Yes, that will keep them off their best units. I've already seized Alexandreia in my game, and am well-prepared to take Memphis.
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Yes, that will keep them off their best units. I've already seized Alexandreia in my game, and am well-prepared to take Memphis.
Romani 104 BC
https://img191.imageshack.us/img191/...nbenanntle.png
The Saka also look extremly dangerous. Tell me Swissbar, are they at war with the Ptolies?
Hi guys
No, it is not that much as hell as expected. Actually it's quite fun. As the Romans I am extremely rich and therefore can support a good army. As you can see, I already have taken Egypt from them and several fullstacks defend the river-crossings between Africa and Near East ... which is necessary, because the Ptolemaioi armies are great and strong. Thanks to the Marian reforms I can recruit new legions almost everywhere. ATM I am invading Mikra Asia with 2 fullstacks and 3 more fullstacks are in their ships, heading for Ioudaia. I am curious if this will suffice to conquer the eastern shores of the Mediterranean. I never reload a lost battle, and I have suffered some real devastating defeats against the endless Phalangitai-armies of the Ptolemaioi. The conquest of the Ptolemaic holdings in Egypt has cost me 30'000 men ! (yes 1:1). But now the Ptolies seem to run out of their silver and gold chevron (!) elite-units which they had bred in their wars against the Seleukids, Pahlava and Baktria.
The Saka are at war with the Sauromatae and the Sweboz, but not yet with the Ptolies. Not sure if they are even allies, I'll check, when I am home.
As promised I checked:
Yes, the Ptolemaioi are allied with the Saka. And when I said, that I think that I killed all their silver and gold chevron units in battle, well.... that may be true, but since the ptolies own Baktria and all the eastern provinces, they now come up with Cataphract Elefants and such insane stuff ^^
At least they have to pay through the nose to get those things across Asia...it's several thousand dollars to keep those things every turn...
Not anymore, they're gone ;-) Victims of the war for Micra Asia
The Ptolies can actually recruit Armoured War Elepahants? :S
Yep. In fact, they're the only faction that can recruit every type of elephant unit on the map. The Saba are the only other faction that can recruit both Indian and African elephants, but they can't recruit the elephant cataphracts.
Both the Saba and the Ptolemaioi have their own unique elephant skins. As I recall, the Ptolemaic elephant cataphracts wear bronze armor with dark red trim, with the Ptolemaic eagle displayed on a shield on the side of the mounted platform. Their regular Indian ones are decorated with dark red cloth as well, emblazoned with the visage of Zeus-Ammon. The Saba Indian elephants are rather drab looking in comparison, having only light decoration and brown cloth.
https://img705.imageshack.us/img705/2203/macedon.png
Heres my Macedonian empire at 260 BC. On VH/H with BI.exe and darth formations. Lucked out in the beginning, as KH mysteriously did not attack Corinth, but waited just outside it waiting to ambush, and sent their troops from Athens to attack my main army nearby which was easily destroyed, and then it was just a matter of taking Athens and then striking at Sparta. Got both within 5 turns. Epirus also strangely only attacked Pellas with a little stack which I destroyed due to using my 5000 denari and of a building or 2 to get me a unit of mercenary heavy peltasts and phalanx to defend the city. Then I took my original half stack to attack Epirus who had captured a city in Illyria, and got to fight several epic battles with the 4 stacks they had before I secured their possessions. Now im at peace with them and they are having a 3 way Battle Royale with Rome and Carthage, with Rhegion changing hands every turn and none of the 3 getting the upperhand. Due to the fact of having relegated my two initial enemies to Rhodes and Tarantino respectively it was now a matter of getting another half stack to take a few cities in Thracia. I then sent a small stack with an FM to take Syracuse while taking my original main stack to attack Pergamon. At this point I am at peace with everyone, have no enemies although Pontos is about to take Byzantium and Getai are dangerously close. After I take Pergamon I'm going to take last rebel city in Greece, as well as Crete and finally add some better units to my two stacks. I have loads of money now, and after I consolidate what I have, am going to simultaneously strike at both AS and the Ptolys to prevent either from getting strong, especially as AS has Baktria, Pahlava and Saka Rauka on the ropes, while egypt is gaining the upper hand in the Levant. On a weird side note, Aedui is turning into a serious powerhouse due to the lack of attention by Rome and are about to finish off the Arverni, who also got Galatia after a rebellion from AS. All in all im in excellent position to dominate.
