Who do you play as?

Currently, I mean, and why?

I'm wondering this as I've just been checking the AAR forum here (which is great BTW) and it seems not many people play Rome these days, which is also great in a way.

I also have one unrelated question: I remember when I last played EB aaaaaages ago that some Greek generals had Spartan hoplites as bodyguards, and I just fought a greek army with a Spartan commander and he had the Strategou bodyguard, has it been taken out? IIRC the old spartan units were really powerful, is that why?

Starting Spartan Generals have Spartan Bodyguards. All others including Spartans that come of age or are adopted during the campaign have the other Greek Bodyguard. Spartan Bodyguards aren't exactly historical for Athenian Generals, but we can't have two types of unit for the generals bodyguard so we went for the more generic of the two.

Foot

For my first game I started with The Senate and People of Rome

Pahlava, Epieros, and Lusotannon are my favorite factions to play as, since they all start in interesting positions and are quite fun.

i am currently playing a roman campaign. I like the romans, because you have to reach many reforms and don't have all elite units from the beginning. other factions get boring very fast, unless you really roleplay all ^^

i also played with carthago, KH, Saba, Epeiros and the Lusotannan

I'm playing as the KH right now... gotta love their generals

I'm playing as Germania.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

I can't install EB on my new system due to a s/w conflict :sad:

-Glee

Currently playing as Carthage. I think the hellenic world is incredibly boring to play as, so I tend to avoid all of those factions over there. The only problem with Carthage is that once Rome has been defeated you've eliminated your only enemy.

Let me describe my current situation. I've conquered Italy, am conquering Iberia, am assembling an army for conquering Africa (with the exception of the Ptolemies of course) and have sent an army and a half to Asia Minor in order to gain a foothold there. I'm also on my way to Sicily with an army of Samnites and auxiliaries.

My enemies are the Romans that have expanded northwards, the Lusotannan and the Arche Seleukids. Seemingly in order to unite against my growing influence, the Romans have allied themselves with the Makedonians and Arche Seleukids, thus pitting me against all three of them at once. At my side I have the Aedui, the Koinon Hellenon that I plan to gift my conquests in Asia Minor to (except Pergamum which I am keeping) and, once Makenodia predictably declares war on me, whatever provinces I might conquer in Greece if things go my way. I am also allied with the Ptolemies.

Epeiros is of an uncertain status, but I predict that they'll join up with the triumvirate to oppose me.


I play as Carthage because I knew this sort of thing would happen and I like them. I can basically do whatever I want and have an interesting starting position. I've got loads of interesting units and different theatres of war. I've used cheats to spice up my economy but only out of necessity, to prevent the game from turning into a boring stalemate. Attacking other AIs often makes them do more which they wouldn't if I'd just sat there and waited 10 years in order to be able to afford to recruit five low-quality mercenary units or afford a building. Although I wouldn't cheat if I started a new campaign.

If I had to play as another faction, it'd probably be Lusotanna or Getai. Perhaps both at once. I love the way the in-game voice guy pronounces the Iberian unit names (especially Caetratii) and love their units. As for the Getai, it'd be a pretty damn interesting campaign.

I play as Carthage. I love there units.

I am also playing as Pahlava, almost finished the selues off. But Im taking a break from that camp.

All this talk about KH makes me wanna play as them :P But I dont like the beginnen of the greek faction so oh well.

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Originally Posted by Lovejoy

All this talk about KH makes me wanna play as them :P But I dont like the beginnen of the greek faction so oh well.

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Bah, the KH are much more interesting to have as allies and gift territory to than actually play. There's just something about KH which makes you want to hug and kiss them forever. They're basically the sweet, shy girl of the ancient world :)

I play as the Romani coz i like to kill barbarians Lol^_^

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Originally Posted by Dodge_272

and it seems not many people play Rome these days, which is also great in a way.

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no that's terrible.

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Carthaginian General: There's just something about KH which makes you want to hug and kiss them forever. They're basically the sweet, shy girl of the ancient world :)

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nah, that would be Rome.


