Egyptian AI going west

[Rhyfelwyr]

I've been playing a Romani campaing on VH/M, and I've driven the Carthaginians back to Iberia and I own most of Africa as far east and including Lepki. Annoyingly, the Ptolemaioi keep sending full stacks every couple of turns which I fend off from the various river crossings in the region. This is draining my resources since I could really use that army for my wars in Gaul. Are the Ptolemaioi supposed to expand this way? They are a bit of a monster in my game, they own the western half of the AS empire.

Anyway, should they be going westward like this?

[Maion Maroneios]

They're not called the Yellow Death (or Fever, or whatever) for nothing. So short answer; Yes. Ways to counter them? Many. If you had known from the start, you could probably meddle with the "Eastern Affairs" (as I like to call them, the whole Diadochoi Wars-thing) and reduce both the AS's as well as the Ptolemaioi's power until you come along and steamroll them.

If you want advice as per what you should do, I believe there are plenty of threads dedicated to effectively destroying the Silver/Yellow Monsters bit by bit instead of using brute force (that probably won't work).

Maion

[Rhyfelwyr]

Heh, I had planned to send two full stacks to storm Kyrene and Augila, then move on to the next two settlements that are straight ahead east of each respectively. Meanwhile, another two full stacks would travel quickly by sea and land in northern Egypt, storming Alexandria and the city below it, before heading south. By which time, the other two stacks would hold any armies trying to cross the Suez canal.

But then the Aedui attacked and ruined my plan. :furious3:

[Marcus Ulpius]

I once saw the Ptolies going West after they and Pahlava each conquered half of poor Seles empire. So it may not be that uncommon after they fulfill their objectives in the East.

[Maion Maroneios]

That's a bummer. Though take into account what I told you. Plan your moves carefully, and destroy them bits by bits. I had once planned a massively expensive campaign during one of my most epic Makedonian campaigns, in which I was bogged down with a huge war against the second-greatest power (aside me), the Arche Seleukeia. The war started when they tried to capture Byzantion from me, earning me a Heroic Victory due the fact they had huge numbers and I only 4 phalangites and a couple of Toxotai to defend the polis. Needless to say, what started off as a minor nuisance turned into the most intense war I've ever fought.

From Byzantion, the warfront moved steadily towards Anatolia, with me raising 2 Royal Armies (with the creme de la creme of Makedonian military might) and butchering my way to Sardis. From there, they started to send Klerouchoi Phalangitai, Argyraspides and even some Hypaspistai occassionally at me. Not to mention those annoying Eastern archers. Those sons of devil are too effective... So I was forced (due to incursion in my Western borders) to turn my attention West and abandon my campaign. So I looted every polis in Anatolia, and abandoned them, leaving back from the Hellespontos from where I cam from.

Needless to say, the Seleukeis were not content with taking back their provinces. They wanted a foothold in Hellas, and they wanted to do so in my expense. So next thing I know 2 fullstacks are knocking on Byzantion's gates again. I loose the polis, and manage to take it back with great difficulty. After that, I knew this couldn't continue like this (already more armies were marching my way). So I planned a double invasion plan, which would follow an extensive sack-and-plunder expedition.

First, I sent a fleet (I was at least clearly dominant in the seas) with a fairly flexible army over to Syria, sacking Antiocheia and the poleis along the coast of the Levant, getting even as far as sacking Alexandreia (and roleplaying getting Alexandros' body back to Pella). Before they had time to recover, I blockade Antiocheia, Alexandreia and Kypros and return my army to Hellas. In the meantime, I had a fairly experienced and large force defend Byzantion from frequent attacks. My next move, would be a giant march from the steppes, all the way around the Pontos Euxeinos (Black Sea) towards the heartlands of the Arche Seleukeia (Mesopotamia). I also took a large number of spies and assassins with me, with spies entering the easternmost settlements of the Arche and causing them to rebel (in some cases). That was done by 2 Royal Armies, while 2 more (freshly recruited) waited to attack Anatolia. The armies marching around the Pontos Euxeinos, as expected, drawed the attention of the Seleukeis, with them focusing there instead. That was the time for my second "squad" to move in, taking Anatolia in one big movement and securing the Levant with another one, while the other one threatened to encircle the Seleukid forces that had moved towards the Kaukasos to defend their lands from my "first squad".