Rome 83 BC
https://img522.imageshack.us/img522/...benanntkob.png
Watch the KH forming a Baltic Empire ;-) Not even the Saka can stop them. I'm loving it, nothing can kill the little bastards *g*
Baltic? That's the Black Sea. The Baltic sea is east of Sweden.Quote:
Originally Posted by SwissBarbar
And I'm the American here!
Right, it's the Finno-Ugric language group, not the Finno-Ugreek language group!
*rimshot*
;)
HI ALL! First post, first pic! Rome, h/h
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Pahlava truly made a big empire! and they even beated my general crassus(but they didnt kill him ^^)
Hi and welcome,
nice empire you have there, and nice first post.
My current AS campaign: You can also see the royal army. :)
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Old 1.2 campaign:
SPQR campaign: Have a character who got Avgvstvs trait 1-2 turns ago, to bad it's stuck on a repeatable CTD atm.
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Pahlava campaign: It's actually ca.140 BC not 14AD.
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Got a Hayasdan and Makedonian campaign aswell, but 1.0 and 1.1.
Might get some screens of them later.
Sab'yn 217 BC
https://img175.imageshack.us/img175/755/unbenanntgy.png
Since my Roman game fell to a CTD, I started a new Sab'yn campaign. I very much like the AI-Expansion here. Look at Baktria, look at Pontos, Carthage has forced the Romans to become their protectorate, look at the Hay and Epeiros. Love it
Romani 221 BC
https://i173.photobucket.com/albums/...iexpansion.png
What I'm liking most about this campaign is the resurgent factions that started to dominate.
Epeiros was down to only Ambrakia and Epidamnos for 20 some-odd years before blitzing Greece.
Makedonia was falling slowly until I invaded Epeiros and "rescued" them. Of course they then betrayed me.
The Seleukids lost Antiochaea by 270, but took it back and took Heirosolyma.
Baktria lost Baktra so they expanded south and east to survive and are now looking to take Baktra back.
Pahlava is continuously taking and losing land and just recently lost Asaak.
The Arverni are just dead now, although they have Galatia.
The Aedui are holding back the Sweboz and expanding, I can't wait to fight them and conquer Gaul.
The Koinon might just die soon even though they're finally showing signs of life in Asia Minor.
The Lusotannans are making a comeback in Iberia after losing a couple settlements to Carthage.
The Ptolies are holding out against Carthage and the Seleukids and all of the east is in a stalemate.
Two of my favorite things are/were: The Getai and Makedonians entering my alliance-web by allying with each other and expanding around each other.
And the Saka expansion. They never expand like this when I play.
Sab'yn Campaign
https://img25.imageshack.us/img25/6166/unbenanntqh.png
I am so excited, have you ever seen such a beautyful AI-Expansion :sweetheart: No cheating or helping the AI from my side, btw.
Btw: The Saka are a protectorae of Baktria ;-) This way Baktria controlles all of the east.
Being Rome would be cool with this Carthage-expansion, but I'm very much satisfied with being the Sab'yn. It's quite a challenge to fight the Ptolemaioi, who are superior in number and also equipment. The war we're fighting in the African Desert is characterized by strategical movement: occupying strategic positions like bridges and thereby defending the 3 African cities (all defended by one army, which has to move and if needed split up), at the same time trying to move the second army - which should conquer the cities in the south of the Ptolemaic empire - outside the enemy armies range, though not letting the generals get the "tired" trait (coming from forced marching), because this could be fatal, for then they can't escape the enemies hunting them. Quite funny
I'm using the RTW exe
https://f.imagehost.org/0856/228_BC.jpg
Hayasdan campaign, H/M
Carthage is slowing progressing up Italy, although the settlements rebel to SPQR or KH.