I am currently playing a Romani campaign because I sort of like that faction a little bit.:yes:

mmh really oh boy, i would never have guessed that well personally for me I like epeiros
I think it has something to do with the nice combo of Celts and Thracian's nearby, phalanx with sarissas and of course elephants, i also think that it's because pyrhus deserves at least something after all he did, I mean goddammit he is the living embodiment of "if at first not succeed, keep trying"
I also like the getai interesting campaign and Thracian's
and for the future I really really hope to play as the Belgian confederation in EB II

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Originally Posted by Pontius Pilate

nah, that would be Rome.


I am currently playing a Romani campaign because I sort of like that faction a little bit.:yes:

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After having my underfoot-licking, worthless scum of a Greek ally refusing to be the neutral bulwark against Arche Seleukeia by accepting territories in Asia Minor and giving my men there military access, in order to safeguard against catastrophes, I've got to say I take back what I said about KH. I never liked them to begin with, the sympathy I had for them was that they were so tiny. But now they've erased that sympathy and will make excellent chevron machines for my green armies sent to Asia Minor and Hellas...

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Originally Posted by Carthaginian General

Bah, the KH are much more interesting to have as allies and gift territory to than actually play. There's just something about KH which makes you want to hug and kiss them forever. They're basically the sweet, shy girl of the ancient world :)

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Yes, it's true. But in my KH campaign, Carthage recently learned what you get when you make untoward advances at the sweet, shy girl - a kick in the balls. :croc:

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Originally Posted by Dodge_272

it seems not many people play Rome these days, which is also great in a way.

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That's not true. The vast majority of the EB players are Romani players. It is just that in order to think beyond Romani, one has to know a little more history, which not many of the EB players know. Percentage-wise that is. Most of the people on the EB forums are more hardcore than the more mainstream EB players. How many people out there have downloaded EB? How many people are on the EB forums? How many active EB forum members are there? I'm willing to bet all of my money that the number of Romani fans surpasses the number of any other given faction by at least 15% or maybe even as much as by 30%. Despite being a staunch Romani fan, I do however agree that it would be a great thing if more people played (and especially read those wonderful unit/building/year descriptions on the strat map - reading all that was exceedingly beneficial, especially for a Quizbowl player like me) other factions. That would widen the people's scope and teach them that while Rome was a major part of Antiquity, it was far from everything.

I am playing Carthage now. I beat the Romans in the first punic war. They gave up and focus on the Gauls. They allied with Arverni and trying to get rid of my allies the Aedui. So there is countless battle in the region between me and the 3 factions. But sorry guys, I beat the Romans again and I ask for the massilia settlement in exchange of truce, and they just agreed.

So far I've only played the Saka and Casse in-depth. The Saka in H/VH were a great faction to play as, after you get out of debt their cavalry-based armies can take out most of the nearby infantry-based factions. I also like to use horse archers. It just got boring fighting the Diadochi factions all the time so I started a H/VH Casse campaign.
After several restarts, I managed to unite the British Isles and then prepared for an invasion of Scandinavia. Thanks to pirates, I lost my entire army and several FM's. Instead of invading Scandinavia, I started bribing armies in Greece and sacking under-defended cities. This is a lot of fun if you have a strong economy.
Later I invaded rebel parts of Gaul and successfully invaded Scandinavia, and that's where I am right now.

I'm a Roman player by heart, but if you want something different, then go one for Epirus.

You get pikes and elephants:2thumbsup:

You get Thracians and Celts early on:yes:

You can get all the brilliant Italic units :dizzy2:

You get to have an empire from Italy to India!:beam:

now get to it!:whip:

I play as the Casse, and it is awesome. They have some really cool units and a fun starting position.

Getai, I just love falxes :D

Makedonia. I am a real Diadochoi lover, so it's natural I guess :-P Anyway I play along the flow of my ongoing AAR and I can truthfully say that it is quite interesting to have others point out what you should do:yes: Like having the Senate point out missions, only it's more enjoyable!

