Baktria - Basileion Hellenon Asias

[miotas]

Miotas,

I don't have my copy of EB or the Recruitment Viewer in front of me here at work, so I don't have all the data in front of me. But adding the Athanatoi Hippeis around 246BC is a major cheat, don't you think?????? That sally out of Baktra in 245BC was crazy...your Elite Cataphracts accounted for nearly 1800 of the 2344 total Seleukid casualties!! Unless I'm missing something in the historical part of the Baktrian simulation here, you're not playing on a level field.

I'm struggling through the early phases of my own Baktrian campaign (to be summarized in a separate thread, so as not to dilute your own excellent story), and I now see the value of trying to lay low in the first few decades and building up infrastructure in Baktra and Kophen. I got militarily greedy against the Saka and am now really paying the price...

That wasn't the Athanatoi Hippeis, as rich as I am right now I still doubt that I could afford 5 units of them, that was the generals bodyguards, Hetairoi Kataphraktoi, and they showed up by themselves, I'm not planning on using the Athanatoi Hippeis until I've subjugated India. Plus I had to add them before I started, as I don't think new units are savegame compatible, and as I don't have the knowledge to go fidling with reforms, I could have built them from the start if I'd had the money or the mic level.

But I'm roleplaying that after all those attempted nomad invasions they have decided to upgrade their bodyguards' armour, and if that goes well they will make a separate unit, once they have the money.

And the laying low method is still balancing on a thin wire, I almost lost it a few times, the retraining costs of all those nomad attacks almost crippled my economy, but i struggled through and it really paid off. For that reason I waited until I had played about 20 years before I started writing this to make sure I didn't lose it before I really got started.

[Centurio Nixalsverdrus]

Plus I had to add them before I started, as I don't think new units are savegame compatible, and as I don't have the knowledge to go fidling with reforms, I could have built them from the start if I'd had the money or the mic level.

Ah, and I was wondering how you added them as a recruitable unit. To my knowledge, adding a new unit to EDU is indeed not savegame compatible.

Nice AAR, btw.

[the man with no name]

I don't know how to do any of this add new units s*** and I agree that his roleplaying makes sence though.

[Tarkus]

That wasn't the Athanatoi Hippeis, as rich as I am right now I still doubt that I could afford 5 units of them, that was the generals bodyguards, Hetairoi Kataphraktoi, and they showed up by themselves, I'm not planning on using the Athanatoi Hippeis until I've subjugated India. Plus I had to add them before I started, as I don't think new units are savegame compatible, and as I don't have the knowledge to go fidling with reforms, I could have built them from the start if I'd had the money or the mic level.

You're right, fair enough...my mistake. I'm at 238BC in my Baktrian campaign and I still have the Somatophylakes Strategou -- how did you obtain the Hetairoi Kataphraktoi? Am I to assume this is because I haven't yet built up my MIC to a sufficient level?

And the laying low method is still balancing on a thin wire, I almost lost it a few times, the retraining costs of all those nomad attacks almost crippled my economy, but i struggled through and it really paid off. For that reason I waited until I had played about 20 years before I started writing this to make sure I didn't lose it before I really got started.

I'm about ready to give up...I recently lost Baktra to the Grey Death so, with the exception of Alexandreia Eschate, I have only small settlements (Kophen, Chach, Gava Haomavarga, Marakanda) that are not doing me much good. I guess I'll try to keep fighting until the bitter end...!

Keep up this very interesting AAR, Miotas!

[A Very Super Market]

March of Time. Its a little bit random, but whenever the Romans get a huge city in Italy that isn't Rome, you'll get your shiny new bodyguards.

[miotas]

You're right, fair enough...my mistake. I'm at 238BC in my Baktrian campaign and I still have the Somatophylakes Strategou -- how did you obtain the Hetairoi Kataphraktoi? Am I to assume this is because I haven't yet built up my MIC to a sufficient level?

They turn up with the march of time, which is the first roman reforms, and that happens when they get a huge city in italy that isn't roma, which in most games means that you get the reforms when capua upgrades to a huge city.

