1.x AI Faction Progression Thread

[LordCurlyton]

Victory! The 172 BC shot represents the last I didn't meddle severely in the East. Between then and victory I spent roughly 1.2M mnai to buy territories to give to the AS and Hai. The AS is holding out for now as the Ptolies concentrate on retaking Egypt. I even got rid of the Ptolie super-FM stack (5 FMs all max xp/command) that was single-handedly keeping the Romans at bay (they had virtually no troops just the massive auto-calc advantage super-FMs get) but the damage may have been done as the Romans can't kick them out.
As you can see, as soon as the Saka and Hai went to war (due to Hai/Ptolie alliance driving Hai away from south), the "Hai Steppe Problem" reemerged. Of course, now the Baktrian Beast has declared war and I expect the ass-kicking to be delivered forthwith.
At least the increasingly strained war has kept the Romans from trying to raid again. The same could not be said about the KH. It forced me to take the extreme step of razing Greece/Macedonia to the ground with 4 stacks of mercs and letting revolts have their way. This has led to the Maks getting Epeiros into a protectorate and KH/Epeiros fighting on roughly equal terms. So far, Maks/KH has not reignited. I spent 1M and gave back Buridava to the Getai to get them as my Protectorate, since I really had not interest in the underdeveloped Illyrian towns and reaching all the way to the Pontus Euxinos would unnecessarily have exposed my forces to raids both north and south. Heck, I didn't even really want Naissos but I really wanted to see the victory screen.
The only real "goal" that I have left would be to take the Boii homeland, which, ironically, I wouldn't be able to get Boii Cingetos from since it is not an Expansion territory of mine, yet all the other territories which I could recruit them from are Expansion. Since the easiest way to beat the Boii Eleutheroi would be to wait until I have about 8M mnai (say 100 turns tops) and then bribe all the stacks that lack FMs and use them to conquer, it may be time for me to call this campaign done.
I have no real desire to head into Asia Minor and Mesopotamia, as all that would be available to me would be the standard fare of regionals and I'd be stuck going through all the major pike-using factions that are left and frankly, the Celtic lineup is not designed to be able to beat and consistently hold that area of the world. While the AI stupidity would probably allow me to do so, realistically the Celts would face the same problems that the Romans did in that the archer- and cavalry-heavy factions over there would inflict excessive casualties to make it worth the while of defending.
Now with the factions that are left in my game, considering that they are generally Hellenistic, it is *slightly* more feasible since they are not uber-cavalry and uber-archer, though all 3 (AS, Ptolie, Baktria) can field far better cavalry then me and the waves of phalanxes would take its toll, especially once the computer decided to send 10 Klerouch Agema or Argyaspides or such after me. And they still have access to the superior archer levies or the east, so that would mean 2 of the 3 arms of my military are already at a disadvantage. Even the Getai with their combination of falxes + HA were inflicting more casualties then I would have preferred.
If I did continue, I would probably play up until I had taken the Boii homeland and then assimilated the Balkans, stopping at the Hellespoint. But that wouldn't be for another 50-60 years at least as I completely devastated the whole of Greece and Macedonia. That would leave my empire as very large, wealthy, and with easily defensible borders, able to draw on diverse fighting styles suited for the rough terrain which generally characterizes my empire: skirmishing and semi-skirmishing infantry from Iberia, Gaul, and Britain, skirmishing cavalry from Cantabria, Ireland, and Gaul, missile levies from Greek, Gallic, and Iberian possessions, medium melee noble cavalry and medium melee/jav-cav hybrids, disciplined line spearmen, loose swordsmen, shock infantry, and the bread-and-butter close-order heavy infantry. As long as the terrain is not flat and vast the troops I can draw on should be able to go toe-to-toe with any army that could be arrayed against me.

[Tartaros]

My Romani-Game 231bc
I just conquered the "united state of Gaul" and i besiege Salamis (my naval-base next to kydonia).
I think, the next big deal could be Hellas with Epeiros and the Macs.

[SwissBarbar]

I like carthage, but don't like the grey death

[Tartaros]

Jupp (but both i´m allied with!)
I try to build up Salamis and Kydonia as my hornet nest to spread
a lot of spies and chaos to the arche.
Cold War

[Mediolanicus]

That looked like a very nice Arverni campaign, LordCurlyton.
I was planning on doing that in EB1.1, but a corrupt save game threw me a few years back and then 1.2 came along.

