Can anyone reccomend a faction?

[Flying Pig]

OK, I've just finished a gloroius romani campaign and am looking for another faction to play as. Here are my ideas about what I'd like:

1) Preferably recognisably hellenic, although other cool factions will do

2) Really should have a potentally brilliant navy

3) MUST be tastefully dressed

and..4) MUST NOT be in a position needing to kick annouying men in Green from their lands!

I dn't want a really hard game, but not one as easy as Rome, either.

[Baktrion Agema]

Ptolomy or baktria if you dont mind spending a very very long time fitheing the AS, Carthage is good aswel. The Getai arn't hellenistic but theyre good fun.

[Atanamir]

Carthage!!!!!

[Flying Pig]

I'm going for Baktria as it says that Carthage are as easy as Rome. Thanks guys!

200th post!

[Jurdagat]

I can say Hayasdan is extremely fun if everything turns out well, I'm doing it on H campaign difficulty.
Early years are hectic to say the least.
They have no infantry that stands out, but get some awesome cataphracts to help out.
Also the reforms keep the game refresshing, and it felt great to finally make a decent persia influenced army when Persian Hoplites became available.

If you have a well balanced army, every battle can be interesting.
Unlike other factions who have a lot of strong infantry, and you can have that "I can go on forever before replenishing troops" feeling.

My empire stretches from Persepolis to Memphis, and Pontus has been left alone as a faithfull ally.

Even now in 170BC the campaign is interesting, as Bactria is winning against me around susa and persepolis.
Need to fear the "Hetairor Kataphraktoi"!
I was forced to send my army protecting the Caucasian mountains to assist, leaving the entire place undefended.
This is at a point when I'm getting the feeling that Pontus will break their alliance with me, but I currently gave them a nice tribute to keep them from the temptation.

I got a bit carried away.
However it doesen't seem to fit to your preferences that you listed, but I really hope you can give it a thought at least. :)

[Centurio Nixalsverdrus]

What do you mean with "men in green"?

[MerlinusCDXX]

Yes, which "men in green"? Because one of the cool Hellenic factions that fit your request wear green themselves (Epeirots). Though they will most likely have a bit of tension from the other "men in green".

[||Lz3||]

What do you mean with "men in green"?

he must be talking about aliens...

[Irishmafia2020]

Baktria is a great choice... I doubt that you will regret it. I have had a campaign with them that has simply been a fifty year state of emergency. Don't get me wrong - I win 80% of my battles, but winning alone is not enough. You have to really plan your campaign because that army you just sent to India is now 10 turns away from assisting against Saka or Parthia, or Selucia (the easiest of your foes). The lack of Naval influence in the campaign means that reinforcements are hard to come by, and that the economy is not superb either - so you can barely afford extra soldiers anyway. Hint - watch out for those Indian rebels. Conquering India seemed to solve all of my financial problems, and the area gave me a secure base that I thought I could leave unguarded. Unfortunately, the local rebels are spawned with elephants... which is to say that you are not as secure in India as you might think!

Another faction you might like is Macedonia. They have a great starting position, a solid Hellenic lineup, challenging VC, an extensive expansion area, and they are real players in the Mediterranean/Black sea basin. Which is to say, that they are similar to Rome, only with a more Hellenic feel. The Macedonian military is a juggernaut, and Greece makes a base that is equal to Italy in its wealth. The difference is that you start off in a life or death 3 way struggle with Epiros and KH that dominates your early campaign. Once you become a regional power, you still have to press your interests against Rome/Carthage in the west, and AS/Ptoly to the East. Macedonia is well positioned to provide its players with a very interesting campaign. To be honest however, I find Baktria to be the more rewarding of these two campaigns....

[johnhughthom]

What do you mean with "men in green"?

I assume he meant don't bother recommending Makedonia as he didn't want to have to face the Epirotes right from turn 1.

[Irishmafia2020]

Well.... since he just finished a Roman campaign I was assuming that the "Green Men" were the two gaulish factions...

