Re: 1.x AI Faction Progression Thread
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)
from plutoboyz
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Originally Posted by Qvintvs
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