[gamegeek2]

Current Sarmatian campaign, 236 BCE. By sending a force near Hayasadan's attempt to invade the steppes, I somehow made them turn around, and they are invading Ptolemaic lands. I gave the Seleukids 100000 mnai per year for the first ten years of the campaign, and they were holding out well until I stopped the cash flow. FD'd a peace with Epeiros and told them to attack the KH. Pahlava has been entirely stunted since I took Gava-Mazsakata - I should give them some dough. Since I mauled the Saka, Baktria has taken advantage of their weakness. Ptollies are doing well, as always. The KH are a monster - I never gave them any money, but they are a monster, ravaging Anatolia as you can see. Rome is, as always, carving out a niche in Celtic lands, but they seem to have been halted since the Aedui finally defeated the Arverni, and are able to concentrate on Rome. The Lusotanaan have forced Qart-Hadast out of Iberia, but the Carthies still look strong, with plenty of trade across the Mediterannean. I expect them to explode by 220 BCE. Casse, as always, not so impressive, but they don't need to be.

[gamegeek2]

double post

[Mediolanicus]

Nice map, although I don't like seeing Rome going up in the Alps there.
Teal and Yellow death are slumbering, but they are there none the less.

Casse, as always, not so impressive, but they don't need to be.

The Casse unified Britain and Ireland in 230BC in my campaign, I gave them 1 settlement in Belgica by 215BC. It is now 195BC and they are 5th in the ranking of most powerful factions behind me (romani), ptolies, pahlava and pontos!

[Olaf Blackeyes]

My ??? AAR. (guess the faction)
year 229BC

Nice huh?

EDIT:@%@% i HATE photobucket

[penguinking]

Sweboz!

[SwissBarbar]

yeah, I also say Sweboz ^^ Or did you condescend yourself to play a Roman Barbarian campaign? ^^

[Marcus Ulpius]

Not too hard to guess with the Sweboz sign on the UI

[Rilder]

Aedui
233 BC.

[Olaf Blackeyes]

Well photobucket #@$$ed up the crop (again) so its not that hard to guess but look at the AS and the Averni in Galatia

[gamegeek2]

@ Olaf, how come you're not using the campaign I sent you? Or did you just let Lugouw go?

[Olaf Blackeyes]

Im having a problem getting the savegame onto my computer, as in i have no idea how to do that.
Also when i try to open it i get an error message saying that it needs an association file or something.

BTW: how the @#$!$ did u take lugow???

[LordCurlyton]

Step 1: Wait until, or lure away, the big uber army.
Step 2: Spies
Step 3: No-turn siege
= Victory! Deal with the scary stack as you will; it won't lay siege to you.

[gamegeek2]

Where exactly is EB installed on your computer? Download the file to your desktop, then copy/paste it to EB/saves

I actually defeated the stack in an actual battle (somewhere a page or two back, its in a thread called "Lugii Rhesus Defender" and took the city, I sent a unit to defeat the respawned fullstack using auto_win, to make things fair on me).

[Mediolanicus]

SPQR 190BC



I saved the KH from destruction by giving them Byzantion 1 turn before Epeiros captured their last city.
I gave Casse settlement in Belgium back in 220BC and look at them now, they are fighting a fullstack war with Sweboz now.
Talking about the Sweboz, After I drove them back 230-220BC across the Alps and gave those settlements to the Arverni and Casse they've been quiet. Now, suddenly turning up out of nowhere, they are laying siege to Buridava and Sigudunum (sp.).

Pahlava is doing great!!! Seleukies won't last that long anymore, I'm afraid.
Baktria is starting to eat up Saka, they are allied to Pahlava.
The Ptolies are beginning to push back Pontos, I don't like that...

[Rilder]

Mediolanicus, do I see some mithridatic wars in the making?

[Mediolanicus]

Mediolanicus, do I see some mithridatic wars in the making?

That's the main reason why I don't want the Ptolies to become too strong. Taking Greece is my first priority and I don't want to see Pontos dying a horrible yellow death in the meantime.
I may attack Syria first and give that back to the Seleucids.
Besides Pontos has been an ally since ~260, so I better make up a good reason to attack them.

