Is Pontos impossible? Success stories wanted.

**Zim** · 06-04-2009, 00:27

I definitely like to use a lot of the regional Galatian troops, hadn't really used the Celtic hoplites much after having some bad luck with them in an Epiros campaign...maybe I should give them another look.

I didn't even know I'd get some kind of Cataphract unit. Is it available further to the east of Asia Minor?

**MerlinusCDXX** · 06-04-2009, 00:31

Originally Posted by Zim

I definitely like to use a lot of the regional Galatian troops, hadn't really used the Celtic hoplites much after having some bad luck with them in an Epiros campaign...maybe I should give them another look.

I didn't even know I'd get some kind of Cataphract unit. Is it available further to the east of Asia Minor?

It's not a real Kataphract, but they do have frontal horse armor. They are available in Karkathiokerta and points east. They are about the equal of Hetairoi, a damn sight better than any of the other non-FM cav Pontos gets. And, yeah, the Celto-Hellenikoi look weak when you're playing Epeiros, 'cause the Epeirotes can come up with better infantry pretty easily, but as Pontos, they're a good alternative to Pontikoi Thorakitai, which just suck for some reason.

**Zim** · 06-04-2009, 01:38

Interesting, looking at one of the old Pontos AARs it looks like they can recruit some kind of heavy archer in Syria as well. I've been expanding the wrong direction.

I'm going to give the Celto-Hellenic Hoplitai another look, I always thought they had a neat concept.

Just started being able to recruit the Thorakitai, they're not so great? I've had good luck with the heavy Galatian spearmen despite hearing negative things about them here before, but as you mentioned Pontos does not have the number or level of elite infantry of some of the Hellenic factions in the area, so it may be making them look better.

**Cyclops** · 06-04-2009, 03:46

Originally Posted by Zim

Interesting, looking at one of the old Pontos AARs it looks like they can recruit some kind of heavy archer in Syria as well. I've been expanding the wrong direction.

I'm going to give the Celto-Hellenic Hoplitai another look, I always thought they had a neat concept.

Just started being able to recruit the Thorakitai, they're not so great? I've had good luck with the heavy Galatian spearmen despite hearing negative things about them here before, but as you mentioned Pontos does not have the number or level of elite infantry of some of the Hellenic factions in the area, so it may be making them look better.

Never used the Celto-Hellenes, just seem like an abomination but I must try them (once i conclude my current Casse-Mess).

Pontic Thorakitai did not overly impress me but the Galatian spears were satisfactory to my needs IIRC. Nothing wrong with a line up of classical hoplites either, or even basic phalangites, providing you can get them a few chevrons.

**Tanit** · 06-04-2009, 07:49

Celto-Hellenic hoplites are best used as reserve troops on the flanks of your phalanx to wrap around the enemy. The enemy will usually try to attck the units on the immediate flank of a phalanx and the celto-Hellenes have enough holding power to force them in towards the center where they get mowed down. My current Pontus campaign is at 245 BC and I own almost all of Anatolia and have forced peace with AS and Ptolies.

**MerlinusCDXX** · 06-04-2009, 08:14

Originally Posted by MerlinusCDXX

My Pontic armies consist mostly of regional Celts (Tindanotae), regional Hoplitai, Celto-Hellenic Hoplitai, and Thraikioi Prodromoi in the West/Asia Minor. In the east I use Pantodapoi Phalangitai and Khuveshavagan (Kataphraktoi-lite) for Archers, I stick with the Caucasians or use the cheap Persians in the East.

Originally Posted by Tanit

Celto-Hellenic hoplites are best used as reserve troops on the flanks of your phalanx to wrap around the enemy. The enemy will usually try to attck the units on the immediate flank of a phalanx and the celto-Hellenes have enough holding power to force them in towards the center where they get mowed down. My current Pontus campaign is at 245 BC and I own almost all of Anatolia and have forced peace with AS and Ptolies.

Yeah, I use the Celto-Hellenics the same way Tanit does, with the regular Hoplitai just on the inside of them, with a phalangitai or 2 in the center (I don't usually bother with the underpowered and overpriced elite phalanx-I just use the plain old levies). My right flank assault force is the Galatians (tindanotae and the Galatian spears), usually sent after generals or other scary cavalry (tindanotae get sent after other elites when they are done) My current Pontos Campaign H/M 172 BC has me in a border war with the Romani over N Italy and ready to take the 3 settlements on the N Black sea rim from the Sauromatae, the AS is a buffer state with the Ptolemaioi (allies), Hayasdan lost their homelands to Pahlava, but took some of the steppe, and I mounted a joint punitive expedition with the AS against the Ptolemaioi and gave the captured lands to the Saba (hey, we all gotta do our part to eradicate the yellow fever). Getai are gone, Maks have Crete, KH have Rhodes, and Epeiros is now just the Megale Hellas in Italy (they were kicked out by the Maks and make a great ally against Rome) , and I hope to the gods that Pahlava plays nice (they own all the former AS East of me, which is everything East of Seleukeia). If you go into Europe with Pontos, Tylis is a must have for the variety of great Celtic and Thraikioi regionals

**Zim** · 06-08-2009, 00:06

Gotten quite a bit further in the game (220s) and things are going well. I actually have started writing for an aar with Pontos, might start posting it in the next couple days...

Troop choices have been expanding considerably with higher regional MICs in my Anatolian provinces plus the Crimea. The Celtic hoplites have been great for defending the flanks of my phalangitai and the Klerouchoi (sp?) are just enough cheaper than Pontos' "elite" phalangites that I can base armies around them, when I'm not basing them around Galatian or other regionals. It's fun building armies around generals (phalangitai and greek regionals for Hellenic generals, Galatians for Galatian generals, etc.).

Built a horsearcher army in the Crimea to help conquer Epeiros but lost most of them in a forest battle where I mistakenly thought I could still win because I outnumbered them.

I never was great with HAs...

I have a heck of a time keeping my Skythian semi Cataphracts from dying in droves despite being careful with them, hopefully I have better luck with the proper Pontic Cataphract lites.

Thanks for all the help. This has been one of my best campaigns. It's fun playing a faction that doesn't have a lot of uber troops, and not being able to retrain many of my core units all over my empire has made logistics more challenging.

One last question, does Pontos get anything from the march of time? The official EB website shows a "late" bodyguard. Rome's been losing a lot of ground to Carthage, I'll have to help them if I need them to get a huge city...

I really like playing as Pontos