Baktria -nigh impossible?

[Blackader]

I started a Baktria campaign, VH/N -and it is damn hot! Perhaps VH is a little bit too difficult with tiny factions like Baktria...
I remained loyal to Seleukids, their answer was: war! It's look like they haven't anything else to do except sieging Baktria. I was already threatened by Saka Rauka, but I rescued my capital, and even took Antiocheia Margiane, after heroïc battles. Then Phalava made peace with Seleukids... and attacked me. I can't fight against three powers (and seleukids have big armies), with no money, 3 poor cities, no trade, no population...Pahlava will probably take my capital, with their horse archers, and I will restart a campaign. Two questions: it's because of Vh level that everybody hate me? 2) any advices?

[athanaric]

Two questions: it's because of Vh level that everybody hate me?

Yes. Play on M/M if you want an enjoyable campaign. That said, Baktrian campaigns can turn out very differently. Mine were mostly a walk in the park since the Saka Rauka refused to attack me (and I routinely kick AS behind as any faction).

2) any advices?

There is some good advice to be had on the .org fora.
In a nutshell: don't expand north in early campaign, go for Kophen and Taksashila instead. You'll need a lot of spear throwers (preferrably Peltastai and Baktrian Hillmen) and patience for taking Taksashila.
Kophen (Kabul) has good mines and a good position too.
Prepare to hit the AS because they will betray you. Usually Pahlava stays loyal for a longer time.
Maintain a distance between Saka and you until you have some decent income and can recruit HAs and other cavalry. Build stone walls and man them with Persian Archers to deflect nomad sieges.

[Faramir D'Andunie]

When playing on VH difficulty expect everyone to attack you at some point. Sometimes small gifts of 100 mnai each turn to allies can help, but I am not too sure for that.

With Baktria the first 15-30 turns need to be slow. Don't stay loyal to AS, they don't have much to offer to you. I usually take Kophen, disband what is too expensive and wait out till I can afford to build a mine there. Can take a while, especially if I find myself in debt. Once you have some cash running, build a stone wall in Baktra and consider your next target of expansion. Either towards India or the AS cities south of your position. I usually move towards AS cities myself and their nearby rebels ( Aria, Drangiane, Arachosia)

Also make sure to sent a diplomat and get a ceasefire with Ptolemaioi (can't remember if you start at war with anyone else). And make sure that it comes with a gift of some 3000-6000 mnai with it.

If you can I suggest conquering cities to your north, burning most their buldings for cash and gifting them to Pahlava, will help a lot if you can make the Saka and Pahlava fight each other instead of you.

Unit wise I would suggest to go for the regional barracks first. Baktrian hillmen,persian archer/spearmen and some slingers are extremely usefull and cheap. Some pantontapoi phalangitai can hold the line, no need to bother for Pezhetairoi or Klerouchoi till you can afford them.

[athanaric]

Unit wise I would suggest to go for the regional barracks first. Baktrian hillmen,persian archer/spearmen and some slingers are extremely usefull and cheap.

And Dahae Riders.
All you need for any of the aforementioned units is a level 2 regional barracks in Baktra.

[A_Dane]

pahvala making peace with AS is gonna happen no matter what difficulty you play on.
So far i've not had 2 nations that both border me, fight a war. Usually they make peace the second i get a border to both of them.. (happened in my Armenia campaign on H/M, as soon as i got a border to the ptollies, they made peace with the AS and attacked me, Pontos was likewise kicking AS ass, then i took Trebizond and Ani-kamah, suddenly they make peace, and Pontos headed towards greece).

It can still be fun to play on hard though, but i don't play on VH unless i'm playing Romani or someone who isn't surrounded by everyone.

[Blackader]

Thanks for the reply. I will give a try and report. With Rome or Carthage I found VH ok, but...there is a clear diffrence between those superpower and poor Baktria.

[Kylan271]

Diplomacy on VH(campaign) is broken(a reported problem),so the AI does not do the whole ally,enemy thing etc correctly,so try H,and on VH campaign you get less money! Battle setting is for combat,so ok if you want to die quick on VH,just watch campaign settings as =AI and money altering.

There is some discussion on AI line of sight and movement-pathfinding,if you have a capital in LOS they will usually head for that first as target,so try moving your capital away from factions to delay attacks and war. Also try altering province taking as the AI has faction victory settings so will try to take provinces on its list,confuse the AI and take provinces in different areas as it will force different factions to respond to each other. I did it and the campaign altered dramatically,the goal is to bide time until you have enough money to survive!