Epiros and Sweboz became monsters and hopefully they'll soon meet and clash.
Arveni are taking advantage of their alliance with SPQR to finish the Aedui and invading Iberia.
AS stubbornly resists in Asia Minor, despite my every attempts to wage a proxy war, and in the East, they conquer further East and North while I conquer their homeland.
Ptolemai took back Judea from the Sabyn and are now sending me fullstacks yearly to Damaskos (which I turned into a stronghold out of necessity).
KH is fighting from its survival.
Makedon seemed like they were back from the grave, but Pontos decided they made a better target than AS and things are settled for them (Pontos is seiging Pergamon while there's two other fullstacks hanging around)
Sauromatae are now merely a nuisance, now that I turned my borders into twin layered defenses (they must conquer the mountain passes before meeting another force at the fords).
Pontos is a reliable ally and I'm thinking of taking Mazaka and leaving them the rest of Asia Minor, anyway, I'm too busy ordering my new empire (Orontid Reform barely underway) to prepare any conquest in the area.
This is my current AS campaign, 241BC
The thing that amazed me here was the fact that the AEDUI took on the insane AI fullstacks and in some way took the city. I don't remember any other faction taking it and letting it rebel to Aedui, if that is the case I did not pay enough attention, still it is a miracle that the AI defeated the gold cheved Eleutheroi!
https://i594.photobucket.com/albums/...g?t=1267138174
~Fluvius
https://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f.../carthage4.jpg
My currant Carthage campain
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
I was going to ask how you have Iberia and still have no money, but then I noticed that you have southern Greece. That place is a money pit until you get rid of Eperios, Makedonia and KH. Constant war, I bet.
actually even with my wars in Greece I am Making pretty decent money, not fantastic but decent. The picture was taken at the end of the turn after I spent most of the money. Rome sent two full stacks to Sicily, one besieged Syracuse (who had few defenders) and Messana who's garrison was devastated the turn before in a battle with another roman army, I won, barely. I didn't have time to train a proper relief army so I did what any good Carthaginian would do. I threw money at the problem. I took the one free family member on the island and hired a half stack full of mercenaries to relieve the cities. The mercs saved the day but almost every last one of them died in the process. Oh well, a dead mercenary is one that doesn't need to be paid.
Sab'yn 200 BC
https://img706.imageshack.us/img706/...nbenannthy.png
Look at Carthage, Epeiros and the Sweboz
https://img35.imageshack.us/img35/9263/saba236.jpg
Here is my Saba Game in 236BC, quite similar to the one in the post before.
Attacking the Ptolemai seems to be the best to do, I will continue that.
For the AI my newbie eye cant see any special activities.
Well pretty normal for me save perhaps the sweboz bltizing into gaul and the Epeirotes controlling the most profitable regions on the map so they will undoubtedly become a major power. Also the getai seem to be faring quite well.
Say, are those romans in corsica? What exe are you running EB on?
BI.exe, they probably could do a naval invasion because of that.
so I continued to play and the ptolemaio are attacking back in africa, which really going to be difficult, also Palmyra is besieged by them and if this wouldn't be enough a selecid army is standing nearby which means when they attack the allied seleucid army will attack with them, this going to be challenging ^^
1.1 Hayasdan game loaded with 1.2 just to post it.
My personal favorite out of all my campaigns.
You can see some wierd errors caused by this, but whatever. :)
https://img96.imageshack.us/img96/9953/dsfd.jpg
are those League troops in Adrumento and Rome?!?!?! don't remember them revolting to KH^^
and Carthage holds Memphis
well either your AI is really crazy and really fun or It's the mentioned wierdness^^
Lusotannan (205 BC)
https://img718.imageshack.us/img718/...nbenanntdi.png
Lusotannan (185 BC)
https://img697.imageshack.us/img697/...nbenanntni.png
Have you ever seen Carthage creating such an Empire without any help from the player? (I even fought them once, in Spain)
I don't think I've ever seen Carthage AI take Alexandria, nevermind up the Levant.
