1.x AI Faction Progression Thread

[Cute Wolf]

Koinon Hellenon, Playing relatively slow and rather than doing my usual way (heading west and trashing a certain city), I decide to conquer Kyrene and Stab the Ptolemies at the back... Currently at war with Ptolemaioi, Makedonia, and Epeiros. Allied with Baktria and the Romaioi (Not yet trashing them as usual)



Special Note:
1) Sauromatae push themself to the west rather quickly, but as the result, their territory are quickly gained, but also quickly crumbled, looks like they want to deliver the finishing blows to the Getai.
2) Makedonia, because I show mercy to them (not yet drive them out of their north Makedonian territory), rather than become usual lesbian local kingdom, they conquer Pergamon and kickin AS' out of Western mikra asia. Attempt to besiege Byzantion and Ankyra, but AS lost their Ankyra holdings quickly, and rebelled to Avernii.
3) Avernii lost their eastern gallic holding because the Sweboz invasion, but getting many troops pumped out of Ankyra, looks like they soon fall in the west because Sweboz are going mad
4) Aedui pushed back heavily by Sweboz, but start gaining an upper hand in their war against Romaioi, maybe they'll sack Arretium soon.
5) Sweboz blitz their way in South and West expansion... looks like they still on their momentum, but Sauromatae checked their movement at the east...
6) Hayasdan is still doing their stupid northward invasion as usual
7) Ptolemaioi pushed toward asia by me, their African holdings is under heavy harrasment
8) AS start crumbling, but they still impressively resist Baktria and Pahlava at the east
9) Unlike my lastest Sweboz campaign... Pontos is docile now
10) Casse is as dead as usual
11) Luso and Karthadast and Romaioi also doing their usual ways, I didn't interfare with their wars yet...
12) Saba and Saka, still usual exspansion
13) Getai is squeezed between Sweboz and Sauro... looks like they are about to fall

[athanaric]

2) Makedonia, because I show mercy to them (not yet drive them out of their north Makedonian territory), rather than become usual lesbian local kingdom, they conquer Pergamon and kickin AS' out of Western mikra asia. Attempt to besiege Byzantion and Ankyra, but AS lost their Ankyra holdings quickly, and rebelled to Avernii.

That's actually a smart move, seeing as they will "convert" Mikra Asia to your culture, and build some nice local barracks and other stuff for you to conquer later.

I love how the Swêboz and Romani put out the Super Eleutheroi in your game.

[Macilrille]

The super Eleutheroi have almost always been taken by Romans or Sweboz in my games. As Rome I watch in amazement how the Sweboz kill armies I dare not tackle with and as Sweboz I watch the Romans do the same

Baktria Campaign pics coming up soon, but I have problems posting pics, so mere to my Album, see how the Lusos took all Southern Gaul and the Italian Peninsula down to Rhegion...

Edited to try and add a pic of the time I got bored.
Did not work, here it is https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/album...pictureid=2102

[Cute Wolf]

Update:
Constant harrasment on Pella and invasion from Byzantion finally forced me to kick the Macedon out of Hellenes, but they capture Byzantion and right after that my Troops just simply overpower the exhausted Makedonians and drive them out... And their constant harrasment on Rhodos forced me to invade Mikhra asia, to getting more money to fund my Egyptian wars, as the Result, the Makedonians are pushed further east, and The Ptolemaioi are now become crussader states (Having Antioch and Jerusalem), oh yeah, I have try to get Hierosolyma as well, but constant rioting and their always red face forced me to abandon them back to their old Ptolemaioi master, and nowe they become the capital of Ptolemaioi (Yeah, you can call them Kingdom of Jerusalem now ). I got Ethiophia, but it soon rebelled for Saby'n and decide to stop my Egyptian blitz there. Right now, my western front are unusually peaceful, Epeirotes are trying their fortune invading Italy, and at one point Burned Barbaropolis (but soon the Romaioi taken their Barbaropolis back), and the removal of Makedonians give me much easier breath there. Only one half stack of depleted Sauro horse archers dare to besiege Pella, but my golden stack "slingers from hell" utterly vangquised them....



