Hayasdan unit guide (help request)

[carriedo]

I've played EB on and off for more than a year now but i have to admit I'm really a noob.
My previous games were of the romanii campaign. Now i was planning on starting a Hayasdan, i've read a lot about it being quite difficult but still i'd like to give it a shot and see if i can pull it of. :sweatdrop:
I sort of am bothered by not knowing what government to use. I plan to just go with the highest governments available when i do start the campaign, like if highest available is 2 i'll go with 2. except if as the faq says i need say a 3 government to get the reforms.

In my romanii games i used a guide by "konny" i found it very helpful and easy to understand. I tried looking around but can't seem to find any like it for hayasdan. If there's already one existing could i please ask for the link.

This is the link of konny's so you guys can get an idea of what I'm asking for.
https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?t=93896&highlight=government

Thank you.

[gamegeek2]

OK, as a guy in Hayasadan campaign right now, I have a general action guideline for you.

1. Disband the cavalry at start and take Kotais (Phraaspa is a long walk and will leave you pretty far in debt. Use the leftover troops to take Trapezous.

2. Build (roads-800 mnai 2 turns) and (garrison/city defenders-2000 mnai 6 turns) in Armavir. Meanwhile, raise a small army to seize the town of Kabalaka, to the northeast. DO NOT build new governments in the new provinces.

3. Once you've built the aformentioned buildings, Homeland Resource should appear in Hayasadan/Armavir. Destroy the (Lv 3 government/Marz/Satrapy) and build a (Lv 1 Government-10 turns 2400 mnai).

4. Once that's done, better homeland/subjugation resources will appear in the provinces you've conquered. Build Lv 2 governments in those provinces.

5. Save up money to build Hanq/Mines in Kotais. This will get your weak economy moving, with 2 mining towns.

From there, you should have sufficient ability to take the Caucasus. See the EB FAQ if this wasn't clear.

--- The Most Straightforward Unit Guide Available for the Early Turns as Hayasadan ---

Kavakaza Sparabara - "Caucasian Spearmen" these will be the backbone of your early armies, and much of what you'll use to conquer the Caucasus. They're the best of the cheap - DO NOT BUILD PANTODAPOI (crappy spearmen of death). These guys are all-purpose guys early on, as they have large numbers for garrison and long spears for field fights, etc. but should ONLY be used in a field fight if the enemy have been softened by missiles first. They are part of the "Hayasadan Triad"

Kovkasi Lernain Netadzik - "Caucasian Archers" these are amazing. For a cost of ~600, you get 6 missile attack at a formidable range. They dominate Caucasian warfare, and are the only reason the Sparabara are considered decent in your armies. They decimate the ranks of lightly armoured troops, the majority of what you will fight, even from the Seleukids. These will be used even when you have good heavy infantry and armoured HAs. They are more than a support arm: they are your main arm in battle. Only reach to the Kavakaza Sparabara after these guys have emptied their quivers (unless you're forced to), for otherwise the Sparabara will be defeated.

Khuveshavagane Shahvar - "Royal Kinsmen" they are how you will win your field battles, and they clean up sieges along with the spearmen after the enemy routs to the town square. On the battlefield, you will employ an Alexandrian system: the Netadzik will advance to empty their quivers, then the Kavakaza Sparabara will advance to fight the enemy, while these guys wheel around behind for a devastating charge which will almost always rout them. Try to always pull the charge from behind quickly so the Sparabara won't take too much damage, but don't move the cavalry in place too early, as the enemy will run after them and that's just annoying.

--- Potentially Useful Auxiliaries ----

Gund-i Palta - "Peltasts of the East" they are mainly used to volley into enemies' sides during either siege or pitched battle, but they can also be used to swarm enemies after volleying in order to rout them via flanking and/or numbers.

Shuban-i Fradakhshana - "Eastern Slingers" they are slightly worse archers against lightly armoured troops, but vastly more effective versus armoured units. Use them mainly as specialists vs. armour, but don't feel bad using them against unarmoured units as well.

