How do I nerf the Ptolemies - without conquering them?

[pantsukki]

Isn't Finland connected by land bridge to Denmark? I recently put the Lusotanii in southern Ireland, so I'd be worried about what a Ptolemaic army there might do.

I believe that the connected country is Sweden. Finland lies east of Sweden, not Denmark. See for example this map: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Scandinavia.jpg

We're anything but Swedes!

[Jaywalker-Jack]

As far as I can tell a protectorate will only defend themselves, and attempt no expansion. So you could force the Ptolemies into this status. I'm not sure on that though, any protectorates Ive had have been small fry to begin with.

[General Appo]

I´m afraid it doesn´t work that, it only appears so because they pay you half their income (or something like that) which makes it hard especially for smaller nations to go on the offensive.
As for how historical it would be, I amnot sure. Rome allied with the Ptolemais already around 190 BC, and Rome gradually gained more and more power over them, but it´s hard to say when exactly it crossed the line between an alliance and a protectorate.

[QuintusSertorius]

I believe that the connected country is Sweden. Finland lies east of Sweden, not Denmark. See for example this map: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Scandinavia.jpg

We're anything but Swedes!

Sorry, that's sloppy geography on my part. I was thinking of the Sweden-Denmark land bridge. Which surely any unit placed in Finland can just walk round to. Those rivers have crossings, don't they?

[pantsukki]

Sorry, that's sloppy geography on my part. I was thinking of the Sweden-Denmark land bridge. Which surely any unit placed in Finland can just walk round to. Those rivers have crossings, don't they?

Well, yes. But in EB Finland and Sweden aren't connected, the map doesn't reach that far north. So it would take a *long* time to march from Finland to Denmark.