Maion

KH - but because i defeated or allied the other three civs in the region(Macedon, Epeiros and Getai) i like them aswell. also because of the easy access to thracians and an overall simpathy for them^^ but still i don't think i will start a Makedon campaign because I've just about had enouth of fighting grey and yellow death.
I just like to spread the Hellenic culture all over the word(once again) or at least that is my excuse for causing death and destruction:skull:

also started a Sweboz and a Saka Campaign to get some change from hoplites vs Phalangites^^ but i'm not realy far with them

Currently I'm playing as Pahlava, and I'm really loving them. I always had a thing for horse archers and carving out an empire at the Arche's expense...

Baktria and want to start a Sweboz campaign simultaneously. I wanted Karthadast, but I really dislike starting with many and spreaded provinces. I used to like heavy phalanx-based armies (and I like them still) and now want to play with more flexible ones and that style is great as I discovered.

I've got 17 running campaigns but i like the Hellenistic factions most :)

My 2 longest campaigns (1.0 and 1.1) have been Getai. I love that faction! They have an awesome mix of powerful infantry and skirmishers, plus some decent heavy cav and horse archers.

I usually include 3-4 regiments of HA, 5-7 Drapanai, maybe 1-2 dacian phalanxes (my own stick-wielding dolts), 3-4 dacian skirmishers (replaced by thracians as $$ becomes available) and a general or 2. Dirt cheap and absolutely lethal!
Later in the campaigns, I add some elite infantry (Rhomphsomething, German heavies, Kluddo Lugo) and Thracian peltasts and some heavy cavalry other than generals.
Getai are the only faction where I've gotten a large chunk of land outside their native AOR and my army composition didn't "go native". I never include any greek infantry (stick-wielding dolts) or gallic types or romans because they aren't good enough to make the team. I'll add illyrian troops, especially their excellent light cav, but that's about it. I had a Saba campaign where the only sabean units in the royal army were the generals and 1 arab archer-spear.

I'm also really getting into my new Sauromate campaign. I do like horse archers. Getting out of debt seems trickier, however. . .

Currently?

Qarthadastim - because of my AAR which reminds me that I need to update it!

Arche Seleukeia - because of 'Will of the Basileus' (WotB)

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Originally Posted by Valion

I play as the Romani coz i like to kill barbarians Lol^_^

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lol
made my day
hhahahahahahahahahahahha

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Originally Posted by Dutchhoplite

I've got 17 running campaigns

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:jawdrop:

If I don't play a campaign for more than three or four days, I don't remember what my agents were going to do or what I was going to train. How do you do it?

Then again, my memory is terrible. Also, my memory is terrible. So, who do you play as?

-Glee

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Originally Posted by Gleemonex

:jawdrop:

If I don't play a campaign for more than three or four days, I don't remember what my agents were going to do or what I was going to train. How do you do it?

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Don't ask ;)

I trie to play everyday but it's not easy when you're having a 9-5 job and have to do the housekeeping...

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Originally Posted by Gleemonex

Then again, my memory is terrible. Also, my memory is terrible. So, who do you play as?

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Well, all "regular" campaigns. I've lost Casse (CTD), the Arverni (defeated by the Aedui) and Pahlava (crushed by the Seleucids) on the way :(

Made some stupid mistakes there :(

I think I'm the first to say Saba.

Although this is my first ever EB game.

I thought I'd start somewhere different given the size of the map and this small Kingdom seemed like a good challenge, and a chance to learn more about this faction.

Has anyone else played a really small faction and made them truly into an Empire? I must admit I'm doing OK but wow, some of my neighbours have huge strong armies and cities.

A navy me thinks might be my best plan. :2thumbsup:

I love playing as Saba... they just seem so disconnected from the whole fray in the beginning. I am also a big fan of unmounted generals, so they are great fun...

Saba are definately fun...because you're free to expand into Kush and Arabia for a while...things aren't so fun when the Ptolemaioi or the Silver Death come down to make a trophy out of you.

Currently I'm playing as Carthadasht'im (only a couple of turns into the campaign). Played as Romans, but got bored after it turned into a fight against the Yellow death. Although I was gaining upper hand in Egypt that war seemed endless as Ptolies annihilated the whole of AS and I had no intention of annihilating them and no intention of fighting them indefinitely. I tried Hayasdan, but didn't like it. Played as KH, that was a good campaign, but a CTD had killed it.

