Guide/Review Baktria on VH/M EB1.2

[Claudius]

Interesting. Actually, my tactics are quite the opposite, but then I am loth to confront the Nomads (or any other faction) before they attack me, so I go for Kophen and Taksashila instead.

Only problem with this is AS will backstab you. I tried that and a AS stack marched on Bak while I was on my way to Tak.

Had much more success going for Propthasia as soon as possible. For one it keeps your alliance with Parthia intact, AS weak early and Propthasia has more income initially than Kophen.

[Unintended BM]

Keeping your alliance with Parthia doesn't really matter. As soon as AS stops bothering them, Parthia's going to get you next, no question about it. In my Baktria games, I always go for Kophen, then build up for a decade or so and wait for the AS to attack. If they don't, then I go south and take those towns from them. Once you build up all your second level mines, you'll be extremely rich, and it'll be easy to take care of the horse archers, at least easier than it was.

[Claudius]

Keeping your alliance with Parthia doesn't really matter. As soon as AS stops bothering them, Parthia's going to get you next, no question about it.

Sure it matters. Fighting Parthia with AS on my immediate flank isn't a prospect I want down the line. AS is a paper tiger and I"m jealous of their land. Honoring my Parthian alliance makes sense.

In my Baktria games, I always go for Kophen, then build up for a decade or so and wait for the AS to attack. If they don't, then I go south and take those towns from them. Once you build up all your second level mines, you'll be extremely rich, and it'll be easy to take care of the horse archers, at least easier than it was.

That's basically the same thing I did only I went for Propthasia first. Which allowed me to get mines and paved roads up in Kophen/Baktra while building up a secondary defense force more efficiently due to the early coin flowing in. 266 and I'm pulling 1300 income from Propthasia at very high tax rate with mines already underway in Kophen + Alexandropolis pacified.

The most recent game where I blitzed Kophen immediately AS backstabbed and went for Baktra from Alexandre-Ariana and I had to raise expensive mercs in order to defend my capital.

[panten]

Great guide. That's what I did in my Baktria game too - blitzing to the south, leaving everybody else alone. To prevent AS from overrunning me while my economy was still recovering I put some small garrisons of two phalanx units plus one archer on the river crossings south of Antiocheia-Margiane (never got attacked there in my campaign so far, but it feels safer and is a backup for a potential Pahlavan betrayal) and inbetween Alexandreia-Ariana and Prophthasia. That will keep the AS out, although it can get tough when they send some elite phalangites. I never got attacked from the north probably because Pahlava conquered Marakanda, but the AS keeps a fullstack around in Alexandria-Eschate that prevents both the Saka and Pahlava to finish them off in that region and probably helped me to keep up the peace with them for the last decades.

After securing my Western border I went for Kophen and built up mines in all the other towns until cashflow allowed me to conquer the remaining AS holdings to the south. After doing that, I went straight for India. I wanted to push AS further west after the succesful conquest at that point in the game but got attacked by the Saba who - of course - were crushed. With the help of the almighty toogle_fow I saw that the situation for AS had worsened and that next to an insanely active and succesful Carthage (they captured Rome and drove the Romans out of Italy and are now reconquering Spain after being completely wiped out there) the Ptolies were on the verge to become a large threat so I sent a expeditionary force to the Arabian peninsula to eliminate that and "aid" AS in keeping the Ptolies at bay. So far there have been some interesting battles including several naval invasions to capture and recapture Salamis and heavy skirmishes that ultimately led to the AS losing Antiocheia which is why I think they need help - I don't want to siege a Ptolie-Persepolis. Unfortunately I can't establish any client kingdoms (atleast with no recruitable governors) on my way to Egypt so that it probably will take a while - hopefully the AS will still be in the game by then.