The Seleucid Empire

**Taurus1** · 08-15-2005, 07:51

Very nice strategy Legend5000, I forgot to put in the info about the decent array of mercenaries you can recruit. Good call.

**pezhetairoi** · 08-16-2005, 01:14

It's a nice strategy, but it's the micromanagement of the war in Egypt that will take up most of your time. The campaign may actually stretch on longer than it appears unless you manage to attract all armies to your bridge, which does not appear likely.

**Alexanderofmacedon** · 09-04-2005, 20:11

I personally think this faction is the easiest to play. It has the best unit variety (in my mind) and the amount of money and cities you start with are good. I

**Craterus** · 09-04-2005, 20:19

Unfortunately, you could be enemies with (from the start):

Egypt, Pontus, Armenia, Parthia and the Greeks.

Of course, once you're on your way, and have eliminated some of the above factions, then the campaign becomes a cakewalk, but most campaigns do after 30 provinces.

**Alexanderofmacedon** · 09-04-2005, 20:24

As Seleucid though, you have a powerful cavalry to match the powerful middle east cavalry...(Pontus, Scythia)

**Rilder** · 10-30-2005, 16:04

sorry about reviving this old old topic... but the seclucids are awesome settlement defenders so just putting a meager hoplite militia garison , maby some archers but not needed will reflect even the largest armies what i did is just souped up my garisons pretty heavy while i had my main armies taking egypt and stuff and i never had a problem with losing settlements... usualy they were all busy trying to take sardis which had a pretty good hoplite militia garison since all they could train was hoplite militia and i... all the piles of dead eastern infantry and calvary... even the pontus scythed chariots couldnt do high damage since if they managed to break a phalanx there was another behind it... the only time my settlement was "truely" threatened was when pontus sent phalanx pikemen into my weaker defended settlement and there longer spears posed a problem but i laid a trap using a unit of peasants coming from behind and they had to rise there spears and i my hoplites came in and took care of them

**GreatEmperor** · 10-31-2005, 08:21

That's a good strategy but you can also disable Phalanx mode, then engage the enemy and when fighting them, enable phalanx mode again this will cause a huge amount of casualities on the enemy although I don't know how.

**Nebuchadnezzar** · 03-23-2006, 09:09

I agree that the Seleucids have the best unit selection later in game but also have it rather tough at the start being surrounded by enemies and only the militia hoplite as it main starting unit. On VH/VH expect Egypt, Pontus, Armenia, Parthia and Greek Cities to attack within the first moves, so strike first!

I didn't bother about alliances or rebels towns for the start. Instead I took my faction leader and all he could muster and headed for Sidon. Take your nearby Diplomat to negotiate traderights with Egypt and ask 1500 dinari. They will agree. On turn two besige it. It only contains a small force and easily taken on turn 3. Retrain and recruit what you can and on turn four head for Jerusalem. At this point hope your faction leader doesn't die of old age. After taking Jerusalem Egypt shouldn't be a problem for a while. I chose to enslave to help my under-developed towns grow a little quicker. During these first moves I used any new family members to build a fort in the pass NW of Tarsus. This is where Pontus normally like to attack from. Hatra also gets repeatedly attacked very early by Armenia and with all my resources already stretched to deal with Egypt and Pontus I chose to keep my forces to 3x militia hoplites + militia cavalry + general (if available). The strategy was that with a small force Armenia would choose to assault the town rather than starve it. Besides, this early in the game there is no relief force possible and fighting horse archers with hoplites isn't much fun. Instead 3x hoplites just on the very edge of the town square right next to the road that leads from the gate should do the job perfectly. Armenia is so persistant that my hoplites soon had silver chevrons.
Seleucia should also deal with Susa as soon as its force leaves to take the rebel town of Dumatha. If you don't you will soon have to deal with a very large force of horse archers coming down from the mountains.
Finally, Sardis should be built up to produce a few cavalry units and attack the rebel town of Helicarnasus and then on to Crete. By now Greek Cities will be at war with either Macedon or Scipii so attack Pergamun. Besides they probably would have declared war on you by then. Your borders are now mostly secure and free to take the rebel areas and expand in any direction you wish. I tend to leave Egypt the three main cities and watch until Memphis has the largest temple of Horus built. It will upgrade all units (except missile troops) to gold and thats when I want it. For me its onto Sicily.

