Now that's what I call a very bold strategy. Not only being in financial debt, but to face Seleucid forces, with Hetairoi cavalry generals (übermensch, eh? Well, maybe not that drastic, but yeah they are annoying nutcrackers). It might be good for taking on Bactria, but then you'd have a two-front war.

I can understand the stress of having 20k in debt. It seems like your strategy works, considering that you've seized said areas it might be something for me to try. I'm still too much comfy disbanding Thanvabara and Daha horse archers, to get the Arshtibara light spear/archer combo. Dunno if it's a bug or something but the Ârshtîbârâ makes the Thanvâbârâ quite obsolete, having superior missiles, defence stats, lower upkeep, lower recruit cost, and a light spear to repel light cavalry. I swear, I've grown some new respect to the ârshtîbârâ. They are perfect against those pesky nomad horse archers. They outrange horse archers, as well as their greater numbers are benefitial, and they can defend themselves once those nomad archers close in to charge! The Ârshtîbârâ rocks. I never use the obsolete Thanvâbârâ or the Nîzag Gûnd infantry. None of them are as cost effective as the Êrânshahr Ârshtîbârâ. Even those pesky Seleucid Pantodapoi levies are chanceless against them, considering that they can be weakened considerably with arrows and with slope advantage defeat them.

The strategy could work, depending on when to strike Maracanda. It is prone to rebel as well, and once you do capture Soghdiana during the rebellion, the Seleucid are free to dismiss the province, until they decide to break their alliances and trade with the Pahlava. Maybe I'm just being overly paranoid with the careful strike strategy. Eitherway, during the Hecarompylos/Hyrcania revolt, a skilled general could choose to split up the troops to capture both settlements at the same time.