[Campaign strategy] Where should I go next?

I've hit a bit of indecision in my Epeiros-as-Pergamon game, as to where I go next. It's 229BC, and the world looks thus:

https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...e%20II/229.jpg

I've got the tip of Asia Minor, along with a foothold across the Hellespont, and the islands of Krete and Rhodos.

What I'm not about to do in this game is steamroller or blitz anyone or anywhere. If you've seen my progression in the AI progress thread, it's been slow. Roughly a province or two every five years, 40-odd years into the game and I've now got nine.

I'm at war with the Seleukids, allied to the Ptolemies, potentially about to go to war with the Getai.

By way of broad aims, I'm only taking Greek colonies, and I don't want to be involved in the Greek mainland. Re-taking my Epirote starting provinces isn't what I'm interested in. As a rough upper limit, I'm trying not to go much further than the bounds of the Thracian Kingdom, which like my empire covered both a bit of Europe and a bit of Anatolia.

So potential targets that are Greek include:
Salamis - Egypt holds it, but I'm not playing with BI so they'd never retake it. But that would tip the balance in the Syrian war between them and the Seleukids in the latter's favour unless I went on a major rampage. Crazy rich, with both good port and mines.
Chersonesos/Pantikapaion - easy steals since they're rebel, might perhaps open some new war fronts with the Sauromatae and some very different fights. Plus Bosporan Heavy Archers. They're quite rich too, at least as far as ports go.
Kyrene - also easy because it's rebel, but puts me in the path of both the Ptolemies and Qarthadast. I've been sharing a land border with the former for a very long time without incident, but whether that would remain the same is questionable.
Syrakousai - rebel, but bordering with the hyper-aggressive Romans. I doubt our neutrality would last long with my in their back yard. I'd like to ally with them later on against the Seleukids if possible.
Massalia - currently held by the Romans, so dangerous indeed to try for it, even if I try to make it rebel.
Sinope - held by Pontos who are already a bit weak. Not sure I want to weaken them any more.
Trapezous - currently rebel, though Pontos are besieging it. Again taking it would weaken them, and might put me at war with both them and Hayasdan.
Kallatis - held by the Getai. I'm already considering a war with them, just to liven things up. A few raids, then take and hold it. Plus it's on the coast, so more trade.
Side - currently held by the Ptolemies, again taking it would end what's been a peaceful alliance.
Ipsos - Seleukid, which I may take after a nice big battle because I'm a bit bored of fighting useless armies, or spawning extra troops in their stacks to make proper, balanced armies for decent battles.
Chalkis - an outside option given it breaks with my "don't go back to Greece" rule, but I'm trying to stalemate Greece, but Makedonia aren't playing ball. As in they're proving incapable of beating KH, and are being slowly rolled back. That might give me a foothold to launch the occasional raid to humble KH.

That's kind of it, really. So broadly push further east, get some stuff in the west or go north. Preferably just one, rather than all at once. I need some new battles that aren't against yet more Seleukid phalanxes.

So, thoughts?

Incidentally, if anyone wants a copy of my save, it's here (if anyone wants a much earlier save, I've got them too). I've got all the permanent fixes in, but none of the temporary. My changes are largely cosmetic to change colours (my descr_sm_factions.txt) and faction names (my expanded_bi.txt), and I altered the script (here) to remove client rulers for added stability. I've not had any cloned Family Members that I can see, and by now all the original client rulers should be dead.

I would feel uncomfortable by expanding the empire much further in any direction but that said Chalkis could perhaps be a good first choice, representing historical pergamene conquest of a few saronic islands, and Chersonesos could be next since you sound a bit keen on going north and indeed colonies could prove an interesting feature of Pergamon also if you at some point get serious about Syrakousai and Massalia, but there are always the possibility of some occasional sea-raids on the coast of the Black Sea if it was the thrill of battle you missed, without excessive expansion.

EDIT: I wouldn´t worry too much about the balance in syria if you take Salamis, the seleukids have yet to make a successful invasion of egypt in any of my recent campaigns, and I do not see any real problems with having them expand a bit into syria, certainly when taking the most likely decline of the empire in the east into consideration. Speaking of ptolemaic regions Kyrene would also make for a good invasion.. I understand your consideration, such choices along with which faction to play next can take me weeks to decide upon.

I'd say go for Chersonesos/Pantikapaion. Not so much for the Bosphoran Heavy Archers as for all the Scythians. From what I remember of your comments in other threads, you're not much of a horse archer guy - why not give them a try, play a different kind of battle. ~:)

Not sure whether the Sarmatians are likely to attack you; even if they do, foot archers on stone walls easily handle enemy horse archers, so defending your colonies won't be a problem.

Ipsos would be the more logical but less interesting choice.

Crimean wars ho! :2thumbsup:

Of all the options, Chersonesos and Pantikapaion have the most ups and the least downs: new units, good income and a possibility of some very different battles.

Also, taking Ipsos might be less interesting overall, but it could potentially provide a nice break in the Anatolian wars, as the next Seleukid city is quite some distance away.

Taking Ipsos and then forcing a ceasefire on the seleukids could nevertheless result in perhaps a lasting peace, given the position of the settlement.

Based on the internal proposed victory conditions for Pergamon, the Pergamese were mostly interested in Anatolia (excluding Kilikia and Mirka Armenia eastward), Thraikia, and probably controlling Makedonia and Hellas though not Epeiros.

I don't recall what their position on Bosphoria was, but I'd think they'd go for the Pontic Hellenic colonies first.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Marcus

Based on the internal proposed victory conditions for Pergamon, the Pergamese were mostly interested in Anatolia (excluding Kilikia and Mirka Armenia eastward), Thraikia, and probably controlling Makedonia and Hellas though not Epeiros.

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Don't listen to Marcus. Go to Scotland!
:yes:

Broad consensus seems to be Ipsos to end the war with the Seleukids for a bit, then go north to take the Bosphorous. Also two settlements plus some potential warring with the Sauromatae might give my Warmonger general lots to keep him occupied. I could always exile some of my useless FMs as governors out there as well. I'm tempted to then raise a mercenary army of horse archers to prevent the Hai coming north more actively.

IIRC, Attalus intensively fought the Galatians, so you could keep that an option.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Swordmaster

IIRC, Attalus intensively fought the Galatians, so you could keep that an option.

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I don't want to weaken the Aedui any more than they already have been by basically losing the war for Gaul. Plus they're a convenient buffer keeing Pontos from my doorstep. :laugh4:

waging war in Crimea sounds like a nice change from phalanx armies.
it's also quite near Pergamum's sphere of influence.

another option is to go for the western challenge; take and hold a trio of cities (Syracuse, Massalia and Emporion) and role play them as a distinct part of the pan-hellenist (sp?) federation you've created.
Play them as isolationist and independent cities trying to hold against all the armies Iberians, Gauls, Romans, and Carthies can and will eventually throw at you.

Ipsos is secured and I now have peace with the Seleukids. Current warring with the Getai, and once Kallatis is taken I head for the Crimea! Thanks everyone.

I've even got a roleplaying justification for the campaign, with a Warmonger general on the run.