Yep, no joke in the title this time, because I did actually mess up quite a bit. Read on, and you'll figure it out. It's kind of embarrassing.
My first move after loading up my save is to build up an army with my acceptable treasury. Sure enough, within a couple turns afterwards, my two little towns are overwhelmed by the upkeep cost of these new troops, putting me closer and closer to serious debt. I'm in the red only about -100 mnai per turn, but it still adds up.
After that, I send my spy into Taksashila, for reasons I really don't know. As I should've expected, he gets caught and killed. With that go my eyes and ears in the Indian city, and so I have no idea what's going on these next years over there, because I'm too poor to afford another spy.
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Yeah, that's what I've got out there. Two armies, blocking me from going anywhere but south, and going south would be a hugely costly detour, and there might be an army down there too. Now, those stacks might not look like much, but the one on the left, cutting me off from India, is full of multi-chevron elephants and Pattiyodha, the Indian equivalent of Thracian Rhomphs. I learned this when I nearly got into an unavoidable battle when I sent my army to attack Taksashila.
The army on the left prevents me from getting any higher level reinforcements like phalangites and cavalry(!!) without taking losses that can't be easily replaced.
I got a new family member who's come of age.
◊ He's S/U/V which is alright, so I'm hoping he turns out to be an okay guy and not a gas-guzzling vehicle.
When I'm at -1000 debt, I send out my army to enter India, since it seems that their army has left.
It hasn't.
I'm ambushed, surrounded on either side by Indian elephants and Jedi master Yoddha, and even though I outnumber them 2-1, I only get an average victory, losing far too many of my troops and, in fact, almost losing several family members. Yeah.
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However, with them out of the way, there's just one guy and his lame support troops sitting in Taksashila. I send my army to begin the siege.
In the meantime, I get TWO new family members, both coming of age, and in Baktra, which has a good school in it. The first is D/U/L◊ indeed, but the second is actually the exact opposite! I'm sure he'll make a great general once he's gone through a bit of schooling. "Agathokles Baktrios"
◊. Keep that name in mind.
And then? Five years after I said I'd begin my Indian conquest, Taksashila is mine!
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I'm quite proud of myself, oh yes. I just starved them all out and that was it.
Now, what time is it? HISTORICAL FIGURE TIME!! Oh yes, it's that wonderful part of the game where I randomly got a location-specific retinue member from history.
And he's joined up with AGATHOKLES BAKTRIOS so I'm sure it'll be even better. Sure, not as great as getting freakin' Aristotle in my Carthage campaign one time, but good nonetheless.
And WHAT? Yet another family member!
◊ Holy crap, and he's S/C/V too! This is just awesome now!
"Heliokles" is certainly easier to remember than that other guy's name. I'll have to check up on how he develops, in Baktra no less.
This is what I call a "baby boom" where, just like in real life, there's an exceptional number of new family members. However, this one is one of the best I've ever had, since not only are the new guys mostly part of the royal family, they're also in possession of great stats.
It's a more peaceful time now, and I make an alliance with the Sabeans.
◊ This will be useful in destroying the Seleucids. In most of my campaigns the Seleucid Empire has toppled to be replaced (usually) with a super tough Ptolemaoi Empire in the east, but it may be different this time, who knows.
Right now I'm building a Type I gov't in Taksashila, just to have at least one major foothold in the Indus region. The other two cities will be Type IV or III, depending on what I glean from the Recruitment Viewer. I'm also reinforcing my army that went through so much pain just a few years back, and I'm sending new and old troops back and forth. One of these groups, of two Persian Archers and two light Phalanxes, gets attacked by a large Indian army, including elephants, totaling 1:1, advantage slightly to them. Sighing, I click "auto-resolve" and just let my army die-
Wait, no, they totally win, and get a clear victory. Don't believe me? Check it.
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Yeah, so that's just a few kinds of awesome.
Well, it's been a few years now. Ten or so, in fact, since I said I would conquer India. And you know what? Opiana down there looks quite beautiful, doesn't it? If you haven't noticed, check out my treasury. That ain't a typo, folks. I fully rebuild my army and send them down to Opiana, where they fight one unit of a general's elephants, and win.
Twelve years since that day I made my decision of conquest, and nineteen years since the starting date, here I am.
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I hope you've been enjoying this liveblog as it's been chugging along. I hope I get more readers, but I guess that will come in time. Probably soon, in fact, as I'm really building up steam now. My conquest of India will finish probably quickly next entry, and then it's time for war against Seleukeia.
Until next time, this is Five_X, the true Basileus of Baktria!
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