*edit* too slow, guess that's what i get for a long post *

I'm about ready to give up...I recently lost Baktra to the Grey Death so, with the exception of Alexandreia Eschate, I have only small settlements (Kophen, Chach, Gava Haomavarga, Marakanda) that are not doing me much good. I guess I'll try to keep fighting until the bitter end...!

Keep up this very interesting AAR, Miotas!

If you are capable of building a stone wall and some persian archers then you can basically create an impenetrable force field around you're city

Let them seige and then do a sally each turn, killing as many as you can with your archers from the walls, if you have all you're forces back within the walls you can exit the battle without losing it, you will get a message saying that the sally was successful and then you can click ok to exit the battle. And when you feel you can crush them with your horses you can sally properly.

and if all else fails then fight to the last man, making them pay a terrible price for every honest Baktrian's life those fiends take.

Seriously, it will be good for the combat experience, then come back as a fresh Basileus Baktries and teach those buggers a thing or three.

New update should arrive sometime tomorrow.

*edit

I don't know how to do any of this add new units s***

Neither did I but I followed instructions from bobbin in the unoffical modding sub-forum and now I have a vague idea, the thread was to do with these exact units funnily enough

[Tarkus]

Thanks for the March of Time info, AVSM and Miotas...shoulda remembered that. This is my first non-Roman campaign so I'm having to learn how to see the world from a different perspective!

And thanks again to you, Miotas, for the description of sallying tactics. I really f***ed up in my campaign by losing Baktra a few years ago so now it's going to take a long time to build up the remains of my empire to a point where I can make a serious bid to re-take the city, finally crush the Saka and keep the Pahlavans at bay...all while keeping my eye on Gandhara and neighboring rebel provinces. Wow...playing Baktria is hard but alot of fun!

Thanks again...looking forward to your update tomorrow.

[the man with no name]

Neither did I but I followed instructions from bobbin in the unoffical modding sub-forum and now I have a vague idea, the thread was to do with these exact units funnily enough

I personaly think it's cheating to create units that weren't historicly there in ancient times. It's not accurate, it's that simple. Good chapter though. I liked the picture of the phezatairoi or whatever charging. Funny seeing phalanxes charge.

[miotas]

Chapter 9

Eiar the third year of the 134th Olympiad. I was woken early this morning by my retainer, aparently I
had been crying out in my sleep again. All those faces keep coming back to me. The heads of 8000
young men, this is the price I exacted upon Taksashila, one for each life their soldiers took in the
battle.

It is good that I have risen early, there are many preparations to make. Today I begin the march
west to besiege the town of Kophen. That fool Patrokles sent secret messages to the Basileus of
Seleukeia, explaining that if a seleukid army could reach the gates of Kophen they would be open, in
exchange for a heafty reward no doubt. Luckily Baktrian honour was preserved by my half-brother
Antialkidas, who redeemed himself of a lifetime of foolishness by locking up Patrokles and defending
against the Seleukid army.

The account of the battle had come from Euthydemos, one of Antialkidas bodyguards, he had been
knocked senseless in the battle but his armour had saved him and he was able to recover and escape
before the enemy found him.

The town had no defenders who could hold the gates, so while the enemy advanced upon the gates



Antialkidas quickly rushed his bodyguard and some slingers out a side gate.



He charged down some of the enemy axemen



While the slingers fired into the enemies rear, simply trying to kill as many as possible before they
would ineveitably be cut down.



The enemy breached the walls



And they were soon flooding into the town



Antialkidas fought admirably, his armour and skill with his weapon deflected many a blow and brought
low dozens of enemies






But the bodies of many of his close friends and bodyguards littered the ground around him and soon
he too joined them



Euthydemos was soon knocked senseless but he dimly remembers that the sounds of battle continued
for many hours, despite the small number of bodyguards that still remained in the city.



No doubt, they wished to redeem themselves of the treachery of their old general, Patrokles.



But there was no way they could hope to win against so many.

After he had given his account of the battle Euthydemos told me that my wife, who had returned to
Baktria after I had left Kophen almost 3 years ago, had given birth to a baby girl, Patrokles had been
intercepting any messages directed to me. If I find him alive once I take back Kophen it will take him
weeks to die.