When I started my Baktrian campaign on H/M, no time limit in battles on alex.exe, I never thought that I would suffer so much ... . First of all I fortified my alliance with Parthia because even paying 100 mnai per turn keeps them occupied as long as the have an enemy (learned that with the casse paying off my Averni buffer state). But the plan did not work for I choose to have peace and an alliance with saka as well > big mistake.
So I thought nothing could happen up north an I picked some cherrys in the west an south from AS. Fortunately I already took Prophtasia when desaster struck. My army was south and i didnt even have walls at my Capital when the saka attacked. I repelled their attack but my alliance with Parthia was cancelled and they attacked the town just west of my capitol. I repelled that attack as well and saw a fullstack of a seleucid army arrive at my new possession in the south. I decided to leave the north and settle in Prophtasia. I burned everything down but unfortunately had to recruit merceneries as well to get my familymembers safely south. I made it there got Alexandropolis in the east and built the mines in my new capital and waited and repelled the onslaught of troops from seleucia an parthia. I raided kophen to get money for the 2nd mine in Alexandropolis. In this time the Saka were pushed back by the Parthans in the north.
I attacked Opiana in India and only won because my slingers somehow managed to kill the leader, not killing anyone else in that unit - but the one who counted. You should have heard my scream of satisfaction. Even without the leader I managed to put myself in a bad position on the townsquare and almost lost this battle there. Got the city south as well and spied that parthia tried to take the northernmost city in India but failed because of the walls I presume. Seeing that, I knew I had to get my troops back to be prepared for incursions from Kophen.
I dont know how I did it - perhaps I was to lazy to give up but I kicked Parthia back. My former capital rebelled to me and I got Allied Ruler fighting units - 4 with bows and lances and a greek. With these troops I managed to kick Parthians butt around Baktria - I cherish the memories - only possible without the time limit in battle – 5units vs 10star general plus fullstack.
My ally Egypt now started attacking the Seleucid Empire but the Carthaginians were already out of Spain and at peace with Rome – so AS and they almost finished it off. In summer 161 the last province of Egypt is on Cyprus. I was not able to help because even though i gain control of the east the AS still attacks in the west - also in greece and sharing possessions with Carthage in Egypt. I stopped now at Charax, Seleucia, Babylon, Amaia? and try to finish the campaign killing the Partha and the Saka.
I guess I would have avoided that surprise in the beginning and the tedious years of repelling attacks from the AS and Partha if I had read the goals of the campagn. Doing it the hard way, I was always on the verge of defeat and only the mass of 9-10 FM managed to repell the attacks of the AS armies. Sometimes the FM units were quite depleted. I will always remember the campaign not for winning it, i will do that without a doubt, but for the endurance i had to show, the stress I had to face. (Attacking and raiding kophen was dangerous because I had to hurry after a full stack of AS to
repel their attack afterwards. )
After reading a few topics on Baktria and its Campaigns i just wanted to share a bit of my experience. Maybe someone will avoid the mistakes I did. ;)
