Using Protectorate to gain lots of cash

[fatsweets]

I have recently started a Hayasdan campaign and of course I am at war with the AS and the Ptolemaoi at the same time. Don't know how that is possible but the Ptolemaoi have to travel over a seluecid province to reach me. I was wondering does anyone accept becoming a Protectorate from another faction in exchange of large sums of cash?

I have been gaining 10,000 to 15,000 mnai every time I am offered this by the Ptolemies or the Seluecids. They break it within 5 turns almost always. It has happened at least 5 or 6 times in the last 40 turns and is helping me to be able to fight back against these factions seeing I only have 6 provinces. The reason I started accepting is because I needed money and I thought these people must have lots if they are constantly being able to have large armies of mercenaries coming at me.

Does anyone else use this technique and is their any negatives for using it?

By the way having one of the greatest campaigns with the Hayasdan, quite challenging and a lot of fun I am currently at 230 bc and usually by this time I start getting bored with most factions but not so with the Hayasdan. Good job with this faction EB team!

[Lysimachos]

I've never been a protectorate myself. Don't you have to pay them regularly? Iirc you get all the cash out of your protectorates, but perhaps it just works with AI ones?

[Moros]

Now the money that the protectorate has left at the end of a turn goes to the protector, IIRC.

[fatsweets]

They offer me to be a protectorate of them and I say give me 15,000 mnai and I will. They then beseige another one of my provinces within 5 turns which leaves me richer and in the same position as before they offered the Protectorate. Which is at war with them, accept I have a whole lot more money.

[Maion Maroneios]

Be careful with that, as becoming someone's protectorate will cause large sums of mnai to be given from your coffers to your protector's. Just try and avoid becoming a protectorate as much as you can, unless of course you believe you have no other option.

I believe it is quite easy for the Hai to fight back the slow-moving Hellenic phalanxes through guarilla warfare in the Kaukasos and certainly with some of those damn good FM bodyguard units. With a few victories you'll get very experienced troops, so you will be able to use 1-2 3/4 or less stacks to repel any invading Hellenic army.

I have found myself in the same position playing as Makedonia right now, as I've foolishly decided to invade Ioudaia and Syria with an army of mine, in order to pillage every city of the AS (they have won the Syrian wars, confining the Ptolemaioi territories to just Aigyptos). Of course, Ptolemaic oportunists sent small stacks to take back the cities I left undefended, so they immediately declared war upon me. Now I have to fight them both, but I have the advantage of using Hellas as my base of operations, far away from any nearby Successor city.

I wish you lots and lots of fun,
Maion

[fatsweets]

Is that why my end of turn report shows weird numbers not matching up at the end. I started doing the add_money cheat to make up the difference in my numbers but maybe I shouldn't to play correct or right. I thought it was a mistake on the AI part? I wondered why my numbers never matched up after accepting a large sum of cash.

[Maion Maroneios]

Well, now you know what it is!

Maion

[Celtic_Punk]

I have found myself in the same position playing as Makedonia right now, as I've foolishly decided to invade Ioudaia and Syria with an army of mine, in order to pillage every city of the AS (they have won the Syrian wars, confining the Ptolemaioi territories to just Aigyptos). Of course, Ptolemaic oportunists sent small stacks to take back the cities I left undefended, so they immediately declared war upon me. Now I have to fight them both, but I have the advantage of using Hellas as my base of operations, far away from any nearby Successor city.

I wish you lots and lots of fun,
Maion

So you've taken over all of the hellas then? Launching your own pseudo-crusades? Otherwise I'd be wary of Sparta and her allies, and you've probably dealt with Pyhros I assume. I used the same tactic of Raiding the east (in my case Turkey) to fund my unification of Greece.


To fatsweets: I suggest you make peace with Ptolemy and join his war against the Selucids. If you can punch a hole through the Selucid empire and divide turkey from the rest of asia, then you can get in on some trade from Ptolemy, which will probably help. Also the AS will then have to deal with you more seriously, thereby dividing his thinly spread forces even more. then just spread west once you have a solid border with AS. Crush Pontus too and you'll have even more sea trade along the black sea. Also consider making an expedition to one of AS's prized cities, sack it, and retreat/disband your units. Not only will AS's forces have to move to counter your bold strike, but if you succeed in sacking their city, they will have to pump lots of money back into it and lose lots of future revenue, thereby disrupting their war effort against you.

[Conqueror]

fatsweets: You can avoid losing money to your "protector" simply by spending it. Construct buildings and train units untill you have almost nothing left before hitting the End Turn button. You won't be able to save up a big treasury, but on the other hand you get to build up your infrastructure and army for the few turns that the peace lasts, which will leave you in stronger position to face the inevitable return to hostilities.

Maion Maroneios: I would recommend that instead of trying to hold on to the cities you sacked, give (or better yet, sell) them to the Ptolemaioi/Seleukides, which ever of the two is doing worse at the time being. This way you can maintain the balance of power between them, keeping them at each other's throats and too busy to expand in your direction. All the while you fatten your treasury with the spoils of war.

[Celtic_Punk]

good call conquorer. but try stacking up recruitment and construction, then when you need money, cancel it. that way no money goes to the grubby backstabbing bastards

[Maion Maroneios]

So you've taken over all of the hellas then? Launching your own pseudo-crusades? Otherwise I'd be wary of Sparta and her allies, and you've probably dealt with Pyhros I assume. I used the same tactic of Raiding the east (in my case Turkey) to fund my unification of Greece.


To fatsweets: I suggest you make peace with Ptolemy and join his war against the Selucids. If you can punch a hole through the Selucid empire and divide turkey from the rest of asia, then you can get in on some trade from Ptolemy, which will probably help. Also the AS will then have to deal with you more seriously, thereby dividing his thinly spread forces even more. then just spread west once you have a solid border with AS. Crush Pontus too and you'll have even more sea trade along the black sea. Also consider making an expedition to one of AS's prized cities, sack it, and retreat/disband your units. Not only will AS's forces have to move to counter your bold strike, but if you succeed in sacking their city, they will have to pump lots of money back into it and lose lots of future revenue, thereby disrupting their war effort against you.
Thanks for the ideas, bu I got some in mind. I'm preparing my Anatolian assault now (Anabasis), being at war with both Deaths (yellow, silver). The BI AI is just too reckless:P

Maion

P.S.: I've got lots of experience with Makedonia, but thanks anyway :)

[Tancredii]

Can't say I ever accepted protectorate status. Rather let all my cities burn but I will say one of the best campaigns I ever played was with Hayasdan. The silver death just kept coming and dying in the Causcuses. I never fought them where I didn't want to. No open ground etc, used spies and watchtowers and lightly defended forts to guide them just were I wanted. Didn't matter one bit the quality of my troops verses theirs (where did all those silver shields come from) they died by the thousand.......... oh the fond memories!