Epirus on Hard?

[SulleDodger]

Has anyone got any tips on how to get through as Epirus on Hard? I become good friends with Macedon and Arediei or whatever they're called so my northern border is completely safe, but then you more or less automatically fall at war with Sparta, Athens, Rome, Syracuse if not even more factions. I somehow managed to take Athens but the next turn Sparta ran me over and took both Athens and Larissa in one turn. Macedon has military access with me but their fight with Tylis forces them to stay up there so I'm on my own.

I really like the Greco-Illyrian style of Epirus so I'd be happy if anyone could come with any suggestions on how to do this?

And why the hell isn't there a diplomatic option to ask a greater faction to become their vassal? Would've made it all a lot easier.

[ABH2]

My first DeI grand campaign was as Epirus on hard. It turned out to be ridiculously easy after I conquered Sparta. That's really the key I found in the first few turns. The sooner you knock them off, the better chance you can avoid war with Athens. Macedon and Illyria both formed confederations with me for free (don't know if I just got lucky or what, I actually disabled this feature for most factions). Confederations were the key and why it was so ridiculously easy.

If you need to, I'd spend money on securing what nonaggression pacts that you can otherwise.

[TheOrangeProject]

My first DeI grand campaign was as Epirus on hard. It turned out to be ridiculously easy after I conquered Sparta. That's really the key I found in the first few turns. The sooner you knock them off, the better chance you can avoid war with Athens. Macedon and Illyria both formed confederations with me for free (don't know if I just got lucky or what, I actually disabled this feature for most factions). Confederations were the key and why it was so ridiculously easy.

If you need to, I'd spend money on securing what nonaggression pacts that you can otherwise.

This.

Try to take Sparta out first.
Heal up and go for Athen.

I did it several times without confederations, i had to try it a few times

[Matmannen]

I recommend you go for:
Sparta
(If at war) Rome+Syracuse
Macedon+Athens

I did this combination on hard/hard...

[Stonebonez]

... I'd be happy if anyone could come with any suggestions on how to do this?

The key to early Epirus is adopting a counter attacking strategy until you can take Athens. Turn 1; disband your elephants, move Pyrrhus into position close enough to Larissa to cover its approach and get reinforced by the garrison there. If his personal unit isn't cav in your DEI version, replace him with another general that's Molossian Agema cav and then recruit levy phalangites immediately. Merge the other force near Larissa with the main army and replace that now lone general with the general Telesphoros w/Molossian Agema cav. Move him into position between the main army and Larissa. Walk your spy behind the Athenian lines and then around into the Peloponnese to get intel on enemy positions, then deploy her back onto your province counter-spying. Take your small naval force just far enough north to make contact with the Ardiaei, then send them back south to Apollonia.

Turn 2; re-establish Pyrrhus in command of your main army with a bodyguard of Molossian Agema cav and recruit more phalangites, then redeploy the general Eusebius as royal shock cav as well and place him in between the main force and Larissa along with the other lone general. Now you'll have 3 units of excellent shock cav to support your army that's superior to anything the Athenians or Spartans can field. Move your 2 ship naval force just off the coast of Apollonia and set it to patrol stance. You may want to attach your spy to Pyrrhus at this time as Sparta will almost certainly try to sabotage your main army before coming north for battle. They will either try to bypass your forces entirely by trying to march north-west towards the seemingly unprotected Apollonia, or try a direct assault on one of your lone cavalry generals. Either way they lose.

Only 1 of their forces has enough movement points to march towards Apollonia, so if they commit to that strategy they'll have split their forces. Even so, they can't reach the settlement on that turn, so on your very next you'll take your main force with supporting cavalry generals and run them down from behind, then move back south-east after defeating them to deal with the second Spartan force. Otherwise, if they decide on assaulting your forces at Larissa with their combined force, you'll again have total force superiority from the garrison reinforcements and hand them a devastating loss. Do not kill your prisoners (Hellenes shouldn't do that to fellow Greeks anyway), as this will almost certainly get Athens to join the war against you early. Regroup near Larissa and continue recruiting.

Let the Spartans try and recover, pushing deep into the Peloponnese at this time to try for Sparta with your main army will almost certainly bring the Romans to your shores or leave your settlement at Larissa vulnerable to an Athenian DOW. In the meantime strengthen your treaties with Macedon and the Ardiaei, and get the Maks to break their defensive alliance with Sparta and disown Athens as a client. This will almost certainly bring a DOW from Athens who will foolishly come north to attack you. Defeat them and immediately push to capture Athens. You will now have more money in your treasury, send half your force north with one of your generals to protect Apollonia from potential Roman attack and continue recruiting. Sparta will not move north into Macedonia with you holding Athens, so they will waste themselves trying to retake it from you. After repelling them and recruiting yourself back to full strength, move to finish off Sparta.

Tip; after capturing Athens work on turning their spy. Do the same to Sparta's when you have them on their heels. Sparta & Hierapytna (Krete) will confederate (and pay for the privilege) if you give them the option after defeating their armies in the field with only the garrison protecting their settlements.