Expeditionary Forces

[Celtic_Punk]

what faction are you using?

[Tarkus]

I have been using such "expeditionary forces" as raiding parties in my Romani campaign with great success. The world has basically been reduced to me against the Yellow Death (with the Baktrians doing their thing undisturbed in the far East), so I have decided to embark on a rather vicious scorched earth policy against Ptolemaic settlements around the length of the eastern Mediterranean -- from Side to Paraitonion. To do this more easily, I first established bases in Cypus and Augila, and will soon establish a better-protected settlement in Kyrene. I am blockading all Ptolemaic ports in the eastern Med and have burned four major settlements (Side, Tarsos, Sidon and Paraitonion) to the ground. In the battle for Augila, I have also effectively wiped out three full armies of the Pharaoh. I don't really need the cash -- remember, this is a Romani campaign -- I just want to put a serious hurt on the Ptolemaics in preparation for a more serious expansion in the near future.

It's an interesting and enjoyable (heh-heh-heh) addition to the game!

[Ezephkiel]

what faction are you using?

Playing as the KH so i use alot of navy to ship people about.

[MerlinusCDXX]

I'm using expeditionary forces in my current Pontos game against the Ptolemies. I have a disloyal FM that I'm RPing as having been sentenced to exile. He only gets the units left when the actual commander of his army died (he was a cavalry wing commander, I always put disloyal FMs in a loyal FM's stack), plus mercenaries (I rp the treasury as the combined assets of the members of the "ruling class" ). I'm rampaging my way through Egypt with "Xerxes" (funny coincidence-he's also the conqueror of Athens), while my loyal generals lead defensive forces on the Ioudaia-Nile Delta border to blunt Ptolemaic attacks. Any settlements I take are given to my allies, the Saby'n (after a thorough sacking, though I leave a gov't bldg and any Semitic culture bldgs I find), I roleplay this as feeding the Saba information about the activities of my rogue general, which they act on. I only have 3 standing fullstack armies, 1 in Iran against the AS, 1 in Europe against Makedonia, and 1 on Defense against the Ptolemaioi, with a small (max half) stack "in training" in Anatolia, and a half stack garrison in Khersonesos. I'm hoping to buffer my border with Egypt so that I can obtain a ceasefire with the Ptolemaioi, as I'm not interested in ruling Egypt.

[Aemilius Paulus]

I'm rampaging my way through Egypt with "Xerxes" (funny coincidence-he's also the conqueror of Athens)

Is having disloyal general's that bad? I've never actually had a family member bribed, although captains and sometimes cities do sell themselves out to the Enemy. My best family member is selfish, disloyal (he has the "seditious" trait) and his avatar/face is fat (his avatar looking obese was actually the primary reason I did not send him to fight; I usually send all of my FMs who are Sharp/Charismatic/Optimistic off to war where they can get the most influence/management/command). He has 10 influence and management like most of my family members who had been around for more than 10 years but he is an unrivaled commander - he has 8 command stars. I'd sure hate to see him defect!

As for the expeditionary forces, I have sent out three against the Ptolemies, two against Iberia/Lusitania, one against Kart-Hadastim, one into Crimean Peninsula as well as one into Baltic (I don't know what I was thinking). The Baltic expeditionary force ended up conquering Ascaucalis, Gintaras-Ostan, Seliun-Pilis, Cordon-Neuriji, as well as Gawjam-Bastarnoz (in that order). All of these territories were cut off from my main empire as the closest cities I control are Patavium, Vindobona, Ak-Ink, and Samriszegethusa. The Baltic part of the empire is still cut off, mostly due to the fact that I am not willing to take on the huge stacks of silver chevron units of Eleutheroi buffer states put there to prevent the Sweboz/Romani from expanding too quickly (they sure are doing their job; I don't have the guts to assault them and the Sweboz, who are quite large in my game and have the 2nd largest army of all the factions [I'm the first], keep sending their armies to their deaths)

[MerlinusCDXX]

originally posted by Aemilius Paulus
Is having disloyal general's that bad?

Not usually, but I have occasionally had generals bribed, usually by the Ptolemies, and usually after 220 BC (when even the gimped AI can build something resembling an economy, but only with a "naturally rich" faction like the Ptolemies). I've only seen it on difficulty levels above medium, so only worry about it if you play H or VH like most people that post here.
When the Ptolemies start spamming diplomats, that's usually a good indication that they are looking to spend some excess cash, and they seem to favor bribery attempts.

[Chris_]

When the Ptolemies start spamming diplomats, that's usually a good indication that they are looking to spend some excess cash, and they seem to favor bribery attempts.

I had a problem with this in one game, and had to keep a standing army of assassins to keep them at bay. Reminded me of the problems I always used to get with Lawyers (or was it Bureaucrats) in Civ Call to Power, except they were invisible.

[Celtic_Punk]

lmao, Oh the days of antiquity when if you didn't like a politician, it was socially acceptable to send a band of hitmen after him in the countryside.


it seems that Ptolemy wasn't interested in attacking me, that army outside sardis attacked halacarnessis or something, and the ones in Syria were just there to fight selucids with me. im sure now they accept my presence and holdings in the East. for now. the selucids are fighting persia, Hai, Baktria, me, ptolemy and the Saka. I think they are soon the crumble, but who will profit it is not 100% clear yet. Rome is expanding and has the North part of Epiros, Makedon is reduced to Lesbos and Makedonia, and carthage and rome are good friends still and Rome is allied with me for now. I am not sure if I should expand East or West. throw my lot in with Ptolemy in the Syrian War and see if i can take Alexander's kingdom? or leave the east to Aigypt, unite Greece and take on Carthage, Rome and Gauls?