Next Faction (Poll)

[Ownager]

Tis a follow up of the previous thread. Which one do you like the most? I definitive answer please, with however much explanation you are willing to give. I can't make up my mind, so whatever you choose is what I'm going with, no questions asked. Please vote! I'll add some specifics though. I'm great at phalanxes, probably my best point. I can do okay with legions and stuff, but cavalry is my specialty. Horse archers, that is a problem. I don't have the patience to watch enemies die, and Pahlava has little role play in it for me. A special thanks to Entropy Judge for helping me with line infantry and formations.

[Ownager]

Thanks to one unnamed person for voting. Once I get twenty votes I will decide. Or actually, you will.

[Ownager]

And by the way, I wish to make an AAR about the faction you choose. (No pictures ) Christmas vacations have started so I'll be free for some time.

[Ownager]

So far, the voting is inconclusive. There is one for Saka, one for Sauromatae and one for Sweboz. Let the voting continue! Would you mind explaining why you chose these factions? It would help me decide if the voting is inconclusive.

[Ownager]

Voting still inconclusive. If this doesn't work, I'll just continue my abandoned Romani campaign. I'll leave this open till Friday.

[Ownager]

We've got a higher amount for Koinon Hellenon. However, I've heard horror stories of the grey death. If someone can't clarify my worries over successor armies as KH, I might as well forget that campaign.

[Stath's]

nothing to worry about

[Ownager]

What? I don't get it.

[Vlad-Tudor]

It's not that hard playing Koinon Helenon i think that is what he was meaning. You just have to get the 2 Mak islands early on, make Athenai defensible ( have the whole Peloponnese) you take Pergamon which gives you all your troops with the upgraded barracks and you are good to go and conquer Asia Minor. I had better results if I rushed to Asia Minor as you can get Pergamnon and Halicarnasus ( with a spy from w/e faction it has it previous). You can also get Cyprus with the big mines. Then move slow and easy and free Asia Minor and Greece. Of you go to the North of the Black sea and then you can get Magna Grecia. That's how I do it usually. And don't forget to balance the power between Seleucids and Ptollies. For one I like more the army of KH then the Succesor heavy phalanxes and their FM are quite ok. Poseidon temple spam. That is about it. Yeah, also use spies as most of Mediteranean cities will rebel to you because of some sort of great love for your faction.

[Ownager]

What about going west? Would that be more profitable?

[Dargaron]

Even though it's probably too late, I voted for Hayasdan.

Given the choices in the poll, you've already played the Seleukids. The Hai seem like a way to revisit the familiar domains of the Seleukids, but from a new perspective. You are now a client king who would be emperor, and would be in a position to cause damage to the Grey Death from the get-go. In addition, Hayasdan has the most involved series of reforms in this mod, besides perhaps the Romans.

Regarding troop choices: You have levy phalanxes, but most of your infantry will be either lightly-armored or have a small AoR (Persian Hoplites, Babylonian Spearmen, etc). That said, you'll have plenty of assault infantry, particularly if you give the Georgian and Armenian Medium Infantry better lethality (one of the common changes). But even if you don't you'll have plenty of hillmen armed with axes to flank and disembowel heavily-armored Seleukid troops. Your cavalry, of course, will be first rate, and you'll have cataphracts, medium+light cavalry and horse archers, both armored and unarmored.

Regarding roleplay: Simply put, you are the successor to the Achaemenid regime. The blood of Cyrus, who was Great even before Macedon was a petty principality, runs through the veins of the Arkah. The people of the mountains have resisted conquerer after conquerer, and are now ready for an empire of their own. Bide your time, strengthen your mountain fastnesses, and prepare for that glorious day when your descendent will sit upon his rightful throne in Persepolis, and the Greeks come to him in supplication, their arms left at the door of your mighty palace.

Sorry, I think I was channeling Foot there for a moment. Anyway, Hayasdan might be worth a try. It's very hard, but I trust that you're a better battle tactician than I am, and can carry the Hai to victory! (Darn, now I want to start a new Hai campaign, but I really want to actually finish at least a Seleukid campaign.)

EDIT: But regarding your KH question: going West might be a profitable venture militarily, even if it isn't financially, and it opens up a new front. The Koinon suffers from a severe lack of sword-armed assault infantry, but if you can conquer southern Italy, you will be able to hire large numbers of sword-wielding Italic infantry. The Samnites in particular might be worth shipping east to fight the Seleukids as a sort of "Italic Galatians," because they're armor-piercing, hardy, javelin-toting swordsmen. Unfortunately, unless you conquer all the way into Cisalpine Gaul, you will either have to fight never-ending stacks of Romans, or your frontier will only be able to recruit Roarii, Equites and Hastati, and you'll have to ship reinforcements from the southern part of Italy, which can take a couple turns.

