Tip for fighting a superior enemy.

[Cataphract_Of_The_City]

Create a cheap defencive force to defend you lands and gather the rest of your troops and capture a Seleucid province that will shorten your lines, i.e. making them have to pass by that city to attak the interior provinces. Now they will attack only this city. They will be able to concentrate but if you move your defensive troops there, it will be safe.

[Dubius Cato]

You can also try to place forts in any mountain pass, river ford, or other strategic place, or even build a limes with forts in any other map tile. Put some cheap (or understrength) unit in, and it will probably stop the AI for another turn. It gives you more time to scramble your forces, and maybe they call off the siege altogether and wander off. I always use this in the small accessible line in Lybia between the coast and the desert to stop the Ptolemaic stacks, you need a line of six or seven forts there, and another one with a defensive army that covers all of them.

[pezhetairoi]

Take Prophthasia, whose mines will give you enough to field at least one fullstack and a halfstack in addition. Once I took Prophthasia I was able to take the fullstack out on the offensive in the north against Antiocheia Margiane (another money earner) and Asaak, then switch half its troops to the southern army (guarding Ariana and Prophthasia, since once you take Margiana they don't bother Baktra anymore) and take the offensive against Karmana and Persepolis. Pura should not be bothered with unless there are significant forces there that could backstab you. The idea is to minimise your frontage, so try to expand until you have captured both Asaak and Persepolis. With those two, you will be able to raise your force to two fullstacks of second-tier troops, which will definitely be enough to beat the Grays every time, since they will rarely if ever hurl fullstacks at you before you threaten Susa.

[Sygrod]

Good responses, all.

Well, this is my plan:

1. Keep defending the line where the Seleucids are attacking. I have killed off countless enemies here. I have not lost one battle, but a couple were close with heavy losses. Now I also have a 3span katapeltai. It really chews up the phalanxes. A couple of units are up to silver chevrons from all the fighting, which is exactly what i want. I am unisg the Seleucid attacks for target practice. I even managed to kill their faction leader. no remorse there.

2. A small detachment is about to attack the moderately defended Karmana just north of Hormuz. Drangiana/Propthasia is way to heavily defended for now with 11 units of strong infantry.

3. I am hoping to be able to raise an army large enough to take the Eleutheroi provinces to the East. I just had to get the West under control first.

4. I have built the upgraded mines. It took a while, since I had to build an army strong enough to keep the Seleucids at bay.

5. The ^%$#*# Saka Rauka attacked as well, but were beaten off. I then impetuously decided to attack Bin-Kath and had my rear handed to me. I'll be back. The town has no walls and currently has only one or two units defending.

6. My army compositions are sporting the following units:

One 3span katapeltai. Kills at a safe distance. Kills anything.

Many Perisan archers. These guys cut like scythes through unarmoured infantry and cavalry. Good for hitting phalangitai in the back.

Some slingers to harass phalanxes and kill generals' bodyguards.

Some skirmishers. a couple of rounds of javelins can break an enemy attack, and they absorb enemy charges so that my more expensinve and harder hitting troops are spared.

Some cheap hellenic spearmen as cannon fodder and defence similar to skirmishers

A few phalangitai, light and medium. these guys have had very little to du but watch.

The initial horse archer unit. down to 33 men, but with 3 silver chevrons. This unit is excellent. Where do i get more?

6. Provinces currently under Baktrian control:
a. Baktria
b. Sogdiane
c. Dayuan
d. Paropamisadai
e. Arachosia
f. Gedrosia
g. Aria
...in order of acquisition.