That's more than enough to assault Pergamum and Sardis.

I agree with bk_101. You should eliminate Greece quickly. Then after you take those 2 settlements ask for trade rights, as it well bring much wealth to you. I'm curious what difficulty are you on. Cause i remeber i started a campaign as Pontus on h/h and got p'wned by everyone

You might as well take Halicarnnassus and maybe Rhodes right away, they are pretty much freebies, generally speaking.

I agree with Mcbash, take all of asia minor and Rhodes as well, it has a wonder which helps and is easy to take. I'm almost done with my Pontus campaign and it's slow starting but picks up fast. Draft alot of mercenaries in the beginning to take the pressure off your already small cities (to let them expand) and build temples to Athena in all of them (you get pop increases) as you can change them later when your empire stretches over the known world.
At that point, I begin to ally and get trade rights back with Greece. If your are not a peace with Seluecia, consider it until you have enough money and troops to attack/defend against an extended war with them. I place a fort right above Antioch as a way to ensure Seluecia doesn't try and creep up on my by land. I'll post a screen shot of my map soon for you to see. I am playing on H/H.

Pontus is a very easy civ to play. You shouldn't have stopped and let the Greeks take Nicomedia. You can keep the place in line with a unit of peasants at the early stage of the game and just keep moving your whole army round Asia Minor until you control it all. At this point you start absolutely coining it in. Just build a shitload of pontic heavy cavalry and you're laughing. The Seleucids wont be a problem because they'll be too busy getting murdered by Egypt. Armenia is too poor to mount a serious campaign against you, and a few strategically placed forts can stop them anyway. You can sit back and develop then push out and conquer all the richest provinces in the game, which are right on your doorstep.

At the moment, Armenia, Parthia and Egypt are attacking Seleucia. Might be a nice time to exploit that and join in. Or perhaps I can go for The Greek Cities. I'm on Medium/Medium (Hard battles seemed too hard for me after some experience, and I usually like Medium on the campaign map).

[This message has been edited by Kaidonni (edited 04-21-2005 @ 04:48 PM).]

If you want to avoid a war right away - take Halicarnassus. There is a rebel army outside the town. Bribe them and wipe out the unit of Cretans inside. Do the same with Crete. Hire the mercs and on the way back take Rhodes. Then go for Pergamum and Nicomedia. Now make peace with the Greeks and get trade rights. Then take Sardis and if you could Tarsus. Try to make an alliance with Egypt for some time and take Armenia. Build ports and caravans and now you can take on the Egyptians.

I forgot about Crete. No matter which faction i am i automatically take it quickly. I even did this as the Scythians. You should ally with Egypt and take one or two seleucidian cities. It should really hurt them. Then after you tkae a seleucid city and secure asia minor move on to Armenia.

Well, I would move on Nicomedia and Pergamum. Then take Sardis, Halicarnassus, and Rhodes, and you get three wonders right there (the Colossus is infinitely helpful). Then I'd take Cilicia and move on to Byzantium. Controlling the Black Sea and Asia Minor can make you very rich. It's also not a bad idea to sail north and take Chersenesos.

Do not hit the Seleukids too badly - or soon you have the huge Egyptian armies at your door. You will want to build up and climb the tech ladder, before fighting them.

Do not hit the Seleukids too early too, as they have more money then you. In addition sometimes, very rarely, the Egyptians make peace with them and go after Numidia. Build up a bit first and then go after the big pray.

I attacked Seleucia 261BC, Winter. Managed to hire two Cretan Archer mercenaries, two Baeleric Slingers, Hoplites, etc...and also, at the start of 260BC, Summer, Egypt and Parthia signed a ceasefire with Seleucia...and I took Sardis.

http://img257.echo.cx/my.php?image=pontus23vp.jpg

[This message has been edited by Kaidonni (edited 04-22-2005 @ 04:47 AM).]

I have an update on the situation in my Pontus campaign. The Greek Cities have made moves to attack me, but I have crushed their armies. Phalanxes are of little use against me...and the Seleucid Empire has lost another region to my armies.

http://img34.echo.cx/my.php?image=pontus32os.jpg

My armies are draining my empire quite a bit, so conquering Pergamum and Nicomedia may be required...

^ you should. Then retrain your units, and build a few mroe. Then take Byzantium. you'll maul THrace easily.