BHCWarman88 · 04-23-2006, 03:16

Well,this is my MP Army,but it could Work for SP if you able to use it :-) :-)

4 Sliver Shield Pikemen
4 Phalanx Pikemen
4 Silver Shield Legioneares
3 Cataphacts
2 Chariots
3 Elephants

I never sucessfully manage to make that army on SP,but I will :-) :-)

**Seamus Fermanagh** · 04-23-2006, 20:37

On SP, at least at the H or VH settings (and their attendant morale bonuses for the AI) you'll need to replace one of the Cavalry with a General or suffer from morale "overset" against too many of the AI armies.

Why no missile? Seluky missile troops are pretty basic, but they're still of use?

**Viriatus** · 05-26-2006, 19:20

Good afternonn, good morning or good night to all of you, according to the time zone you're living... I start to beg you sorry about my english and to thank you for your patience.

I've played seleucia for a short campaign in medium/medium and i won...Here is what i've done:

The Seleucids are very rich and have a well balanced military power (if you don't piss of parthia until the right time...) You start with a very extensive Empire where the cities mainly those in the east (Hatra and Seleucia) are separated from the main core.What you need to do in the first place is too get some money, wish is an easy task for the seleucid...You can read general frogbeastegg manual and do what she advises to get some money.

No you got money. Use it during some turns to garrison your city with militia hoplites. Meanwhile you got to face some problems...Hatra, Seleucia and Sardis. These settlements need to evolve military to get auto-suficiency...You well need to have in each one a Stable and Barracks until you can use at least, levy pikemen and greek cavalry or schited chariots.In Hatra and Seleucia i find important to build archery ranges for archers...In sardis you have the cretan archers. This is what you have to do to put them military independent.

Now let's talk about WAR!When you get a fine garrison to Tarsus, do the effort to build a little army and move in the direction of sardis and build a fort to defend your most important economical city from Pontus. Let's conquer some settlements now... Conquer Halicarnasus ASAP and Palmyra. Do not worry about the other arabian provinces. You deal with them latter. Create another army and move it to the mountain to a central place from Damascus, Antioch and Palmyra. This army will help you to cut the constant Egyptian attacks...Armenia is problably now running for hatra (They always are)... Do not worry about it... They won't do nothing important if you have a nice garrison in the city. Let them attack...Only sally out the fort in the last turn before the city falls or if the city is facing a revolution. Do everything you can to keep hatra!If you lose hatra you will problably loose seleucia too...If it happens, now big deal, cause you are looking to the mediterranian... Now your big problem!Egyptians. They are realy annoying and are always pestering you...Got to teach them a lesson. Build a Navy, cause you are going to hit them where the sun doesn't shine!Alexandria, Memphis, and Thebes. Create a well ballanced army, get your best attaking general and your best spy, clear the way with your ships, and invade Alexandria. If you conquer the city, exterminate the populace, destroy everything you can, especially military buildings. After all you hate them! Retrain your troops if possible before you move to the next city. Send your spy before you, for he can manage to open the gates, and easy the invasion. Continue destroying every thing you can in egyptian settlements, and move to Jerusalem, this time to stay (After all your migthy general needs a reward don't you think?). Start training an army similar to this one but this time you are coming to stay and not to slain every one...Bring forth garrisons to defend youself from surprise attacks when you conquer the city's...Do not worry about culture penalty...When you enter memphis to stay the remaining Egyptians will bow to you! Meanwhile, train a little army to invade cyprus... And then you have won the short campaign...If you want revenge from Armenia, Pontus and Parthia, do the same thing to those factions.

Alea jacta est.