Wow, it looks like they're trying to reclaim the old Phoenician homelands.
Perhaps it's because you're persistance against them in Iberia has urged them to go East? Although that's a little unusual because usually the AI seems to put all its efforts into fighting the player.
Epeiros is looking quite powerful as well, which is not something you see often. That split up Romani and Aedui expansion is quite strange however, is it due to revolts?
The Sweboz are also surprisingly stagnant, I don't think I've ever seen them expand so little in almost 90 years.
Well, it's not trying anymore, have a look:
https://img692.imageshack.us/img692/...nbenanntsh.png
Let me repeat: They had no help from me. No regular tributes or money gifts, no weakening their enemies, only trade rights.
I have a theory: The Carthaginians gain a lot of money through the trade with me (I know that, because also I make a lot of money through the trade with them). I think it's like a huge province in spain they have, giving them money from the west for sending armies to the east.
Epeiros is very powerful, I like that, because - as you say - it's rare. They really had a hard fight and actually lost their only holding in italy, but the romans had attacked me, so I unfortunately was forced to plunder all cities in italy, conquer rome, giving it back to the romans and force them to become my protectorate. When I had sacked Taras, and left it, it revolted back to Epeiros and from there, they conquered of Italy what is now theirs. Massalia and Tolosa - former Roman possessions - I gave to the Aedui (Massalia I took back, when they betrayed me). How the Aedui got their holdings in the east, I don't know.
What's up with the Sweboz I don't know too. I haven't even discovered them in gameplay (when fog of war is covering them).
My SPQR Campaign, 115 BC
https://img121.imageshack.us/img121/8983/nanet.png
Just got the Marians a few years ago. Could'nt wait till 107BC, but other than that, i'm playing as historically as i can. Too bad the Ptolemies don't help me.
Very interesting campaing;
Epeiros had control over all greece + a major part of Asia Minor, but looks what's left of them. Ancyra rebelled from them to the Seleucids a few years ago, i have just taken Byzantion so i will be able to train the Thracian auxilia, and they are but a shadow of there former selves.
The Ptolies are just being Ptolies.... Nothing new there. Tried to stop them with FD for a while but gave up.
The Sweboz took those hugely defended cities very soon, so i have to fight them all the time....
I helped the arverni by giving them a lot of lands, and helping them against the Sweboz and Aedui, but once they recovered they attacked me, so slowly they're gonna pay. I'm gonna take from the the Iberian city they have for now next turn.
The Seleucids are awesome. They were down to Alexandropolis a few times, with it being besieged by the Pahlava, but have regained their strenght, and now Ancyra rebelled to them. I'm thinking of taking Sinope and Amaseia and give it to them, so i will have a sort of an Pontic Empire to fight:laugh4:.
Carthage started a Reconquista of sorts against me the last few years, so i had to send down there my VII and VIII legions, and i'm gonna start a Jugorthine war :)
The Lusotana are under my protectorate. Pretty soon i will betrayed them and enslave them! The Roman way of course
It's nice to see people playing patiently with the Romans. And I like the color for the Parthians, would you mind telling me what the color code is for that?
You must admit the Oompa-Loompa color is intriguing.
Well, they are orange in RTR....
I experimented with the colors of Parthia in my last campaing with them. The huge purple mass didn't fit me :)... I will give you the color code when i come home on my comp.
Just a word of advice. Careful when you hit the marians. I wasn't. The units are awesome, and i started training them like crazy, upgrading goverments, barracks... I had almost half a million mnai, and a few years later i was in the red!!! Didn't know what happened! I forgot that the legionaires were more expensive then the Polybian legions, didn't even look for the cost of the Antisegnani etc.
