outright expansion in Iberia has been non-existant.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

242 BC


https://i569.photobucket.com/albums/ss132/usmarinestanker/ebmap242.jpg

Europe
War has erupted between the Carthaginians and the Res Publica! After several lengthy sieges and field battles between three and four armies at a time, the legions of Rome have driven off the Punic forces and those of their allies from the entire island of Sicilia. Roman control was shortly established with some rioting in Syrakousai, but no outright rebellion. In the northern lands of the Italic penninsula, the tribes of Liguria and Aemilia welcomed Roman protection and officially became part of the Republic. Due to the military interactions of the legions of the SPQR and its conflicts with Celtic and Punic armies, military reforms were adopted by the Senate and tactics and equipment has changed for the better!

The Aedui have conquered all of Gaul, vanquishing the last strong hold of the Arverni in 245 BC. They took advantage of the Roman war with Carthage and the Sweboz attempting to move south in to the homelands of the extremely independent tribes in Rhaetia, Noricae, and Mrogbonna. Without these strong allies, the Arverni stood no chance against the juggernaut of their brothers. Though in doing so, they have technically gone to war with the SPQR and the Sweboz, both nations appear quite willing to offer terms of peace - if only to strengthen themselves for the war to come.

It would appear that the Lusotannan have also taken a page from the playbook of the Aedui by declaring war on their former ally and joining the side of Rome! War was declared on the Carthaginians and the entirety of Iberia fell under the sway of the Lusotannan chieftains within five years. Apparently the Punic diplomatic efforts were for naught.

Hellas remains stalemated, but the Makedonians have crossed the Bosphorus and have taken the coastal regions of Bithynia (city: Nikaia), Mysia (city: Pergammon), the island of Lesbos (City: Mytilene), and Lydia (city: Sardis) - putting them at odds now with the firmly established Pontic Kingdom of Mithradates.

To the north, the Getai have gone to war with both Epiros and Makedon, determined to plunder the riches of their cities. The strongholds of Lucorattea, Gawjam-Bastarnoz, and Sigdunum and their surrounding farmlands have come under the purview of the Getic king.

Asia
The last reigning Basileu of the Arche Seleukia was deposed by a Ptolemaic general in 248 BC. Enriched with slaves and material wealth, the Ptolemies strengthened their internal infrastructure and sent military forays into Arabia to secure the wealth of the trade routes there, as well as to confront the growing threats of Pontos, Pahlava, and Baktria.

Pontos has responded to the new Makedonian threat by stationing large armies at bridges and choke points on the west of their newly acquired Anatolian territories, and have further expanded their grasp into the independent territories of Egrisi (city: Kotais), Kartli (city: Mtskheta), Aghvan (city: Kabalaka), and Adurbadegan (city: Phraaspa). Several sieges against Egyptian-controlled Tarsos and Antiocheia were soundly beaten back.

Baktria has mustered its armies, swollen with infantry and elephant recruits from India, and began to whittle away at the field armies of the Ptolemies in their eastern regions, without successfully conquering any settlements of note. They are experiencing severe losses to the newly mobilized hordes of the Saka Rauka.

The Saka have exploded over central Asia and extended their domain to Dahyu Alanna (city: Gava-Alanna) in the west, Kangha (city: Chach) in the south west, and Xiyu (city: Sulek) in the south east. Multiple armies, some more independent and aggressive, and others more loyal to the King and controlled, roam their borders ready to raid and conquer at a moment's notice.

Not to be caught unready, the Sauromatae have also sped headlong towards the Saka to halt their expansion in to the homelands. They control all lands in between Dahyu Mazsakata (city: Gava-Mazsakata) to Sapmi (city: Asodat) to Neurije (city: Gordu-Neuije) to Maeotis (city: Tanais).

Africa
Stunned by their defeat in Sicilia and by their betrayal by the Lusotannan, the Carthaginian leadership is at a loss as to how to respond. Sensing this weakness, admirals of the navy have begun to raid Roman and Lusotannan shipping without direct orders in an attempt to help rectify the situation and to exert Punic influence in the Mediterranean. They successfully prevented a flotilla of Roman biremes from reaching their destination of Sardinia to land troops. The entire armada with its legions and two generals was sent to the depths of Poseidon's realm. Rumors on the trade routes claim that desert nomads are revolting and harassing the southern reaches of Carthage's holdings in Africa. Could this be a result of the lack of clear leadership and decision making in Carthage?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

232 BC

Europe
The legions of Rome have completed their conquest of Sardinia and Corsica, gaining the military and trade ports there. Troops have been permanently garrisoned to serve as a buffer for the Italic main land. Further north, legions have crushed opposition to Roman dominance and enslaved the populations of Mediolanum, in Insubramrog, and Patavium, in Venetia. The entire Italic peninsula now lies under the purview of the Senate and People of Rome. Citizen ship has been extended to many thousands of land owners and the Samnites have finally paid their debt to Rome for having rebelled and resisted so long ago. A one-sided peace was pressed upon Carthage, and tribute flows regularly into the coffers.

The Lusotannan have broken through the border defenses of the Aedui and their unwashed hordes have poured into the regions of Aquitae (city: Burdigala), Lemorisae (city: Lemonum), and Volcallra (city: Tolosa). Multiple armies roam the countryside and even the Chief of Kings has been seen leading their forces in battle.

The Aedui are in a desperate struggle to repel the invading Lusotannan. Diplomatic efforts have been mostly unsuccessful - though an allied general and his army was bribed to join the side of the defenders. To add to their dire situation, they are also defending against the Sweboz on their east.

The Sweboz have bided their time until now to take vengeance for the disgrace of not coming to the aid of their allies, the Arverni. They have conquered and put to the sword the inhabitants of the cities of Bagacos, Vesontio, and Aventicos. The uneasy truce with the Romans appears to be a stumbling block before their hurried assault.

The Getai and the Epirotes have obtained an uneasy peace - both sides having fought to a stand still. The Makedonians, seeing that both of its enemies are, while injured, still viable opponents, consolidates its holdings in Hellas and turns its attention to the east - fighting Pontos in undecisive skirmishes.

Asia
The Ptolemies have bolstered the defenses of their central and eastern holdings with the troops and riches gained from the destruction of the imposter successor state. Though having lost a few provinces to Baktria, they and Pahlava have been fought to a standstill. In Anatolia, Greek arms have driven back the marauding armies of the pretended "king" of Pontos and all of the holdings of the former "kingdom" of Hayasdan from Ani-Kamah in Pokr Hayk to Phraaspa in Adurbadegan now bow to the indominable will of Pharaoh. Several armies have also wandered the deserts of Arabia attempting to raid the camps of the Bedouin nomads and dominate the political landscape, but as soon as an army is withdrawn, the locals murder the strongman imposed upon them as a governor and continue to deny Egypt total control of the sea trade routes to India.

The "new" Persian kingdom of Pontos has suffered huge territorial and financial losses from the Egyptian offensive. While able to keep Makedonia at bay, for the time being, they are slowly being ground into dust.

The various nomad clans and tribes wander the steppes raiding their own members as often as they join forces to attack a common enemy. No banner stands to dominate the area completely at this time. The Indo-Greeks of Baktria have seen success against the infantry based armies of the Ptolemies, but they are peppered with arrows until there is barely left a man alive and the survivors run down in droves by the horsemen from the north.

Africa
Carthage continues to remain stagnant and impotent, even its admirals have given up hope through piracy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

222 BC

Europe
Rome has been busy maintaining its borders against the new Sweboz aggression that has arisen since they are unable to defeat the Lusotannan in battle.

The Lusotannan, still allied with Rome, captured and executed the last remaining family member of the Aedui in the summer of 224 BC. The leaders of about five tribes formerly allied with the Aedui declared their scattered and uncooperative independence. The lands of these tribes are now the stage for a power struggle between the expanding Lusotannan and Sweboz peoples.

All of Hellas remains stagnant in an uneasy peace.

Aisa
Makedonia has gained the advantage over Pontos and is slowly pushing eastward, fully occupying half of Anatolia.

The Ptolemies have forced their liberating governance on the peoples of Arabia, leaving the Saba one encampment and trading port at Homna in the land of Maketa. In the north of their realm, the nomadic Persians of Pahlava have been aroused by the riches of Pharaoh's cities and have struck out to make them their own, conquering Asaak, Zadrakata, and Hekatompylos.

The nomadic tribes to the north continue to squabble over grazing and hunting grounds, exchanging ownership every few seasons.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

212 BC

Europe
No longer able to simply stand by while other nations expand, the Senate and People of Rome laid their eyes upon the rich mountain mines and coastal ports of Illyria - occupied by their long time enemies of Epiros. Several legions were dispatched by land and sea to blockade ports and to capture the various villages and towns of the lands. The regional capitols of Segestica, Dalminion, and Epidamnos were wrested from the Greeks and are now firmly under the thumb of Roman rule. Reinforcements were sent to bolster the defenses and to provide fresh troops for the counter attacks that were sure to come.

The son of the Molossian recoiled in abject terror as his lands were taken from him and his people sold in to slavery. He withdrew his remaining armies into the last bastions of his power - Ak-Ink and Singidunum; all others having been plundered by both the Getai. There he plotted the demise of his enemies and the defense of his kingdom.

The Getai have expanded their holdings to the borders of the Sauromatae in the north and the Sweboz in the northwest. There were still the remaining Epirotes and a few independent tribes separating themselves from the Romans.

While at first aiding the Romans financially for their support against the barbarian Epirotes, the Makedonians did not appreciate the fact that Roman legions were there to stay and so betrayed their alliance and besieged the garrison at Epidamnos. While this army was repulsed, it weakened the Romans enough to be able to lay siege to the other two newly conquered cities. The two regional powers were bound in a death grip - only one could be allowed to survive.

In western Europe, the Lusotannan had conquered and subjugated the entirety of Gaul, including the independent state of Greseoallra (city: Massalia) and were pressing into Sweboz homelands. The Sweboz, meanwhile were pressing back into Gaul and each side was suffering terrible losses. When they could, they continued to send armies across the alps to besiege Mediolanum - always unsuccessfully.

Asia
With their war in Hellas against the Romans, Makedonian military might was reduced without territorial loss in Anatolia by steady Pontic defenses and by a resurgence of Ptolemaic forces brought to the area by the newly forged Ptolemaic-Roman alliance, forged out of their mutual distrust and hatred of these pretended heirs to the throne of Alexander.

Pontos had been effectively reduced to its starting position plus Sinope and Trapezous while the Yellow Death continued to swallow them whole.

All other factions kept each other in check with occasional border changes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

202 BC

Europe
The Roman war machine was in full gear, churning out two fully equipped and trained legions each year. Epic battles were fought in the mountain passes and forested hills of Hellas. Casualties on both sides ran in the hundreds of thousands until eventually, all of Hellas that remained in Makedonian control were Athenai, Chalkis, Tylis, and Byzantion. Roman spy and assassin networks wreaked havoc amongst the operatives of the Baileus, killing several family members and destroying much needed infrastructure to support the war effort.

To the west, the Lusotannan began to assault the borders of the SPQR, besieging Segesta and even Mediolanum when they occupied the lands to the north. They were in a death lock with the Sweboz and sought to outmaneuver them by flanking through the Italian Alps. The Sweboz, however, fought hard and valiantly and took the border territories from the Lusotannan while still managing to raid the lower portions of the Amber Route within Getic lands.

The Getai raided the stagnant Epirote Greeks and fortified their new border with Roman occupied Hellas. It was to their north, however, where they focused their attention on the expanding and raiding Sauromatae horde.

Asia
Its holdings in Hellas all but lost, the Makedones renewed their war effort and soundly defeated several full stacks of Ptolemaic reinforcements meant to crush the true heirs of Alexander. While in Europe they may be on the run, in Asia they are here to stay.

All other factions appeared to remain stagnant with occasional border changes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

192 BC

Europe
Roman military might has driven the Makedones further out of Hellas by capturing both Athenai and Chalkis. Still the proud Makedones refuse to surrender and accept terms of peace. The economy of Hellas has been restored and plundered loot and trade from its myriad of ports has caused the coffers of the Senate and People of Rome to overflow. A systematic removal of all things Hellenic, save for wonders, has been instituted and the cities and people now have a proper Roman look and feel to them. With this victory, multitudes of troops are freed for duty in the alps against both the Sweboz and the Lusotannan. Roman legions have marched forth and liberated the peoples of Massalia and even so far as Aventicos in Helvetis. While the first city is held and defended successfully, the latter was overrun within a year - two legions and a consul being slaughtered by both the combined armies of the Sweboz and the Lusotannan.

The rest of Europe remains a constantly changing chessboard. While the Lusotannan are strong in one area, the Sweboz are strong in another, and so balance is achieved. The Getai remain engaged in their border skirmishes to the north and have accepted a strong peace with their new Roman neighbors.

Asia
The Saka have broken through Baktrian defenses, leaving them only six territories in the south east corner of the map. The Pahlava have flanked the Saka and drove eastward into their newly weakened neighbors. Territories between the two are exchanged randomly. The Sauromatae have yet to expand any further, simply patrolling their borders with full stacks of well-mixed units.

The Ptolemies have withdrawn from their war with Makedonia after their stunning losses in Anatolia and have also seemed to have granted clemency to the kingdom of Pontos - not having acted against it in nearly 20 years.

[johnhughthom]

https://i405.photobucket.com/albums/pp139/johnhughthom/testappa2010-01-2122-35-30-86-1.jpg

226 in my Casse AAR campaign, have just built up my one city and let the AI play out itself.

[Unintended BM]

https://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w276/Indoril_Jarsa/EB%20pics/RomeAI-1.jpg

Stupid Aedui is expanding too much. I was happily taking over Iberia at my own pace, when the Aedui became the most advanced faction. Then, I notice just how big they've gotten and a year or two later, they attacked. Annoying, but I can probably defend most of my Iberian holdings.

Other than that, it's surprising how intact the east is. It's 226, and both AS and Ptolemies are still powerful, although, Antioch has recently fallen to the Ptolemies, and that's usually the turning point. I'm not sure how that Indian city turned Parthian. Does it rebel to them?

Also, Ankyra went to the Aedui, which doesn't happen too often.

[gamegeek2]

I love it, Tiberius. Keep up the reports like that!

[Ludens]

Indian cities do rebel to Parthia, to make sure that they've got a non-Greek culture at the start. Not realistic, but the best compromise.

[Finn MacCumhail]

Sweboz VH/VH
on BI

https://i841.photobucket.com/albums/zz332/Jegwettnorskbaralit/EBD/Aiprogr.jpg

Some cities changed their owners every few turns. For example on islands near Italy - Rome and Carthage. Pella - Epirr and Macedonia. Rhodos - KH and Makedonia. Kidonia was attacked by Carthage for several times but attack failed. KH by 240 BC started to conquer Asia minor. Saba besieged Antioch.