To cut a long story short, after effectively massacering most of their armies, they quickly went bankrupt and only threw levies at me. I took Seleukeia and Babylon, and soon after ended my campaign due to a peristent bug that caused by game to crash every time I ended the turn :clown:

Maion

[Rhyfelwyr]

Wow that sounds like one epic war, nice! :2thumbsup:

I'm going to have to do something along those lines to the Ptolemaioi once I deal with the barbarians...

[Maion Maroneios]

Indeed, it was :egypt: Good luck to you!

Maion

[Sarkiss]

Ptoleis took all the African coast east of Carthage and repeatedly besiege Carthage itself in my game.:huh2: i had to send in my spies so that the Punic cities would rebel back to Carthage.

[kuroiya88]

I hate the Ptolemaioi. In my current roman campaign they were doing the same... after conquering all of the former AS, parthia and armenia they besieged my roman occupied Lepki and forced me to divert troops to Africa. I tried to get Saba to help but they decided to ally with Carthage that was down to 2 territories haha, gotta love diplomacy.

but anyway, what has worked for me this far is to land huge armies around the fertile crescent (aka take Alexandria, Sidon and Antioch) and hold those cities with the full stacks. it drives a hole into their heart. I also paid Baktria and Pahlava tens of thousands to put pressure on them :whip:. they eventually start shrivelling up

[Maion Maroneios]

Ah, this thread brings back memories... I am having trouble with the Ptolemaioi in my campaign right now too. They constantly launch naval invasion on the island of Rhodos, lately I had to fight 2 Thorakitai, 2 Klerouchon Agema, 2 Galatikoi Klerouchoi and 1 Pantodapoi Phalangitai. I was very suprised they managed to inflict severe casulaties upon my forces, but I guess that was to be expected by a defending army composed of Haploi and Deuteroi. Then again, I fought on elevated terrain...

Maion

[Moosemanmoo]

All this talk of grand invasions is depressing, my recent casse expedition to claim the belgae lands ended in disaster as my full stack was mauled by TWO stacks of sweboz in an ambush:damnmate:
I lost my heir too, his lolwagon was nuked my a hail of spears :wall:

[Centurio Nixalsverdrus]

Ptolemaic Wars usually mean the following:

1. Blood and Iron in an epic dimension
2. Either you or they

[Fluvius Camillus]

I think the Ptolies are definetely in the top three of strongest EB factions!

~Fluvius

[K-Dogs]

The fact that their largest cities are on the coast usually ends up to be a weakness, if you're playing with a decent naval faction. Just march a stack or two into the undefended nile delta..

[HunGeneral]

I think the Ptolies are definetely in the top three of strongest EB factions!

Maybe but what really gets them growing is:

- They have no other concern then the Arche Seleukeia to the east (which has it's own problems while the Ptolies can send all they have to take the lands they want).
- After that they get damm rich which means Mass armies of Galatians, and other Ptolie Elites. (the script won't stop them from this).
- Once the AS is out of the way then the Ptolie armies can hardly be stopped since Hayasdan, Pontos and Pahlav simply can't hold them anymore... (after AS, the Ptolie troops are the best):skull:
- At this point the Ptolies are lead by a bunch of ibred, selfconfident, half-mad (if not fully mad) Basilei who think there Gods destend to rule the whole world (and even have the endless hords of Yellow fewered troopers to achieve it.... who can still stop them....?)

My, my its these moments when I realise why I love to finish of the Yellow Traitors as Arche Seleukeia.

All Warriors for the Basileus ton Basileion!!!:knight::knight::knight: :charge::charge::charge: