Seleucid Campaign part 6

Part 6: Victory!

The push east was rolling on, but I began to demand more of each of my banners. Seleucid armies took to the field turn after turn to continue rolling back the armies of the east. Ambushes were common on both sides, and my Seleucid armies became adept at fighting ambush battles whether as the attacker or as the defender.

Drangiana and Sagartia turned on me as I was fighting Aria, cutting off two of my armies in enemy territory. No matter. Another huge battle fought left the combined armies of Aria and Sagartia dead or fleeing the field, while my depleted banners moved in to take towns and replenish their numbers.

I had moved far enough east now to encounter Parthia and Bactria. The Parthians were no great trouble, with few towns and a weak military. Bactria were something else. With wealthy territories, large armies, and a Hellenic culture, there were like a mirror of the Seleucids.

At the Bactrian borders the advance slowed, partly to replenish battle losses, and partly to divert a banner south to finish off Drangiana for good. Well, not quite for good, their forces became pirates in the Persian Gulf and were a raiding menace many turns after their last town had fallen again.

With the fall of Parthia, only Bactria remained. They were both the most difficult and the most convenient opponent. In Rome II when you take over the town of a culture different to your own, you have to convert the buildings (even the farms!) into something your own culture can use. This costs time and money. With the Bactrians and Selecucids sharing a Hellenic culture rather than the eastern culture of my other opponents, this wasn’t necessary. However it meant their armies were stronger in the field.

Towns fell and battles were won. By the war’s end I had eight banners operating in enemy territory, or acting as garrisons for newly won lands.

As the last Bactrian force was defeated and their lands became mine, I could feel my attention wandering. This is always a risk (at least for me) in grand campaigns like this. I tend to finish the game when I think it’s done, not when the campaign conditions are met. With the eastern lands subjugated I felt my time was done.