[gamegeek2]

https://img715.imageshack.us/img715/4207/bta262.jpg

Basileion tes Asias, 262 BC

With the annexation of Phoinike and Ioudaia, the foul Ptolemaioi have been driven back into Afrike. In Hellas, the Epeirotes have made a strong showing, seizing Pella and many Thraikian lands.

[jerjes78]

My campaign with Makedonia, 252 BC

https://img132.imageshack.us/img132/5600/picture001hx.jpg (https://img132.imageshack.us/i/picture001hx.jpg/)
The situation on the field
https://img145.imageshack.us/img145/3395/picture002ni.jpg (https://img145.imageshack.us/i/picture002ni.jpg/)
Besides Pella, Demetrias and Ambrakia, the rest of the cities are governed by Client Rulers

[gamegeek2]

Money, money, money...

[jerjes78]

Update, Makedonia 242 BC
https://img23.imageshack.us/img23/5251/mundo242.jpg (https://img23.imageshack.us/i/mundo242.jpg/)
As you see nothing really changed besides that I wiped out KH and Ptolies declared war on me.
Recently territorial changes (so to speak :laugh4: ). Btw I love those mines .....
https://img191.imageshack.us/img191/4038/picture010hi.jpg (https://img191.imageshack.us/i/picture010hi.jpg/)

On a side note check this out
https://img163.imageshack.us/img163/8401/picture011lm.jpg (https://img163.imageshack.us/i/picture011lm.jpg/)
I called this guys "The Brat Pack". They're a group of young noble Makedonians in their 20s, often surnamed Argeades wich for one reason or another where not able to join the royal army. They're used mostly to fight Eleuthori in mainland Greece.

Let's go on. After capturing Side I decided to eradicate Egypt from Mikre Asia
https://img18.imageshack.us/img18/8425/picture012sl.jpg (https://img18.imageshack.us/i/picture012sl.jpg/)(in the meantime I "loaned" a lot of money to Hay, Parthia and Baktria)


Battle of Sardis, 240 BC

Order of battle
https://img163.imageshack.us/img163/7696/picture013ih.jpg (https://img163.imageshack.us/i/picture013ih.jpg/)

and aftermath :2thumbsup:
https://img705.imageshack.us/img705/8663/picture014gr.jpg (https://img705.imageshack.us/i/picture014gr.jpg/)
https://img18.imageshack.us/img18/2556/picture015ql.jpg (https://img18.imageshack.us/i/picture015ql.jpg/)

Now, I'm besieging Ipsos figuring it out how to defeat this guys:
https://img706.imageshack.us/img706/7130/ipsos.jpg (https://img706.imageshack.us/i/ipsos.jpg/)
Hope you enjoy

[Molinaargh]

Cool Makedonia campaign, jerjes.

Pahlava, 226 BC.

https://img230.imageshack.us/img230/3484/ebscreenshot12.jpg

Now that I have a border with Saka they are eager to declare war. That army, though, is my "defensive" force in Mesopotamia that attacks the constant Seleukid invasions from Syria. Led by the 10-star Darman e Dahaen.

https://img690.imageshack.us/img690/1857/ebscreenshot11.jpg

I don't know when this trait came up but I don't see it often. Very cool.

https://img18.imageshack.us/img18/9131/ebscreenshot10.jpg

I'm guessing it has to do with these many heroic attacks, highlighted by me.

[STuNTz2023]

VH/M Romani Campaign
https://img168.imageshack.us/img168/9797/roman200bc.jpg

The Aedui are only where they are today due to my actions, at one point had given them most of gaul, and made them my "allies". They also allied with Luso, and eventually both attacked what settlements I had kept in gaul. Leading to what you see now, where they are a border between the sweboz and myself.

By 250BC Makedonia had owned everything on the mainland other than Sparte, and being the Romans i had an abundance of money so I decided to try and send financial support to the Spartans. Well seems they made better use of the money than I had expected. Makedonia now fiddles in Asia Minor but tends to gain and lose territory constantly.

Carthage and the two other main cities were burned down by my armies, and somewhat paralyzed them against the Ptolemaioi. Who between them and Bactria, have eaten the old Arche Seleukeia who have one settlement remaining and won't last long. The Blue and Yellow Deaths are allied for now, see how that goes.

H/M Saka Ruaka Campaign 247BC
https://img526.imageshack.us/img526/8905/saka1.jpg

[anubis88]

The world according to the Romani 218BC

https://img718.imageshack.us/img718/4537/98696818.png

Firstly, I misspelled a few things, since it's already late, but i noticed them only just now, so....

I deliberatly didn't get map info from anyone, since it kinda sucks when you see the entire map, and this way it looks more exotic, really what the Romans would know about the world at the time.

West: Carthage was ammasing land forces in Africa, even though they conquered everything west of Cyrene, so i teleported the armies in Iberia, to rapresent Hannibal, and will soon invade the Peninsula.

The Haedui almost wiped out the Arverni, and i'm barely keeping the alive trough military and financial aid.

The Sweboz went CRAZY. They didn't expande north-east at all, but smartly only West, South, and South East.
Except for 2 cities by the Getai, all of the east on the map belongs to the Sweboz.

The Epirotes were protectorates of a mighty macedon, but they were my allies and so i landed an army in Albania and attacked the Macedonians with the Epirots near, so that they had to declare war. I thought that Macedon would nearly wipe them out, at which point i could intervene and grab a few cities. But to my surprise the Epirots completly outclassed Macedon, whom are berly alive.

The Seleucids are acting very historically. They lose and regain lands all the time. However, Antioch has just fallen to the Ptolies, so i'll have to give the city back to them myself:yes:

[gamegeek2]

Once Antioch falls, it's all downhill from there.

[anubis88]

Once Antioch falls, it's all downhill from there.

I know, that's why i won't let it fall.... ( at least for more then a few turns, got a diplomat and FD ready in the area:yes:)

[jerjes78]

Makedonia campaign, 204BC

https://img402.imageshack.us/img402/9302/picture046d.jpg (https://img402.imageshack.us/i/picture046d.jpg/)

After conquering Alexandreia, 196BC

https://img524.imageshack.us/img524/47/picture047gr.jpg (https://img524.imageshack.us/i/picture047gr.jpg/)

How do you spell "Mare Nostrum" in greek? :laugh4:

https://img192.imageshack.us/img192/7026/picture048ey.jpg (https://img192.imageshack.us/i/picture048ey.jpg/)

While I was having fun in Syria and toward Mesopotamia, Lusos raped half of Europe, 175BC

https://img148.imageshack.us/img148/1331/picture049rn.jpg (https://img148.imageshack.us/i/picture049rn.jpg/)

Job done! (at least in the East side), 164BC.
Btw, I gave Arbela to Romani before Portugal exterminates them.

https://img651.imageshack.us/img651/5195/picture050q.jpg (https://img651.imageshack.us/i/picture050q.jpg/)

Finally some random battles pics
Victory is mine (Stewie mode on)

https://img402.imageshack.us/img402/8378/picture023j.jpg (https://img402.imageshack.us/i/picture023j.jpg/)
https://img96.imageshack.us/img96/9288/picture024g.jpg (https://img96.imageshack.us/i/picture024g.jpg/)

I lost this battle :wall:

https://img192.imageshack.us/img192/9076/picture032y.jpg (https://img192.imageshack.us/i/picture032y.jpg/)

I have to rebuild my army after the last battle, here the result

https://img651.imageshack.us/img651/8921/picture038t.jpg (https://img651.imageshack.us/i/picture038t.jpg/)

https://img96.imageshack.us/img96/2638/picture039l.jpg (https://img96.imageshack.us/i/picture039l.jpg/)


Hope you enjoy ~:)

[Hax]

Hayasdan, how have you grown <3

[jerjes78]

Hayasdan, how have you grown <3
Yeah, they're becoming a pain in the ass (I mean my rearguard, is too expose I think)

[WinsingtonIII]

Wow jerjes78, you better hope that the Getai can hold back that Lusotanian storm! I would not want to go up against that.

[johnhughthom]

https://i405.photobucket.com/albums/pp139/johnhughthom/Casse/testappa2010-01-2716-50-46-79-1.jpg

206 Casse (different campaign from my post previous page).

[athanaric]

Makedonia campaign

It's great to see someone playing on huge unit size.:2thumbsup:
IMO you should field more regular cavalry, and less FMs. The latter tend to get killed in hilarious ways against phalanxes, even if you attack correctly. More assault infantry (Thracians, some kind of axemen) wouldn't hurt either, especially if you're up against the Agema-happy Ptolies.

[IrishHitman]

Wow jerjes78, you better hope that the Getai can hold back that Lusotanian storm! I would not want to go up against that.

I would.

Lusos fall easily to Syrian, Persian and Kretan bows.

[Subotan]

While I was having fun in Syria and toward Mesopotamia, Lusos raped half of Europe, 175BC

https://img148.imageshack.us/img148/1331/picture049rn.jpg (https://img148.imageshack.us/i/picture049rn.jpg/)

Job done! (at least in the East side), 164BC.
Btw, I gave Arbela to Romani before Portugal exterminates them.

https://img651.imageshack.us/img651/5195/picture050q.jpg (https://img651.imageshack.us/i/picture050q.jpg/)

I have never ever seen anything quite like that. It's....monstrous.

EDIT: I'm also liking your expansion (Apart from the Roman thing). Very plausible :yes:

[WinsingtonIII]

I would.

Lusos fall easily to Syrian, Persian and Kretan bows.

That's true, plus they are very far away from where they can produce they're factional troops.

But I just find it so boring to fight huge empires like that. It just gets tedious fighting the same troops and faction over and over after the first 10 years.

[jerjes78]

Well. glad to see that you people enjoy my campaign. Before updating I must mention that for conquering cities and destructing enemy armies I'm using just one army.

The FM leading this army are: FL, FH and future FH, basically the all royal family. Note that those golden chevron were earned because of what I wrote 2 lines before

https://img189.imageshack.us/img189/3723/armystack.jpg (https://img189.imageshack.us/i/armystack.jpg/)

The remaining stack you can see in the pictures are what I call "Festung Truppe", they only served to defend specifically that city and not taking part in any offensive operation. Also those troops "belong" to my clients rulers. It's a sort of role playing
----------------------------------------------------
Finally "The clash of civilizations" (so to speak), 147BC

After conquering Nikaia. Note in Ankyra and Ipsos the festung troops (mostly mercenaries and Hoplitai Haploi)
https://img35.imageshack.us/img35/6458/picture051ug.jpg (https://img35.imageshack.us/i/picture051ug.jpg/)


The Mother of All Battles began (Luso-Make war), 145BC
I'll have to raise more troops in Pella and Ambrakia. Also before I finished Hayastan I wont be able to perform offensive operations, just holding on :whip:
https://img715.imageshack.us/img715/1143/picture052g.jpg (https://img715.imageshack.us/i/picture052g.jpg/)


Typically Roman way (=backstabbing), 138BC
They have crappy unit so it's not a big deal. Btw those clients puppets in Middle East are superb, the defeated several Ptolies armies
https://img402.imageshack.us/img402/8461/picture053j.jpg (https://img402.imageshack.us/i/picture053j.jpg/)


Breaking Hay's neck, 128BC

After the battle of Amaseia (that semi-full stack SW Amaseia is my main army). I fought 4 battles in my way from Mazaka to that bloody city :sweatdrop:
https://img5.imageshack.us/img5/9486/picture054xd.jpg (https://img5.imageshack.us/i/picture054xd.jpg/)

Now it's time to deal with those Lusos scum. Intelligence reports confirms that because they're so far away from they bases, the only troops they can recruits are untrained Lugoes and some other cheap unit. Not a big deal for my veteran phalangites

Hope you enjoy ~:)

[Subedei]

Well. glad to see that you people enjoy my campaign. Before updating I must mention that for conquering cities and destructing enemy armies I'm using just one army.


I would not wanna meet those fellows with my troops. Hell, they are "veteran". You know every single one of them by name, eh?:yes: Good luck with the campaign and thanks for the update!

[Horatius Flaccus]

Nice campaign jerjes!

My campaign with Makedonia:

H/M 241 BC

https://img3.imageshack.us/img3/7162/macedon1.jpg

[yeah, I sort off overextended]

And: the battle for Rome (backstabbers)

https://img706.imageshack.us/img706/6476/rometwbi201001281242581.png
Yes, I use Cappadocian archers. It's a roleplay thing.

https://img14.imageshack.us/img14/8161/rometwbi201001281244106.png

https://img718.imageshack.us/img718/6702/rometwbi201001281255348.png
Perseus watching Barbaropolis in the distance...

https://img14.imageshack.us/img14/6336/rometwbi201001281256370.png
This is how you deal with traitors.

https://img14.imageshack.us/img14/9669/rometwbi201001281257333.png
You've got to humiliate them.

The Koinon (my protectorate) betrayed me after 20 years of peace.

https://img341.imageshack.us/img341/2876/rometwbi201001281259300.png

They are being dealt with.

[Jebivjetar]

Pontos, 201BC

https://img9.imageshack.us/img9/5852/pontoss.jpg

[Centurio Nixalsverdrus]

@jerjes78:

I like your slow expansion very much. Isn't it tedious to fight the Ptolemaioi four times every turn?

P.S. Festungstruppe or Garnisonstruppe.

:beam:

[jerjes78]

@jerjes78:

I like your slow expansion very much. Isn't it tedious to fight the Ptolemaioi four times every turn?

Thank you Centurio and yes sometimes I wanna nuke every city they hold just to stop them sending stack after stack. But since I have decided to stop expanding in that direction I'll have to deal with it.

[Centrius]

Hayasdan, 260BC, H/H.


https://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o27/CentriusNord/hayasdan-1.jpg


My first Hayasdan campaign ever.

I got lucky with my spies right from the start, so I could capture about 1 province every 3 turns. But at about 265BC, the Seleucids decided to stop fighting the Ptolemies entirely and focus solely on me, so I'm fighting stack after stack of phalanxes now. :sweatdrop: Which kinda slows down my progression overal.

All-out war in Greece! Macedon is on steroids capturing provinces all over. They're currently sieging Ambrakia with a full stack, while Epeiros is chilling with 2 full stacks at Serdike. In the middle of all that are KH, who are fending off Mac-attacks where they can.

Currently sending spies, spies and more spies to about every Seleucid town there is. Hoping that their cities will rebel or at least make them less profitable.

Praying to the gods that the Seleucids will go to war with the Ptolemies very soon so I can start expanding myself again. =)




- Centrius.

[anubis88]

If they are in a ceasfire you'r screwed. In my Pontos campaign they decided to stop fighting and allied against me even though i had only 3 provinces at the time.

Really sick:furious3:

[Centrius]

It's even worse.