[SwissBarbar]

what a beautiful map that is

[Chris_]

That's the main reason why I don't want the Ptolies to become too strong. Taking Greece is my first priority and I don't want to see Pontos dying a horrible yellow death in the meantime.
I may attack Syria first and give that back to the Seleucids.
Besides Pontos has been an ally since ~260, so I better make up a good reason to attack them.

I had a similar thing happen in my Luso campaign, so I sent out 2 armies to ruin the Ptolies front lines. It worked well, and the other factions have retaken Asia Minor and I have temporarily taken control of Egypt, and am working on getting rid of the yellow death elsewhere. When it's all over, I'll just leave it to them, however I'm having to hold settlements rather than letting them rebel because they just go back to being Ptolemaic (with thousands of Apeluetheroi)

[Mediolanicus]

That's why I want to give a few regions to the Seleucids. No Apeleutheroi! All those cities have MIC's that the Seleucids can use too.

But first I need to repell the Sweboz and pacify Greece.

[Centurio Nixalsverdrus]

SPQR 190BC

Wow, you can have your Gallic, Mithradatic and Parthian War.

[Chris_]

That's why I want to give a few regions to the Seleucids. No Apeleutheroi! All those cities have MIC's that the Seleucids can use too.

But first I need to repell the Sweboz and pacify Greece.

I gave a few to the Seleucids, unfortunately they kind of got wiped out by the resurgent Pontos and Hay, and the very powerful Makedonians who are now taking cities about two turns after I take and leave them. Although it stops it going back to Ptolies, it does create another super empire in its place. At least it makes a change from yellow though.

[IrishHitman]

SPQR 190BC



I saved the KH from destruction by giving them Byzantion 1 turn before Epeiros captured their last city.
I gave Casse settlement in Belgium back in 220BC and look at them now, they are fighting a fullstack war with Sweboz now.
Talking about the Sweboz, After I drove them back 230-220BC across the Alps and gave those settlements to the Arverni and Casse they've been quiet. Now, suddenly turning up out of nowhere, they are laying siege to Buridava and Sigudunum (sp.).

Pahlava is doing great!!! Seleukies won't last that long anymore, I'm afraid.
Baktria is starting to eat up Saka, they are allied to Pahlava.
The Ptolies are beginning to push back Pontos, I don't like that...

I hope you have a large diplomatic corps, because you could be forced into a NINE front war.
Or even a TEN front war if the Casse come south via that independent region.

[Mediolanicus]

Lusotann and the Getai have been friendly for the last 30 years or so. The Aedui have been bordering me since 260BC and are still ignoring me (I took Mediolanum and the Alpine cities from the Sweboz).

Chartage is a problem though. They recently captured Kirta with a fullstack and are laying seige to Atiqa with another.
I'm my main front is in Greece against Epeiros at the moment.

I just signed a ceasefire with Sweboz after their 5 unsuccesful attemps to capture Buridava and Tylis. The cities' garrizons can manage the threat.

Arverni, Macedon in Olbia and KH are no threat to me either. They are weak and when they decide to attack me a halfstack should enough to destroy them if I want.


I wonder what Pahlava and Baktria are going to do now. They've both taken that last patch of other faction and they are building up their armies. I wonder which way they'll go.
Pontos has gained some ground from the Ptolies, but the Seleucids look quite dead.

[gamegeek2]

I guess the Aedui are still pacifistic?

[IrishHitman]

Lusotann and the Getai have been friendly for the last 30 years or so. The Aedui have been bordering me since 260BC and are still ignoring me (I took Mediolanum and the Alpine cities from the Sweboz).

Chartage is a problem though. They recently captured Kirta with a fullstack and are laying seige to Atiqa with another.
I'm my main front is in Greece against Epeiros at the moment.

I just signed a ceasefire with Sweboz after their 5 unsuccesful attemps to capture Buridava and Tylis. The cities' garrizons can manage the threat.

Arverni, Macedon in Olbia and KH are no threat to me either. They are weak and when they decide to attack me a halfstack should enough to destroy them if I want.


I wonder what Pahlava and Baktria are going to do now. They've both taken that last patch of other faction and they are building up their armies. I wonder which way they'll go.
Pontos has gained some ground from the Ptolies, but the Seleucids look quite dead.

The Getai always find some excuse to attack me (when I'm Makedonia), I don't see why it would be different for you... The Lusotann territory is rich in mines, not taking it would be a mistake.

My point is to be careful is all.
AI factions declare war for no reason at all quite often.