On 1.1 with RTW.exe...

A shortlived SS-bi-Q campaign that I overwrote with a shortlived Romani campaign that I overwrote with a Saba campaign in which I reached 250/40 BC before I started a Saka campaign and shifted my attention to it. I got up to 230 BC and was threatening Persepolis...In the middle of that campaign I started a Casse campaign and got respectable territories in mainland Europe by 240 BC without ever attacking a faction other than Eleutheroi.

On 1.1 with Alex.exe...

Advanced Sweboz and KH campaigns, Baktria and Phalava in the 240s, mostly because I refused to attack anyone until 250 BC, and a barely started AS campaign that I put on hold because several Eleutheroi armies besieged my Deep Core cities; they weren't even led by FMs...

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Originally Posted by Pontius Pilate

no that's terrible.

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It is great as it is testament to how good (and popular) the EB team have made them to play as. I'd rather gauge out my eyes than play any other faction than Rome in vanilla, and even playing as Rome themselves in that game wasn't great.

I've got a game going as Rome though.

1.1 with BI.exe...

My first campaign was Qarthadast, which was a fun intro to EB. Had fun crushing the Romans (elephants:beam:) took all of italy, west africa(except for Tuat) and most of Ptolemy... not fun when the AS (who were still alive and doing well) besieged Alexandreia.

I sallied forth, only to have them deploy behind me, inside the city... that was not fun.
Got annoying around the 3rd time.

Switched to Baktria :2thumbsup: having fun actually being able to recruit phalanxes. However, a technical problem is currently preventing me from starting EB, which I already posted in Tech help.

I am playing as Casse, mainly because I love Celtic factions but partly because I am British and partly because they have a safe starting position once you conquer the Isles, this means that the A.I. aren't going to wipe you out.

i just started an Averni campaign, and im at about 260 BC, and its really fun. went 21000 in debt till i started comin back. and my main goal is to build a massallian empire. Celt courage and smithery combined with Greek discipline and old fashioned know how. Recipe for world domination!

Right now I play as Makedonia and it is 246BCE so far. KH and Epeiros left with their capitals only and become my client states. AS along their ALLIES:furious3: Ptolemaoi are upon my asia minor recent conquers but cooperation with Pontos and Hayasdan works fine for me and we're slowly gaining equal hands!!!

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Originally Posted by Foytaz

Right now I play as Makedonia and it is 246BCE so far. KH and Epeiros left with their capitals only and become my client states. AS along their ALLIES:furious3: Ptolemaoi are upon my asia minor recent conquers but cooperation with Pontos and Hayasdan works fine for me and we're slowly gaining equal hands!!!

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Did they actually agree to become a protectorate? I have never managed to get one of those...

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Originally Posted by Nobo

Did they actually agree to become a protectorate? I have never managed to get one of those...

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yes they did though I use Forced Diplomacy mini-mod. I couldn't stand a situation when next to finished faction with no troops and one settlement left still want to fight, that's why I begun to use this minimod. I'm not the one who wants to finish enemy factions off, instead I'm glad to see them powerless but alive.
Anyways when Arche Seleukeia and Ptolemaoi allied with themselves to finish you off is really awesome!!!

Well, you could always move them around. I did so in my ongoing AAR, renaming and recoloring Epeiros into Pergamon. I'm also planning on moving the Koinon towards the Bosporos and give them a suitable name. It just draws too much cash to have them as a protectorate, plus it's kind of cheating because you get the cash bonus given to the faction by the EB script.