I had to take an hour to stabilize my economy. Disbanded many armies, fleets. It almost costed me a few settlemets, since i could recruit new legions. Lol... At least i'm back to 200k now :D
Small update of my Lusotannan-Campaign (around 160 BC). The AI-Expansion got even more amazing.
https://img294.imageshack.us/img294/...benanntqgh.png
Epeiros - The Epeirotes are one of the most powerful people in the world. They even have conquered the insanely defended eleutheroi-cities in southern germania (many sites of famous battles there) and the capital of the Sweboz, not to speak of Italy, Greece and Thraikia.
Quarthadast - The Quarthadastim have continued forming their empire. They own all of Africa, great parts of Anatolia and even the east, including Seleukeia and Babylon. Recently they have lost parts of southern Italy and Sicily to the KH, Romans and Eleutheroi. Bad luck.They're about to conquer it back.
Pahlava - Can they stop the Carthaginian expansion in the east? They too have a great empire and can field massive armies of heavily armoured cataphracts and swift horse archers. In fact, they have the greatest empire of all, if you add their protectorates, the Sauromatae and the Saka.
Lusotannan - (My humble self.) They have released the Romani from being their protectorate, because they have suffered too much from the war against the Epeirotes. The are simply allies now. The Casse, on the other hand, now are their protectorate. They have been conquered by two armies of mercenaries. Actually most of the fightig of the Lusotannan is done by mercenaries. They hire mercenaries from all parts of the world. Greece, Thraikia, Italy, Germania, the Celtic peoples, even the Steppes of the east. The Casse actually had nothing to field to counter horse archers and falxmen. After having lost their three main armies (around 100'000 men, 10:1) they had to surrender. The own troops of the Lusotannan are devided into three parts. The garrison troops, the army protecting the gateway from gaul to Iberia and the reserve army. They are only deployed in great times of danger, for example now, that the Eperiotes have decided to go to war with the Lusotannan.
PS: Have you noticed? With a great amount of fantasy, the Pahlavan Empire looks like a Dragon, spitting fire (fire = the sauromatae) and burning the steppes.
Epeiros pretty much owns the entire Amber Route, which is totally awesome.
I love the way Qart-Hadast expanded, gobbling up the entire Yellow Death, now reduced to just the city of Susa. Excellent stuff, just excellent.
Indeed, i have never seen Carthage expand so much. It's probably because you are Lusotana. I have a feeling that the factions around you do much better then others. The only time in my campaigns where the AS beated the Ptolies, was when I played Pahlava and Baktria, so i had a much more difficult time fighting them
Too bad Rome hardly ever manages to expand, despite the economical advantage.
I love the Pahlavan "dragon", though.
PS: I was wrong about Carthage conquering back Sicily. The KH have formed a "Syrakousian Hegemony" over this island. I don't even know how they got there, and now this ^^
That's the first time I've seen a "White Death" I think.
I'm loving that Epeiros is kicking people around all over Europe, it's awesome.
Awesome Carthaginian expansion! I wonder what armies are they fielding in the East? btw the strange thing is how Byzantion is still eleutheroi, despite being between mighty Epeiros and Pontus.
My Romani campaign around 115 BC
https://img121.imageshack.us/img121/8983/nanet.png
The world at 100 BC
https://img401.imageshack.us/img401/489/romani.png
I've been going historical as i could, and have for the first time 100 used force diplomacy a turn ago, giving Ekbatana to Parthia, hoping that they will start a war against the Ptolemaic Empire. I also conquered a few cities you see now in control of the AS in the west, exept for Ancyra, and gave them to them, making a efectualy a client Syrian Kingdom to help me in the wars against the Egyptian Empire.
I also struck hard in Spain, evicting the Gauls, I defeated a "Jogurtha in N Africa, and made there a new client kingdom, but the rest of the Kingdom wants to regain it's lost settlements every turn, with a bunch of crappy units.
