Makedonian failure

The capital of the Eleutheroi stands strong and proud at Syracruse, Romans nor Carthagians will march upon it. The Ptolemiacs are ever expanding, and the battle of Sardis in the winter of 233 marked their war upon the Makedonians. Leaving one of the generals of the army dead, with his vetern force annihilated has struck a deep blow the the people. Many screamed the defeat came only because of the decietful tactics of the Ptolemics, who could defeat the homeland of Alexander? Further east into Asia minor, in the following spring, the Ptolemies sieged a recently conquered city. The governor of city north of the besieged had heard the recent news, and gathered every able man to rescue the city. Alas, the combined forces of the mercenary army and the besieged general, totaling closign to 1900 troops, was not enough to deter a smaller force of 800. The troops were slaughtered, leaving only those who managed to retreat alive. Thankfully the two generals did not die, however, it would appear no help is coming. This defeated however has brought home a solid truth: We cannot survive in a world where the persians and former generals of alexander have joined to war against us. The armies of old shall turn north, and to the west, where our enemies are weak, and secure the Illyrian domain. The Romans will come one day, and we must be ready. Fortifying the passes of the alps, where we will have the greater advantage, will ensure we have a defense capable of withstanding the might of the greatest force ever seen in the west.

More of a rant/AAR that may include pictures, maps for sure, I don't really bother with shots of the battles. Also, I'm hoping my reforms to the final tier troops will be able to beat ptolemic Kleruchoi Agemata and galatians, because they just freaking ATE my other soldiers. Empires can be forged on the anvil with a steady hammer and the right material, but these guys are like trying to smash a steel ball with a feather. Any tips?

I'm just running into this now - as Epeiros I'm trying to expand into Asia Minor, and I've not met any other troops anywhere like the ones the Ptolemies are throwing at me (in small numbers now - but larger ones are coming). The Ptolemies in my game have destroyed the Seleukids, and captured Arabia too, but thankfully Carthage keeps them at bay in the west. I just have to capture the other rebel cities in Ionia and will finish off the Makedonians (in Lesbos and Euboia - I've let them live as allies for long enough), and hope Pontos lasts a bit longer against the Ptolemies to let me get stronger in Anatolia.

I've evacuated Asia minor, the surviving generals and their decimated armies will come home to be refitted with the finest troops of the empire, while the veterans resupplied and sent to secure the western front. With some donations by watchful allies, Ptolemy has been passified with the ceding of Sardis and Mazaka, and a financial gift to their and our enemies the seleukids has finally brought an end to that cold war. In the far east Baktria and Pahlava vy for control, while the yuehzi retreat to the north.

After securing several cities to the north around the coast, the general, er.... forgot his name, has chosen to resupply as well, finding the newly conquered terrorities unwilling to refit him as needed.

Seriously, why can't I recruit outside modern greece. You go north and you can build your top tier MIC and have nothing. I can build a type two, yet not a unit. oh well. Map coming soon, after finishing this nights campaign.

Keep going after Hellenic cities - Crete, Rhodes, Lesbos, Euboia (islands that you can build trade up with), coastal towns in Asia Minor at Sinope, Pergamon, Halikarnassos - all of Syracuse, Massalia, southern Italy. These are the places you will rely on to push you further into areas you don't get such good troops in. Finding a high level MIC in Ipsos has saved me a number of times already against Ptolemaic troops - I'd be in real trouble without it and Byzantion. And now I've got Pergamon, so I can get more there too. THen I use Demetrias to pump out Thessalian cavalry, and Pella and my Epeirote towns to send over the elites (good roads from Pella to Byzantion are needed).

Right now its more stay afloat in my new conquered provinces than anything. First order of business is to smash the hayasdan before they take my northern settlements. With the uneasy ceasefire of the ptolemiacs right now I'm just building up my royal armies. I'll dispatch one to Rhodes when I can, but its become a KH Omaha. If I can get enough time to suppress armenia then return for a resupply, I'll hit the underbelly of Asia minor since recently ptolemy left the cities manned with just a unit or two. My only concern with doing this though is that they have those.... uh.... green fleets sailing around there, so any naval operation needs to be done as swiftly as possible. Its probably because of my terrible tactics, but there's no way I'm going to assualt syracruse. I sent a spy over there and not only is its garrison maxed out, massena's is too, and there's two more full stacks of rebels roaming the island. I'm trying to build rome up to become my end game super power I get to war with, so I don't want to attack southern italy. I'll hit cyprus when I can, but its not a high priority target. Good roads all over greece are needed, I find my east coast settlements often drained of the people there, so lately I've been making full armies from epeirote territory and retraining in the eastern settlements. Pella, Demetrias, in there. I hope I can recruit in getic lands in .8, having to send troops for garrison duty all the way north is a pain, and doesn't make sense if you can build a type two. Had I known this was going to happen, I probably would have just walled off the getai and let them live. And finally, some shots of the empire. I keep trying to get Ptolemy to engage in a sand war, and they just won't do it. Really ticks me off, I want a unified desert to war against, preferably carthagian. I don't think they hold all that, its probably further west, but the map trade with them doesn't update. Probably need to get it from Ptolemy.



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for the ptolomies, in one of my macedonian games I built a decent fleet, loaded a big army up and sailed up and down the egyptian coast, from cyprus to cyrenaica, seizing cities, exterminating the people, selling hte buildings and retreating to my boats one step ahead of the ptolomy army and navy. I reduced Alexandria to about 350 people, as well as the rest of the coast, and this bought me time to consolidate asia minor. I thought of it as a 100 Years War chevauchee mixed with the vikings.

Interesting campaign orwell. So you're planning to retreat from the Black Sea in favour of easy conquests?

By the way, might I suggest taking the Ionian settlement? The Aedui have it very lightly defended and they seem just about to be wiped out in Gaul.

Woah, is that the Casse in the North? And in the East? And in the Arabian peninsula? Well, that's something I've never seen before.

It's gray from FOW I would expect. Casse just hidden by it too.

I'll shut up and go weep myself to sleep.