Kartveli Dashnit Meombrebi - "Georgian Medium Infantry" they are excellent replacements for Sparabara when you can get them, but require a Lv3 MIC in either Kotais or Mtskheta.

Hai Nizagamartik - "Armenian Spearmen" they are narrowly better than the Sparabara, but also have fewer numbers, meaning worse garrison but less of the common "pop drain" due to necessary over-recruitment. Mix them up with the Sparabara, but don't rely on them solely.

[carriedo]

thanks for the reply and help man. not quite what i was asking for but nevertheless good information. making my army consist mostly of fm's, Kavakaza Sparabara and Kovkasi Lernain Netadzik.

What i was kind of hoping for was a map that had recommends as to what government type would be best for particular provinces/regions like konny's. :)

[konny]

thanks for the reply and help man. not quite what i was asking for but nevertheless good information. making my army consist mostly of fm's, Kavakaza Sparabara and Kovkasi Lernain Netadzik.

What i was kind of hoping for was a map that had recommends as to what government type would be best for particular provinces/regions like konny's. :)

The problem with Hayasdan is that you need reforms to get higher governments and better factional mics. So a unit guide won't help so much. In general you should stick to the highest factional MICs in Armenia and the Iranian Highlands (Media and the like). Of regionals you get some mediocre Greeks (Thureophoroi, Peltastai and the like) only - but due to the required reforms they have to do for a longer periode.

[gamegeek2]

Im in 245 as the Hai and have Lv 5 MIC up and running, with several mines. In a big war vs. AS, and I've taken Susa, Ekbatana, Babylon, Seleukeia, and all the Pan-Caucasus empire reforms are complete.

[ilDuce68]

I's also playing the Hayasdan. I just conquered Antiocheia, Syria and the "King Comes" reform icon popped up. Can I build this thing and proceed with becoming the new Persian-Orontid Empire? The Hayasdan Reform Guide is quite specific in stating that Persepolis and Susa must be conquered first and I haven't done so yet. Can Antioch substitute for the other two?

[A Terribly Harmful Name]

One note when using Sparabara, is that I discovered that generally leaving your spearmen in Guard Mode (press "D" on your keyboard) will make them far more effective and prevent them from breaking formation, so they more or less stay in a coherent arrangement to at least delay the enemy while you prepare a charge on their backs, shoot at them, etc. Even Pantodapoi can last enough in such a formation, and it is definetely the only way to go with the low quality spear infantry you will recruit early in the game.

[SwissBarbar]

go, and plunder the seleukid citys. in my actual hay campaign i've built a strong army as soon as possible (don't hesitate to make minus money) and razed their cities to the ground. first down the west, the second time down the east incl. seleukeia and babylonia and then went home through western territory. With the great amount of money you build mines and of course upkeep your army.

[everyone]

I's also playing the Hayasdan. I just conquered Antiocheia, Syria and the "King Comes" reform icon popped up. Can I build this thing and proceed with becoming the new Persian-Orontid Empire? The Hayasdan Reform Guide is quite specific in stating that Persepolis and Susa must be conquered first and I haven't done so yet. Can Antioch substitute for the other two?

not exactly, to initiate the orontid empire reforms you need to build "the conqueror comes" and a type II govt in Persepolis and Susa; though you can conquer other places before that, but building "the conqueror comes" in other cities won't have any effect until you finish reforming persepolis and susa, and other required places. in my current hayasdan campaign I already reformed persepolis and susa, now I'm currently building "the conqueror comes" in the mesopotamian cities.

[ilDuce68]

Exactly the answer I was looking for, many thanks "everyone." Susa & Persepolis seem a long way off. Getting my ass kicked in Mesopotamia now. Freaking elite phalanx and Inf are murder. I can't believe that no one else is fighting the Seleucids except my weak ally Pontus. Its incredicble even Ptolemies are at peace with them. I even had to fight off a Parthian army that trekked around the Caspian to attack Kabalaka. Crap...