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Well, I've finally decided to start a Seleucid campaign. They are a people who've always interested me but managing their crumbling empire in EB or any Roman era mod is quite the task. So I was wondering if anyone had any tips on how to keep the provinces from rebelling while securing the Parthian border and keeping on the offense against the Ptolemies.
There are a few things that will make your early AS campaign easier, but according to your own set-rules, you might not want to go that way
Firstly, move your capital to the east. That way, you'll face less riots in your eastern provinces.
Then, you better have to micro-manage all your settlements by yourself, even if they have no governors.
Thirdly, you're likely going to lose many settlements, either because of riots, or to your untrustable allies. And as you cannot really fight back all your neighboors, you'll either have to focus on the western or the eastern part of your empire and accept to lose some provinces.
Your western opponents are usually more of a threat (especially the Ptolies), but you have bigger cities/armies there. On the other hand, the eaterners (Pahlava, Bactria) are somewhat weaker, but you don't really have the resources and the manpower to crush them easily, as most of your eastern cities are poorly developed.
Finally, get mines asap. You don't have a lot of them, but every bit of income is welcome, especially if you're at war with these darn ptolemies
Ignore Pontus, Hayasdan and everybody in Greece - they move too slow to threaten Mazaka or Sardes in the early years. Choose EITHER to squash Ptolemies OR Pahlava/Baktria AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. If you choose Ptolemies, try to take Sidon and Jerusalem quickly. Then take Side, Tarsos and Salamis - very wealthy and they won't try to take them back (unless of course they conquer your entire empire). Then move quickly south. If you can take Memphis and Alexandria quickly, then you can break their entire power in a few large battles (which you HAVE to win - a long, exhausting war against them destroyed the historic Seleucid empire, don't let it destroy you too)
When you attempt conquests in both east and west, you may end up having to 'juggle' capitols for a while, till cultural buildings etc. are built and decrease riots - that is - make Antioch capitol= Egypt is happy but East revolts - next turn make Susa capitol= East is happy but Egypt revolts. Very tiring.
Do NOT allow Baktrians to take India. Sometimes they keep the peace with you, but then they take all the eleutheroi east of you, and their powers are tripled when you have to meet them. Also, if Pahlava and Baktria go to war on each other, try attacking them both (prefereably after their armies are weakened from fighting). If they are allowed to combine into one state, you got trouble.
Be ready to lose settlements on the front where you're on the defensive. Taking Salamis early on brings good income. And when you have the spare time, take Byzantion and fill it with phalanxes - should keep the Greek factions from spilling into Asia Minor. Also, if you have the time, train large phalanx/FM armies and attack Pontus and/or Hayasdan - whether your still allied or not. Generally, as Seleucid, it gets a lot easier if you DON'T play nice - stab your friends in the back, do the trick with phalanxes in the city streets, no matter how below your standard it may be, if you don't want to lose too many settlements.
When Egypt is yours and the aggression from Baktria/Pahlava is contained (or the other way round), you've reached smooth water. Then mop up the remaining enemies, take out Pontus, then take out Hayasdan, then subdue Armenia, Asia Minor, take cities like Palmyra, Bostra and Gerrha (may wanna put some 4 phalanxes in Gerrha and Bostra - then Saba will never get out of arabia).
Also note: if Macedon lose in Greece and you own Pergamum, they WILL attack you from Mytilene, NO MATTER how you've helped them before. Be prepared and use the opportunity to take Mytilene as well. And note: if KH lose in Greece, but keep Kydonia and Rhodes, they WILL sooner or later land in Halicarnassus, regardless of your stance towards them - so might as well take their isles first.
This is usually how I play Seleucids. Try making your fronts as small as possible. At the beginning, the Seleucid empire has the same problem as Holy Roman Empire in Medieval(1) - its big enough to attract envy and aggression from anywhere, but not large enough to dominate the continent. That is partially, because at the start, you only DOMINATE Mesopotamia - you own parts of Central Asia, Asia Minor and Syria/Phoenicia/Palestine, but you don't own enough to dominate these areas. The quicker you get to dominate one area, the stronger you'll be, so ignore that you're attacked on several fronts - focus on one front and ignore the others till their time comes..
Wow this is a long post. Hope at least a bit of it is usual ;)
I get rid of any expensive cav, and all other troops and ships, not needed straight away(keep the cheap troops in the Eastern cities most likely to rebel), and garrison those Eastern cities with lots of cheap troops(as soon as you have a few quid), with a few cheap pikes in the front line ones.
The large Garrisons keep Parthia and the others away for ages. Build what happiness inducing buildings you can afford, I find I don't loose any of my most Eastern cities any more.
There are a few buildings in your Empire that you can loot/scrap, if your struck for cash(which you will be at the start).
Tax to the max and get the right governers in the right cities(might mean some long journeys). Get every trade agreement you can and sell map info(every little helps, as the saying goes).
I attack the Ptolemies as hard as I can from day 1, removing them from Asia Minor, and up to at least the levant. This leaves you free to build up trade/Elite troops, and take all those nice rebel cities in Asia Minor.
Keep field armies fairly small, use cheap pikes alot, although some medium pikes might be useful around the Levant, because the Ptolemies will chuck lots of decent troops at you in a continual stream. If you go the extra mile and take out Alexandria and the 2 south of it early, it makes things alot easier.