So... Has anybody succeeded as Hayasdan yet?

[MiniMe]

In my KH campaign AI is very successful as Hayasdan.
And: I must admit they give me much more trouble than Grey death, Yellow thieves, White pacifists and Red weaklings (yep, I'm that able diplomat and a good neighbor).
And: AI is surprisingly good in the battlefield with these armenian units. He is:
1. wiping out my cretan snipers first;
2. outflanks me;
3. shoots my armoured boyz in the back;
4. charges and withdraw charges and withdraw charges and withdraw till my boyz are dead dead dead.

In fact I'm so impressed of AI Hayasdan tactics that when I see Hayasdan late bodyguard unit on the battlefield I turn computer off and run to bedroom for shelter.

But I don't hate them. I respect them. It is Yellow thieves whom I hate, Yellow thieves who bought off my whole Turkey in less than four years without a single fight with my glorious epileptic infantry.
One fine day Alexandria will burn burn burn. Burarum.
Spartans don't read, they don't need to read, they are happy with comixes.

[Dayve]

They're doing good on your game because they're getting 35k a turn at the start for only having a crappy village.

[MiniMe]

They're doing good on your game because they're getting 35k a turn at the start for only having a crappy village.

True. However money bonuses did not help much Baktria, Pahlava, and Averni. They are no more and not because of me.

Besides in my country armenians have a reputation as able businessmen so... In their case I find 35k a turn at the start for only having a crappy village quite realistic.

[Landwalker]

True. However money bonuses did not help much Baktria, Pahlava, and Averni. They are no more and not because of me.

Besides in my country armenians have a reputation as able businessmen so... In their case I find 35k a turn at the start for only having a crappy village quite realistic.

Because if they have that reputation now, it must have also been true twenty-three hundred years ago.

Cheers.

[Sarkiss]

True. However money bonuses did not help much Baktria, Pahlava, and Averni. They are no more and not because of me.

Besides in my country armenians have a reputation as able businessmen so... In their case I find 35k a turn at the start for only having a crappy village quite realistic.

spasibo za kompliment
im rather impressed hearing of such smart AI battle behavior. do you use any formation add ons? sounds like you have a lot of fun. in my Carthaginian campaign the most you can get out of AI is an attempt to smash my center trough in a straight forward attack

[MiniMe]

nope, I'm not DV formations fan at all, they look a bit weird to me
As per western EB hemishere battles (celts, iberia, romans and carthadastim), where phalanx, horsearcherz, strong cavalry and massarcherz are not involved, infantry and skirmishers only... I've always found them lacking style and here is a great post of Thaatu observation of western tactics

The following illustration explains my default Aedui tactics:

[Dayve]

I think i've done it! Thanks to the tips from this thread, i'm on my way up as the Hai.

On the very first turn i disbanded the slingers, javelinmen, heavy cavalry and one unit of spearmen. I took everything i had except for my faction leader and took Phraaspa. When you disband all the units i mentioned and put the capital on very high tax, you only lose 300 minai a turn rather than the 2000+ you lose if you keep the whole army and go straight for the city west of the capital.

Anyhow, i captured Phraaspa with ease, thanks to the two units of archers which butchered the enemy behind their own walls before my spearpoints even saw action. As soon as i ended the turn after taking Phraaspa i was out of debt and able to retrain and build a puppet government, leave one unit of spears behind and leave. I then took my two units of archers, two units of spearmen and 4 generals to the city north of the capital. I failed to capture it twice, each time retraining and returning for another go. On the second attempt i wiped out both units of Gregorian medium infantry to the point of not even able to be considered a unit anymore. On the third time i used my 4 cavalry units, now with at least 1 silver chevron each, to act as a steamroller and literally just trampled over every unit into the city square and took the city. After the battle all 4 family members survived, despite losing 75% and more of their bodyguards.

I've been giving the grey death illusional assistance against Eleutheroi, Ptolemies, Koinon and Saka, and 50 minai and map information each turn. It's worked, i haven't seen a single army of grey death and i'm on around turn 15.

I now have a choice to make, and i'm unsure of what to do. I could continue to expand or i could build up the 3 cities i have... I was thinking of finding a nice juicy Eleutheroi city somewhere, hiring 1 strong mercenary unit and turning to raid tactics. Capture it, exterminate, raise everything raisable and use the funds to boost my cities with new builsindgs, then abandon it on very high taxes until it revolts back.

What would you do?

[Landwalker]

I now have a choice to make, and i'm unsure of what to do. I could continue to expand or i could build up the 3 cities i have... I was thinking of finding a nice juicy Eleutheroi city somewhere, hiring 1 strong mercenary unit and turning to raid tactics. Capture it, exterminate, raise everything raisable and use the funds to boost my cities with new builsindgs, then abandon it on very high taxes until it revolts back.

What would you do?

Absolutely go capture Kotais (on the Black Sea coast, just west of Armavir and Mksvharaskravahfskva or whatever it's called. You get a coastal settlement and one with the potential for building mines, and I believe you can recruit horse archers there as well. After that, I'd say go for the Pokr-Hoyk province and then for Trapezous.

After that, it could go either way--knock out Pontos and start working your way around Asia Minor, or ally with the Ptolemaioi and dive into the AS. Going after Pontos is appealing because they're small and, usually, not too tough. However, I'd recommend trying to get a Grand Alliance going against the AS, or at least forcing them into a two-front war with you and the Ptolemies. Pontos' late-game elite units are, frankly, not that tough, so you can afford to let them build up a while longer. However, I'd recommend putting the hurt on the Seleucids before they start popping out lots of Argyaspidai and the like. A strong late-game AS is, to me, a bigger threat than a late-game Pontos.

Cheers.

[dominique]

Hey you could get that resort town on the Black Sea just south of the Caucasus (Kartli? Egrisi province on the recruiter map)

It's an homeland province and you can train Scythian horse archers there. You could build a really nice mobile raider army with bodyguards and horse archers#. If a grey stack comes, it would get it in the teeth. Eventually, you would also get some georgian kick ass infantry. Plus, you have a port where you can trade with Pontus and the other Black Sea powers when they get there (Mak, Getai).

EDIT: Posted at the same time as watchman, sorry!

[Dayve]

I'll go for the two costal towns then. The one where i can trade with Pontos and the one where i can trade with Pahlava, or Baktria if they've conquered them.

When i have a mobile army i shall break my alliance with Seleukids and ally with the Ptolies!

[Fearless Samnite]

alright......my interest is peaked......i'll play hayasdan on vh and see what all this interesting challenge is about

look forward to it