1 turn after I posted that the unthinkable happened. They allied. :help:




I did manage to make Palmyra (to the Saba) and Seleukeia rebel though! n_n

[Dyabedes of Aphrodisias]

153BC

https://img237.imageshack.us/img237/4148/mapm.png

The Arche Seleukeia went ape all over Greece for a while, almost taking all of it, and even declaring war on me once, invading Bastarnolandam. Getai, Aedui, Makedonia and Epeiros were all on the verge of death. Some FD and move_character put them back in their place, and all have bounced back to regional in-fighting, except Makedonia; they can't seem to hold onto anything I gave them in Greece, so I let them be content with their little Italian kingdom while Epeiros strikes back. Meanwhile I took the opportunity to make a little of my own war in the region and take some easy settlements in the area and make the Aedui and Getai my protectorates. The Romani...reached near disaster when I took Liguria and Carthage blitzed Sicily and Rhegion and bribed the city directly northwest of Roma. But they stabilized after a couple rebellions gave them some armies and after I allied with them. Carthage has been getting frisky. They've developed a habit of landing piddly invasions every few years in an attempt at Segesta. So I've been aiding the Lusotannan, even though they too tried to attack me once. As long as they and Carthage tussle in Iberia, I'm fine.

Any ideas where I should lead my armies next? Iberia itself seems like my most likely target.

[Centrius]

153BC

https://img237.imageshack.us/img237/4148/mapm.png

The Arche Seleukeia went ape all over Greece for a while, almost taking all of it, and even declaring war on me once, invading Bastarnolandam. Getai, Aedui, Makedonia and Epeiros were all on the verge of death. Some FD and move_character put them back in their place, and all have bounced back to regional in-fighting, except Makedonia; they can't seem to hold onto anything I gave them in Greece, so I let them be content with their little Italian kingdom while Epeiros strikes back. Meanwhile I took the opportunity to make a little of my own war in the region and take some easy settlements in the area and make the Aedui and Getai my protectorates. The Romani...reached near disaster when I took Liguria and Carthage blitzed Sicily and Rhegion and bribed the city directly northwest of Roma. But they stabilized after a couple rebellions gave them some armies and after I allied with them. Carthage has been getting frisky. They've developed a habit of landing piddly invasions every few years in an attempt at Segesta. So I've been aiding the Lusotannan, even though they too tried to attack me once. As long as they and Carthage tussle in Iberia, I'm fine.

Any ideas where I should lead my armies next? Iberia itself seems like my most likely target.


That's some sick Grey Death right there!


Capture anything you desire, but don't go east! Fighting the Sauromatae with unarmoured Sweboz is agitating up to the point where you wanna throw your monitor down the stairs. :rolleyes:






My Hai campaign, 245BC. H/H.

https://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o27/CentriusNord/Image1-2.jpg


My spy tactic worked out, if not some other way than I expected. The armies the Seleucids sent kept getting smaller and smaller, up to the point where they would attack Armavir with just a FM and 1 phalanx unit. This enabled me to catch them unaware. I took Seleukeia (which I made rebel first) and Babylon, and Susa and the province northwest of Seleukeia within 10 turns. This made them weaker than ever, so they pose absolutely no threat at all right now, apart from the occasional raid on Susa.

Makedonia is still going strong, although they did lose Pella to Epeiros just now. Kinda strange how they're going about their business, going from left to right, literally. They never even got close to either Ipsos, Pergamon or Ankyra. I guess their goal is Antiocheia. (Which I made rebel, gave it to the Sweboz for fun, but it rebelled back to AS after that unfortunately.)

Pontos did something I never saw them do before too, they walked all the way from Nikaia to Chersonesos, which they just captured. And they're moving on Pantikapaion as we speak.

KH is on the brink of destruction; they can't cope with the constant beating the Macs are giving them.

The Getai are currently moving on Tylis which, if they manage to capture it, should make for some fun in that area.

The Romanoi are growing stronger and stronger too, I'm quite worried about that. Averni did manage to capture Segesta and Medilanum, the latter which they just lost to the Romans again. Also, Taras just rebelled to Epeiros, and Arpi is being smacked around a bit by them.

The Aedui are being strangely dormant. God forbid them attacking the Eleutheroi, they're only out to destroy the Averni it seems. Really clever move. Especially since the Sweboz are smacking them upside the head every turn.

Baktria has about 3 full stacks walking around in India, but they're refusing to take any settlement there.

And the Ptolemaioi finally awakened from their slumber! After Makedonia took Side and Tarsos, they finally decided it was time for action. Reclaiming Hierosolyma, Bostra and Palmyra, which were taken by the Saba. (Made possible by Rebel Corp.©)


Going to murder off the last Seleucids now. :oops:






Also, this 16 year old kid managed to beat a fullstack army somehow on autosolve. He is now aptly named CheVron James.

https://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o27/CentriusNord/0015-1.jpg

[SwissBarbar]

Romani 160 BC
https://img638.imageshack.us/img638/3403/unbenanntcc.png

The Arverni - Are Allies of Rome and at war with the Aedui

The Aedui - Are at war with the Arverni and the Sweboz. Officially they're also at war with Rome, but there were no military activities in the last 50 years.

The Sweboz - Are at war with the Aedui, but the borderlines do not move since many years. That's why the Sweboz concentrate on their campaigns against the Sauromatae and the other wild Steppe-Tribes in the east.

The Ptolemaioi - Their military juggernaut is more or less as strong as the one of the Romans. The Ptolemaic Empire is the largest faction in area and - after the Romans - the second largest faction in population. Currently they're in war with the Romani and the Carthaginians.

Quart-Hadastim - The Carthaginians once were the most powerful people in the world. They owed the western part of northern Africa, great parts of Iberia and the Islands of Sicily, Sardinia and Korsika. The have fought a war against the Ptolemaioi in which they managed to conquer some African territories from them. In 160 BC the Carthaginians still are in possession of Kyrene from that war. But in a great case of Hybris, they had attacked the Romans while still many Carthaginian forces were bound at the frontline of the Ptolemaic war. In the first war against Rome the Carthaginians forfeited all their possessions outside Africa and had to accept a hard peace. When the Ptolemaioi declared war on Rome, the Carthaginians - instead of cooperate with the Romans to defeat the Ptolemaioi - send a fleet and two fullstacks to Sardinia in order to conquer back that island. But their armies would never return. Instead 2 Roman legions (1 Legion = Halfstack. Roman Legion: 2 Generals, 2 Hastati, 2 Principes, 1 Triarii, 2 Velites, 1 Eqvites / Socii Legion: 1 General, 2 Skirmisher Inf., 2 Medium Inf., 1 Heavy Inf., 2 Archer Inf., 2 Cavalry) landed in Africa and conquered Quart-Hadast and Atiqa. Just now 6 more legions are embarking in Kalabria and will be sent with a strong fleet to Africa very soon.

The Koinon Hellenon - They used to be the masters over all of Greece and managed to reconquer Byzantion from the Ptolemaioi, but then tried to conquer the Illyrian possessions of Rome, which turned out to be a wrong decision and ended up in their doom. This day the Koine consists only of Rhodos and hellenic citystates in the Bosporus.

[Teucer]

Here's a teaser for my current AAR showing the growth of the Eumenid Alliance in the years following Alexander's death.


https://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a148/Tarchon/Eumenid%20AAR%20pics/eumenidgrowthB.jpg

[Subotan]

That's some nice modding :yes:

[johnhughthom]

https://i405.photobucket.com/albums/pp139/johnhughthom/Casse/testappa2010-02-0214-09-53-06-1.jpg

Casse 195.

[Vasiliyi]

AS 251bc

https://img687.imageshack.us/img687/870/251bc.jpg

Financial overview

https://img683.imageshack.us/img683/7198/overviewe.jpg

Main army


https://img31.imageshack.us/img31/5641/theodorussyriakos.jpg



Just got done conquering Asia minor, with Theodorus Syriakos around Amasiea. Im at peace with Baktria, Saka, Hai, and Saba.

Pahlava sends a stack every few turns to Antiochiea-Margraine, Hekatompylos and Zadrakata. (Although they are beat back every time.

After beating the ptolies out of the levant, they have yet to return, but they wont sue for peace. Might have to fd it. Everywhere else around the world this are normal. Although my allies the Maks look like they are on their last leg.



Im kinda at a crossroads. Shall I conquer the Arabian peninsula? The rich lands of the Nile? Or should I head east and destroy the Parni?


(Notice the 10k corruption. It sucks pretty bad. Im doing the best i can though, I have 4 regional armies running around the Arche destroying rebel stacks. Along with that I have temple of Seleukos everywhere and garrisions where I can. Corruption is still a killer though.)

[gamegeek2]

I've been slacking on AS, playing BC instead. There's a crapload of snow falling here in Maryland, though, so I'll probably end up playing some EB this weekend. Probably now, actually. Ptolemaioi, here I come!

[jerjes78]

Vasiliyi:
I recommend you to conquer Alexandreia and Memphis first. Doing that you left the Ptolies out of the game and secured your southern front

[gamegeek2]

Yes, that will keep them off their best units. I've already seized Alexandreia in my game, and am well-prepared to take Memphis.

[SwissBarbar]

Romani 104 BC

https://img191.imageshack.us/img191/9920/unbenanntle.png

[anubis88]

Romani 104 BC

https://img191.imageshack.us/img191/9920/unbenanntle.png

Jesus!

Now fighting that Indo-Syro-Ptoleamic Empire must be hell

[Karo]

Jesus!

Now fighting that Indo-Syro-Ptoleamic Empire must be hell

I don't think hell is the word to describe it it's 1000 times worse than hell look at that beast. May the gods protect SwissBarbar

[anubis88]

The Saka also look extremly dangerous. Tell me Swissbar, are they at war with the Ptolies?

[Vasiliyi]

Romani 104 BC

https://img191.imageshack.us/img191/9920/unbenanntle.png

mind posting a save game?

[SwissBarbar]

Hi guys

No, it is not that much as hell as expected. Actually it's quite fun. As the Romans I am extremely rich and therefore can support a good army. As you can see, I already have taken Egypt from them and several fullstacks defend the river-crossings between Africa and Near East ... which is necessary, because the Ptolemaioi armies are great and strong. Thanks to the Marian reforms I can recruit new legions almost everywhere. ATM I am invading Mikra Asia with 2 fullstacks and 3 more fullstacks are in their ships, heading for Ioudaia. I am curious if this will suffice to conquer the eastern shores of the Mediterranean. I never reload a lost battle, and I have suffered some real devastating defeats against the endless Phalangitai-armies of the Ptolemaioi. The conquest of the Ptolemaic holdings in Egypt has cost me 30'000 men ! (yes 1:1). But now the Ptolies seem to run out of their silver and gold chevron (!) elite-units which they had bred in their wars against the Seleukids, Pahlava and Baktria.

The Saka are at war with the Sauromatae and the Sweboz, but not yet with the Ptolies. Not sure if they are even allies, I'll check, when I am home.

[SwissBarbar]

As promised I checked:

Yes, the Ptolemaioi are allied with the Saka. And when I said, that I think that I killed all their silver and gold chevron units in battle, well.... that may be true, but since the ptolies own Baktria and all the eastern provinces, they now come up with Cataphract Elefants and such insane stuff ^^

[gamegeek2]

At least they have to pay through the nose to get those things across Asia...it's several thousand dollars to keep those things every turn...

[SwissBarbar]

Not anymore, they're gone ;-) Victims of the war for Micra Asia

[anubis88]

The Ptolies can actually recruit Armoured War Elepahants? :S

[Epimetheus]

Yep. In fact, they're the only faction that can recruit every type of elephant unit on the map. The Saba are the only other faction that can recruit both Indian and African elephants, but they can't recruit the elephant cataphracts.

[anubis88]

Yep. In fact, they're the only faction that can recruit every type of elephant unit on the map. The Saba are the only other faction that can recruit both Indian and African elephants, but they can't recruit the elephant cataphracts.

That's intersting indeed. Which skin do those units have? Of which faction? Baktria, Seleucia or Saka?

[Epimetheus]

Both the Saba and the Ptolemaioi have their own unique elephant skins. As I recall, the Ptolemaic elephant cataphracts wear bronze armor with dark red trim, with the Ptolemaic eagle displayed on a shield on the side of the mounted platform. Their regular Indian ones are decorated with dark red cloth as well, emblazoned with the visage of Zeus-Ammon. The Saba Indian elephants are rather drab looking in comparison, having only light decoration and brown cloth.

[mrjade06]

https://img705.imageshack.us/img705/2203/macedon.png

Heres my Macedonian empire at 260 BC. On VH/H with BI.exe and darth formations. Lucked out in the beginning, as KH mysteriously did not attack Corinth, but waited just outside it waiting to ambush, and sent their troops from Athens to attack my main army nearby which was easily destroyed, and then it was just a matter of taking Athens and then striking at Sparta. Got both within 5 turns. Epirus also strangely only attacked Pellas with a little stack which I destroyed due to using my 5000 denari and of a building or 2 to get me a unit of mercenary heavy peltasts and phalanx to defend the city. Then I took my original half stack to attack Epirus who had captured a city in Illyria, and got to fight several epic battles with the 4 stacks they had before I secured their possessions. Now im at peace with them and they are having a 3 way Battle Royale with Rome and Carthage, with Rhegion changing hands every turn and none of the 3 getting the upperhand. Due to the fact of having relegated my two initial enemies to Rhodes and Tarantino respectively it was now a matter of getting another half stack to take a few cities in Thracia. I then sent a small stack with an FM to take Syracuse while taking my original main stack to attack Pergamon. At this point I am at peace with everyone, have no enemies although Pontos is about to take Byzantium and Getai are dangerously close. After I take Pergamon I'm going to take last rebel city in Greece, as well as Crete and finally add some better units to my two stacks. I have loads of money now, and after I consolidate what I have, am going to simultaneously strike at both AS and the Ptolys to prevent either from getting strong, especially as AS has Baktria, Pahlava and Saka Rauka on the ropes, while egypt is gaining the upper hand in the Levant. On a weird side note, Aedui is turning into a serious powerhouse due to the lack of attention by Rome and are about to finish off the Arverni, who also got Galatia after a rebellion from AS. All in all im in excellent position to dominate.

[SwissBarbar]

Rome 83 BC

https://img522.imageshack.us/img522/1624/unbenanntkob.png

Watch the KH forming a Baltic Empire ;-) Not even the Saka can stop them. I'm loving it, nothing can kill the little bastards *g*

[gamegeek2]

Watch the KH forming a Baltic Empire ;-) Not even the Saka can stop them. I'm loving it, nothing can kill the little bastards *g*

Baltic? That's the Black Sea. The Baltic sea is east of Sweden.

And I'm the American here!

[SwissBarbar]

Baltic? That's the Black Sea. The Baltic sea is east of Sweden.

And I'm the American here!

Stupid me, i meant "Bosporan"

[Hax]

Right, it's the Finno-Ugric language group, not the Finno-Ugreek language group!

*rimshot*

;)

[Bogyman]

HI ALL! First post, first pic! Rome, h/h

https://img85.imageshack.us/img85/4845/empirer.png
Pahlava truly made a big empire! and they even beated my general crassus(but they didnt kill him ^^)

[Poulp']

Hi and welcome,

nice empire you have there, and nice first post.

