Dealing with Parthia

[Total Roach]

So the vast Empire of Parthia has finally collided with the Greek Cities, how am I to defeat these guys, it looks harder than the Mongols or Timurids were in M2TW

[Hopit]

use mercenaries, light cavalry, heavy cavalry, auxiliary units

[Fouch]

Hopit hit it exactly. Use cavalry. If you bring infantry they'll just get peppered with arrows while futilely chasing around their missile cavalry. Large groups of cavalry are the best way to counter them and make for much more interesting battles.

[Lobo Solitario]

The AoR Syrian archers (Antioch and east coast of the Med) and Median cavalry (Media) may help some if you have these provinces under your control.

[Scutarii]

Spam Medians, bring lots of Militia Cav, and some heavy cav to deal with Cata's. Get some Scythia AOR settlements and spam Scythia HA's and jav cav, and spam Syrians. Have some infantry in each stack, but it should be mostly cav and archers.

[Total Roach]

Where do I find Medians? I only control from Kotais straight down to Selucia, but not Palmyra, the Persians have that along with the rest of Asia, I have access to those Scythian units but it will take be a bit to get them as I have not got the required barracks.

I think I am actually going to run out of time, it's 140BC, I still need Cyrene, Massila and the other Indie Greek city in Spain and all of the provinces in Sicily and Italy. I haven't attacked Rome yet as it is the only decent trading partner I have left and if I take any settlement next to Roman territory they will attack me, with the enemy now on every land border my cash supply is becoming tight with the amount of troops I have to keep, so I must think about reducing my borders with hostiles before looking at victory conditions.

Oh, and by the way Parthian Companions=nasty

[Zarax]

Load up cretans, rhodians and syrians to counterfire their HA, if you use RTW or ALX bring thorakitai to guard them, otherwise hoplites in shield wall can withstand most charges from the heavies.

If you're short on cash thureophoroi are decent arrow sponges as long as they face missiles from the front...

[LucretiusTC]

I agree with Zarax´s tactics. A square formation against Parthians and Scythians work quite well. Here is an older thread how to fight against those Horse Archers armies: http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showt...=185681&page=2

A basic composition of the Greek army: http://img389.imageshack.us/img389/4...ythianswj9.jpg or

http://img389.imageshack.us/img389/5...ythianscc6.jpg

In the bridge battle a couple of Onagers can do pretty nasty damage, and maybe a couple of Heavy Cavalry units for chasing the last routing enemies. But the basic idea is to use Hoplites and Thorakitai to protect the Archers (especially Cretans and Syrians) and Rhodian Slingers against the enemy´s cavalry.

Luc.

[Lobo Solitario]

If your objectives are in the West and time is running low, perhaps it would be wiser to just find some good rivers and garrison the bridges to hold back the pink tide while you push on in the West? You can also send spies, assassins and diplomats into the Parthian lands to distract them with rebellions. For additional effect, try and ensure that you have a full trade blockade against them - make sure they aren't trading by sea in the south, and that no land trade routes connect them to any other surviving factions.

If you're playing with AI bonuses on, perhaps a suicide attack on their capital to take out their monument would be in order as well.

[CaesarVincens]

Eastern Cavalry also work quite well. The combined punch of javelins and weight destroys most enemy units.

[Total Roach]

Thanks for the advice all, so I have used what I had to hand in infantry so I only had to recruit cavalry, this stack will be used as a kind of fire brigade much like the Germans used on the Eastern Front in the latter stages of WW2 while my existing armies will then push forward, I hope to capture and narrow my front in a line from the Caspian Sea to the Persian Gulf, that should be more manageable and will also eliminate Pontus which is annoying me but not in position to attack yet. Memphis is producing a navy to blockade the Partian ports and my espionage ring of 20 spies and assassins is ready to cause havoc.

My Fire Brigade stack is:

6 Cretan Archers
5 Thorakitai
8 Cappodocian Lancers
1 General

All gold armour and weapons, hope it works

[Lobo Solitario]

Remember the diplomats as well - Parthia is eastern civilised, so a dozen western civilised diplomats in one of their regions will result in massive unrest in a few turns when the population converts.

[Total Roach]

had forgotten about that, cheers

[Scutarii]

Medians are in Ecbatana, btw.

Also, if you're only in 140 BC, you're not even half way to the end game, which happens at 14 AD.

[Total Roach]

Well, I'm making progress at last, that Cavalry heavy army helped a lot, and a few excursions into the countryside against approaching enemy stacks with nearby by garrisons have helped. The Parthian's seem a bit stunned after the relentless attacks on them, I think I have hurt them bad as I no longer see any units with silver chevrons. I am hoping to take Susa and therefore cut off the Parthian towns the remainder of Arabia. Have made a good start on this by taking Palmyra, Patra and that one in between, then I will clean out the rest of them from the Peninsula and can then progress to shortening my border from Susa up to the Caspian then maybe I can think about Rome. Rome is a concern however as not so many years ago the Iberian Empire was big enough to rival Scythia, Parthia and GCS with all of Spain and most of western Europe, a short time ago I go a message saying they had been destroyed, however I have long been prepared to repel a Roman advance and I have Thrace and Scythia as buffers.

I do hope I don't run out of time as I am really enjoying this, can I continue when it reaches 14AD? I have never got to the end before.

[Scutarii]

You can continue. Trust me, you won't run out of time. Because you can't.

Sounds great though. Good luck against Rome. Post some pics if you like.

[GoldShield Guard]

How is it possible for the Romans not to attack you until now? 140 years later? I would like to see a screenshot of your game map!

By the way, is it possible to play as Parthian? Or is this faction strictly unplayable?

[LucretiusTC]

By the way, is it possible to play as Parthian? Or is this faction strictly unplayable?

Both Parthia and Scythia are playable Factions in the provincial campaigns and then their unit size is slightly smaller for a human player (50 Horse Archers instead of 70). In the imperial campaign those Horse Archers Factions are non-playable AI Factions and they also have some limits in recruitment zone in the latest XGM versions, but their unit size is still bigger (70 instead of 50).

Luc.

[Hopit]

Both Parthia and Scythia are playable Factions in the provincial campaigns and then their unit size is slightly smaller for a human player (50 Horse Archers instead of 70). In the imperial campaign those Horse Archers Factions are non-playable AI Factions and they also have some limits in recruitment zone in the latest XGM versions, but their unit size is still bigger (70 instead of 50).

Luc.

you mean that ai have 35 units and human player 25...

[silentsam74]

you mean that ai have 35 units and human player 25...

Yeah, same thing. Just different unit sizes, but its always proportional.

Nice Empire, TR! I have never played a campaign where the Parthians were so healthy.