Tips for Getai?

[Dyabedes of Aphrodisias]

Does any one have any tips for playing the Getai on VH/M. I started a game a few days ago. It is now 254BC. I have 7 provinces in my mini-empire and an income of only about 9k. I am at war with Makedon - they were my allies then attacked me for no reason in Serdike - Who in turn are allies of the Seleucids, who already have about 35 provinces including Nikiai. The problem really is lack of cash to pay for an army large enough to take out the Macedonians. Any suggestions for army composition? It seems to me that slingers and falx-armed guys are the best cheap option available. The heavy phalanx and the various cavalry types seem to me a waste of time.

I can't talk from experience since I never had a Makedonian problem (I simply took out their whole empire in one fell swoop when they weren't looking, and now they're banished to Mytilene), but I can tell you that komatai epilektoi and drapanai are the best thing to do. The Komatai are lethal and all kinds of cheap (100 and something upkeep) and the drapanai are also very cheap while having some beastly lethality. The Costobocii axemen (yes, they are native units) are some of the best investments you'll make; they'll tear up cavalry and infantry alike, they aren't particularly suceptible to missiles because of their shield and are good in a great many roles (they'll hold off elites plenty long enough to bring some drapanai around back for the flank, and they also can trash cavalry pretty effectively). I've also found the Thracian spearmen to be a cost-effective and quite good unit; their numbers and stats easily justify what they might cost (240-something upkeep I think) and they can be found in basic regional MICs all over the place. Iosatae from Tylis are also quite valuable to you.

For the Maks, falxmen are more useful to you than all that armor is to Makedonians. Hold off phalangitai with axemen or Thracians and flank with drapanai.

Now I can afford two full stack standing armies with a ~12,000 mnai income, but I converted from expensive heavy phalanx to a more simply-based army. I always keep plenty of komatai on hand supplemented with drapanai and rhomphiaphoroi and a healthy backup of Costobocii and Bosphoran or Scythian archers and hoplitai from Kallatis. One of my armies has a couple units of thorakitai as well. Any useful mercenaries I find laying around I usually pick up also (Gaecorii, Tindanotae, Rhaetic axemen, etc.) to fill the extra slot or two.

For your predicament, komatai epilektoi and drapanai all the way. Again, the komatai are 100-something upkeep; very affordable and effective. I don't know your exact financial situation, but Costobocii axemen are definately a wise investment also.