[Ludens]

HI ALL! First post, first pic! Rome, h/h

Pahlava truly made a big empire! and they even beated my general crassus(but they didnt kill him ^^)

Welcome to the .Org and to EB. ~:wave: That looks like a very cool campaign.

[Jurdagat]

My current AS campaign: You can also see the royal army. :)
https://img189.imageshack.us/img189/1281/sadasj.jpg


Old 1.2 campaign:
SPQR campaign: Have a character who got Avgvstvs trait 1-2 turns ago, to bad it's stuck on a repeatable CTD atm.
https://img220.imageshack.us/img220/4889/vcce.jpg
Pahlava campaign: It's actually ca.140 BC not 14AD.
https://img205.imageshack.us/img205/9531/aswrew.jpg

Got a Hayasdan and Makedonian campaign aswell, but 1.0 and 1.1.
Might get some screens of them later.

[SwissBarbar]

Sab'yn 217 BC


https://img175.imageshack.us/img175/755/unbenanntgy.png

Since my Roman game fell to a CTD, I started a new Sab'yn campaign. I very much like the AI-Expansion here. Look at Baktria, look at Pontos, Carthage has forced the Romans to become their protectorate, look at the Hay and Epeiros. Love it

[Biowulf]

Romani 221 BC

https://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w74/PQR1/Aiexpansion.png

What I'm liking most about this campaign is the resurgent factions that started to dominate.
Epeiros was down to only Ambrakia and Epidamnos for 20 some-odd years before blitzing Greece.
Makedonia was falling slowly until I invaded Epeiros and "rescued" them. Of course they then betrayed me.
The Seleukids lost Antiochaea by 270, but took it back and took Heirosolyma.
Baktria lost Baktra so they expanded south and east to survive and are now looking to take Baktra back.
Pahlava is continuously taking and losing land and just recently lost Asaak.
The Arverni are just dead now, although they have Galatia.
The Aedui are holding back the Sweboz and expanding, I can't wait to fight them and conquer Gaul.
The Koinon might just die soon even though they're finally showing signs of life in Asia Minor.
The Lusotannans are making a comeback in Iberia after losing a couple settlements to Carthage.
The Ptolies are holding out against Carthage and the Seleukids and all of the east is in a stalemate.

Two of my favorite things are/were: The Getai and Makedonians entering my alliance-web by allying with each other and expanding around each other.
And the Saka expansion. They never expand like this when I play.

[SwissBarbar]

Sab'yn Campaign

https://img25.imageshack.us/img25/6166/unbenanntqh.png

I am so excited, have you ever seen such a beautyful AI-Expansion :sweetheart: No cheating or helping the AI from my side, btw.

[fraoula]

Sab'yn Campaign

https://img25.imageshack.us/img25/6166/unbenanntqh.png

I am so excited, have you ever seen such a beautyful AI-Expansion :sweetheart: No cheating or helping the AI from my side, btw.

Amazing. Makes you wish you had picked a meditteranean faction I guess. Pontos and Baktra rule. What exe are you using?

[SwissBarbar]

Btw: The Saka are a protectorae of Baktria ;-) This way Baktria controlles all of the east.

Being Rome would be cool with this Carthage-expansion, but I'm very much satisfied with being the Sab'yn. It's quite a challenge to fight the Ptolemaioi, who are superior in number and also equipment. The war we're fighting in the African Desert is characterized by strategical movement: occupying strategic positions like bridges and thereby defending the 3 African cities (all defended by one army, which has to move and if needed split up), at the same time trying to move the second army - which should conquer the cities in the south of the Ptolemaic empire - outside the enemy armies range, though not letting the generals get the "tired" trait (coming from forced marching), because this could be fatal, for then they can't escape the enemies hunting them. Quite funny

I'm using the RTW exe

[Horatius Flaccus]

Great expansion, and a nice Saba empire too!


I'm using the RTW exe

:dizzy2:

Then it certainly is some great expansion from Carthage!

[Poulp']

https://f.imagehost.org/0856/228_BC.jpg

Hayasdan campaign, H/M

Carthage is slowing progressing up Italy, although the settlements rebel to SPQR or KH.
Epiros and Sweboz became monsters and hopefully they'll soon meet and clash.
Arveni are taking advantage of their alliance with SPQR to finish the Aedui and invading Iberia.
AS stubbornly resists in Asia Minor, despite my every attempts to wage a proxy war, and in the East, they conquer further East and North while I conquer their homeland.
Ptolemai took back Judea from the Sabyn and are now sending me fullstacks yearly to Damaskos (which I turned into a stronghold out of necessity).
KH is fighting from its survival.
Makedon seemed like they were back from the grave, but Pontos decided they made a better target than AS and things are settled for them (Pontos is seiging Pergamon while there's two other fullstacks hanging around)
Sauromatae are now merely a nuisance, now that I turned my borders into twin layered defenses (they must conquer the mountain passes before meeting another force at the fords).
Pontos is a reliable ally and I'm thinking of taking Mazaka and leaving them the rest of Asia Minor, anyway, I'm too busy ordering my new empire (Orontid Reform barely underway) to prepare any conquest in the area.

[Fluvius Camillus]

This is my current AS campaign, 241BC

The thing that amazed me here was the fact that the AEDUI took on the insane AI fullstacks and in some way took the city. I don't remember any other faction taking it and letting it rebel to Aedui, if that is the case I did not pay enough attention, still it is a miracle that the AI defeated the gold cheved Eleutheroi!

https://i594.photobucket.com/albums/tt22/Fluvius_Camillus/AS8.jpg?t=1267138174

~Fluvius

[lonewolf209]

https://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f168/lonewolf209/carthage4.jpg

My currant Carthage campain

[Unintended BM]

https://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f168/lonewolf209/carthage4.jpg

My currant Carthage campain
I was going to ask how you have Iberia and still have no money, but then I noticed that you have southern Greece. That place is a money pit until you get rid of Eperios, Makedonia and KH. Constant war, I bet.

[lonewolf209]

actually even with my wars in Greece I am Making pretty decent money, not fantastic but decent. The picture was taken at the end of the turn after I spent most of the money. Rome sent two full stacks to Sicily, one besieged Syracuse (who had few defenders) and Messana who's garrison was devastated the turn before in a battle with another roman army, I won, barely. I didn't have time to train a proper relief army so I did what any good Carthaginian would do. I threw money at the problem. I took the one free family member on the island and hired a half stack full of mercenaries to relieve the cities. The mercs saved the day but almost every last one of them died in the process. Oh well, a dead mercenary is one that doesn't need to be paid.

[SwissBarbar]

Sab'yn 200 BC

https://img706.imageshack.us/img706/2069/unbenannthy.png

Look at Carthage, Epeiros and the Sweboz

[Alexokrat]

https://img35.imageshack.us/img35/9263/saba236.jpg (https://img35.imageshack.us/i/saba236.jpg/)

Here is my Saba Game in 236BC, quite similar to the one in the post before.
Attacking the Ptolemai seems to be the best to do, I will continue that.

For the AI my newbie eye cant see any special activities.

[fraoula]

https://img35.imageshack.us/img35/9263/saba236.jpg (https://img35.imageshack.us/i/saba236.jpg/)

Here is my Saba Game in 236BC, quite similar to the one in the post before.
Attacking the Ptolemai seems to be the best to do, I will continue that.

For the AI my newbie eye cant see any special activities.

Well pretty normal for me save perhaps the sweboz bltizing into gaul and the Epeirotes controlling the most profitable regions on the map so they will undoubtedly become a major power. Also the getai seem to be faring quite well.
Say, are those romans in corsica? What exe are you running EB on?

[Alexokrat]

BI.exe, they probably could do a naval invasion because of that.
so I continued to play and the ptolemaio are attacking back in africa, which really going to be difficult, also Palmyra is besieged by them and if this wouldn't be enough a selecid army is standing nearby which means when they attack the allied seleucid army will attack with them, this going to be challenging ^^

[Jurdagat]

1.1 Hayasdan game loaded with 1.2 just to post it.
My personal favorite out of all my campaigns.
You can see some wierd errors caused by this, but whatever. :)

https://img96.imageshack.us/img96/9953/dsfd.jpg

[Ca Putt]

are those League troops in Adrumento and Rome?!?!?! don't remember them revolting to KH^^

and Carthage holds Memphis

well either your AI is really crazy and really fun or It's the mentioned wierdness^^

[SwissBarbar]

Lusotannan (205 BC)
https://img718.imageshack.us/img718/5009/unbenanntdi.png

Lusotannan (185 BC)
https://img697.imageshack.us/img697/6109/unbenanntni.png

Have you ever seen Carthage creating such an Empire without any help from the player? (I even fought them once, in Spain)

[Brave Brave Sir Robin]

I don't think I've ever seen Carthage AI take Alexandria, nevermind up the Levant.

[WinsingtonIII]

Have you ever seen Carthage creating such an Empire without any help from the player? (I even fought them once, in Spain)

Wow, it looks like they're trying to reclaim the old Phoenician homelands.

Perhaps it's because you're persistance against them in Iberia has urged them to go East? Although that's a little unusual because usually the AI seems to put all its efforts into fighting the player.

Epeiros is looking quite powerful as well, which is not something you see often. That split up Romani and Aedui expansion is quite strange however, is it due to revolts?

The Sweboz are also surprisingly stagnant, I don't think I've ever seen them expand so little in almost 90 years.

[SwissBarbar]

Wow, it looks like they're trying to reclaim the old Phoenician homelands.

Perhaps it's because you're persistance against them in Iberia has urged them to go East? Although that's a little unusual because usually the AI seems to put all its efforts into fighting the player.


Well, it's not trying anymore, have a look:

https://img692.imageshack.us/img692/8813/unbenanntsh.png

Let me repeat: They had no help from me. No regular tributes or money gifts, no weakening their enemies, only trade rights.
I have a theory: The Carthaginians gain a lot of money through the trade with me (I know that, because also I make a lot of money through the trade with them). I think it's like a huge province in spain they have, giving them money from the west for sending armies to the east.





Epeiros is looking quite powerful as well, which is not something you see often. That split up Romani and Aedui expansion is quite strange however, is it due to revolts?

The Sweboz are also surprisingly stagnant, I don't think I've ever seen them expand so little in almost 90 years.

Epeiros is very powerful, I like that, because - as you say - it's rare. They really had a hard fight and actually lost their only holding in italy, but the romans had attacked me, so I unfortunately was forced to plunder all cities in italy, conquer rome, giving it back to the romans and force them to become my protectorate. When I had sacked Taras, and left it, it revolted back to Epeiros and from there, they conquered of Italy what is now theirs. Massalia and Tolosa - former Roman possessions - I gave to the Aedui (Massalia I took back, when they betrayed me). How the Aedui got their holdings in the east, I don't know.

What's up with the Sweboz I don't know too. I haven't even discovered them in gameplay (when fog of war is covering them).

[anubis88]

My SPQR Campaign, 115 BC

https://img121.imageshack.us/img121/8983/nanet.png

Just got the Marians a few years ago. Could'nt wait till 107BC, but other than that, i'm playing as historically as i can. Too bad the Ptolemies don't help me.

Very interesting campaing;

Epeiros had control over all greece + a major part of Asia Minor, but looks what's left of them. Ancyra rebelled from them to the Seleucids a few years ago, i have just taken Byzantion so i will be able to train the Thracian auxilia, and they are but a shadow of there former selves.

The Ptolies are just being Ptolies.... Nothing new there. Tried to stop them with FD for a while but gave up.

The Sweboz took those hugely defended cities very soon, so i have to fight them all the time....

I helped the arverni by giving them a lot of lands, and helping them against the Sweboz and Aedui, but once they recovered they attacked me, so slowly they're gonna pay. I'm gonna take from the the Iberian city they have for now next turn.

The Seleucids are awesome. They were down to Alexandropolis a few times, with it being besieged by the Pahlava, but have regained their strenght, and now Ancyra rebelled to them. I'm thinking of taking Sinope and Amaseia and give it to them, so i will have a sort of an Pontic Empire to fight:laugh4:.

Carthage started a Reconquista of sorts against me the last few years, so i had to send down there my VII and VIII legions, and i'm gonna start a Jugorthine war :)

The Lusotana are under my protectorate. Pretty soon i will betrayed them and enslave them! The Roman way of course

[MButcher]

It's nice to see people playing patiently with the Romans. And I like the color for the Parthians, would you mind telling me what the color code is for that?

[johnhughthom]

And I like the color for the Parthians

Sacrilege! Parthians are purple!

[MButcher]

You must admit the Oompa-Loompa color is intriguing.

[Hannibal Khan the Great]

Well, they are orange in RTR....

[anubis88]

I experimented with the colors of Parthia in my last campaing with them. The huge purple mass didn't fit me :)... I will give you the color code when i come home on my comp.
Just a word of advice. Careful when you hit the marians. I wasn't. The units are awesome, and i started training them like crazy, upgrading goverments, barracks... I had almost half a million mnai, and a few years later i was in the red!!! Didn't know what happened! I forgot that the legionaires were more expensive then the Polybian legions, didn't even look for the cost of the Antisegnani etc.

I had to take an hour to stabilize my economy. Disbanded many armies, fleets. It almost costed me a few settlemets, since i could recruit new legions. Lol... At least i'm back to 200k now :D

[SwissBarbar]

Small update of my Lusotannan-Campaign (around 160 BC). The AI-Expansion got even more amazing.

https://img294.imageshack.us/img294/3959/unbenanntqgh.png

Epeiros - The Epeirotes are one of the most powerful people in the world. They even have conquered the insanely defended eleutheroi-cities in southern germania (many sites of famous battles there) and the capital of the Sweboz, not to speak of Italy, Greece and Thraikia.
Quarthadast - The Quarthadastim have continued forming their empire. They own all of Africa, great parts of Anatolia and even the east, including Seleukeia and Babylon. Recently they have lost parts of southern Italy and Sicily to the KH, Romans and Eleutheroi. Bad luck.They're about to conquer it back.
Pahlava - Can they stop the Carthaginian expansion in the east? They too have a great empire and can field massive armies of heavily armoured cataphracts and swift horse archers. In fact, they have the greatest empire of all, if you add their protectorates, the Sauromatae and the Saka.
Lusotannan - (My humble self.) They have released the Romani from being their protectorate, because they have suffered too much from the war against the Epeirotes. The are simply allies now. The Casse, on the other hand, now are their protectorate. They have been conquered by two armies of mercenaries. Actually most of the fightig of the Lusotannan is done by mercenaries. They hire mercenaries from all parts of the world. Greece, Thraikia, Italy, Germania, the Celtic peoples, even the Steppes of the east. The Casse actually had nothing to field to counter horse archers and falxmen. After having lost their three main armies (around 100'000 men, 10:1) they had to surrender. The own troops of the Lusotannan are devided into three parts. The garrison troops, the army protecting the gateway from gaul to Iberia and the reserve army. They are only deployed in great times of danger, for example now, that the Eperiotes have decided to go to war with the Lusotannan.


PS: Have you noticed? With a great amount of fantasy, the Pahlavan Empire looks like a Dragon, spitting fire (fire = the sauromatae) and burning the steppes.

[Hax]

Epeiros pretty much owns the entire Amber Route, which is totally awesome.

I love the way Qart-Hadast expanded, gobbling up the entire Yellow Death, now reduced to just the city of Susa. Excellent stuff, just excellent.

[anubis88]

Indeed, i have never seen Carthage expand so much. It's probably because you are Lusotana. I have a feeling that the factions around you do much better then others. The only time in my campaigns where the AS beated the Ptolies, was when I played Pahlava and Baktria, so i had a much more difficult time fighting them

[Molinaargh]

Too bad Rome hardly ever manages to expand, despite the economical advantage.

I love the Pahlavan "dragon", though.

[SwissBarbar]

PS: I was wrong about Carthage conquering back Sicily. The KH have formed a "Syrakousian Hegemony" over this island. I don't even know how they got there, and now this ^^

[WinsingtonIII]

That's the first time I've seen a "White Death" I think.

I'm loving that Epeiros is kicking people around all over Europe, it's awesome.

[Silence Hunter]

Awesome Carthaginian expansion! I wonder what armies are they fielding in the East? btw the strange thing is how Byzantion is still eleutheroi, despite being between mighty Epeiros and Pontus.

[anubis88]

My Romani campaign around 115 BC
https://img121.imageshack.us/img121/8983/nanet.png

The world at 100 BC
https://img401.imageshack.us/img401/489/romani.png

I've been going historical as i could, and have for the first time 100 used force diplomacy a turn ago, giving Ekbatana to Parthia, hoping that they will start a war against the Ptolemaic Empire. I also conquered a few cities you see now in control of the AS in the west, exept for Ancyra, and gave them to them, making a efectualy a client Syrian Kingdom to help me in the wars against the Egyptian Empire.

I also struck hard in Spain, evicting the Gauls, I defeated a "Jogurtha in N Africa, and made there a new client kingdom, but the rest of the Kingdom wants to regain it's lost settlements every turn, with a bunch of crappy units.

The biggest upset are the Sarmatians. They were in perpetual war with the once mighty Getai for 150 ! years, with no large territorial gains or losses. In a few years they completly destroyed them. If they start a war with Sweboz, I fear i will have an Pre-Hunnic Empire on my back

[Biowulf]

That's a scary Sarmatian Empire. I'm trying to create one myself, and it's going pretty well so far.
I wonder if the Ptolies will spread north throughout the steppes.

[anubis88]

That's a scary Sarmatian Empire. I'm trying to create one myself, and it's going pretty well so far.
I wonder if the Ptolies will spread north throughout the steppes.

They are trying for a long time now, but it's a stelmate over there. The Sauromatae Empire is even more impressive then it seems on this map.

They conquered a City, with a Full Stack! of decent Getai troops with 5 FMs. And now they have an army moving in Dacia, that will be impossible to stop. It's almost all 3 gold chevron units + 3 8 star generals...

[Jebivjetar]

My ongoing Getai campaign, 220BC:

https://img690.imageshack.us/img690/2662/getai220bc.jpg

Macs and KH are pushed from Peloponnesus, because they just didn't quit attacking me. I'm at war with Macs, Pontos and Ladies in red (called Romaioi): i have landed in Italy just recently, and I'm on my way to destroy Barbaropolis. After that i'll sack&plunder Pontic cities in Asia Minor. To hell- i'll just rip entire world apart with my precious falxmen :laugh4:

[Alexokrat]

Here is an update on my Saba campaigne in 215 BC

https://img683.imageshack.us/img683/6364/saba215.jpg (https://img683.imageshack.us/i/saba215.jpg/)

I could manage to kick ass in Egypt and I think I have won the war against the ptolemaio now, there is not much that they could do now, i will try to end the war and get a peace treaty to purchase trade rights, because as you can see they are still holding settlements on the eastern coast of the mediterranean sea (was this right spelled?) which could bring Alexandria some money. Before that I want to conquer Salamis (which is quite good defended), Petra (that defense doesnt deserve the name...) and Hierosolyma, the last one I would like to give another faction so that I dont share boarders with the ptolemaio. hopefully that will work.

To the AI:
Suprisingly Epeiros couldnt expand more, even lost regions to Macedonia and Rome.
Carthage helped me with the ptolemaio but through that the became also a little fear for me, even though we are allied at the moment. So carthage is rushing east just like in SB's campaign, maybe its the same thing because of lusotanne, they have taken all settlements from carthage in spain, and now owning all of it.
Sweboz are quiet strong but are fighting constantly against the arverni who conquered some gallic lands back from that and got a corridor to the northern coast. The Arverni grew stronger through that, and are also owning the Aedui as their protectorate.
Getai is very strong as well.

[SwissBarbar]

Actually I wanted to post before and after pictures of the war that started between Carthage and Pahlava in my Luso-Campaign. But unfortunately my campaign got lost to a bug/CTD/whatever and so you only get the picture of the AI expansion, just showing the situation as it was when the Carthaginian-Pahlavan war startet.

https://img52.imageshack.us/img52/5797/startpahlavaquarthadast.png


Meanwhile I've started a KH campaign, in which Carthage is doing great too. They've conquered Italy and even great parts of gaule. Have you ever seen Carthage fighting a war against the Sweboz?

[Jebivjetar]

[QUOTE=SwissBarbar;2456082]

https://img52.imageshack.us/img52/5797/startpahlavaquarthadast.png


This is the most beautiful Parthian and Carthaginian exspansion in a single campaign I have ever seen in EB.
http://forum.ffzg.hr/images/smiles/cwm91.gif

[Biowulf]

Who was winning the war after it started?

[SwissBarbar]

No one. Each could take and retake some settlements. In the end, the CTD won ;-)

[Silence Hunter]

SwissBarbar could you post a savegame of say 3-5 years before the CTD occured? Maybe it's possible to avoid the CTD somehow. I would love to get such a savegame, use the change faction script and play as Syracuse!!! :applause:

[Alexokrat]

i forgot to mention in my saba game that Arverni became extremly rich during the last 30 years with more than 200k mnai at the high point and now a bit more than 100k. Is this normal? I thought maybe Aedui is their protectorate or are these gallic regions bringing so much money?

[Biowulf]

That's actually very strange and also really cool. Maybe since they grabbed a protectorate they're raking in 2x the script money and will be able to forge a mighty Gallic empire. It would be the first that I've ever seen.

[Alexokrat]

https://img51.imageshack.us/img51/450/arvernimoney.jpg (https://img51.imageshack.us/i/arvernimoney.jpg/)

Here is a screen of their treasury, but it seems that their wealth was shorttimed, because they're losing money every round, as you can obviously see, cause theyre already below the 60k mnai line, maybe its because of their war against the sweboz.

[Marcus Darkstar]

https://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii262/Magus65/Gisgoiindesert.jpg

Started a new Roman campaign my last one kinda plataued when i got 90+ regions in 200 AD. Trying this campaign to slow it down a several noches.. still had two consular armies built up from my starting forces and built another one at Rome did some rampanging united Italy, grabbed Segestica for the mine there to help fund my First Punic War. Had several years making only about 1k with those two armies but once started expaneding got back some needed income.

did toggle_fow and saw amazing Saba progress. I figure Bostra rebelled to them but they mangaged to grab jerusalem and are holding it. Maybe the yellow death wont be a problem this game lol...

Also what the hell is Gisgo's problem wandering into the desert and staying/getting lost there to starve to death? He did that my last campaign too.

[Jebivjetar]

[IMG]

Also what the hell is Gisgo's problem wandering into the desert and staying/getting lost there to starve to death? He did that my last campaign too.

Example of typical antibarcid tactics I guess: wants to expand south :clown:

[Marcus Darkstar]

Example of typical antibarcid tactics I guess: wants to expand south :clown:

ya problem with that is he stays in the desert for decades doing nothing. I figure hes trying to head to Tuat but is walking into the desert invisible movement boundary (the place you cant move too essentially a wall) and is screwing up his pathfindiing.

[WinsingtonIII]

Also what the hell is Gisgo's problem wandering into the desert and staying/getting lost there to starve to death? He did that my last campaign too.

I've seen this behavior as well. It will look like they're heading to take Gamara but then they never actually go take it and wander away instead.

I once decided to move one of these wandering armies to Sicily and see if that would spur some interesting behavior, but no. He just keeps trying to walk up Italy, not engaging any Romans (they're allies in this campaign....). I think he's trying to walk all the way back around to Africa so he can wander around in the desert some more...

[Marcus Darkstar]

https://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii262/Magus65/EB%20Photo%20album/GisgoReturnsTriumphant.jpg

It seems Gisgo finnaly after several years in the desert got unlost and got Tuat and Gamara for the Carthage. Also seems i was wrong about not having the Yellow Death to worry about. Saba has recently gotten some massive losses (along with their Sel allies). However Saba has at least one veritable fortress in Meroe in southern Eygpt with stone walls and a nearly full garrison of troops.

My Second Punic War has been ongoing for several years now. Started when a army of Carthage attacked my main army besieging Arse (yes i know the historical irony is palpaple). So far they've lost Ippone, Mastia, Bocchoris, and Adrumento. Fearing Gisgo's return (when i had a portion of my army there return to Italy for resupply) I had my Adrumeto commander hire mercenaries in the area to fortify the town.

for other factions seems the Getai have been having trouble with the Eperoits now that they have made peace with the Macedonians (trouble also for the Hellens it at first seemed but not so much their currently beseiging one of their light defended garrisons in greece.) The Aedui have gained predominace in the Gaulish civil war with Aedui with them only retaining two divided cities. The Aedui also have gained the Bondsmen reform while they havnt so their troop quality is now lagging behind, still they have full stacks in their two cities and stone walls to protect them so it will be a bloody and drawn out death for them.

[Andy1984]

Always keen to fight a tough campaign? Then this Saka save game is definitely yours. The year is 230BC, and our kinsmen are fighting for their very survival. When we came from the high north, everything seemed possible. Wherever we arrived, vast armies of Greeks and Hellens were shattered. On many occasions, our horsemen proved to be worthy of their illustrious ancestors. Some 30 years ago, we settled near Alexandria Eschate and tasted the rich promises these lands hold. Our expansions led us to Marakanda, while we raided parts of India. Our warriors frequently left loot untouched as the horses couldn’t carry all of it.
It was our king Tavrak who, when young, wandered through Marakanda, Baktra, Gava, Kophen and even Sulek: silver and gold, arms and slaves, loot and whealth we accumulated. Our glory was such that Sogdians, both oppressed by Parni and Hellens, chose our banners. What begun as a gift of the gods, soon seemed to carry the promise in it of disaster.
The Parni, who were engaged in a bitter strife against their Hellen usurpator, were furious at what they saw as the betrayal of the Sogdians. They’ve made peace with the detested Seleukos II, and are now setting our tents ablaze and stealing our herds. Our homeland Chighu has fallen to their hoves, while the Sakae at Marakanda are experiencing the Parni ferocity. They are worthy foes, great lord.

Those Greeks we were fighting, are almost completely subdued. Should you burn their palaces once more, they can be another ally in our strife against the Parni and the Hellens. It is now that we must prove victorious once more, in order for our nomadic heritage to be remembered. Only if we manage to keep up with our ancestors’ victories and fame, we can dream of a bright future.

The situation…
The situation is, as you probably noticed, dire. As the Sakae, you only own a handful of settlements, being Chach, Marakanda, Baktra, Kophen, Gava and Sulek. Your fighting a war against Baktria, the Arche-Seleukia and the Pahlava, who have no internal conflicts anymore. Baktria has only Alexandria Eschate left, but they still have considerable armies near that settlement and even in India! The Pahlava lost Nisa to the Seucids, but seem to have settled towards the north. Your finances aren’t good-looking either. You’re making more than 2000 mnai/turn, which can be spent on recruitment or constructions. I’ve been ‘living off the land’ to compensate for this issue: destroying Greek buildings (no monuments were harmed) in order to generate sufficient cashflows not to go entirely broke. Your treasury is slightly positive, as should your mood.

The tactical situation is a mess. Your recruitment options are endangered. That means: those settlements that can train horse archers (Chach, Marakanda and Sulek) may fall in the near or not so near future. It is for that purpose that I initiated a migration towards Kophen (bye bye 2000 mnai), so you might have at least some replenishment in the future. Should you conquer Alexandria Eschate, you'll be able to retrain your horse archers there.

The strategic situation is much better. Maybe even promising. Should you take Alexandria Eschate (occupied by Baktria), you gain both a mine and another center for recruitment. Even better: those Bactrian armies wandering around near Sulek and besieging Gava will turn Eleutheroi. You’ll loose an opponent and gain some more income. Should you succeed, you’ll only be left with three cities/borders to defend, which should be doable. You have five units of experienced and armoured horse archers at your disposal to do so, as well as three units of cataphracts. Should your reinforcements arrive, you can count on an additional family member and two units of Saka foot archers. The opposition is largely unknown, and speed is paramount. You must siege Alexandria Eschate and take it as soon as possible regardless the costs. You need to lay siege now and build at least one ram with your cavalry army. Your reinforcements must reach the city from the other side either now, or next turn. If they don't arrive, and Bactria declines to sally, you'll lack infantry to push your ram. Both your cavalry army and your reinforcements have the city within reach... but there are several smaller Baktrian armies nearby. You may take them out before laying siege. You’ll probably face a Bactrian family member, a bunch of low- to mid-tier units and possibly a unit of armoured elephants, spread around the immediate area of the city. If you take it in time, your petty kingdom is saved. If your attack fails, you’ll look forward to both some very dangerous situations as well as at some less upkeep costs.

The reconquest of Alexandria Eschate is your primary objective. After this is done, you can add the remnants of your cavalry armies to Marakanda (securing that settlement against Pahlavi attacks), or you can send them to Chighu. Marakanda is equally crucial, as it has mines and is situated near Alexandria Eschate (mines) and Chach. Marakanda is about to be besieged again by Pahlava. Until now, setting their rams ablaze and killing their infantry with your Saka foot archers made me keep that settlement. It won't last forever though... Chighu on the other hand is occupied by a Parni family member and a secondary unit, but it has mines and is almost fully built out. Taking Chighu will generate even more cashflows, but it will further endanger Marakanda, Alexandria-Eschate and Chach. Careful decisions will have to be made. The Seleucids are knocking on your doors at Baktra, but their phalanxes (including argyraspidai) and heavy Persian archers should be no match for your horse and foot archers. So far, I've been capable to keep them at bay. But without extra funds from conquests, you'll eventually loose it. As long as your financial issues aren’t dealt with (by loosing your cavalry army, by conquering the Baktrian capital or by both), you can’t dream of any expansion towards the Seleucids or towards the rest of Eleutheroi India.

