Seleucid Campaign

[TargetSlayer]

After playing a Rome cultural victory, I am now really enjoying a Seleucid campaign. While I have run into a freezing/stuttering issue during some battles for the first time, I am really enjoying the diplomacy and unit selection. I love that archers finally have full animation! Given my trade I intend to win an Economic victory. Presently at war with several factions.

[Hooahguy]

I heard that archers got nerfed in the latest patch. Is that true?

[Sp4]

I haven't given it a thorough try yet. I've really only loaded it up once to check out the numbers on the unit cards.

[Kamakazi]

I just got the freezing battle thing... im rather annoyed

[Myth]

I've been getting random freezes as the factions roll over in the end turn sequence post the latest patch, but my battles are fine. The Seleucid roster and campaign are really interesting, and I've gotten quite a few Heroic Victories with my pikemen.

[TargetSlayer]

Myth just freezing in some of my battles. Seems to be an issue with changing/keeping certain army standards again. Also, I often have trouble opening items without clicking other buttons (i.e. in order to see general's details I might have to first click the army's or settlement's detail button).

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[Jarmam]

Maybe Im just lucky, but this campaign seems really easy so far. Your farthest away satrapies will chain-revolt in no time, but they're so far away that I've yet to meet any of them (roughly 30ish turns in). Sure, they're all allied now, but my closest satrapies have remained loyal and with my help we've taken lands from Persia and destroyed Pergamon with ease. And Egypt took only 20 or so turns to wipe out. I have defensive alliances with Pontus and his friend to the close northeast, as well as the faction due west of Aegyptus (who has all of Libya).

I mean... you're allied with half the nearby map in no time, everyone wants to trade with you and you start not only with a full province but 2 additional settlements, one of which is sharing province with Egypt's weak client. Most nearby enemies have either Eastern Spearmen or Militia Hoplites, neither of which can hold more than 15 seconds against a Levy Pike Phalanx. You have Eastern Slingers, which humiliate the standard Greek ones. Your starting generals are annoyingly enough in Royal Peltasts, but heck, just disband them and get Cataphract generals and watch entire stacks melt. And with all that trade, tribute and tons of trade resource settlements you can support 3 20-unit stacks with just your starting province and Cyprus.

Seleucid is so powerful that Im considering using it for my "This is Total War"-achievement (declaring war on everyone as soon as you encounter them, including your starting contacts). Without diplomacy and especially without trading with the entire planet they might be a lot less steamrolly. This is a lot different from Rome 1, where Seleucid's start was like pulling teeth with a screwdriver ^^

[TargetSlayer]

Indeed. On Normal I have nearly every faction west as Allies. There was no need to find them with an agent, as forming Alliances revealed more and more factions. Never experienced anything like this in a TW game. Money is easy like you said Jarmam. Egypt and Rome were wiped out by others. After building up with 5 (or was it 6) elite armies with artillery pieces, the rest should be easy - just two remaining provinces for the Economic victory.

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[nearchos]

I started a Seleucid campaign on legendary and until now i can say im having a great time playing, for the first time since the release of the game, i feel like this.

Its the faction my favourite but also the CAI has been improved, or its the difficulty level, the point is that there is a lot of action on the campaign map.

[Jarmam]

Yes, thats a good part of the CAI in the patch, it feels a lot more "active". Both with alliances and with wars. Persia is actually sending a stack at me... and there's a satrapy in Mesopotamia separating us? What? What is this? Aggro AI? Awesome! And he targeted the weak settlement in my main province. Thats... quite smart, actually. Now this might be only on VH or Legendary, since a lot of people report no change, but in my experience as Seleucid on Legendary the AI actually means business now. At least a lot more than previously.

I also really like the Seleucid campaign, it just felt like the opposite of Rome 1 and that surprised me a bit since it gets wiped in no time if Im another faction. But it can be made a lot harder if the player wants to, just dont ally or trade with everyone that likes you. Pike Levies have that fantastic ability to hold steady until something goes just the slightest bit wrong and then they chain-rout like there's free candy in the camp. Playing around low-morale phalanxes is an interesting knife-edge of either stomping or being stomped. I love it!

Also thank you for instant ladders, and thank you for an AI that uses them. I really, really like this patch so far.

[TargetSlayer]

Even on Normal there's much more happening, though I will definitely want to play this faction again at a higher level. Folks, will there also be a civil war? This is my first play through with a non-Roman faction. BTW I enjoyed this faction with the BI expansion for Rome l many moons ago.

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[Myth]

The civil war will happen for all factions under human control.

In regards to the Seleucid campaign, I find it beneficial to sell peace to that Quidry one-province state south of my starting position for 5000 gold, and selling some trade agreements (however you can get about 3-4 trade agreements before the AIs start refusing you due to lack of resources on your end, so choose wisely). You can sell a trade agreement for as high as 2500 I think, and several for 1000-1500.

Also, the initial stack in Antioch (the one with the merc elephants) can crush Cyprus on its own. Leading battles with the Seleucids early on is a must IMO.

[nearchos]

The civil war will happen for all factions under human control.

Im trying your suggestions about the civil war, by bribing the members of the other noble families etc.

My first target was also Cyprus, by capturing their two settlements you get a second full province from the begining.

[nearchos]

Yes, thats a good part of the CAI in the patch, it feels a lot more "active". Both with alliances and with wars. Persia is actually sending a stack at me... and there's a satrapy in Mesopotamia separating us? What? What is this? Aggro AI? Awesome! And he targeted the weak settlement in my main province.
I agree, the diplomatic aspect seems to work, its not like the previous titles where no mater what you did the other factions would attack you.

I currently have peace at my northern borders, and alliances with some factions with whom i was even at war earlier in the game while in south and east im facing invasions by diferent factions, armies and agents, during the last turns i have 6 or 7 attempts from various types of agents against settlements and armies, some of them succesfull, followed by enemy armies moves, im loosing settlements take them back, at the same time trying to push my borders and expand, i love it.

[Jarmam]

Also, the initial stack in Antioch (the one with the merc elephants) can crush Cyprus on its own. Leading battles with the Seleucids early on is a must IMO.

I disbanded those elephants faster than Seleucid got wiped in Rome 1 - 700-something per turn, what is this... that's 7 bloody phalanxes worth of upkeep! In retrospect I should perhaps have gone aggro on Cyprus in the first turn to utilize the elephants instead. But protip: If you dont go aggressive in turn 1, get rid of those grey ghouls, they dine off gold and fine silk and they dine well!

[Mordecai]

Just got the game last weekend and Seleucid campaign was the one I started first. I'm probably about 60-65 turns in with the 4tpy mod.

I used my elephants to take out Ptolemy first. Then I sent them north to take pontus. After that they were disbanded. Wish I didn't now though, I'm trying to take the arabian desert provinces and there's 8000 + troops in this one town. I lost Antiochus trying to take it , and now I'm scrambling my armies for a revenge campaign against the desert tribes. Hope their towns are worth it. 3 armies south of memphis may turn out bad.

Hephaistion's Fist is my army in the West at Alexander Arachosia. It will be going with another army I am building to finish off the Arachosians and parthians. Then I should have the East all the way to the edge of the map south of Baktria.

I'm having problems with slave revolts, probably because I don't know how to control populations yet. Other than that I'm having a great time in this campaign.

[TargetSlayer]

Awesome!

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