Islamic expansion... 800 years before!

**Antioco III** · December 02, 2011, 07:26 AM

Hi everyone, i am playing as the seleucids and i'm somewhere near 240 BC. I destroyed Parthians and Armenians and now i'm dealing with Saka, Baktrians, and Egypt. But the faction that is pissing me off is the Arabs! They are incredibly powerful! They own all Arabia, and they are expanding in Mesopotamia menacing Seleukeia with powerful armies! I'm not proud of it, but i used the cheat "auto_win..." to limit the menace.
But... they seem unstoppable! Is it normal? I mean, in the game. Cause obviously in history things like that never happened... What can i do? The fact is that i refuse to use the same money and military force that i use against "major" factions, against this people...

**Antiokhos Euergetes** · December 02, 2011, 08:48 AM

They sound they a worthy foe to me, if they have grown in strength from such modest beginnings

**Entropy Judge** · December 02, 2011, 10:29 AM

Originally Posted by Antioco III

But the faction that is pissing me off is the Arabs! They are incredibly powerful!

Saba? Normally the only way they get a lot of territory is via the internecine AI wars between the Ptolemies and the Seleukids. Sometimes they get a few cities by revolt, but they typically just stall out.

What can i do? The fact is that i refuse to use the same money and military force that i use against "major" factions, against this people...

Aside from what you refuse to do? Well, if they're leading armies comparable to "major" factions and you refuse to use the same level of force against the Saba that you would against a "major" faction simply because they're not a "major" faction, you deserve to lose against them. However, to answer your question ...
Uh, use Pikes. And some Archers (Persian Archers should work). Maybe some cavalry (Light/Medium). Seriously, the Saba do not have powerful units at their beck and call. Their best infantry? Pantodapoi Phalangitai and Sabaen Nobles (the latter of which have more morale and slightly better Attack than Thureophoroi but aren't as well protected). They simply don't get any great Heavy Infantry, and almost everything they get has low Armour.

So stop playing on Very Hard Battles, or at least stop complaining about being stomped when you do.

**Antioco III** · December 02, 2011, 11:04 AM

Originally Posted by Entropy Judge

So stop playing on Very Hard Battles, or at least stop complaining about being stomped when you do.

I didn't say anything about the difficulty at which i am playing

. I am not complaing i can't beat them, i'm not a noob. I've been playing total war since i was drinking milk from my mom's breast. Hope you didn't mean to insult. Anyway, i'll try to focus more on them... In fact you are right, they dont have very skilled warriors. Its just i was surprised by their rise and i asked if it is a normal thing...
So thank you for your answer... but i just can't swallow your feeling about my battles difficulty, especially because i've never mentioned that thing...

**Entropy Judge** · December 02, 2011, 11:27 AM

Originally Posted by Antioco III

I've been playing total war since i was drinking milk from my mom's breast.

Assuming you started playing the moment you were taken home, that would put you at 11 years of age, given that the first TW game was released in 2000. You must be 13 years old to have an account.

**athanaric** · December 02, 2011, 01:05 PM

It should be possible to defeat AI Saba with relatively affordable cavalry armies (for example, Parthian HAs + Median Nobles + Lonchophoroi Hippeis). Theoretically, Saba has good anti-cavaly units, but the AI can't use them particularly well. This way, you'd get swift victories.

Originally Posted by Entropy Judge

Assuming you started playing the moment you were taken home, that would put you at 11 years of age, given that the first TW game was released in 2000. You must be 13 years old to have an account.

Or maybe he was weaned a little later

**Antiokhos Euergetes** · December 02, 2011, 01:07 PM

Originally Posted by athanaric

Or maybe he was weaned a little later

Thats a terrible image

**Stingray970** · December 02, 2011, 04:05 PM

Originally Posted by Entropy Judge

You must be 13 years old to have an account.

People follow that rule?

**Antioco III** · December 03, 2011, 07:15 AM

Originally Posted by Entropy Judge

Assuming you started playing the moment you were taken home, that would put you at 11 years of age, given that the first TW game was released in 2000. You must be 13 years old to have an account.

Oh come one! That was a joke! I don't think it is something such unbelievable the "saba rising". Things dont go always as planned. Sometimes something strange could happen.... I love total war series and i love this forum. I wrote few posts only because my english is not very good. And i have to say that i am very disappointed by your behaviour... I just cant explain myself why are you so aggressive...

**Sting the King** · December 02, 2011, 06:43 PM

Are you sure you are not talking about Ptolomei?

They are yellow...I find it hard to believe that Saba managed to do things you described. Their unit roster is not so hard to kill, as for instance some other Empires stacks could be though.

**athanaric** · December 03, 2011, 07:59 AM

Originally Posted by Sting the King

Are you sure you are not talking about Ptolomei?

They are yellow...I find it hard to believe that Saba managed to do things you described. Their unit roster is not so hard to kill, as for instance some other Empires stacks could be though.

Sabaeans sometimes go on a rampage. I've seen them take Babylon from AS or Ptolies once or twice. It's definitely possible, especially when they start recruiting levy phalanxes.

**Stingray970** · December 02, 2011, 07:58 PM

How about sharing a map, to be sure?

**Spike** · December 02, 2011, 11:15 PM

I suspect the "unstoppable sabyn army" that he got is actually spawned because he (or ptolemaioi AI) end up managing his southren cities, and of course, with good infrastructure, and then coupled with revolts, I bet the Sabyn got multiple stacks full of gold chevroned armies

of course, while gold chevroned apeleutheroi is easily killable by missiles, who can say if those who get gold chevrons is kind of Aitiophikoi Machairophoroi, Lo Hallamim Azzalim, and several arabian light infantries who actually quite good for killing phalanxes?

of course, there's possibilities that Ptolemaioi AI end up conquering Arab instead and now using arab unit spam

**caesar_37th** · December 03, 2011, 06:32 PM

I don't suppose Muhammad was born a few hundred years earlier? Frankly, I enjoy facing off against the Arab faction as it is basically a guaranteed win for most armies.

**Casual Tactician** · December 05, 2011, 06:24 PM

Originally Posted by caesar_37th

I don't suppose Muhammad was born a few hundred years earlier?

Hardly anyone else referred to the title, funny enough. @ Antioco III: As the Saba are pre-islamic, pagan Arabs the title could be changed to something like: 'Arab expansion!... 900 years too soon?'

Originally Posted by athanaric

Sabaeans sometimes go on a rampage. I've seen them take Babylon from AS or Ptolies once or twice. It's definitely possible, especially when they start recruiting levy phalanxes.

What I've seen happen sometimes, is that the Saba get a hold of Petra and Palmyra (and also Bostra and Damaskos; not sure if the names are correct) early in the game. That makes them quite powerful and let's them kick-ass the Ptolemaiois or Seleucids good deal. Though that doesn't happen that often in my experience.