Good luck,

Andy

Link to the savegame-file (http://www.megaupload.com/?d=7ASWJI2I)(VH/VH, huge unit settings - RTW-engine)

[Qvintvs]

I am sorry, but i couldn`t find other place where to post this, so i post it there. The only part in the "Sotaroas" word which i pay attention to is the "sot" part.

[anubis88]

I am sorry, but i couldn`t find other place where to post this, so i post it there. The only part in the "Sotaroas" word which i pay attention to is the "sot" part.


wth?

[Arthur, king of the Britons]

I am sorry, but i couldn`t find other place where to post this, so i post it there. The only part in the "Sotaroas" word which i pay attention to is the "sot" part.

I see.

[Aenos]

I am sorry, but i couldn`t find other place where to post this, so i post it there. The only part in the "Sotaroas" word which i pay attention to is the "sot" part.

Clearly.. I must admit the Saka post above yours is rather more interesting than your stray remark.

[SwissBarbar]

I am sorry, but i couldn`t find other place where to post this, so i post it there. The only part in the "Sotaroas" word which i pay attention to is the "sot" part.

Were you drunk when you posted this?

[Mizike]

I had an account here eons ago, but it got dead. So, apparently, this is my first post: 72 years of a Saba campaign.

https://img130.imageshack.us/img130/1737/72years.jpg (https://img130.imageshack.us/i/72years.jpg/)

[gamegeek2]

Taking it nice and steady, I see.

[Qvintvs]

Heh, the Romans got owned...

[Hroth]

https://i942.photobucket.com/albums/ad262/CuntAss_2010/RomeTW2010-05-1320-38-05-97.jpg

Sweboz H/M
No FD
No cheats

[Qvintvs]

Then what`s up with Yellow Death and Baktria?

[Brave Brave Sir Robin]

I'd say more whats up with Macedon being all the way north in the slavic territories

[Hroth]

Mak had like 10 full stacks trying to take Sparte from KH and when they finally did they blitzed Sara. Getai is Mak's protectorte. Yellow death was doing good until they met Baktria now they are fighting a two front war with Mak and Baktria.

[SwissBarbar]

Baktria 140 BC

https://img231.imageshack.us/img231/5332/unbenanntwt.png

Guess who's the strongest Faction...

[Hotseat_User]

Baktria 140 BC

Guess who's the strongest Faction...


Well, it's definetly not the KH nor the Aedui. But my bet is for those Lusos because they hold the Iberian and the Appeninian. But - oh well - it could be everybody.

[Hax]

Getai.

[SwissBarbar]

Getai? What Getai ^^
No, it's the Lusos

[anubis88]

It's interesting that when you play an eastern faction - Parthia, Baktria, Saka, the Seleucids ALWAYS do great in that campaign. Even if the Ptolies became the yellow death, the AS still holds their own and conquers at the expanse of other nation...

At least that's my experience

[Jerat]

It's interesting that when you play an eastern faction - Parthia, Baktria, Saka, the Seleucids ALWAYS do great in that campaign. Even if the Ptolies became the yellow death, the AS still holds their own and conquers at the expanse of other nation...

At least that's my experience

Factions you are at war with are always doing better then factions which are on the other end of the map. And factions you are allied to are the worst in the campaign. I stoped allying to faction which I want to see alive during the game, otherwise they will be conquered quickly :D.
In my current Pontos campaign I am at war with the seleucids, but I am focusing on the area around the black see, so I just conquered the seleucid areas in anatolia. Despite sending army after army at Mazaka, The seleucids are pushing the ptolies back to egypt and the parthians have only 2 cities left.

[SwissBarbar]

It's interesting that when you play an eastern faction - Parthia, Baktria, Saka, the Seleucids ALWAYS do great in that campaign. Even if the Ptolies became the yellow death, the AS still holds their own and conquers at the expanse of other nation...

At least that's my experience

Yes, you're right, my experience too.

[Hotseat_User]

https://img249.imageshack.us/img249/6742/molwint240.jpg


Guess Who's Who?!? [By the time of 240BC]

edit. damn white borders.

[anubis88]

Sweboz?

[Rahl]

You are Parthia I think. Maybe you are one of the western greeks but I can't make out anything there...

EDIT:
Wait, I changed my mind. You are Epeiros. (if I'm correct and the green thing in macedon is the same green as in pergamon)

[Brave Brave Sir Robin]

Gotta be Sweboz though I agree its odd to see Pahlava attack Baktria instead of AS. I think that greenish blue color in Pergamum and Macedon is Makedonia. Thats pretty typical expansion for a black wave.

[Hotseat_User]

nah. Rahl is right, I'm Epiros. I was pretty stunned by the AI expansion, was just toy'ing around with the SPQA (Arretium) to train my young FM's and recognized this monster that will be called Sweboz. I think i have to secure at least AM to counter them off in the Alps.
H_U

[Chris_]

Saba campaign, 243 BC:
http://www.secretundergroundbase.com/images/maps/saba243bc.png

Casse are doing the usual, slowly taking over Britain. Nothing special there.
Sweboz are moving west, and are now finally in touch with some other factions.
Aedui are close to destroying the Arverni and have been fighting against Rome since the beginning and doing pretty well.
Rome hasn't taken Mediolanum yet. Segesta has apparently rebelled.
Lusos are running around in Spain taking the odd town. At some point they'll probably explode and take over everything.
Carthage have finally woken up and are trying to take Sicily.
Getail aren't doing anything special.
Epeiros are doing really well, and have taken everything above Thermon.
KH are still alive which is good in and of itself. They are currently besieging Chalkis and Rhodos, so hopefully they will last for some time yet.
Maks are quite small, but a have a good number of full stacks standing around. Battling mainly with KH.
Sauros have managed to divide Hayasdan who made early gains in the north.
Hayasdan took a lot of land to the north before losing it again. They've somehow managed to lose their capital to rebellion and seem to have no interest in getting it back.
Ptolemies are sending small forces to attack me and are battling against AS.
AS are doing well, they've managed to hold off most of their enemies and also make some ground against Pahlava, which usually doesn't happen.
Pahlava made some early gains against AS, but are on the defensive now. Hopefully AS will wipe them out so I never have to fight them.
Baktria only have one province and have been sending attacks against Saka for some time now, none of which have been successful.
Saka are being Saka.

I've mainly been building up my cities and have just started moving towards Patala. Took, looted and abandoned Pura on the way since my troops got dropped off early (pirate fleet attacked). Not bothering with Gerrha yet since it just means that the AS will start sending stacks down to me. This will be annoying for me and will probably let the other factions defeat the AS. Palmyra keeps revolting to me.

It could go any way the minute. Personally I want AS to defeat the Pahlava and the Ptolemies, then get picked apart by everyone else. Basically I just don't want to be fending off streams of full stacks of elite phalanxes/cataphracts.

[Ferdiad]

Guess who I am.

https://a.imageshack.us/img809/3550/rometwalx20100811012841.jpg (https://img809.imageshack.us/i/rometwalx20100811012841.jpg/)

[Unintended BM]

The Parthians.

[Ferdiad]

Nope.:laugh4:

[Ower]

then the you must be Casse:laugh4: how else would they withstand the red jugernout :laugh4: which you could not posibly be

[Ferdiad]

How could you possibly think I'm the Romans?:laugh4:

[Olaf The Great]

https://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll80/ArchePersis/year255.png?t=1282110484
255 BC
I'm playing as Hayasdan and I'm roleplaying the Kingdom as a hermit kingdom until atleast 200 BC, though I may push into the Levant if I'm forced.
I had just attained the King of Kings event, Ptolemys declared war on everyone and the AS threw all their eggs in one basket and lost horribly in Syria, they literally have no significant armies anymore.
https://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll80/ArchePersis/year250.png?t=1282115672
250 BC
The AS are pretty much a hollow power now, the Ptolemys are besieging Babylon and vassalized the Saba. They also keep throwing stacks of elites at Karkatheriokerta, and I have a fullstack there with stone walls, but I get massive casualties with each fight and my population is being drained horribly, and my the Ptolemys show no signs of stopping(and yes...I have been using force diplomacy on them but nothing is happening) Pontos is my ally and they took full advantage of the power vacuum in Asia Minor and are besieging Naiosos and Ankyra with large armies are are fighting the ptolemys in the south too, which for some reason seem to ignore them and beeline to my city in the area, thus losing many battles to Pontos.

I've never seen the Sauromatae expand like that, and so fast, they're at war with the Getai and the Parthians.


https://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll80/ArchePersis/year245-1.png
245 BC
I force diplomacied Antioch and Edessa back to AS after destroying the factional barracks in both, because I'm getting really annoyed with facing full stacks of elites every 3rd turn. AS recruited a few armies from Seleukia and are doing the same thing the Ptolemy's did to Karkathiokerta with Palmyra, except a lot more crappily.
I'm slowly recruiting a decent army(Persian Hoplites, Armenian Infantry, Kinsmen) from Palmyra, so I might actually decide to go on the offensive and capture Syria and mesopotamia soon.

[Marcus Darkstar]

Heres my latest from my new Roman campaign (started a new one to impliment some mods into my campaign). Set it to Very High Diffculty in campaign setting due to the ease of victory from my last roman campaign. In the middle of my Second Punic War with Carthage.

This faction progression suprised me quiet a bit.

https://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii262/Magus65/EB%20Photo%20album/EBSurprises.jpg

As you can see Pahlava has forced both Saka and Baktria to become its protectorates. Though while that is interesting what i found more interesting was Koinon forcing Eperius into becoming its protectorate and the fact Pontis has been blitzing AS like crazy to the point it has reached to the very doorsteps of Seleukeia itself. Koin has been annoyingly powerful this campaign though has had a wandering army in Italy that doesnt know how to leave (small one fm in it so i cant even bribe it away) and attacked Taras a decade or so back.

when Pahlava forced Baktria into a protectorate it forced a ceasefire between it and the AS I had hoped earilier that it would give it breathing room for the AS to retake Antioch from the Ptolemaios but all it did was delay Pahlava for a few years with Baktria rather siding with their new protectors than their old allies the AS.

The Romans become the worlds largest faction after the tremedous losses the AS has had in this campaign it held up rather well for awhile at the begining taking Ptolemaios territories near antioch and retaking some territories from the Pahlava but it got utterly wrecked from the Pontis explosion i've been seeing this campaign.

[Hax]

That's an incredibly good Pontos AI you have there.

[Marcus Darkstar]

That's an incredibly good Pontos AI you have there.

Ya I know right?

So far im hoping Pontos and the Ptolemaios will have a war soon due to the Pontos consumption of Syrian territories. Hopefully Pahvala will consume more of Persia and keep the Pontos's ambitions in check.

Though franklly if they keep going the way they are im gonna enjoy the Mithridates War well have when i finnaly head eastward (probably in a century or so) I dont normally find myself able to contend against a strong Pontus in the east.

[Marcus Darkstar]

https://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii262/Magus65/EB%20Photo%20album/Pontossillluck.jpg

update from my campaign. In the past 14 Years Pontos has had to contend with the Yellow death and their at their death throws now. where they once got into the very heart of the Syrian Kingdom they now face the yellow death. Though im hoping at least for a Parthain Empire to form to put the yellow death in its place. Pahvala is already on the verge of getting those Indian provinces.

Carthage is still around. We almost had a Third Punic War until i decided to ally with their ally Macedon to cemate a cease-fire. They even sided with Macedon after they were attacked by the yellow death. So i think the Anti-Bacrid faction has gotten more power in Carthage now. Which is good since the Lusotan attacked my far flung Iberian holdings and I've about finished them off they put up a hell of a fight though had to sacrifice allmost my entire pre-polybian army of my early era Roman Legions plus Iberian allied forces AND hired every mercenary i could find.

Which is good because my Faction Leader isnt going to live for another long campaign. At least its going to give him a legacy to be proud of since his wife died a natural death and he has no sons to carry on his line.

https://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii262/Magus65/EB%20Photo%20album/DevotioIberica.jpg

He killed 3-4 Fullstacks of Lusotan troops. One by funnelling them throw a narrow bridge as a chokepoint (they failed to ambush him while my leader was crossing it), and another Lusotan fullstack my roman forces actually hid in the forests of Iberia to AMBUSH THEM and issuing them a crushing defeat! Thats how i got the devoution of the Iberian warriors. Then i fought two Lusotan half stacks with the remenants of my roman forces and iberian allies in a battle where i had roughly 2000 troops to their 3800. after i crushed them i was attacked while besieging Oxtraca here with the remenants of the Lusotan.Then it was a simple march onto the city where i burned and pillaged the place to set an example to their former capital to those barbarians who would think of attacking Rome and her allies.

Ah Marcus Semproninus Longus I will remember you always even if youll have no direct descendents.

[Marcus Darkstar]

For further infromation My pre-polybian roman legions consisted of 4 Hastasti, 4 Princeps, 4 Triari, 8 Leves, 4 Republican Slingers, 4 Equites. Constitued into two legions most of which were veterans of the first Punic War + capturing northern italy etc so many of them were silver cheveron.

Needless to say Lusotan gave me a good war. I always have fun in Iberia :). Its Africa i hate though trying to conquer Tuat and Garama is a pain in the rear end to finish Carthage off.

[Brave Brave Sir Robin]

https://img38.imageshack.us/img38/8018/haiempire2.png

Hai campaign. I have conquered the Caucasus, most of Persia, Mesopotamia, Assyria, Syria, Media, Eastern Arabia, and parts of Cappadocia. At this point I have just defeated 3/4 of the Ptolemaic offensive they directed at Syria after I kicked the Seleucids out. I just have to defeat the army besieging Antioch.

Lusotanians: Destroyed. I've never seen Carthage so tenacious in Iberia and this was obviously to the detriment of the Lusitanians. I believe they started the war and actually took one of Carthages holdings but Carthage fought back and gradually conquered all of Lusotann's settlements.

Carthage: Again, never seen Carthage do so well in any of my games. They own all of Spain, after slowly and painfully beating back the Lusitanians. They attacked the Arverni and made them their protectorate which in effect allowed Rome to concentrate on the Aedui and conquer half of Gaul. Currently, Carthage has attacked the Romans and is fighting with them over southern Italy. I expect Carthage to win if they can transport some of their larger stacks from Spain to Sicily.

Rome: The Romans had a very interesting go of things this time around. They were slow to unify Italy and warred with Epirus for some time over Tarentum and later Illyria. They had a very tough time kicking the Aedui out of Mediolanum and almost lost Massalia several times to the Arverni. They have had multiple full stacks crushed when attacking the Gauls but once Carthage protectorated the Arverni and since Rome and Carthage were allies at the time, Rome and Arverni got ceasefire and they could focus all attacks on the Aedui. They crushed them and now are fighting with Carthage over southern Italy and tentatively attacking the Central European provinces. They also made Epirus their protectorate at some point.

Aedui: Destroyed. They resisted the twin pressures of Rome and Sweboz for a long time but once the Arverni left the fight, the Aedui crumpled under Roman attacks.