Yeah I must admit that much of the mainstay of my armies are my highly experienced hoplitai backbone, coupled with massive numbers of "slingers from hell", the fighting is gonna to become highly repetitive, create a wall of proper hoplitai in guard mode, flanked by either thorakitai or peltastai without guard mode and auto fire, and massive slingers running arround and rain their stones all over the enemies, they are especially excellent at pwning those unshielded hetairoi and Makedonian bodyguards just like machine guns, and I always keep some haploi (or at the eastern and suthern front: Pantodapoi) fresh from the city for meatshield if the enemies decide to come close prematurely (and they usually dies more from my own slinger's barrage.... oh how evil am I...


EDIT : I modify my EDB to get missile weapon upgrade from blacksmith...

Ok, and another faction's note:
1) Sweboz : Aedui pushed them for a while, but they pushed aedui back again, their balkan holdings are constantly harrased by the single Romaioi city and the Getai, but they are still the strongest faction, I hope they still expand, and meet me on the field someday (so my slingers could have easy prey afterall )
2) Aedui : surprisingly resilient in defending their territory, fought several fierce wars with Sweboz, and allied with Avernii.
3) Avernii : Pressed badly, and now they are on their last foot on Gaul, fortunely for them, they had Ankyra and I decide not to doing any mess with them as long as they don't harrasing my holdings (constantly at war with Makedon and AS, so stabbing them at their back is ridiculously easy now)
4) Casee: Only get one more province, they are as slow as usual
5) Lusotann : Gained extra territory in Iberia, but still allied with Karthadast.
6) Karthadast : claiming entire west Africa and start to enroaching my African territory, right now they are sending their libyans to certain doom at my rain of stones.... hope they don't bring their elephants into the play.
7) Romaioi : Their north italian territory fall, the Epeirotes prevail for some time, but they start to consolidate their holdings again. But they are not allied with me anymore after they treacherously sent a fullstack of legions and besiege Ambrakia, Blasted Barbaroi.... luckily, my slingers can be quickly marched before they decide to assault, and they are getting killed under my slinger's machine guns. I think I should let the Epeirotes finish them off because right now most of my army are campaigning in Africa, holding Ptolemaioi and Karthadast stacks after stacks.
8) Epeirotes : Finally, they call for truce, because those stupid Romaioi Barbaroi start attacking me too... they are doing fine in Italy, but recently beaten back.
9) Makedonia : Pushed further east, at war with AS and Avernii, not yet died... and as long as they are harmless towards me, I will keep them alive as buffer state (right now I'm allied with AS)
10) AS : Oh, my most valuable ally.... they are the one who took almost all the Ptolemaioi, Saby'n, Makedonia, Pahlava, Baktria, Saka, and right now, I'm their only ally. Yeah, good large and weak friend for distraction.....
11) Saby'n : Sandwiching the Ptolemaioi, and at war with Me, Ptolemaioi, and AS, right now they are going invasion frenzy and rebel backing frenzy.
12) Sauromatae : Sucessful enough to hold constant war with everyone, and still expanding in the north, but sadly, their stack thrown at me is ridiculously depleted, well I decide to leave them to do anything they want right now.
13) Getai : Not yet died, as they has strong will to live
14) Pontos and Hayasdan : Just small local kongdom
15) Saka, Baktria, and Pahlava : for somewhat reason, the AS seems to hold their northeast province nicely, as the somewhat weird war is raging on the eastern steppe.

EDIT : Oh yeah, and the super Eleutheroi stacks are now mostly gone :)

[Ibn-Khaldun]

Romani

It's Spring 239 in this picture.
Currently at war with Qarthadast and Ptolemaioi.

