I'm playing my Epeiros-as-Pergamon game, and lamenting how little challenge Pontos is, since we started warring with each other. The trigger was Sinope and Trapezous; they took them and I had a diplomat demand they hand them over or I'd attack. Then I cancelled trade rights, and attacked them. I took Sinope and installed a client kingdom, and gave Trapezous to Koinon Hellenon.
Pontos seem more interested in getting Sinope back (they've made no moves towards Trapezous at all!), but the armies they send are rubbish. I thought perhaps it was just because they don't have good units (barring the Greek roster than can draw upon), but looking over them that doesn't seem to be the case. They could recruit almost identical armies to the ones I use, but instead they seem to go for a unit of Chalkaspides, one of Pontic Elite infantry, then the rest they fill up on trash: Pantodapoi (who are worthless), Eastern slingers/skirmishers, Anatolian hillmen and Akontistai. Along with a bunch of light cavalry.
They have access to the cheap, yet brilliant Hoplitai, Thureophoroi and Peltastai, but never recruit them. Hell, even some Pantodapoi Phalangitai to flank their elite phalanxes would improve things.
Why does AI Pontos have such weirdly skewed recruiting priorities?
Bookmarks