Strategy Needed for Greek ( 40 regions )

[kofti]

It was hard in the beginning, but later in the game greeks rule all over the world. You don't need to build too many militay buildings like the romans ( no new units in higher buildings ) and armored hoplites + greek cavalry + archers kill everything.

I managed to get 40 regions. I couldn't figure out where to invade next. Everywhere is so far away from my capital. I have trouble ruling them. Too many rioting. Any tips or advice on invasion and diplomacy ?

notes on diplomacy : i have no allies or proctrates, two diplomats one in germany region, one in anatolia.

https://img135.imageshack.us/my.php?image=untitled1copy3rq.jpg

[Papewaio]

Find the 5 most valuable trade provinces left. Then pick them off using naval attacks. Invest in internal infrastructure for wealth and happiness as at some point all trade will stop.

You are almost at the point where everyone will start fighting you. So think about taking over a corner of the map and minimising your frontage. Remember that rebellions are going to be your biggest risk. So do your best to make the people happy and have counter rebellion armies spaced out through your larger and larger empire.

[Watchman]

You could snatch Cyprus, Cilicia and Cappadocia for some. The mountain passes of eastern Asia Minor are in my experience pretty good strategic bottlenecks. Maybe Syria too, just to deny the Eggies a strong and rich forward base. It's actually surprisingly easy to defend too assuming you can demolish Eggy armies at the rate of about one a turn. If the buggers give you too much trouble, shove a naval invasion into the Nile valley down their throats. That ought to break their back. The Dacians look like they're pretty much on the ropes - or at least I find it difficult to believe they could run very good finances with that handful of landlocked Central European provinces - and probably aren't too far from you capital, so if you're looking for some spare provinces (for example to hit the 50 mark) they'd probably be a nice easy donator. That'd also push the northern frontier away from anything important (like the cash-cow coastal provinces), and the rivers, mountains and woodlands of East-Central Europe would seem to offer many neat strategic bottlenecks to fortify.

Given that you seem to be sharing border with just about everyone still alive odds are sooner or later everyone'll be coming after you, if only to keep you from reaching the fifty mark. Build up accordingly. I'm guessing you'd need type one mobile army in Transalpine/Cisalpine Gaul area, one in Noricum, at least two in the Illyria/Paionia/Thrace strip to contain the Dacians, one in Tribus Getae to keep the Scythians in check, at least two in Asia Minor even if you take Cilicia and Cappadocia and plug the mountain passes with successive forts to tie down invading armies, probably one to hold Cyrenaica and another in Africa... and that's just for area defense, although you probably more or less have them already. Actual conquest armies would be on top of that. And of course enough navy to block excessive amphibious ambitions...

[rotorgun]

Hi Kofti,

I was in a similar situation when I played the Greek Cities. I even tried moving my capital from Athens to Macedonia. Boy, was that a disaster! After I moved it back, I took out the Dacians. They went rather easily, as they really can't combat your Hoplite battle array. Just be sure to hire some Barbarian Cavalry and Warbands to help protect your flanks as thr Greeks are woefully equipped as far as light infantry and cavalry go. Dacia ia a must as it is the easiest for you to support logistically on land.

At that point you must either take on Germania, a very difficult tribe to manage being so far from your capital, or look across the Medeterranian to Egypt. With the naval supremacy that only the Greeks can truly afford, an invasion of the Nile Delta, as suggested by Watchman, will bring you wealth and provinces. Be sure to keep the defensive pressure up in Anatolia. The Cilician pass is made for such a stand as to fill the valleys with rivers of Egyptian blood! Use fort garrisons with a mobile reserve, to include plenty of Archers and a few Onagers and the Pharoahs armies will pound themselves senseless trying to take you. Meanwhile, send that invasion with your crack troops and take out the Pyramidic triangle-Alexandria, Thebes and Memphis. I'm not saying it will be a cakewalk. It will take good planning, teamwork by your field armies, and a bit of luck.

One more word on navies. The Eggies may have some naval forces by this time. Be sure that yours are the best that money can buy. Build your ports up to provide the Quinquiremes and Triremes. Your transport fleet doesn't have to be so strong, but you must be prepared to crush any attempt by Egypt to intercept your armies at sea. After the Pharoah's ships are destroyed a blockade of all his ports will really put the pressure on ecenomically.

Good luck. I hope this will help you. If you conact me I can send you a more detailed guide for Greece in Word format.

[PseRamesses]

I noticed that Alexandria is rebel - take it! One of the most profitable cities in the game. Personally I´d start in Carthage and swing east taking out the Carthaginians and declaring war on the Ptolemies and in the same turn land with a second force in The Delta. Seal off the Suez/ Sinai strip. Another area that you could expand into are the three Dacian provinces. Taking them will shorten your border and they are not so far from your capital (Athens?) so unrest shouldn´t be that high. As others already stated further expansion in Asia Minor is preferable. But I´d concentrate on Africa at this stage. Good luck and keep us posted.

[Drock]

Well, being unable to tell about your army situation, I have a couple of suggestions.

Take the balearic Isles (if you haven't already), can't really see them in the picture very clearly so I don't know if you have them or not, but if you do you should definitely take them.

Then, I would say go with one of two options, if the Spanish and Julii are weak (probably not very likely) I say grab their provinces (that would be the final 10). If they look really strong then I would suggest garrisoning the towns on the frontier and then concentrating on either Egypt or Asia Minor. Just be careful, in one of my greek games the Julii got away without me noticing and came back a couple of years later with stack after stack :wall:

Egypt looks like they are having some trouble since a town right next to their capital rebelled. It might be possible for you to take Alexandria and then use it as a staging point for a large invasion of the nile delta (which you should probably start by sending in spies to cause riots :2thumbsup: ).

Also, consider picking off Pontus and the selucid province on your borders. Its very unlikely that the selucids will march through Egyptian lands (probably hostile) to counter attack so you might "auto-neutral" with them giving you some free land.

[Garvanko]

I'd kill off the Julii. Then go for the Britons and Dacia.

[Severous]

Dacia in the north, Carthage in the south if the map is all I have to go on. They seem to offer expansion without being too far from the capital.

But in practice I would expand where my armies and enemies are.

Sounds like loads of town control measures are needed to stop rebellion. If you loose a town to rebels/enemy then exterminate it on recapture.

By now you will have played on? What did you do ?