[Cute Wolf]

Updated again:



Having conquered a whole northeast Africa, and sucessfully hold Karthadast stack spamming at the Augila - Kyrene chokepoint with my crack hoplite army (retrained in Kyrene again and again, until I grow bored and auto resolve all the battles), I decide to turn my attention northward, and toward a certain gigantic clash with the pretty weak (!) Sweboz empire (their units are mostly Teceitos, Boii Cingetos, and several assorted depleted Sweboz army). Conquering the Bosophoran regions and still in progress claiming all the Black sea region. Epeirote harrasment is suspiciously ended (they are losing against Romaioi), and what is WORSE is the Sweboz and Romaioi formed an alliance against me (this is VH ai afterall, duh...). The unimportant trio kingdoms in the Mikhra asia (Makedon, Pontos, Avernii) helps me a lot in keeping a good relationship with the Rejuvenated AS, as they are the one who take punishment and repel invading AS stacks.... Ptolemaioi are now sucessfully stranded themself in the levant area, and they start struggle against AS invasion (curiosly, how long until they sign a peace and attack me together.... )

-> Getai : well, they are my ally until their last moment... after their north province was taken by Sweboz, I quickly betray them and simultaneously besiege Sarmiszegethusan holdings, they are completely taken by surprise, because they only had one fm each in their city, and their fullstacks is located far north.... BANG, and they are dead..... Ohhh... I'm such an evil guy....

1) Romaioi : Quite frightening growth detected, as they almost swept Aedui in a very quick sucession, allied with Sweboz, and forced me to garrison Ambrakia and Epidamnos with my veteran hoplites and slingers from hell, as they also attempt to land massive army each year.... at least the Lusos check them out. I still restrain myself not to invade italy, because I want to see how much that they could grow and ripe for extermination....
2) Epeirotes : What quickly gained, could be quickly lost.... Romaioi mauled them soo badly, as their Ilyrian holdings now under siege.... but at least they still had several fullstack stucked in Italy.
3) Karthadast : Stranded in their sand wars against me.... and now start taking Syrakousai and hope they are heading toward Barbaropolis... not across the sea and invade Hellas.... (Right now, I only leave minimal garrison on Hellas proper.... as I still manage to move most of my veteran hoplites and slingers from hell from their african holdings toward nothren campaigns by sea.... yeah, I also pump a really lot of fresh troops from Hellas to fuel my logistical nightmare campaign on Sweboz holdings right now
4) Sauromatae : I start to prick their nice empire one by one, as their horse archers and foot archers are no match for my Slingers from hell... but I wasn't intended to exterminate them completely...... well, their recent Sweboz backed uprisings in Baltic hurt them badly too...
5) Sweboz : Still expanding in the west, but after they sign an alliance with the Romaioi, their growth are stopped, at war with me, Sauro, and Aedui, just recently made peace with Epeirotes.
6) Lusotann : Start to expand, and now enroaching gauls.
7) Casse : As slow as usual
8) Avernii : Kicked out of gaul, trying to attack me in Mikhra asia (pathetically), but quickly destroyed, I keep them alive for the sake of becoming buffer state between me and AS
9) Pontos : Still sleeping
10) Makedonia : Rather than lesbian local kingdom, they are now an unimportant Cappadocian local kingdom.
11) Hayasdan : lost aramvir to AS, pushed and almost dead (but not yet)
12) Saka : regain their homewolrd from AS
13) Pahlava and Baktria : Start carving their respective empire, harrasing the AS eastern front
14) AS : After renewing their war with baktria, I drop the alliance with them, but they are not yet attack me...
15) Ptolies : A poor levantine kingdom, throwing Klerouchikoi Greeks, Jews, and Arabs towards me in Tarsos and Alexandreia crossings (and badly trashed as usual)
16) Saby'n : I kick them in the nut really hard, driving they out of Ethipohia, recently made peace with ptolies and start sending Arabs against my ethiophian holdings by sea.

[Zim]

VH/M Bi.exe

My "Syracuse" game. I migrated to Sicily right at the start and let my cities rebel/fall to Makedonia.

I think I learned the secret to having a tough game. First turtle, then stay up all night one night drinking and playing the campaign.

It's been a fun game. I came pretty close to losing a couple times. I spent years in on and off wars with Carthage, the Romans, Epirus, and just about every one else in the area who decided to invade Sicily. It was nice to see the AI send full stacks by sea. Now that things are stable I'm not quite sure which way I want to go, unite some of the Greek cities in the west (like Emporion and Massalia) or head east to Greece and beyond... Probably north and west, since Cute Wolf is kicking so much butt in the east right now.

I really like the Pahalava and Baktrian expansion, which started well before Macedonia rolled over the Seleucids and Ptolemy.