Arverni: Protectorate of Carthage. Lost Sequellra to Sweboz who then lost it to Aedui who then lost it to Rome. Managed to come back from just one province to conquer two more and make a viable defense against Rome but when Carthage attacked, they readily accepted protectorate status. Now their only function is to stop conflict between Rome and Carthage in Gaul itself which would have been cool methinks.

Casse: Doing their typical thing, though quicker than normal.

Sweboz: Doing their typical thing. Ally with Rome, unite German tribes, attack Gauls. They may attack Rome soon which would probably doom the followers of Mars.

Getai: Were in the process of getting their ass kicked by Epirus when the latter randomly became Romes protectorate. Whatever. Now fight over Black Sea provinces with Sauromate, face down Central European stacks, and worry about Pontic expansion westwards.

Epirus: Looked poised to conquer Getai while expanding into the Alps and south into Italy against a weaker Rome when suddenly they became Rome's protectorate. I'm currently searching for a way to break that status but I don't know if that will happen. They were strong enough at one point to take the Alpine town with scripted defenders so I really don't know what happened.

Macedonia: Lost Pella early on, got smacked around in Greece by KH but came back from just Euboea to dominate southern Greece again. They can't seem to take Thessaly though and instead just build up stacks on Lesbos to no use. They are the richest faction in the game though.

KH: I've never had a campaign where the KH dominated Greece so I was excited when they fought their way north to Thessaly and had reduced Macedon to just Euboea and Lesbos. Of course they then lost Athens, Corinth and Sparta in quick succession and now hold onto only Thessaly, Rhodes, and Halicarnassus. Fight off occasional Macedonian forays and hope that Pontus doesn't get greedy.

Ptolys: Fought a stalemate with Seleucids for years, then allied with them and attacked Karkiotherta once I owned it. Grrrrrr. They've been my biggest foe this campaign even though the AS has been tenacious, Ptolies are the bigger threat. They have actually been smart this campaign though. Had three stacks waiting once I conquered Syria from AS and beseiged all those towns immediately. Also landed three full stacks in Anatolia to win back lost holdings against Pontus and were mildly successful. At their largest, they owned Byzantion, Cyrene, and Karkiotherta.

Pontus: With Carthage, my favorite so far. One, they have upheld our alliance. Two, they beat the snot out of the Ptolies in Anatolia. Pontus had owned northern half plus Ipsos and Sardis along with Byzantion and Odysai when Ptolies attacked them. They were down to Amaseia, Sinope and Odrysai when I took Mazaka from the Seleucids and prompted Ptolie attacks. Pontus then fought back taking all of Anatolia except Side when Ptolies landed three full stacks against them. Ptolies reconquered back to Pergamum but they became distracted by my conquests in Syria and now Pontus has reduced them to Sardis which is under siege. Pontus will then be poised to either attack me (I hope not), attack KH in Halicarnassus, or expand against Getai or Epirus.

AS: Gradually lost territory to me, Pahlava, and Pontus. Stubbornly held onto Syria until my recent attacks. Now owns Eastern Persia and Cyrene which I'm RP'ing as seperate factions. I plan on taking east Persia next if Pahlava don't get it first.

Saba: Owned Palmyra and Bostra at one point and were a major threat to Ptolies. Now they pester them in Africa and the Levant but nothing serious. Also still my good allies although I conquered Eastern Arabia and border them. Not sure what will happen once I move into the Levant.

Pahlava: Started strong against AS even taking Paropamosidai but they lost that to rebellion and the AS built up a huge garrison which stopped their attacks. Now they occasionaly attack the Sauros even though they don't border them and look to be attacking the AS again. Another true ally. (You can see why I'm enjoying this campaign lol)

Baktria: Fought against Saka and lost Baktra. Regained it in a rebellion instigated by me but also accepted protectorate status to the nomads. Now sit around aimlessly.

Saka: Took Baktra which they lost but gained Baktrians as protectorate. Now they are slowly moving West and attacking Sauros.

Sauromatae: At war with everyone! And still somewhat viable. They were beating on Getai but lost province to Sweboz rebellion. Backstabbed by Saka while Pahlava attack them from across the Caspian. Also had to fight off Greek rebellion on Bosporus.

[QuintusSertorius]

239BC in my Epeiros-as-Pergamon game with 1.2:

https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v66/Kiero/239BCworldmap.jpg

Mine is the royal blue, the Aedui have Ankyra (not me) after a revolt. I've been using cheats to assist the smaller factions and prevent rebel settlements being swamped (mostly adding units to rebel garrisons). Its my aim to keep as many rebel settlements going in Europe as possible - especially to constrain the Sweboz and SPQR - and maintain a stalemate between Aedui and Arverni, and KH and Makedonia.

I also don't want any faction to die, so if any are starting to look hard-pressed I spawn some units in their cities and use the console to give them gold. I saved the Sauromatae from Hai destruction that way, and the Getai were nearly wiped out by Makedonia.

[FriendlyFire]

https://i873.photobucket.com/albums/ab296/FoECarthage/Empires/Hay212.jpg

Hayasdan H/M campaign, 212 BC. Covering the map roughly from west to east:

Iberia: Carthage have finished conquering Africa, and are allied with the Ptolemaioi, so now they're expanding in Iberia. The Lusos only just woke up from a 50-year hibernation, so things don't look good for them.

Europe: The Aedui are on the verge of extinction against a 3-way alliance of Arverni, SPQR, and Sweboz. They've only held out this long by occasionally getting towns back through rebellion. And the poor Casse can't quite unite Ireland.

Sicily: Carthage lost Messana to rebellious Greeks, who then proceeded to take over the entire island. This leaves Carthage and SPQR free to concentrate on other fronts, although they occasionally squabble over Corsica.

Greece/Thrace/Illyria: Koinon Hellenon are a superpower, having reduced Epeiros to a single Illyrian province, and exiled the Makedonians to Asia Minor. Rebellions in Hellenic coastal cities (Messana, Chersonesos, Halikarnassos) have all been turned into Greek power bases. They're at war with all their neighbors except for their allies the Getai, who are busy expanding north. The Koinon Hellenon are led by a horribly battle-scarred and lame 63-year-old Spartiate with triple-gold-chevron experience, who has left heroic-battle markers strewn across the region.

Asia Minor: A senile Seleucid leader drools on his throne in Ipsos, convinced that he still has an empire. The Makedonians hang on by their fingertips. The Koinon Hellenon are busy eating up Pontos, who wore themselves out defending Kallatis (Pontos actually walked an army past Byzantion and up the coast to conquer Kallatis!). My allies the Arverni got Ankyra by rebellion, and then I conquered and gave them Tarsos and Antiocheia to form a buffer against the Ptolemaioi. They have full stacks of freed slaves not doing anything and not being attacked by anyone.

Syria etc: After some earlier "unpleasantness" (c.f. Tarsos and Antiocheia) I'm now allied with the Ptolemaioi, and we're both at peace with the Arche Seleukeia. Seleucid full stacks are content to sit in their forts, using up resources that could be better used in the east. Saba are stuck in the desert - they got Palmyra through rebellion and then used it as a base to attack me, so I kicked them out and gave it back to the Seleucids in return for a ceasefire.

Hayasdan (me!): I've conquered my first set of historical lands to the east, and am about to intervene in Pontos and Asia Minor to the west. I feel relatively safe against the Sauros in the north (battling Greeks and Getai), and Seleucids in the south (busy doing nothing). But then there's the east...

The east: The big blue Baktrian death machine approaches. They spent 50 years conquering India, then exploded over the past 10. A 3-way alliance in the northeast between Baktria, Pahlava, and the Saka has kept them all chipping away at the Seleucids, but Baktria took all the spoils. If they don't turn on Pahlava or Saka, then I expect to be attacked very soon...

Edit: look at this lovely Baktrian stack I found in Apameia. Mercenary phalangites as the main line, thureophoroi to hold the flanks, Hyrkanian hillmen to run round the back and chop things up, peltastai to annoy, Indo-Iranian cavalry to harass and then charge, and archers to shoot up the enemy as they approach. This is a stack I'd be VERY happy to command, and the AI put it all together itself!

https://i873.photobucket.com/albums/ab296/FoECarthage/Empires/BaktrianStack.jpg

[QuintusSertorius]

Epeiros-as-Pergamon, on M/M, 217BC:

https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v66/Kiero/217bcmap.jpg

There's been some shameless cheating to preserve and assist the smaller factions on my part. Recently the Arverni were nearly wiped out in Gaul, so I made the Aedui give them Galatia and return one of their provinces. They've since allied with the Romans and the balance of power in Gaul has flipped over. The Aedui have had two recent revolts in their favour, Mediolanium and Singidunum.

KH have held on to Mazaka despite some hard fighting with Pontos. Pahlava are finally moving and the Saka holding their own. Baktria actually went south for a change!

Still giving the rebels lots of money and occasionally boosting garrisons to prevent them being steamrollered.

[Brave Brave Sir Robin]

Edit: look at this lovely Baktrian stack I found in Apameia. Mercenary phalangites as the main line, thureophoroi to hold the flanks, Hyrkanian hillmen to run round the back and chop things up, peltastai to annoy, Indo-Iranian cavalry to harass and then charge, and archers to shoot up the enemy as they approach. This is a stack I'd be VERY happy to command, and the AI put it all together itself!

https://i873.photobucket.com/albums/ab296/FoECarthage/Empires/BaktrianStack.jpg

You do realize that stack was just put together by recruiting all the mercenaries in the pool right?

[Africanus]

My latest Romani campaign, 206 B.C., VH/M, BI exe. All factions still alive. The AS are down to one settlement, but are currently besieging Antioch with a full stack. This is the best I've ever seen Pontos perform, usually they're the first faction eliminated.

https://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh241/LVA/RTW/RomeTW-BI2010-10-0811-27-54-87.jpg

[Lysimachos]

You do realize that stack was just put together by recruiting all the mercenaries in the pool right?

Ah, could've fooled me!

[johnhughthom]

https://i405.photobucket.com/albums/pp139/johnhughthom/Parni/testappa2010-10-1000-59-53-77-1.jpg

214, Pahlava campaign.

[FriendlyFire]

You do realize that stack was just put together by recruiting all the mercenaries in the pool right?

Awww, don't spoil my dreams of a smart AI!

Besides, it's still a lovely stack, no matter where it came from :smiley2:



214, Pahlava campaign.

Europe looks very pretty, just the Greeks and Aedui spoiling the nice regular color blocks. That Epeiros-on-the-coast/Makedonia-inland thing going on in Illyria is bizarre but fun. What's happening in Africa -- are Carthage and Ptolemaioi actually at war for a change? And what happened to the Saka lands??

[johnhughthom]

What's happening in Africa -- are Carthage and Ptolemaioi actually at war for a change?

Yup.


And what happened to the Saka lands??

One AS FM wandered up there and in the fifty or so years since his family has carved out their own personal domain.

[QuintusSertorius]

196BC:

https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v66/Kiero/196BCmap.jpg

Heavily meddled and interfered with by me, both through FD and more direct intervention. Most recently I sent an army to Syria and restored the flagging Seleukids, kicking the Ptolemies back into Egypt.

All those Sabaen holdings in North Africa are gifts from me after taking them from Qarthadast and Egypt. Casse in the Belgae lands, and Lusotanno in Ireland are my doing via FD. As is KH in Syrakousai.

I gave the Romans the Illyrian coast a while back, after taking settlements from Makedonia. Just about to restore Singidunum to the Aedui for yet another war with the Makedones.

My independent little kingdom of Kyrene has held against both the Ptolemies and Qarthadast. With no support from the homeland, just what they can recruit plus mercs.

[QuintusSertorius]

235BC in my Epeiros-as-Massalia game:

https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v66/Kiero/235BCmap-1.jpg

Only minor meddling on my part, such as giving Bratosporios to the Casse after taking it, and when the Romans attacked, taking Segesta off them and giving it to their allies (yeah, I know) the Aedui.

224BC in the same game:

https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v66/Kiero/224BCmap.jpg

[STuNTz2023]

https://img826.imageshack.us/img826/324/rometw2010121007084110.png (https://img826.imageshack.us/i/rometw2010121007084110.png/)

This is my Bactrian campaign.

The AI progression has been very interesting..

Spain has been rather boring.. other than Romans and Aedui fighting over emporiom..

In gaul the romans pushed about half way thru France, only to be beatin back by the Aeudi.. however with the Swezboz now attacking them.. and the Romans.. their future doesnt look bright.

Greece has been most interesting.. First the Makedonians were pushed out to Mytilene where they have expanded to where they are now. Eperius owned everything that KH and Maks have split.. Pella.. Ambrakia.. Byzantion.. and north of that.

KH has pushed and taken over greece, still fighting with the exiled Makedonians and using their resources to overwhelm the enemy.

The yellow death is slowly strangling Carthage like a snake.. They have a peace treaty with the grey death, so not much expansion in Asia.

The parthians and myself pushed and carved our own empires out of the Arche.. however soon after they attacked myself and are currently being crushed.

Saka has yet to try and move south..

[moriluk]

AS244 BI.exe m/m
https://img202.imageshack.us/img202/4811/as244.jpg

allies: Epeiros.
enemies Baktria, Hai, Pontos, Kart, Saka.


Nothing too unusual about AI expansion so far except I've never seen Casse so weak or Sauromatae so broken up.

[moriluk]

Romani 223 bi.exe h/m. 3.1 minimod. This for me is the most fun/realistic set up for any faction. used to play rtw.exe all difficulties. just recently started using minimod and bi and permanently switched to hard campaign. Almost feels like a new game. Navy becomes critical. I see ai expansion patterns in BI that I did not see in rtw. Some odd, but overall better.

https://img140.imageshack.us/img140/6201/romani226.jpg

[LusitanianWolf]

Lusotannan campain at 263 Bc with Alex.exe and Jirisys Mega Pack (Vh/m)
https://img156.imageshack.us/img156/7564/lusos263bc.jpg
My first with Alex exe and is being quite fun!
I had played Lusos many times (can you belive that? =P ) but usualy I first blitz the Carthies ou of Iberia and then focus in economy and in conquer the rest of it but now I'm doing the things the other way: conquered 2 eleutheroi settlements, paid some tributes to Cartage while developing some basis economy and them waited for them to betray me. Belive me, fighting them all over iberia is much more fun to just siege eleutheroi towns so I'll let them stay around more time. Theire bringing reinforcements by boat (mostly sardinians and balearians), I'm hoping that they bring some elephants, but unfortunly AI almost never use them in my campains, maybe with Alex things will be different (I hope). :bucktooth:

And btw LOOK AT THAT GETAI, who gave them steroids? :shocked:
Thinks are pretty hot in the steppes, almost a shame I'm so far away :2thumbsup:
And lol, Casse was destroyed very early by eleutheroi.

Its being a fun campain :yes:

[Greenlizard0.]

Epiros, medium/medium (bi.exe)

An invasion of Punic troops in Italy from see. (They didn't came from Messana).

https://imageshack.us/m/42/8648/62319806.png

In 272 I took Pella and Demetrias and Serdike, the Koinon Hellion took Korinthos the same year. Removing Chalkis did cost the Greek more time though. I lost Taras twice, yet nice rebellions gave it back.

The Koinon sieging and taking Mytilene, while Makedon had succeeded in invading Rhodos isn't someting I've seen often. (Note: In the second picture The Koinon is invading Rhodos). And Pontos has Pergamon.

Edit: AS has Salamis.

https://imageshack.us/m/845/2002/21925505.png

https://imageshack.us/m/713/2451/47288056.png

However succesful the Free Greeks have been so far, they made a huge mistake in sieging Demetrias, the first time I'm in war with them. I have four full stacks (thanks to the mines, and I have even 5000/6000 mni each turn), they have one stack (with some non-professional alongside some professional troops).

https://imageshack.us/m/862/3950/44215989.png

https://imageshack.us/m/683/2629/42274982.png


As you can see, the Ptolemaoi, Bactria an Pahlava are doing wel.

https://imageshack.us/m/18/3936/37835227.png

[Grouchio]

Anyone care for some more Empire building?

[Satyros]

Don't have a screenshot at the moment but by 230 my Sauromatae empire is quite large , the most successful attempt to date . Alex.exe vh/m huge size units , have "cheated" to win previously ctd'd battles as I hate having to replay at least half an hour of constant micro with the horse archers . Usually I have much more casualties than playing the battle manually ( again ) but I can live with that*edit* After the Ptolemaioi have attacked I can't live with that any more , if this campaign dies , it will be because of my hatred of replaying ctd'd battles *edit* . I hate replaying the same battles . Otherwise I don't cheat at all , not even the "legitimate" cheat of " force diplomacy" .

After uniting the tribes around the starting territory and capturing pantikapaion and ... the other crimean city and olvia ( some heroic victories ), I initially expanded to the west , captured the skythian lands and even expanded a bit ( 2 provinces ) in the baltic , attaching two allied tribes to my growing empire .

Since Saka Rauka proved to be the best ally ever in EB ( almost 40 years of alliance with common borders and without attack ) I then continued my expansion to the south , I passed the Caucasus mountains and destroyed Hayasdan and on the other side of Euxeinos Pontos I stole Kallatis and .... the-city-immediately-to-the-west from Getai . Again tough resistance from both of them . The Getai are quiet ever since , they have probed once or twice with a single unit towards Gawjam Bastarnoj but were beaten back immediately from local militia .

Beside the Getai where nothing interesting is happening , at the moment I am facing the KH which for the past 10 years ( or more ) is rather obsessed with Kallatis , even though it has no bordering province ( Tylis still owned by Eleutheroi ) , they have been very active launching expedition after expedition by sea to Kallatis , I must've killed over 25 thousand of troops . I also face the Ptolemaioi who declared war on me the very next round after we shared a border for the first time .

Other than that I have a severe financial problem , with 21 cities now I still can field 3 quarters of a stack worth of HA units of which 5 units are elite ( of which only two are Aorsi Nobles - not the best one there is ) and the rest are regular non elite Sauromatae Archers or Aorsi Riders . These are splitted three ways : 2 Sauromatae Noble Horse Archers with a family member go rebel hunting , 1 SNHA with 3 Aorsi Riders and 4 SHA and one FM are in the Balkan front and 2 Aorsi Nobles 2 SHA and 2 AR and 2-3 FM's are on the other front , Caucasus etc , the rest of my economy supports guards in the cities , all Sauromatae footmen .

The thing is that I may have some profits now , but I think that if I invest on a third "army" ( practically another halfstack - the rebel hunters barely count as an army ) to conquer more territory I don't think that with the additional garisson costs I will have any profit at all , perhaps I will lose more than I will gain , financially speaking . Non HA armies are worth nothing if they're not supported by elite cavalry , so it's a financial dead end methinks .

Moreover I want that 6-8k profit margin to develop my territory ( slowly ) .

What I think kills me is unrest . Contrary to our settled neighbours we don't have enough happiness / law buildings and on top of that we have many FM who simply want to be in the wild / seek the glory in battle who don't make great administrators .

At the end of the day it's ok , because I was forced to play like a steppe horde is supposed to : I organize raids deep into enemy territory with the sole purpose of sacking cities ( so as to develop territory faster ) :D

Am I doing something wrong ?

Let me know if I do .

Satyros

P.S. : I moved my capital to Tanais , which was a brief relief , but further down the road squalor will hit hard my captured cities . With the exception of the 2 Baltic cities I have migrated everywhere .
P.P.S : If this is not the right thread for this post , perhaps a moderator can move it somewhere more appropriate ? Thanks in advance .
P.P.S. : The Ptolemaioi are monstrous ! Monstrous I tell ya !They've taken ALL of western Seleukeia including famous cities such as Babylon and Seleukeia , they have even managed to keep their provinces in Mikra Asia and currently attack my ally Pontos . I have decided to build a HA army of Doom ( which means about 12 units ( 50% elites ) , 14 with the addition of two FM's and DESTROY THEIR CITIES .

[philosopher260]

excuse me but i got a little confused.......this is the barbarorum 1 or 2?????thank you

[Arthur, king of the Britons]

This is Europa Barbarorum 1.

[moriluk]

Interesting expansion here from Romani. Especially since they were going after Sicily when Gaul had Roma. They continued attacking Sicily while the Celts took everything else. Taras is about to go but Athens is strong and they have owned that and have been allied with Makedonia for almost 20 years.

Using BI h/m with minimod, city mod, realistic movement mod, and some other stuff. AI victory conditions is on. Pontos was wiped out 265. This is my first campaign with realistic movement mod. I thought I would not like it but I actually do, especially for ships.
232bc
https://img407.imageshack.us/img407/4865/casse232.png

[Velho]

https://imageshack.us/f/819/resultsgx.png/
https://imageshack.us/f/4/theyseemerolling.png/
Just battle with romani, Thoughted that well lets take out the 1800 men stack but accidentaly got into battle with 2700 men vs my 972 men

[seleucid empire]

https://img52.imageshack.us/img52/6155/clearworldmap246.png

seleucids campaign 246 BC on H/M using Realistic Movement Mod

sothis is what happens when you give Rome and Carthage realistic movement...

[Velho]

Romani E/E 225BC

My first campaing what has lasted about 200 turns I have 76 settelments at the moment and trying to get the 90 before ill slow my progress down

7407

Here is picture about my faction leader and his army + his 120 men strong galatikoi tindadoae guards.
they got their silverchevron from smashing plotemaioi stacks


7408

Seems that epeiros has some good stacks out there, and yeah i have done principes spam abit

[Vlad-Tudor]

This is my campaign with the Getai. I haven't seen anyone achieve the victory conditions, so I might just post the empire here. Campaign is on M/M, I usually do play like this because I like bribing FM from time to time so I can culturally enrich my factions with some foreigners.

http://s12.postimage.org/yl8p05qex/dacia.jpg (http://postimage.org/image/yl8p05qex/)

Some addition details about it:

Just because I have achieved the victory conditions doesn't mean the campaing is over. I was thinking to start a AAR from the victory condition with the Getai in this campaing. The same season I achieved victory 230 I had the Egipt betray me - tho they did not attack me; we have no next to next city just an sea invasion is possible.

So where do the Getai stand at the moment? In the north east no real theat, save borders, lots of Eleutheroi to expand. Britain seems tempting to take with 2, 3 stacks, since it's easy to defend. I have an alliance with the Sweboz who are fighting the Aedui and Arveni at the moment, I'm in a war with the Romans who still have two cities. I did chose not to eliminate them so I won't get in a war with Carthage, whom is their enemy. Even so, earlier in the campaing the Romani and Epirus, worst enemies, no? Well they allied against me :D. I hope I can still keep Carthage neutral, else it will be messy. The Getai have a really bad navy, I can't compete with carthaginian war ships. Not even Egiptian ones. At the moment I have, as you can see on the map, a large town in Africa, that i need stone walled asap. Bribed it for the carthaginian FM. That guy is now pointless and skilless. Still is a Carthaginian.
Anyway, what I was planning to do is fortify my borders, all stone walled cities, outposts, forts on the main roads and go take Alexandria and the surrounding with something like two stacks. That might hurt Egipt. This or obtain back the neutrality, which would be better for the time being since most of my offensive stacks are in north ( i have the borders well garrisoned, tho').
Best expansion would be for me to get the western Mediterranean Sea, of course, but the Egipt.. they are the second factions in rankings and a prolong war with them being so far away would leave me in a way way bad shape. War will come, undoubtedly.

[Miaow]

http://i50.tinypic.com/qye34y.png
Aedui campaign, 231 BCE, VH/M.

Only provinces left for the victory conditions are in Britain, while my continental extension is greater than needed. I'm currently at war with Rome, the Sweboz and the Lustoanna, though none of them is a threat at present. Roma is currently under siege and should fall next turn (for the fourth time this campaign, this time I'll just finish the SPQR off).

I've been roleplaying and haven't expanded as fast as I could, managing to avoid war with the Sweboz for a long time. The silly Germans were obsessed with Eburodunum as far as I can tell, but never managed to beat the scripted defenders (they never even took Heruskolandam, and I beat them to the Belgae provinces). When I got around to sending a strong enough army to wipe out the Boii, the Germans promptly attacked me. Their assault on Eburodunum was en epic battle I ultimately lost: my governor and last man standing fell in the central square with 2 minutes left on the timer, and the Germans lost 1400 of 1600 attacking soldiers. They held it for less than a year though, just the time to recruit a general and give him an army, and in general they've been losing the war since they started it.

I've also got a border with the Getai but they've been turtling up since achieving their present borders maybe 20 years ago, and are allies (but so were the Sweboz).

The fight for Greece was fairly balanced for a long time, with Epeiros holding Makedon and Makedonia holding Epeiros, which I thought was hilarious. I was bankrolling Epeiros and the Koinon (Makedonia having gone Philoromaios), through legit tribute, not console, so probably negligible on VH campaign, but KH and Epeiros did ally and Makedonia eventually crumbled under their combined pressure and became a protectorate of Epeiros.

In the East, AS did better than I've seen it do before, at one point going up to Jerusalem, before being kicked back to the Euphrates by the Yellow Fever. The combined attacks of Ptolies and Pontos drove the AS out of Mikra Asia, but they've struck back and taken Antiocheia back. Armenia seems to always do well in 1.2, Sauros are being driven West by the Saka and Hay. In the steppes, Saka and Baktria have been dancing, Baktria's been overall getting the better, though they've been bigger than in that screenshot. Pahlava are being nibbled at by the AS, as usual.

In Africa, I think it's the second or third time Kush revolts to Saba. Since Saba finally got Ma'in, they might have a real war with the Ptolies on their hands. If the AS don't keep up the attack in the Levant, then things might get really ugly for the Arabians.

The West is obviously dominated by my Aedui at this point. I started out by talking Vesontio from the Arverni and beating their armies until I could force a peace so I could expand East and North while holding back Rome. The Romans rapidly got too insistant to ignore, and that first war against them was really a gruelling affair. Eventually though I managed to field two full stacks at once, so I could beat them and sack Roma, which I returned to them (much damaged) in exchange for peace and tribute. They attacked me after only a few turns, so I retook Roma over the bodies of their Freed Slaves and this time made them a protectorate when giving it back (completely wrecked after two sacks). I got a ridiculous ammount of money out of that, much more than I expected from the SPQR with a gutted capital, but I guess it just shows how much the VH AI "cheats". I really would have preferred getting less money as this feels like an exploit, but protectorate status is the only way to make them keep to the treaty. It also takes all the aggressiveness out of the AI, which is why Rome never went South (except for taking Taras fairly early).

My one bit of console cheating was giving Arsé to the Carthies, because in 250 or so they still hadn't moved at all. This soon led to the Lusos attacking them in Arsé and taking all their Iberian provinces except, ironically, Arsé. It did kickstart Carthie expansion in Africa though, so I'll just roleplay it as meaning Hanno and the landowners' party hold sway in Qart Hadasht.

I did some expanding against Eleutheroi and building my economy until the Arverni, after some hibernation, took Tolosa and Burdigala. I crushed them then, of course Rome was still allied to them and broke the protectorate. I threw together a new army in Italy while my two armies in Gaul crushed the Arverni and sacked Rome again, reducing the Romans to a protectorate again after wiping out the Arverni. At this point, all of Gaul was mine. I took Eburodunum and Vindobonna then, before crossing the Pyrennees. This brought me into conflict with the Lusos while Eburodunum brought on the Sweboz backstab, which Rome used as a pretext to revolt again. I really tried to not wipe out the Romans, but peaceful coexistence is just impossible with some people.

Oh, Casse on their isle have been doing their usual thing on their own. Of course, since I need their lands to achieve the true Celtic empire, their future looks grim...

P.S. this campaign really persuaded me that slingers need to be majorly nerfed. They're the cheapest troop type available yet they're completely overpowered once they get a little experience (and with Type IV gov, Field of Games and Fortress Temple of Teutatis, they start at 3 experience). Some of my battles against the Lusos were like High Wood on the Somme, they advanced on my position, lost over their half their army to slingers on the way, then my line tossed some javelins and the survivors broke and ran. No melee at all, which is just not realistic for large armies in this time frame, as far as I know, especially in the West. These aren't elite Persian or Cretan archers, or Rhodian or Balearic slingers, just run of the mill iosatae and sphendonetai.

[HopliteLegion]

KH campaign, approx 250bc

War with Makedonia isn't going in their favor. They've hit a stone wall against Epieros, and I've run them out of Greece. They're also broke, thanks to a combination of their large inactive army and a three year long blockade against their ports. Just started a new campaign to take their island settlements.

Epieros has been waging a go-nowhere war against the Romani in southern Italy, and haven't even made a move against Thermon.

The Romani seem content to stop at the Alps for now, which doesn't make sense as Carthage is locked in a stalemate with Ptolemy. Money isn't an issue for the Romans either...they are ridiculously rich.

Seleukids made a move against Halikarnassos, causing that settlement to rebel an join me. They haven't made a second attempt due to eastern powers picking away at them.

The Sauromatae have a nice chunk of the steppes conquered and are starting to encroach on Baktria.

The Sweboz are holed up in their forests, seemingly ignorant to Arverni expansion along the Rhine.

The Aedui are still reeling from a few failed attempts to dislodge their Gallic rivals. There's now a temporary peace in Gaul.

The Iberians have been seizing eleutheroi settlements around them, paying little mind to the Carthaginians.

Ptolemy has been more less toying with Carthage while expanding east from Palestine.

Casse is still trying to bring Britain under control.

The Getai have expanded north and have forged a nice little kingdom from the rebel settlements.

Pontus controls most of Asia Minor and are trying to move into Thracia.

Hayasdan has expanded very little thus far, though they and their neighbors are keeping the Seleukids busy.