The biggest upset are the Sarmatians. They were in perpetual war with the once mighty Getai for 150 ! years, with no large territorial gains or losses. In a few years they completly destroyed them. If they start a war with Sweboz, I fear i will have an Pre-Hunnic Empire on my back
That's a scary Sarmatian Empire. I'm trying to create one myself, and it's going pretty well so far.
I wonder if the Ptolies will spread north throughout the steppes.
They are trying for a long time now, but it's a stelmate over there. The Sauromatae Empire is even more impressive then it seems on this map.
They conquered a City, with a Full Stack! of decent Getai troops with 5 FMs. And now they have an army moving in Dacia, that will be impossible to stop. It's almost all 3 gold chevron units + 3 8 star generals...
My ongoing Getai campaign, 220BC:
https://img690.imageshack.us/img690/2662/getai220bc.jpg
Macs and KH are pushed from Peloponnesus, because they just didn't quit attacking me. I'm at war with Macs, Pontos and Ladies in red (called Romaioi): i have landed in Italy just recently, and I'm on my way to destroy Barbaropolis. After that i'll sack&plunder Pontic cities in Asia Minor. To hell- i'll just rip entire world apart with my precious falxmen :laugh4:
Here is an update on my Saba campaigne in 215 BC
https://img683.imageshack.us/img683/6364/saba215.jpg
I could manage to kick ass in Egypt and I think I have won the war against the ptolemaio now, there is not much that they could do now, i will try to end the war and get a peace treaty to purchase trade rights, because as you can see they are still holding settlements on the eastern coast of the mediterranean sea (was this right spelled?) which could bring Alexandria some money. Before that I want to conquer Salamis (which is quite good defended), Petra (that defense doesnt deserve the name...) and Hierosolyma, the last one I would like to give another faction so that I dont share boarders with the ptolemaio. hopefully that will work.
To the AI:
Suprisingly Epeiros couldnt expand more, even lost regions to Macedonia and Rome.
Carthage helped me with the ptolemaio but through that the became also a little fear for me, even though we are allied at the moment. So carthage is rushing east just like in SB's campaign, maybe its the same thing because of lusotanne, they have taken all settlements from carthage in spain, and now owning all of it.
Sweboz are quiet strong but are fighting constantly against the arverni who conquered some gallic lands back from that and got a corridor to the northern coast. The Arverni grew stronger through that, and are also owning the Aedui as their protectorate.
Getai is very strong as well.
Actually I wanted to post before and after pictures of the war that started between Carthage and Pahlava in my Luso-Campaign. But unfortunately my campaign got lost to a bug/CTD/whatever and so you only get the picture of the AI expansion, just showing the situation as it was when the Carthaginian-Pahlavan war startet.
https://img52.imageshack.us/img52/57...uarthadast.png
Meanwhile I've started a KH campaign, in which Carthage is doing great too. They've conquered Italy and even great parts of gaule. Have you ever seen Carthage fighting a war against the Sweboz?
[QUOTE=SwissBarbar;2456082]
https://img52.imageshack.us/img52/57...uarthadast.png
This is the most beautiful Parthian and Carthaginian exspansion in a single campaign I have ever seen in EB.
http://forum.ffzg.hr/images/smiles/cwm91.gif
Who was winning the war after it started?
No one. Each could take and retake some settlements. In the end, the CTD won ;-)
SwissBarbar could you post a savegame of say 3-5 years before the CTD occured? Maybe it's possible to avoid the CTD somehow. I would love to get such a savegame, use the change faction script and play as Syracuse!!! :applause:
i forgot to mention in my saba game that Arverni became extremly rich during the last 30 years with more than 200k mnai at the high point and now a bit more than 100k. Is this normal? I thought maybe Aedui is their protectorate or are these gallic regions bringing so much money?
That's actually very strange and also really cool. Maybe since they grabbed a protectorate they're raking in 2x the script money and will be able to forge a mighty Gallic empire. It would be the first that I've ever seen.