[Ownager]

Wow. That was a perfect explanation that makes me want to drop my iPad and jump onto the computer. (But jumping on it doesn't turn it on for some reason) I seriously considered Hayasdan, but gave up because the guides for it are very controversial. Thanks for this immersive and thoughtful explanation. Merry Advanced Christmas as well, and have a happy Saturnalia.
EDIT: However, as my ADHD flared up at that moment, I wasn't thinking. I always wanted to play as a successor, and live up to Alexander's dream. I don't want to be the person who ruins his mighty empire.
EDIT OF PREVIOUS EDIT: Is there any role playing way out of there's? I didn't want to play as AS because I failed two campaigns on them before I even started, losing interest in both.

[Ownager]

Shhhhhh. Everyone on your best behavior. There's a moderator lurking around. What is the ultimate decision? Voting is still annoyingly in inclusive and the lack of follow up on Hayasdan has forced me to think twice. (Sorry Dargaron) plus I wrote three aar introductions, for today! For goodness sake, someone give me a camapign that I can stick to! Especially one with lots of Greek role playing.

[seleucid empire]

Try ptolemies VH/M with realistic movement speed. The realistic movement speed changes the Ptolemy campaign completely
you can still blitz Seleucid holdings but the game is so much more of a nightmare because 3 huge rebel stacks (from Meroe, kyrene and Petra) come and besiege your cities with higher quality troops. And Seleucids with realistic movement is scary as hell

[Pelican Man]

IMHO, Casse is one hell of a fun faction to play. You can get Caledonian Skirmishers, which are amazing, and can have an army of rabble but as long as you have chariots, they instill quite a large amount of fear. You don't get the best Cav. in the world, but man, you get a great economy and some cool traits with Ynes Wall. Your governors get some great traits too.

As for Generals, druidic traits are bar none. You can send in your best troops in the Van, and they heal up real nice and gain alot of chevrons if used correctly.

After you take all the islands, you get to pick where you want to go. You can go east into germania, south right into the European wars, or you can even venture to Spain and take the rich mines there. The world is your oyster with Casse.

Those are my two cents. ; )

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOYA

THE P-MAN

[TWWolfe]

I'm a fan of Pontus myself, simply because you'll end up having to base all your tactics and armies of local troops in asia minor.

[Ownager]

About these factions, I have always had my reservations.
I hate the Ptolemies historically, and in the game. Either they are destroying AS like they don't exist, or they are calling in Romans to do the dirty work. (Antiochos IV I think). I'm scared of Casse because their bodyguard units are chariots. I don't want my barbarian generals sitting around watching the battle, because I'm too scared to send them in. I can always manage successor armies, especially Baktrian ones. Barbarian ones are more difficult, but Pontos is the worst. You have Succesors mixed with Barbarian style troops, (javelin throwing melee specialists). That really puts me off my game. I feel like I have three options. Casse, Pahlava or Hayasdan. I don't like Pahlava because of the continuous wrecking of enemy armies that will happen with so many horse archers. I'm just scared of Hayasdan,because I don't know how to roleplay them, which is a big part of my game.

[Pelican Man]

I'm scared of Casse because their bodyguard units are chariots. I don't want my barbarian generals sitting around watching the battle, because I'm too scared to send them in.

Ownager, once you learn how to use the generals properly, you OWN the game. The best tactic for Chariot Generals is this:
1. Lock the lines of battle
2. Leave some Naked spearman for reserves so they inspire the center and both flanks just so they don't break.
3. Swing the general around and just nick each unit. There's a trick to this though.
3.1. Don't let the General engage. This always happens when one of your units hits an enemy, and then they decide to join in on the fun. To avoid this, you need to double click repetitively on the other end of the battle line. IF they do engage, then get them out and continue to go towards the end of the line. OTHERWISE you risk losing alot of units.
4. When sending the General, make sure you send with him one unit of Caledonian Skirmishers. AMAZING troops. I mean, AMAZING. They are great skirmishers, and can hold their own with almost any unit. This will happen when the enemy General has not engaged into the fray. Use the skirmishers to dwindle down the General in their #'s before your General engages, or pin the unit so that it does not get in the way of your general that will be threatening the back flank of the enemy.

IF the general is on horse, well, just send your general in against him. His unit will just DIE. haha Chariots DESTROY horse units. no competition there.

anyways, Three things are most important with Casse:
1. General Flanks the back of the enemy line (frightens and kills)
2. Caledonian Skirmishers either kill the general or pin him.
3. Naked Spearman inspire troops to hold the line but do not engage unless Necessary.

Once you gain Britain, the world is your oyster.

I would even argue that the general for Casse is by far the best General in the game if used correctly.

Anyways, ENJOY!

THE P-MAN

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOYA

[Ownager]

Wow. I didn't expect so many votes. Three more and I will reach the goal of 20. KH is still ahead though.

[Ownager]

I always found using chariots stupid. Why the hell would you charge into the enemy ranks from the front? I am a Successor army specialist, so this seems weird, opposed to using cavalry on the backs.