Maion

For me its the Sweboz PERIOD, because they got a Wonderful expansion position and excellent units. I just wish the mod didnt CTD so much as i got to the end and victory,:furious3:, that would make it far easier upon my AAR

casse for me also.

a long while back i tried a casse campaign, before i knew about stuff like disbanding my army early, building up an economy (yes, that's a bit embarrassing to admit, but rtw didn't really teach those things, did it?). so now months later, i decided to give it a shot, and i am loving it. a smaller faction makes roleplay more manageable, and the expansion over the british isles has been fairly thrilling: the battle between rushing in to gain territory and holding back to consolidate the economy.

highlight i reckon so far was 2 of my starting 3 FMs getting ambushed in a terrible battle which saw them both slain. poor margorix, my remaining FM suddenly found himself boss and a tad lonely....twas a good few years before i even had a faction successor!

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Originally Posted by Third spearman from the left

I think I'm the first to say Saba.

Although this is my first ever EB game.

I thought I'd start somewhere different given the size of the map and this small Kingdom seemed like a good challenge, and a chance to learn more about this faction.

Has anyone else played a really small faction and made them truly into an Empire? I must admit I'm doing OK but wow, some of my neighbours have huge strong armies and cities.

A navy me thinks might be my best plan. :2thumbsup:

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I did if you count epeiros as a small faction, forged an empire all the way from massilia to persepolis:bling:

Arverni, I love to spread the pagan spirit and I love to slaughter those foul romans!!!:laugh4:

I simply love their "savage" way of fighting and the fact they fought for freedom and honor :)

I recently started Romani campaign, again! :laugh4:

I have never ever played as carthage. I've played as rome, never get anywhere near 250BC, but ive played as them. They are just sooo... boring. I am having alot more fun with a new Averni campaign, slaying the backstabbing Romans for attacking Massalia, sacking their cities every couple of years.

I play Romani often, probably the most fun to role-play for me as I know much more about their history and way of governing than any other faction (Romani without roleplaying is so easy that it's just boring).

I'm currently playing a Makedonia game that's been fun, and had a great time as Koinon Hellenon as well. I've got an ongoing Sweboz campaign that while different, just hasn't been as exciting due to the battles being only against eleutheroi so far, and no real "roleplaying" motive to go out and conquer a big chunk of the world either- I'm mainly waiting for the Romani to make the mistake of attacking me. I think I've almost met the objectives to that campaign as it is...

I still plan to play as one of the nomad factions soon as well!

Carthage is also tempting, but being a huge and prosperous empire similar to Rome without the same "conquer the world" objective just doesn't seem as fun to me.

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Originally Posted by Skoran

Arverni, I love to spread the pagan spirit and I love to slaughter those foul romans!!!:laugh4:

I simply love their "savage" way of fighting and the fact they fought for freedom and honor :)

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Isn't every faction 'pagan'? :inquisitive:

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Originally Posted by mlc82

I play Romani often, probably the most fun to role-play for me as I know much more about their history and way of governing than any other faction (Romani without roleplaying is so easy that it's just boring).

I'm currently playing a Makedonia game that's been fun, and had a great time as Koinon Hellenon as well. I've got an ongoing Sweboz campaign that while different, just hasn't been as exciting due to the being battles only against eleutheroi so far, and no real "roleplaying" motive to go out and conquer a big chunk of the world either- I'm mainly waiting for the Romani to make the mistake of attacking me. I think I've almost met the objectives to that campaign as it is...

I still plan to play as one of the nomad factions soon as well!

Carthage is also tempting, but being a huge and prosperous empire similar to Rome without the same "conquer the world" objective just doesn't seem as fun to me.

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I would strongly suggest giving Carthage a try. Their troops are some of the best and most fun I've gotten to command.

currently playing as Carthage. I was always fascinated by them and it was the first faction that I won campaign with back in vanilla. then I won a campaign with them in EB 1.0. I have resonantly started reading "Hannibal" by Serge Lancel (highly recommend btw) and here we go again, made me fire up yet another Carthaginian campaign.:mellow:

also have Macedonian save (got bored with it after conquering all of Anatolia and most of Egypt), Armenian (got ruined by persistent CTD), Seleucid (tired of chasing those pesky Sakas across the steppes), and Baktrian waiting to be resumed one day. yet to try Romans...

played extensively as Baktria, Epiroes and Ptolemy, but that was back in 0.8x and 1.0.

