Going on the offensive as Hayasdan

[Potatomade]

My method is to train archers almost exclusively. Caucasian archers are absolutely ridiculous, and if you're fighting a large enemy like the Seleukids, you'll get plenty of chevrons. Usually what I do is wipe out all of the Caucasus, then park a fullstack of archers at Karkathiokerta, and watch the enemy die. Getting gold chevrons without losing a single man? Priceless.

For sieging cities, always use your archers to shoot over the walls (if they're wooden). You can easily kill 70% of the enemy army that way, without even having to get through the gate first. Also, if you don't mind messing with the diplomacy A.I., you can always ceasefire the Seleukids every turn (I guess since they have so many enemies, the diplo A.I. is desperate to have friends). You can easily do that for thirty years if you have to.

[Tuuvi]

Thanks for the advice guys.

My method is to train archers almost exclusively. Caucasian archers are absolutely ridiculous, and if you're fighting a large enemy like the Seleukids, you'll get plenty of chevrons. Usually what I do is wipe out all of the Caucasus, then park a fullstack of archers at Karkathiokerta, and watch the enemy die. Getting gold chevrons without losing a single man? Priceless.

For sieging cities, always use your archers to shoot over the walls (if they're wooden). You can easily kill 70% of the enemy army that way, without even having to get through the gate first. Also, if you don't mind messing with the diplomacy A.I., you can always ceasefire the Seleukids every turn (I guess since they have so many enemies, the diplo A.I. is desperate to have friends). You can easily do that for thirty years if you have to.

Ha yea Caucasian archers are great. I think I might have Karkathiokerta already, I wonder if I should build stone walls or keep them wooden?

[Brave Brave Sir Robin]

Stone walls definitely. This gives your archers a major advantage. The only thing is that if the Seleucids get units onto the wall, you have to let them since your infantry is no good on walls.

I also find that sacking Seleucia gives you a major financial boost, one which can finance mines which will eventually support your armies.

[d'Arthez]

Definitely stone walls. Makes defending much easier, especially if you have a few units of Caucasian archers and Eastern slingers there. If you can back up the defence with a unit of cavalry to deal with the pesky siegers that may reach the walls you should be able to defend quite easily.

[Tuuvi]

Stone walls definitely. This gives your archers a major advantage. The only thing is that if the Seleucids get units onto the wall, you have to let them since your infantry is no good on walls.

I also find that sacking Seleucia gives you a major financial boost, one which can finance mines which will eventually support your armies.

Definitely stone walls. Makes defending much easier, especially if you have a few units of Caucasian archers and Eastern slingers there. If you can back up the defence with a unit of cavalry to deal with the pesky siegers that may reach the walls you should be able to defend quite easily.

Ok I will build stone walls then. Are scythian or eastern axemen any good on walls? Because I remember hearing that spear units are no good but I've been thinking that the axemen might be good since they aren't spearmen and because of the AP bonus.

[vollorix]

The "ap" bonus is actually only usefull against armoured units. Those axemen lack armour, and that means they´d suffer against any high attack/lethality unit. But those guys got javelins, lots of them, and with a bit experience, they should hold the walls if you are not heavily outnumbered. You are playing Hay - use Georgian swordmen, i´d say - those guys are quite tough, got decent, though not superb armour, good morale and couple of javelins too to pepper the enemies before they climb the ladders. But a sally is mostly preferable compared to defending the walls, imo ( with the right unit composition, of course ).

[Atraphoenix]

The only advice for my Persian bretheren (Parthia,Pontos,Hayasdan) is "Offense is best defense against AS Monster."
Once I tried to develop first attack later, it cost me a King and many good commanders whose only sin was my obligation to use them intensively as I lack units.
For Hai, you have the advantage of armenian mountains where AS phalanxes are useless if you like hill fights and a good ambusher.

[Potatomade]

Ok I will build stone walls then. Are scythian or eastern axemen any good on walls? Because I remember hearing that spear units are no good but I've been thinking that the axemen might be good since they aren't spearmen and because of the AP bonus.

Depending on the layout of the city, wooden walls (used with a FM) filled with archers can delay an army like crazy. Usually a fullstack of enemies will only build four or five battering rams, and if you position your archers appropriately, you can take out all battering rams (using the FM to slow them down, especially useful to get them to drop the ram to make it easier for your archers to target) with flaming arrows. If you can retrain your archers in the city, then you can basically stall the enemy army forever. They'll also keep sending fullstacks along the same route, meaning you could stall their entire offensive.

[vollorix]

Just "rally" before the charge - no harm will be done to your general. And don´t fight with "hypochondriac" FM´s in melee, pick young, healthy, and vigorous guys.