I want to do a reverse Alexander thing.

[Unintended BM]

As Baktria. I want Diodotus to subdue the natives by basically taking a few regions from Parthia, Saka, and maybe one of the Indian regions, then have his son go on a rampage and take out the AS, Ptolemies, Makedon, and the KH with all the new resources I get from Diodotus Sr.'s small conquest.

What should my army composition be for both conquests? For the Phillip-esque part of the game, I think I could probably just go for any cool units Baktria has, because I'll be close enough to my homeland where retraining won't be an issue. For the Alexander part, I'm thinking of having a core of pikemen, and at least a unit of all the elites available, then just get some more generic troops that are disposable and replaceable. Which troops would be good? Should I have a lot of horse archers or elephants? Has anyone ever tried this before? I think it might be difficult getting all the way to Greece in Diodotus Jr.'s lifetime.

Also, what regions would be good to take during my first small conquest? I want the richest available regions to help fund my massive army.

[FriendlyFire]

Riches are easy: almost all the cities to the immediate south and east of Baktria have mines, but you'll probably have to wait a decade or two to build them up to level 2 before you can fund a large enough army.

Sadly Alexander-style marches are difficult in EB because the AI has a money boost, no overall population decrease from recruiting armies, and refuses to be subjugated (unless you use force diplomacy). This means that instead of fighting two or three massive battles and then conquering a country, you'll be fighting endless waves of stacks. You may find you need two or three armies to counter multiple enemy armies, otherwise you'll end up with heroic but Pyrrhic victories against overwhelming odds that force you to wait for reinforcements to arrive.

Horse archers can help by thinning out approaching armies: use pairs of them to scout ahead, get attacked, kill off a couple of hundred enemy, then withdraw from the battle. Repeat this a few times and you can wear down the incoming stacks, but it takes careful placement of your horse archer armies so they always have enough movement points to withdraw to somewhere safe, and lots of micromanagement in the battles. And the fear effect of elephants can really help your main army - a charge from one flank through shaken enemy lines will generally trigger a mass rout and quickly end a battle, minimizing casualties to your own phalangites.

[Unintended BM]

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

My progress so far. Saka had Marakanda, so I had to start warring with them early. I'm still allied to the AS, and hopefully will be until I decide to start conquering them. That rebel stack in my northeast looks menacing, but I'm on M/M, so they won't attack, and they're actually good for keeping the Saka away from that border. It's kind of exploiting the difficulty, but whatever. I'm going strike at the Saka first and try to stop them before they get any momentum going. I'm saving up for a mine in Kophen and the other town, so that'll ease my upkeep costs as soon as I get them online.

I don't really want to completely conquer Saka and the Parthians, but I think you're right. If I let them be, I'd have to keep my northern borders heavily garrisoned which would only eat away at my mnai, which I can't really afford. I think for my larger conquest, I'll have a main royal army led by Diodotus Jr., then have two cheaper armies. That way, I can have Diodotus around for all the important battles, and have the cheaper armies stick around and mop up any remnants and take the towns with smaller garrisons. Diodotus would have to take all the important towns, like Seleukeia, Antiocheia, Alexandreia, etc.

It should be relatively easy if I go quick enough.

[Fluvius Camillus]

I did around the same with Baktria.

Diodotos Senior took the start, then his daughter married to ANOTHER Diodotos, called Diodotos Alexandreias Arias. He ended the Saka raids by pacifying the surrounding lands and humiliating them to a point of no recovery. The peace, quiet and coin this brought could give his Sharp/C/V son a great army for a grand invasion into Seleukid lands. And guess what, I couldnt have had more luck, his son was named:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

He took out the two biggest successors with the (awesome) army below in screen.

The result (it was around this time he died), check the minimap:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Of course the heirs of the the Diodotids finished off later on...

~Fluvius

[Walle]

Very impressive Fluvius. Just one question; what's the quickest and most effective way to pacify a settlement (government type/garrison/buildings etc.)? Since that's kind of the key if you want to conquer quickly, I would really like to know.

[The_Blacksmith]

Millitary occupation -> Basic Sanitation -> Gov 4 -> (if you economy is good and its absolutely needed) a Reqruited general...

[Fluvius Camillus]

Millitary occupation -> Basic Sanitation -> Gov 4 -> (if you economy is good and its absolutely needed) a Reqruited general...

First two are correct but certainly not a gov 4, just have some persian archer teams tag along and fill up the city, build asklepeion etc next, I usually build the best gov available, but that comes later when the settlement is pacified. Cities who are potent to riot or revolt are of course massacred. It makes m quiet and will give cash to keep up the momentum.

The Seleukid lands are close to home so you dont need much garrissoning, don't forget that you can use both the Seleukid and Ptolemaioi Regional barracks, which gives you even more momentum If you really want to go ultra fast, use mercenaries as garrissons.

Persian archers are also great to hold settlements, sally out every turn and empty the quivers, see how long armies can stand up to that, especially from stone walls.

It's quite easy actually.

~Fluvius

[The_Blacksmith]

Dang... im used to the Seleukid Gov 4... which gives a +5% law bonus, or happiness... dont recall... but its mighty usefull when blitzing over the steppes...

But, its been a while since ive played Baktria, and should not participate in this topic, but as far as army composition, i recommend using Phalanxes in favour of... Hippotoxotai and Prodromoi instead of Cataphracts...

And the best Garrison unit is by far in case of unkeep-troopsize is Pantodapoi or Persian Archer Spearmen

[Walle]

These are all good pieces of advice, but since this is mainly a Baktria related topic, I should have been clearer. I'm planning on doing an Alexander-rampage-kind of thing with Hayasdan. Does that change any of the advices you guys have given me so far?

[Rahl]

Client Rulers are cheaper and more effective then mercenary garrisons. I really don't know why the people think something else. Levy garrisons can be an alternative but that depends on the situation. Type 4 govs are the fastest to install and allow all basic buildings needed for the pacification of a region.

[Fluvius Camillus]

Client Rulers are cheaper and more effective then mercenary garrisons. I really don't know why the people think something else. Levy garrisons can be an alternative but that depends on the situation. Type 4 govs are the fastest to install and allow all basic buildings needed for the pacification of a region.

But garrisons also kill more than 1 client ruler (usually) if you have to sally out. Also if you are going all type 4 it is an extreme kick in the face to the development of your cities.

~Fluvius

[Olaf The Great]

. Also if you are going all type 4 it is an extreme kick in the face to the development of your cities.

~Fluvius

Well, this is a temporary solution for swift conquest, not a permanant one.

Though yes, I use type 3's instead.

[Rahl]

But garrisons also kill more than 1 client ruler (usually) if you have to sally out. Also if you are going all type 4 it is an extreme kick in the face to the development of your cities.

~Fluvius

Who needs defenders if he does conquer like Alexander? There shouldn't be any defence needed, just smash the enemy and push them to their borders and kill them off.

[The_Blacksmith]

I like to "Exploit " the gov 4 system to build all kinds of happiness, health and order buildings of my own culture, then smash the Gov 4 building and then build the best... i like to (probably not correct) call it "Cultural assimilation"

it seems like having a Government building reduces the unrest over time...