Arche Seleukeia "Grand Strategy"

[option]

I'm 30 years into an AS campaign and I actually found it really easy. The only factions to attack me were Parthia, Egypt and Saka, so I was able to concentrate my forces on two fronts. The only settlements I lost were Asaak and Antiocheia-Margiane briefly, as I focused my forces on the east in order to destroy Parthia in about four or five years, while also taking the Levant from the Ptolemies. After that it was basically just fortifying Alexandria-Eschate and Marakanda against Saka and destroying small factions at my leisure, as Pontos barely took Ankyra and just sat there all game while Hayasdan was busy with nomads. I destroyed Pontos in my conquest of Anatolia, drove Hayasdan onto the steppes, knocked Saka back to about 3 settlements in the north, and am about to take the Arabian peninsula. Definitely one of the easier EB campaigns I've played.

[Atraphoenix]

that's why many avoids playing AS even easier than romans..
Pahlava is hardest on the east even harder than saka because baktria expands india, as is busy with pahlava so saka has no problem until she reaches as frontier mostly by destroying weakened pahlava.
I tried every possible expansion for pahlava but I can say that the most logical one is conquer as lands as loses her allies if you attack her. if not you lose your loyal ally baktria that must be the most loyal ally for pahlava.

[Chris1959]

Well I'm just about to finish my AS campaign 180BC, it was tremendous fun and I haven't reached the victory conditions I'm at the point where I can field such good armies you can beat anyone and an economy that's means I can even though I have a limit on army maintenance.

One minor exploit I used was leaving the Pahlava with two settlements and they acted as a very nice buffer against their allies the Saka who ruled the steppes, it was strange that the AI Saka never rolled over the rumps of the Phalava and Baktria!

I liked micro-managing a large and fractious empire from the start and the early years were the best I also liked as an ex Romani fielding heavy cavalry including Cataphracts, but I have to be honest I hate fighting with phalanxes

So now it's on to the Getai and quoffing ale from drinking horns and burning things!

[option]

Yeah, I gotta say that using cataphracts in conjunction with phalanxes is probably my favorite part of playing the AS. Smashing everything into a bunch of sarissas with cataphracts alone is enough to get me to play them.

[Atraphoenix]

best faction for hammer and anvil as you can beat other Hellenic cavalry with cataphracts.
but useless against my rinse and repeat+hammer because I have no good phalanx to hold the line unless I am in the late period.