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Here is a screen of their treasury, but it seems that their wealth was shorttimed, because they're losing money every round, as you can obviously see, cause theyre already below the 60k mnai line, maybe its because of their war against the sweboz.
https://i266.photobucket.com/albums/...oiindesert.jpg
Started a new Roman campaign my last one kinda plataued when i got 90+ regions in 200 AD. Trying this campaign to slow it down a several noches.. still had two consular armies built up from my starting forces and built another one at Rome did some rampanging united Italy, grabbed Segestica for the mine there to help fund my First Punic War. Had several years making only about 1k with those two armies but once started expaneding got back some needed income.
did toggle_fow and saw amazing Saba progress. I figure Bostra rebelled to them but they mangaged to grab jerusalem and are holding it. Maybe the yellow death wont be a problem this game lol...
Also what the hell is Gisgo's problem wandering into the desert and staying/getting lost there to starve to death? He did that my last campaign too.
I've seen this behavior as well. It will look like they're heading to take Gamara but then they never actually go take it and wander away instead.
I once decided to move one of these wandering armies to Sicily and see if that would spur some interesting behavior, but no. He just keeps trying to walk up Italy, not engaging any Romans (they're allies in this campaign....). I think he's trying to walk all the way back around to Africa so he can wander around in the desert some more...
https://i266.photobucket.com/albums/...Triumphant.jpg
It seems Gisgo finnaly after several years in the desert got unlost and got Tuat and Gamara for the Carthage. Also seems i was wrong about not having the Yellow Death to worry about. Saba has recently gotten some massive losses (along with their Sel allies). However Saba has at least one veritable fortress in Meroe in southern Eygpt with stone walls and a nearly full garrison of troops.
My Second Punic War has been ongoing for several years now. Started when a army of Carthage attacked my main army besieging Arse (yes i know the historical irony is palpaple). So far they've lost Ippone, Mastia, Bocchoris, and Adrumento. Fearing Gisgo's return (when i had a portion of my army there return to Italy for resupply) I had my Adrumeto commander hire mercenaries in the area to fortify the town.
for other factions seems the Getai have been having trouble with the Eperoits now that they have made peace with the Macedonians (trouble also for the Hellens it at first seemed but not so much their currently beseiging one of their light defended garrisons in greece.) The Aedui have gained predominace in the Gaulish civil war with Aedui with them only retaining two divided cities. The Aedui also have gained the Bondsmen reform while they havnt so their troop quality is now lagging behind, still they have full stacks in their two cities and stone walls to protect them so it will be a bloody and drawn out death for them.
Always keen to fight a tough campaign? Then this Saka save game is definitely yours. The year is 230BC, and our kinsmen are fighting for their very survival. When we came from the high north, everything seemed possible. Wherever we arrived, vast armies of Greeks and Hellens were shattered. On many occasions, our horsemen proved to be worthy of their illustrious ancestors. Some 30 years ago, we settled near Alexandria Eschate and tasted the rich promises these lands hold. Our expansions led us to Marakanda, while we raided parts of India. Our warriors frequently left loot untouched as the horses couldn’t carry all of it.
It was our king Tavrak who, when young, wandered through Marakanda, Baktra, Gava, Kophen and even Sulek: silver and gold, arms and slaves, loot and whealth we accumulated. Our glory was such that Sogdians, both oppressed by Parni and Hellens, chose our banners. What begun as a gift of the gods, soon seemed to carry the promise in it of disaster.
The Parni, who were engaged in a bitter strife against their Hellen usurpator, were furious at what they saw as the betrayal of the Sogdians. They’ve made peace with the detested Seleukos II, and are now setting our tents ablaze and stealing our herds. Our homeland Chighu has fallen to their hoves, while the Sakae at Marakanda are experiencing the Parni ferocity. They are worthy foes, great lord.
Those Greeks we were fighting, are almost completely subdued. Should you burn their palaces once more, they can be another ally in our strife against the Parni and the Hellens. It is now that we must prove victorious once more, in order for our nomadic heritage to be remembered. Only if we manage to keep up with our ancestors’ victories and fame, we can dream of a bright future.