[Maion Maroneios]

I would recommend Makedonia, though it will deffinately be difficult if you don't have any earlier experience with phalanx-based armies. Ptolemaioi would be a good choise, they're quite remote from the rest of the factions. That is, of course, if you exclude the Syrian Wars against the AS. I found mi campaign with them very interesting, btw...

[socal_infidel]

Concur with Irishmafia2020, Baktria is a great choice. I must have gotten really lucky in my Baktria campaign, as I did not go to war with AS for quite some time (even after taking their easternmost settlements using the spy/rebellion method). In the meantime, I had expanded into India. When they did go to war with my, I could afford some posh units. I quit the campaign once I realized it was all over but the crying. Never got the Demons of Death. Nor the chance to use my Indian units against anyone!

Maybe I'll return to them once my current Ptolemies campaign gets boring. But I'm roleplaying to a certain extent this one and am going the slow and easy route with it. In the middle of my Second Syrian War, how many more to go?

[Olaf The Great]

Saba, while they look bad on paper, are awesome, all of the southern arabian towns have mines, and their military is alot better than it seems.

And if you really want phalanxes, you'll get them(with a very nice skin) once you get seleucid towns.

[Atanamir]

Saba, while they look bad on paper, are awesome, all of the southern arabian towns have mines, and their military is alot better than it seems.

And if you really want phalanxes, you'll get them(with a very nice skin) once you get seleucid towns.

Saba also can get them in their homeland cities when they build regional baraks L3...

[Jaume]

Baktria is a great choice... I doubt that you will regret it. I have had a campaign with them that has simply been a fifty year state of emergency. Don't get me wrong - I win 80% of my battles, but winning alone is not enough. You have to really plan your campaign because that army you just sent to India is now 10 turns away from assisting against Saka or Parthia, or Selucia (the easiest of your foes). The lack of Naval influence in the campaign means that reinforcements are hard to come by, and that the economy is not superb either - so you can barely afford extra soldiers anyway. Hint - watch out for those Indian rebels. Conquering India seemed to solve all of my financial problems, and the area gave me a secure base that I thought I could leave unguarded. Unfortunately, the local rebels are spawned with elephants... which is to say that you are not as secure in India as you might think!

I have not played in "Hard Difficulty" Campaign still (and I suppose Sakas and Seleukeias give you some royal pain in the neck), but the most advisable thing playing with Bactria is to first conquer Indian territories - which means expand to the east instead to the west. I think things are easier in that way.

[Tyrfingr]

I'll cast my vote for either Getai or Pontos.

Getai - Falxmen will waste everything, literally! The Getai also have access to some really nice horse archers, making their campaigns even funnier.

Pontos - Easily one of the toughest factions to play, perhaps even THE toughest. It all comes down to many years you can stay allied to AS while building up huge armies of your own for later invasions of Anatolia. The big issue though, trying to build an army with constant debt...

[TruePraetorian]

I vote Baktria..it's interesting fighting battles with HA involved instead of 90% infantry..puts a twist on strategy.

[tapanojum]

I'll cast my vote for either Getai or Pontos.

Pontos - Easily one of the toughest factions to play, perhaps even THE toughest. It all comes down to many years you can stay allied to AS while building up huge armies of your own for later invasions of Anatolia. The big issue though, trying to build an army with constant debt...

]

I'd say Hayasdan is much more difficult than Pontus. With Pontus on VH/M, my first time around with them, I will easily able to hold off AS/Ptolemy in Antioch while conquering all of Greece.

With Hayasdan, (played 3 times), I always seem to go broke and end up in a stalemate with AS and Pontus without being able to expand.

[artaxerxes]

I'd recommend Ptolemies. Always seem to have a naval superiority over me, for some reason. And there are no men in green anywhere near them, at least to my knowledge. Apart from dresscode and the potential ease of their position, I think that's the one that fits your description the best.