Epirus: Good or Bad?

[John-117]

The title says it all; Have you played as Epirus? What do you think of it? Share your opinions here.

I started as Epirus when i installed EB on my new computer, and personally I think it's pretty good. It starts out with expansion to Italy available, as well as Macedonia. You can also recruit Elephants, one of the best units when used right. They give me a special fear and power factor in field battles, and, early on, allow me to instantly assault wooden walls. I also like the Phalanxes that are available. They have good cavalry, and a variety of spear troops as well.

[eggthief]

Point being......?

[John-117]

what do you mean? you're supposed to post your opinions and stuff

[Titus Marcellus Scato]

Awesome. Perhaps the best and most flexible of the Western Hellenic factions. Great starting position - those elephants are just so powerful at the start of the campaign. Makedonia can be crushed easily before it has time to react, and after that the campaign becomes quite easy.

Only Bactria is better - but they are Eastern Hellenic and seldom reach Europa.

[Ludens]

Epeiros has only two points against it:
1) Thanks to your precious elephants, you run up a major debt very quickly.
2) Their elites are not quite as good or varied as those of other successors states, although more than serviceable.

They also start out at war with every body and their cousin, but provided you are willing to lose Taras this is easy to handle.

[John-117]

Epeiros has only two points against it:
1) Thanks to your precious elephants, you run up a major debt very quickly.
2) Their elites are not quite as good or varied as those of other successors states, although more than serviceable.

They also start out at war with every body and their cousin, but provided you are willing to lose Taras this is easy to handle.

i agree, thier elites may not be the best, but they are pretty good still.

actually, i got the romans to form an alliance with me, and gained the cit to the north of taras(dont remember the name)

[Antinous]

I really did not like Epirus after I took Pella, for I had to deal with the romans and then major makedonian armies.

[delra]

I like to recreate history when I play TW or EU games. Since Epirus has close to no history... it's very uncomfortable for me to play as them. I have the same problem with late Carthage.

But they still have cool leaders and units right from the beginning and on pure gaming level, they are a very solid faction.

[Xerrop]

I like to recreate history when I play TW or EU games. Since Epirus has close to no history... it's very uncomfortable for me to play as them. I have the same problem with late Carthage.

I have the same problems, as i also like to recreate history.

But in the beginning it´s not such a problem, the Epirotes have twice tried to conquer southern italy (Alexander I. in 334 and then Pyrrhos) and also tried to conquer macedonia and being the dominant state in Greece (under Pyrrhos and his son Alexander II.).

So I would not say they had close to no history

As player you can try to have success, where they failed --> by destroying Rome and Macedonia.

[Friedrich Barbarossa]

They have one great disadvantage in my opinion, you have to choose whether you concencrate on Taras or Makedonia...
Bur for now they are my favorite faction, they have very nice units.

[cux47]

I always disband the elephant in the first turn.

money is my best soldiers any way

[eggthief]

Elephant unit is useful for taking over Pella in the first turn though.

[Alkidas]

One of my favourite factions. The starting situation may look bad, but since the Ai is unbelievably dumb, it is possible to win on both fronts at the same time (with VH campaign).

[eggthief]

Depends on luck though, sometimes the Romans have trouble expanding during the start and sometimes they don't, holding Taras depends a lot on this. Just blitz Pella by using your elephants, conquer it, disband the elephants and then raze your way trough Greece. While going trough Greece, you have to make sure that you always have to defend on only one front.

[Antinous]

I had to give up Taras to take Pella, Demtrias, Athens, and Thermon in a blitz that lasted two years. When I got back to taking Taras all of italy was roman including the alps and parts of sicily. I found that leaving the romans alone isn't the best idea.

[delra]

You could always leave a bunch of phalanxes in Taras, position them on the plaza so they defend each other from all sides and hope that Romans can't crack such a nut...

[mikil100]

ONLY thing I dislike is their AOR doesn't leave much for a protracted campaign.

[pirates_say_arrgg]

You start out with a pretty good general too, Pyrrhus. If nobody has mentioned that yet....

[Antinous]

Even with Pyrrhus I still have had a lot of trouble with the romans and makedonians.

[John-117]

but that way you have more of a challenge. i'd much rather fight a few huge battles with large losses and wipe out an entire faction, then fight a bunch of small battles and only gaining territory