Try Gauls for once you dirty civilized bugger! :clown:

actually i did try Arverni for about 20 years... pretty enjoyable too, especially when you start fighting Romans. still got a save sitting there waiting for me.

I started an Epeiros campaign recently after my Pontos one got ended by a stupid CTD :wall:

I wanted to simulate what Pyrrhos could've reached when he hadn't left Makedonia for Greece proper. I conquered the Maks and Athens with him, but then he got killed by the plague:wall:
Seems like history won't allow him to become a great conqueror.

Recently I started a Casse campaign, but it ended in a CTD, and I had conquered whole Britannia + Ireland ;(

A few days ago I started as Romani :)

my name explains everything xD

I like barbarian factions, and civilized factions that can access the regional Celtic and Germanic units.

So pretty much Carthage, both Gauls, Sweboz, Casse, Getai, and Epeiros. No way Rome, because they're sooooo dreadddddddddddddddfully dull.

Right now I'm the Aedui, and just conquered the Romans, taking all the territory all the way to Kalabria, bordering with Phyrrus' gang. That was the first thing I did (besides taking the wonderful Belgaic territories), then I built forts all along the Rhine to stymie the Germanic hordes.

Now I can take the rest of Gaul with out worrying about the constant assaults by the lumbering Roman empire. It's an odd looking empire, right now, king of like the Holy Roman Empire but in France instead of Germany.

I've got two EB campaigns going on at the moment, one Karthadast campaign: It's 227BC (something like that) and i've taken Garama, the southern half of Iberia, Numidia, Mauratania Massaeysili, and Sicily.
And I have a Makedonia campaign (which if i'm lucky I will get an economy) and I've taken Athenai then Sparte and I'm sieging Ambrakia.

Playing Epeiros campaign now, and it's great fun; phalanxes (elite are as good as agyraspides) + elephants + good cav + illyrian savages + thracian and celtic swordsmen and axeman + greek units...G-R-E-A-T recruitment possibilties, same climate, very good-interesting location (many possibilties for expand and RP) and at least one battle every turn at the beginning:beam: ( Pyrrhus when died was almost semi-god of war!:viking:) The best for me will always be AS, true Alexandros Legacy, and Quarhadast. I'll probably never play as steppe faction-just don't like them, and have big problem with Rome-as EB team say they are faction, in every detail,...but I just HATE them:thumbsdown:; I started few time Rome campaign but never withstanded more than 10 turns...


Soorry for my english.

Pontos.

Doing pretty well, have all of Anatolia and Mesapotamia, along with the Crimean. Watch out, Greece, the Persian Empire is back!

I've started a Sweboz campaign for EB 1.2.
I love to worry about the lives of those rare and vulnerable Worgozez.

I've played Getai with EB 1.2 and think it is a great faction; now I'm playing Pahlava with alex.exe.. at the start is a great challenge but now I'm loving it.

And yes that's my first post :)

I love the KH!
They had real tradition and science, not just a superior military state as rome.

After all, i took a break from my kh campaign, because it's grown really worse in the last turns. After I extinguished epeiros and macedon, the seleukids were taken down in asia minor from the ptolomai and I allied with them. Soon the ptolomai were drawn back to Antioch but then the seleukids betrayed me and now i fight angainst both in asia minor. In the north-west I'm fighting hard against the romani, they sieged segestica several times. I lost a full stack army by the siege of patavium, now I'm preparing to keep them busy in the north and attack tarentum. But i hate those Ptolomai phalangites(have to sorround them all the time with my hoplites and still they don't break away) and their hetairoi cavalry and yet the Marius reforms didn't pass.

Sry for my english but i'm upset! :D

Casse at the moment. My KH campaign ctdied :(

Waiting for Baktria with the PBeM.

Ho hum.

I'm playing Arverni at the moment. Enjoying it a lot. Preparing to launch a raid into Sweboz lands.



P.S. not exactly very creative for a first post, but I'm a long time lurker who finally decided to register....

Has enjoyed his SSbQ campaign and can't wait to repeat it's success on PBeM. Except winning the first Punic war this time.