Everything Parthia

[g0ra]

I'm attempting a Parthia campaign on VH/VH difficulty, yet to no avail. Im getting quickly crowded out by Egypt, The Seleucids and Pontus. I managed to take over most of Scythia and Armenia but the combined forces of the aforementioned factions are proving to be a handful. I'm managing to defend my borders but any expansion is nearly impossible due to limited funds and troops.

I may start again, whats the best way to avoid being bullied and ganged up against?

[empr guy]

horsearcher spam is the only thing i can do with parthia, which surprisingly works wonders against selucids in an open battle, since they can only spam malitia hoplites early on. I've never tried on Vh/Vh, but the hanging gardens should give you a nice money bonus...

[Lucarius]

i don't know if it is worth the risk but the Statue of Rhodes gives a +20% sea trade.

[Tidybeard]

Try a faction that doesn't go around sporting that awful pink. That should improve your Man-O-Meter and make Yellow-belly Egypt think twice about attacking you.

[g0ra]

Pink is (still) the new black.

Whats the best mothod of expansion? North through Scythia? West through Armenia and Pontus? Or do I take the fight straight to the Seleucids and Egypt down south?

[NotYetRegistered]

Armenia and Pontus are way more direct enemies in my opinion, after you have finished them you can start focusing on the Seleucids and Egypt.

[empr guy]

i'd say go through selucia and attack while also destroying armenia. The scythian lands are huge, but not much else. they give little money. also, dont go for the deserts in the south, they wiill also be a money hole. alternativly, you could capture pontus and armenia, and then sweep down form the north and hit from the east at the selucids, which would destroy them.


(dont go for the colosses of rhodes, parthia has no sea trade.)

[Hopit]

i'd say go through selucia and attack while also destroying armenia. The scythian lands are huge, but not much else. they give little money. also, dont go for the deserts in the south, they wiill also be a money hole. alternativly, you could capture pontus and armenia, and then sweep down form the north and hit from the east at the selucids, which would destroy them.


(dont go for the colosses of rhodes, parthia has no sea trade.)

once you have taken asia-minor, don't attack seleucids, but attack egypt, alexandria and that lower settlement, their main money and unit makers

[empr guy]

well by that time egypt might have replaced the selucids

[Genius of the Restoration]

Don't go north, Scythia is dirt poor and not really worth it. I'd focus on Armenia and Pontus first. Exterminate the settlements to gain some quick money to pay for more if you're running low. TSE and Egypt shouldn't be too hard with HA spam. Actually, the world shouldn't be too hard with HA spam after they're gone, just ignore Scythia. If you take all of Asia Minor the factions across the strait hardly ever invade by the sea and when they do it's usually only a couple of units, so that is fairly safe if you want to take that first and then focus on expanding your front south.

[Lucarius]

Don't go north, Scythia is dirt poor and not really worth it. I'd focus on Armenia and Pontus first. Exterminate the settlements to gain some quick money to pay for more if you're running low. TSE and Egypt shouldn't be too hard with HA spam. Actually, the world shouldn't be too hard with HA spam after they're gone, just ignore Scythia. If you take all of Asia Minor the factions across the strait hardly ever invade by the sea and when they do it's usually only a couple of units, so that is fairly safe if you want to take that first and then focus on expanding your front south.

We could not say it any better.

[g0ra]

Cheers guys. Whats the best way when assaulting cities with massive stacks of HA? Do I go straight for the kill or do I maintain a siege?

[HERO_331]

It depends on the garrison size and settlement defenses. Usually, you can get a ton of kills shooting at enemies inside the settlement with Horse Archers, largely because the AI is stupid and just runs laps in the city. It's tricky though, because Parthia is terrible at sieges until they can train cataphracts and elephants. So. I'd say this. If I were playing Parthia, I would use the horse archer spam (+other missile troops) to weaken the enemy, then rush in with Genearl's Bodyguard and Cataphracts (if you have them). I know the game starts you with two units of Cataphracts. It's tricky because Eastern Infantry is so epically terrible.

All IMO.

[empr guy]

for sieges your going to want them to attack you, since you would have to have infantry to break a hole, and unless you have those sap point things then your infantry will get destroyed, shortly before they open the gate, or shortly after...

so yea starving them out is the best option if you have the time.

[Genius of the Restoration]

Use archers in sieges. You should have enough arrows to ruin anything that comes anywhere near you.

Eastern Infantry can get the job done. Just take a good general along for the ride.

[g0ra]

Problem is I find myself attacking a lot of the time, unless I wait 6 turns for the settlement to run out of supplies - which sometimes I can't afford to do.