Parthia

[Viking]

I also surrendered to the Selecuids in order to get them to stop blockading Alexanderia's port so I could get out of my debt.

You`re playing with 1.0 right? Otherwise you should barely have money.
I remeber in my first Parthian campaign with 1.0, I surrendered both to Egypt and The Seleucid Empire so that I grew strong again.
Man, I miss those days..

[nameless]

No 1.2, by the time I got Alexandria I was like -4800 denari, then I executed the lot to get the money back. I guess I got lucky but I was in debt.

[pezhetairoi]

Craterus, you miss the days of surrender? tch, tch... :-P

[Viking]

Craterus, you miss the days of surrender? tch, tch... :-P

Nah, more 1.0 as a whole

But please call me Viking!

[pezhetairoi]

*slaps forehead*

You'll kill me for this, I know, but I never realise Craterus'd become Viking... >.< I see Bartix has become a part of Org lore, eh. :-)

[Agent Miles]

My first shot at playing Parthia:

My setup was vanilla RTW 1.2, i.e., no extra units added or mods. I chose a strategically sound course (I hope) of attacking and destroying one enemy at a time. To this end, I abandoned Campus Sakae and sent the garrison to “lower Parthia” in the bireme. Before CS revolted, I “built” a diplomat that I sent first to the Scythian faction and then on to Europe. I also added a diplomat at Susa and sent him to talk with the Seleucids and the Egyptians. The diplomat I started with, went to Armenia and then Pontus. Within four turns, I was able to ally with Scythia, Pontus and the Seleucids, as well as gain over twenty thousand denarii in tribute for trade and such with them and Armenia. This was a decisive factor in keeping my finances going in the early game.
I quickly took Phraaspa and built two forts at the river crossings to the north. I built a third fort at the river crossing south of Susa. These would delay a Scythian or Egyptian army if they betrayed me. With the forces from Arsakia and Campus Sakae united, I stormed into Armenia. A spy opened the gates to Artaxarta and my HA’s shot the garrison apart from three sides. The cataphracts finished them off. I then quickly moved on Kotais and captured it before the Armenians could get organized. Next, I cleared out the rebels and brigands that dotted my regions while my new public were brought in order. I built another series of forts to close all of the mountain passes around former Armenia and one on the river north of Kotais. At this time, my allies, Pontus and the Seleucids, went to war. I chose to side with the Seleucids, so Pontus broke our alliance. This was great! The Seleucids could now keep Egypt in check and I could take Pontus for myself. My army consisted of my general (a “cavalry commander of genius”), two somewhat under-strength Cataphracts, four Persian Cavalry and twelve HA. I slipped down the valley between the mountains that run to Sinope from Kotais, and took Pontus by surprise. With the help of spies, I stormed Sinope and captured it. I then offered Pontus a ceasefire, on the condition that they give me Ancyra, which they did! Pontus was now split in two and finishing them off was a simple matter. Also, I could finally build Cataphracts at Sinope.
Next, I built a navy and took Rhodes away from a weakened Greece and then Kydonia as well. I got a ceasefire from Greece and left my ally Macedon to finish them off. This gave me a lot of income. I built watchtowers along the Black Sea coast, on Rhodes and both ends of Crete. I sent spies to Salamis and caused a revolt. My army took the rebel city right from under the noses of the evicted Egyptian garrison. I also built watchtowers on both ends of Cyprus. With a large navy, I destroyed the Egyptian fleet and blockaded their ports. Egypt offered a ceasefire, and I demanded Dumatha. They agreed! I sent an army into Arabia to build a series of watchtowers that gave me a great view of the surrounding area. Several spies were then positioned to give me a complete view of the Seleucids’ regions. I let Egypt survive (for a while) because the Seleucids would have gotten the lion’s share of Egypt’s settlements if I weakened them too much. Basically, Egypt and the Seleucids had been locked in an even-sided struggle and neither had expanded much. Pity.
I had an assassin whack Seleucid agents until they broke the alliance, because I believe that your diplomatic record matters (don’t attack an ally). Then I was ready for the next phase. The Seleucids had a small navy and most of their army was fighting the Egyptians. They held Sardis, Halicanarssus, Tarsus, Antioch (the capital), Hatra, Palmyra, Seleucia, Damascus and Jerusalem. I had three cavalry armies as above, one outside of Mazaka, one on Cyprus and the last in Arabia. My plan was to destroy the Seleucid navy and blockade all their ports. The armies on Cyprus and near Mazaka would take Tarsus with the aid of spies and build a fort at the pass between Tarsus and Antioch. This would split the Seleucid’s realm in two. One army would then move west and take Sardis and Halicanarssus. Spy teams caused these to revolt and the garrisons fled. The other army held the pass. The army in Arabia would lay siege to Seleucia (which I was able to take) and threaten their eastern flank. This gave me a lot of income again and I was able to make another cavalry army, which aided in the final destruction of the Seleucid faction.
During the war with the Seleucids, Scythia declared war. Fortunately, they were a paper tiger. About nine spies went through Scythia like a wrecking ball, while three ships blockaded their Black Sea ports. I sent a cavalry army north to clean up what was left.
With the fall of the Seleucid faction in 213, I had met the goals of the short campaign. I am the top overall faction. If I continue, it should be a simple matter to turn what’s left of Egypt, Numidia, Cathage and Rome into a breakfast entré.

[pezhetairoi]

Welcome to the Org, Agent Miles. It's an interesting expansion path you have, and certainly one of the best displays of diplomatic manoeuvre I've ever seen (as compared to the warmongers loitering in large numbers here who believe in slaughtering every army they come across, no offence meant :-P).

I don't believe I've made as liberal use of spies as you have, but it certainly is an option given the cavalry-sparse Parthian unit roster. Very impressive work for a first post. I'd never considered moving along the black Sea coast, I must confess. My thoughts were on striking south and west through the desert and along Mesopotamia to take out the eastern Seleucid Empire and hit Egypt at Jerusalem where they least expected it, to cut them in two.

Strategic considerations based on 'most advanced faction' in all my campaigns indicate that Egypt is the faction to beat because with their advancement they are capable of massing ranged units and chariots which will become your Parthians' nemesis. Hence you may wish to consider beating Egypt instead of playing them off against the Seleucids, because the Seleucids are infinitely more vulnerable with their fixation on phalanx units, and the relative vulnerability of their scythed chariots.

But otherwise, it's a very potential axis of advance that I will try when I play Parthia.