Well, I think it's time to do that again. Apart from Quinn's test campaigns thread, here you can post how are your normal campaigns progressing.
Seleucids H/H:
I have never played the Seleucids, being naturally predisposed against big empires, but I decided to give them a try.
House Rules:
Try to conquer without exterminating/enslaving as long as possible.(Managed to do Syria and Egypt)
Allow force diplomacy for obtaining map info and making peace with factions that have clearly lost their potential to harm me. The last turned out not to be useful on Hard, where the AI becomes aggressive to the point of suicide when a common border exists.
The year was 280 BC and the ruler of our glorious Empire was Antiochus I. The country has been at war for some time now and its defences were stretched thin. Antiochus knew he needed to reevaluate his goals and establish a clear plan to strengthen the kingdom. To the east trouble was brewing with the Parthians and the Bactrians were sure to try and make the most of a conflict. To the north, the Pontics and the Armenians were quiet for now, though this could change in the blink of an eye. An emissary was sent and secured an alliance with them, but how trustworthy were our neighbours remained yet to be seen. The rebels in Atropatene cast shadow on the glory of our kingdom just by their mere existence. The holding in Asia Minor were only loosely controlled and the Ptolemies seemed unwilling to make peace.
It was decided that the eastern satrapies and Asia Minor would have to fend for themselves for the time being. One army was formed and sent to Media with orders to reconquer the rebellious satrapy of Atropatene and guard against the Parthian threat. The rest of the available troops were divided into two armies with the objective of bringing the Syrian War to a fast and conclusive end. The Ptolemies were surprised by the speedy march and soon enough Sidon and Tyre fell.
Our armies ventured further south laying siege on the important cities of Dium and Jerusalem. A loyalist local force tried to relieve the siege at Dium, but was unsuccessful.
The Ptolemies, now recovered form the surprise attack, tried to repulse the mighty Seleucid armies and two battles within a day of each other ensued. We were rewarded with two splendid victories by our brave generals which should have rightly resulted in the end of the war.
The Nabateans were proving difficult to subdue and the Ptolemies obstinately refused to accept defeat.
Meanwhile, our leader had summoned his young grandson, who had just entered manhood:
Whereas Aristarchus was capable, but without desire for wars and conquests, the young Cleitos was much more like his grandfather - brash and self-confident, almost to the point of being arrogant, courageous and quick on his feet in a conflict, be it at court or on the battlefield. Antiochus' plan was to deceive the Egyptians by staying behind with most of his generals, evidently trying to cope with problems in the newly conquered territories. A part of the Seleucid force, which for all eyes looking was busy policing the new provinces was to gather itself under Cleitos' command and rapidly put Gaza under our control.
The plan worked perfectly and the promise which young Cleitos showed turned true. The governing city was taken by surprise and the Ptolemaic relieve force was too late. However, Cleitos new he had to resolve this issue quickly, since no reinforcements were coming soon and the natives might get undesirable thoughts in their head with an egyptian army in the vicinity. A decisive battle was joined later this month and the Seleucid young man proved himself master over the Ptolemaic generals.
With Gaza secured, the Syrian and Phoenican province were now unable for the egyptians to reach, save by fleet, which by the time was engaged in the Aegean. Local administrations were put into place and the army was replenished with fresh recruits form Damascus. Guidance form Antiochus was that Cleitos was to stay in Gaza and guard against possible counter-attack. Our future king obeyed for a while, giving the impression that all his forces were busy maintaining order. After a few seasons though, sensing an opportunity for a decisive strike into the Ptolemaic heart, he quickly gathered most of his troops and traveled under favorable winds to Alexandria herself. After a short siege in 276 BC the Pearl was stormed and won. The court was moved to Antiochia and the city became effectively the capital of the Kingdom. Aristarchus,the faction heir, had a map of the known world drawn in 275 BC.
Menawhile, one eastern satrapy had used our preoccupation in Syria to secede and another one was lost to the Parthians. A few of the holdings in Asia Minor had rebelled as well and were later by the galatians, a newly emerged tribe of barbarians. At least the Atropatenes were put down and now formed an integral part of our state.
In 274 our noble king passed away in his sleep.
The Pontics had treacherously stabbed us in the back, laying unsuccessful sieges on Eusebia on a few occasions. Soon after our monarch died, the Armenians turned on us as well. Apparently no men of honour existed among these people...
The world map was corrected with the available information in 270 BC:
By that time Aristarchus, proving a resourceful statesman had begun to develop selected provinces and had re-organized the standing army of the Seleucid Kingdom. There were now officialy three armies - 1st Antiochean under the command of Cleitos, being at this time busy in Egypt, 1st Median under Alexander with base in Epiphanea and 2nd Antiochean, tasked with the defence of the Taurus passes and Eusebia. It was under the command of Zeuxis, the younger brother of Cleitos. Like his father, he preferred to live peacfully, delighting in complicated philosophical discourses, however, the world would not let it be. Thrown unwilling in the frey, Zeuxis soon proved to be as resourceful as his big brother. His first major victory was against the Pontics, which by now made annual expeditions towards Eusebia.
(I forgot to take a shot of his starting traits and I don't have one of his current either but I'll make one and post it later)
By 268 BC, Armenia had recieved a few punitive expeditions from our side, but had continued being a threat to our Kingdom. In 268 a major battle was joined and Alexander managed to kill the Armenian king Rusa on the field.
Armenia was left in disarray and never recovered. Our maps by the end of 265 BC:
In Egypt, Cleitos had managed through a few very clever deceptive stratagems to mount surpirse attacks and secure first Memphis and later the whole of Upper Egypt. The Ptolemaic holdings in Africa were now restricted to the small province of Cyrene. Unfortunately, in the year 265 BC, the Bactrians and the Galatians, feeling that our forces were stretched thin decided to attack. We were now surrounded by enemies...
In 264, Zeuxis led a punitive raid against the Galatian capital. A battle was fought beneath the walls of the city which was to be told of even hundred years later:
(I think that's my best heroic one till now.)
By 260 BC, we had annexed the kingodm of Armenia and successfully repelled numerous attacks on our eastern satrapies of Media, Ambi (Upper Media) and Persis.
By 258 BC our control of Egypt was grown strong enough for Cleitos to pull back the 1st Antiochean and reinforce the defences in Cappadocia. He had an engagement along the border which rivaled the previous accomplishement of his brother.
It was in 255 BC that our maps were once again redrawn - the Macedonian kingdom had finally disintegrated, and after a short-lived peace with Pontus we had repulsed their second treacherous betrayal and ended its dynasty.
(I razed Pontics territories depraving them of the ability to build any kind of sophisticated troops, forced peace with them and the bastards attacked me yet again Ugh... Seeing as how Eusebia and Iconium were the major points of egagements I decided to add northern Cappadocia to my territories hoping that the enemy won't attack me there. I was right.)
By 255 BC our glorious King Cleitos had ruled the state for quite some time, following the the death of his father Aristarchus. His influence was felt in every corner of our territories, people being unified in the single spirit of an Empire. Roads were built, trade boomed, goods were produced by the finest craftsmen. In the east the young Borus had managed to quench the Parthian thirst for battle and had so far countered every move of the ever-growing Bactrian threat, not to mention repulsing a few Sarmatian raids. In the west Cleitos and Zeuxis had proved both excellent statesmen and had defended the Empire's borders with vigor and inspiration. The masses had taken to calling them "The Sun Brothers" for the light and warmth they gave to the people truly rivaled that of the sun.
Following the conquest of Cyprus, Cleitos had once again thwarted a Galatian attack on Eusebia and was travelling back through the Taurus passes to the capital Antiochia. The King was a man in the fullness of his powers, transforming the Kingdom into a glorious Empire with a steady hand.
It was in these time of prosperity that we recieved terrible news from the north:
A Galatian assassin, hidden in a diplomatic envoy, had managed to sneak into the camp and kill our King in the darkest hour of the night...It seemed the sun has set forever...
Zeuxis is said to naver have been the same after his brother's death. Though being so different, the two had loved each other more than life itself. After seven days, the younger brother emerged before his army and said the following:
"The sun has set. Every food tastes like ash, every wine is bitter than poison. But before Charon takes me I swear this - I shall not rest until every man, every woman, every child of these honourless barbarians is either burned, dead or dying. What destruction Achilles visited upon Troy I shall do tenfold. "
The soldiers then offered no cheers, no shouts, everyone just stood at the ready for march.
Meanwhile, Gyras, the late King's son, was governing the newly conquered Cyrene. Not showing too much desire for rule, he had a major falling out with his father three years before. He was not deemed suitable for a faction heir, nor he himslef had any desire to be one. For the time being, the successor was his uncle. Upon hearing the news however, the young man is reported to have withdrawn for a full day in the gardens of his new palace. On the next morrow, he saddled the fastest horse and upon arriving in his uncle's camp have said only this - "Give me his army." His wish fulfilled, nephew and uncle unleashed a terrible vengeance and soaked Asia Minor in blood.
(Sorry for the poetics guys, I was just so angry that my general was killed by an assassin. I had quite different plans for the brothers, taking special care with them, fighting every battle manually to develop them fast and best, paying attention to their traits...arrrgh....)
Having never showed any talent for generalship, the young man surpirsed everyone at the battle of Ancyra.
By 252 BC, the once mighty Galatians were reduced to the provinces of Mysia and Pergamon. Gyras had proven himself time and again and laid siege on Abydos. Upon news of the fall of Abydos, the people of Pergamon rebelled and overthrew their celtic masters, putting an end to this foul kingdom.
And so it happened that Gyras might have paid a terrible price for this glorious achievement for there he and his army contracted a deadly disease. The gods were merciful however and by the end of the year the newly appointed faction heir had recovered, which sadly could not be said for a large portion of his army.
As had become customary, the court cartographers had redrawn the world map in 250 BC.
This is all for now. I know it's more like an AAR, but I had never written one, nor will I continue on this with much more than a few updates.
Notes:
In 280 BC Antiochus is at most 44 years old, not 60.
Is there any particular reason why most of the Seleucid starting temples are of Dyonisus? Makes my generals acquire some bad habits.
The Hetairoi have lower stats than the xystophoroi. They do have the frighten nearby infantry, eagle inspire troops, bonus fighting cavalry attributes but their armor/def stats are lower, when it should be reversed - they were the elite xystophoroi after all, having access to better equipment. Is it so because of balancing reasons? They are quite good as it is, if you use em carefully.
The Macs took their sweet time conquering back Thessalonici, even though they captured Pela fast enough. They might need some kind of boost.
Atropatene might use a bigger garrison. A few other provinces as well. Or we'd just have to wait for the superfaction version of ExRm.
Cataphracts and Armenian/Parthian generals must be reviewed. Right now they have a ton of armour, which makes them nigh unstoppable regardless of the circumstances.
ExRm Campaign Status Reports 3.4
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Bravo Bravo Bravo 
You seem to have a talent for managing huge factions similar to Seleucid 
I could have never been able to multi that many tasks in managing at once.
Originally Posted by lelouchx99
Plus it really depends on the enemy's army composition. If you give me a specific example, I can tell you what I'd do with a hellenic army (given some flexibility in my composition of course)
Re: ExRm Campaign Status Reports 3.4
