Hayasdan Reforms - Help Needed!

[Quicci]

Thanks a lot, the Homeland Token is there, and I can build all governments in Hayasdan now! I should start wearing glasses again

I haven't checked the building list for Armavir, and as the Homeland was "added", and it didn't "replace" the Alliances token, I thought I might have done something wrong...?!!
Now I have played ca 50 seasons with a harsh Home Rule for Caucasian Unification

Anyway, Caucasian units are great: basic Archers, Skirmishers and Spearmen outclass the Greek troops, and with a little help from the Royal Cavalry they have eliminated Sauromatae, and are kicking the Saka off the map :P

[Matinius Brutus]

Wait! You went North? Why? The provinces up there are useless in terms of money! Take the riches of the AS! As I found myself even a small but capable army for the Hay is extremely expensive! And all I have is 10 units of Kinsmen Cavalry, and 6 of Armored HAs, and of course basic units for garrison use and a few mercenary units also for garrison use. And I have gone east to Persis and Susa, own all of Asia Minor, without Amaseia, Nikaia, Pergamon, Ankyra and Sinope; Palestine and Phoenicia, Babylonia and Armenia itself! And I still cannot get an income past 3000 per turn!

[artavazd]

Thanks a lot, the Homeland Token is there, and I can build all governments in Hayasdan now! I should start wearing glasses again

I haven't checked the building list for Armavir, and as the Homeland was "added", and it didn't "replace" the Alliances token, I thought I might have done something wrong...?!!
Now I have played ca 50 seasons with a harsh Home Rule for Caucasian Unification

Anyway, Caucasian units are great: basic Archers, Skirmishers and Spearmen outclass the Greek troops, and with a little help from the Royal Cavalry they have eliminated Sauromatae, and are kicking the Saka off the map :P

So you decided to go east into the steppes? That is an intresting expansion. How do you deal with the poor economy of the steppes and how do you manage your armies with that sort of an economy?

[Hegix]

I'm kinda curious as well as to how you contain the AS aggression while focusing on the north. I've never seen them respect an alliance or a ceasefire.

[d'Arthez]

What I found is that if you take all the Eleutheroi lands that border AS in the Caucasus region, they suddenly become more apt to attack.

It is not hard to contain the AS. Use spies and watch towers in Hayasdan province, so you know when an army is on the move. Because the Caucasian cities are quite close together, you can often use the garrisons of multiple cities as a defence force against the Seleukids. The cost for the defence force is thus limited.

With the Hay economy, I'd suggest laying down, and improving the Hay economy first. Ports, ports, and mines. That is why Trapezous and Sinope can be attractive targets. Kabalaka is poor, but you still make a bit of money, once you have a coastal clearing in place. Mtskheta gives you trade income, while acting as a cover for Kotais + Armavir. Basically you are getting paid to have a part of your garrison stationed elsewhere. More or less free money.

I found that more extensive use of infantry shaves of a large portion of the bills. Caucasian Archers, Caucasian spearman are quite good at their jobs. CS can pin down virtually anything, long enough to get some FMs / Kinsmen in there for the charge and rout, but they need the cavalry / infantry support else they will be chewed out. CA have a good range, and a decent missile attack value, which at the cost is a steal.

Once the Caucasus is united, go south and take Arbela, Seleukeia, and Babylon with one army, and send the other army from Phraaspa --> Ekbatana --> Susa. Ekbatana is a rich city.

You need a bit of luck in Hay games. The AS needs to be distracted by other conflicts, you need a bit of luck, that not all your family members turn out to be lazy, disloyal bums, etc.. And heaven forbid that the AS and Ptollies sign an alliance the turn after you started hostilities with the AS ...

[Matinius Brutus]

You need a bit of luck in Hay games. The AS needs to be distracted by other conflicts, you need a bit of luck, that not all your family members turn out to be lazy, disloyal bums, etc.. And heaven forbid that the AS and Ptollies sign an alliance the turn after you started hostilities with the AS ...

Guess what I had to endure! Exactly an alliance between those two. However, I got a ceasefire with the AS and later they offered me alliance and now we are both kicking Ptolie asses. I was tempted a lot to use Force Diplomacy to get them into war, but since I decided that this would be my first cheat-free game- I didn't. And managed to survive. 10x to playing on M/M maybe, and the fact that Pontos are at war with the Maks, and therefore cannot turn their attention on me. And the Saba attack me, but they are no problem at all.

[Hegix]

...

Fighting a war and conquering AS is doable, I've had many successful (until ctd) Hay campaigns. What I was curious about was how he could have enough troops to contain the AS while expanding into the poor and far between steppe regions. I remember sending an army to take the Bosphorous after unifying the Caucasus, which almost lead to defeat for my burgeoning empire.

[Medical Toaster]

Hegix,

Have you had more trouble with Hayasdan CTD's than with other factions? I had just finished a Romani campaign that lasted until around 30BC with little to no problems but my recent Hayasdan campaign was cut short by 243BC with my armies just beginning the killing blow on the AS by taking modern day Iran and Iraq. Even getting that far was hard with lots of post battle CTD's. I started a new Getai campaign and now down into the 250's I have had no trouble again.

[Hegix]

Now that you mention it I seem to have more CTDs with Hayasdan than I had with both Roman and Pahlava. Though I started an AS in Carthage campaign that CTDed every other round (literally) so I could just be cursed :)