The situation…
The situation is, as you probably noticed, dire. As the Sakae, you only own a handful of settlements, being Chach, Marakanda, Baktra, Kophen, Gava and Sulek. Your fighting a war against Baktria, the Arche-Seleukia and the Pahlava, who have no internal conflicts anymore. Baktria has only Alexandria Eschate left, but they still have considerable armies near that settlement and even in India! The Pahlava lost Nisa to the Seucids, but seem to have settled towards the north. Your finances aren’t good-looking either. You’re making more than 2000 mnai/turn, which can be spent on recruitment or constructions. I’ve been ‘living off the land’ to compensate for this issue: destroying Greek buildings (no monuments were harmed) in order to generate sufficient cashflows not to go entirely broke. Your treasury is slightly positive, as should your mood.
The tactical situation is a mess. Your recruitment options are endangered. That means: those settlements that can train horse archers (Chach, Marakanda and Sulek) may fall in the near or not so near future. It is for that purpose that I initiated a migration towards Kophen (bye bye 2000 mnai), so you might have at least some replenishment in the future. Should you conquer Alexandria Eschate, you'll be able to retrain your horse archers there.
The strategic situation is much better. Maybe even promising. Should you take Alexandria Eschate (occupied by Baktria), you gain both a mine and another center for recruitment. Even better: those Bactrian armies wandering around near Sulek and besieging Gava will turn Eleutheroi. You’ll loose an opponent and gain some more income. Should you succeed, you’ll only be left with three cities/borders to defend, which should be doable. You have five units of experienced and armoured horse archers at your disposal to do so, as well as three units of cataphracts. Should your reinforcements arrive, you can count on an additional family member and two units of Saka foot archers. The opposition is largely unknown, and speed is paramount. You must siege Alexandria Eschate and take it as soon as possible regardless the costs. You need to lay siege now and build at least one ram with your cavalry army. Your reinforcements must reach the city from the other side either now, or next turn. If they don't arrive, and Bactria declines to sally, you'll lack infantry to push your ram. Both your cavalry army and your reinforcements have the city within reach... but there are several smaller Baktrian armies nearby. You may take them out before laying siege. You’ll probably face a Bactrian family member, a bunch of low- to mid-tier units and possibly a unit of armoured elephants, spread around the immediate area of the city. If you take it in time, your petty kingdom is saved. If your attack fails, you’ll look forward to both some very dangerous situations as well as at some less upkeep costs.
The reconquest of Alexandria Eschate is your primary objective. After this is done, you can add the remnants of your cavalry armies to Marakanda (securing that settlement against Pahlavi attacks), or you can send them to Chighu. Marakanda is equally crucial, as it has mines and is situated near Alexandria Eschate (mines) and Chach. Marakanda is about to be besieged again by Pahlava. Until now, setting their rams ablaze and killing their infantry with your Saka foot archers made me keep that settlement. It won't last forever though... Chighu on the other hand is occupied by a Parni family member and a secondary unit, but it has mines and is almost fully built out. Taking Chighu will generate even more cashflows, but it will further endanger Marakanda, Alexandria-Eschate and Chach. Careful decisions will have to be made. The Seleucids are knocking on your doors at Baktra, but their phalanxes (including argyraspidai) and heavy Persian archers should be no match for your horse and foot archers. So far, I've been capable to keep them at bay. But without extra funds from conquests, you'll eventually loose it. As long as your financial issues aren’t dealt with (by loosing your cavalry army, by conquering the Baktrian capital or by both), you can’t dream of any expansion towards the Seleucids or towards the rest of Eleutheroi India.
Good luck,
Andy
Link to the savegame-file (VH/VH, huge unit settings - RTW-engine)
I am sorry, but i couldn`t find other place where to post this, so i post it there. The only part in the "Sotaroas" word which i pay attention to is the "sot" part.