You are dangerously close to the Egyptians. If the Greeks are weak take their cites and then Halicarnassus, Crete and Rhodes. Remember - you have lots of ports and the Colossus does wonders to sea trade. Prepare to fight the Egyptians round Tarsus soon - so stack phalanxes and Cretans there, plus a couple of chariots. They may also try to sneak to Mazaka, so at least 4-5 phalanxes there too. Then once you finish Asia Minor - you have to face the Egyptians - they are not going to leave you alone..

I reccomend blocking all the mountain passes by you and Egypt/Seleucid. And like previously said by Silenco build up Tarsus.

Well, I'm not waiting for Pergamum to surrender or for any further damage to take place. I'm about to assault the settlement. Thought to take it before Nicomedia because Pergamum has a Port. That means more wealth. Plus Sardis is near 2000 population, so that settlement will become important (I will be able to build a port there and other buildings). I'm also prepared to attack a Seleucid army that has bypassed Tarsus (they walked right past!). Asia Minor is playing right into my hands...I will take out The Greek Cities and then the Lycian Rebels. I will keep fighting Seleucia, though I hope Seleucia gets fed up and accepts a ceasefire.

I thought you were already assaulting those places. Time is important. Take those cities ASAP and start building up.

BTW - here is a little trick if you are still on the defensive, when they start bypassing Tarsus. Put an army in that narrow mountain pass above it. Keep defeating the armies coming at you (they cannot send two armies simultaneously at you, because of the narrow pass), retrain and replenish your army and your troops will have insane stats.

Thing is, I already have two Pontic Light Cavalry units right in my capital, Sinope, with a silver chevron (both units have full numbers, I think). This is down to attacking Brigands and retraining and attacking Brigands and retraining and so on.

I am not talking two units, but rather a full stack. With Armenia I got three gold chevron, gold armour, gold weapons Cataphract Archers. If it fits your strategy - try this out. You'll have fun assaulting the Egyptians afterwards, then retrain and trash the next army. Suddenly winning those battles is much easier. See for yourself.

I've decided to raid Antioch (I won't keep the settlement...I just have an 'appointment' with the Seleucid Empire's Faction Heir...(the Seleucid Empire keeps refusing ceasefires...I'm gonna give them a reason for one!). HOPEFULLY this'll teach them Seleucids...I'll make sure I make a mess of their settlement. If I had Onagers, I'd actually just burn their settlement and run away...which actually sounds interesting...

http://img100.echo.cx/my.php?image=pontus59yo.jpg

The raid is over...Antioch lies in ruins...the Seleucid Empire's Faction Heir is dead. Over 5000 Seleucid citizens killed as I decided what to do with my new settlement. Many hundreds of Seleucid soldiers dead. And what is more, their capital, now in ruins, has been demolished. All of the buildings they have built...the Odeon, the Temple, all of their military buildings, their Shipwright, their Forum/Agora, their Armourer...all demolished. The raid was successful. The Seleucid Empire thought there was no reason to end any wars...I just gave them one.

http://img100.echo.cx/my.php?image=pontus66yp.jpg

[This message has been edited by Kaidonni (edited 04-24-2005 @ 07:17 AM).]

Really, if everybody reported what they did in their campaign, the forum would be flooded.

in my campain as the julli, i own all your terriotory exept for Mazaka and pontus only has tree cities. Mazaka, Kotais, and Artaxarta

If I were you Id go for Thrace, youll utterly destroy them and get an income boost. However then you might be pulled into a war with Macedon. After defeating Thrace Id attack and take Greece and Macedonia because of the trade. Id also try making peace with the Selucids, if you dont do so and continue the war with Selucia as well as take their settlements you might get pulled into a war with Egypt

Greece. Richest area in the game, five big cities next to each other. One army defends them all. You get huge economy boost, while crippling the enemy, and you can train/retrain your best units right away. Work your way up from there - north or west and you rule.

playin as pomtus was too easy for me but the start was difficult
but once u take out selucid empire the rest are jus easy i took 2 roman factions and rome out in 6 turns and then the julii in a further 8 turns

pontus*

By now, 226BC to 224BC...The Greek Cities have been wiped out by me and Macedonia. I raided Antioch, but the Egyptians took it as I abandoned it, and a crisis broke out. I eventually raided it again...and gave it to the Seleucids as a gift. Eventually got a ceasefire with the Seleucid Empire. However, Egypt took Antioch...and has moved to attack me. Therefore, I have taken Antioch, and plan to fight the Egyptians further. On the other side of my empire, Macedonia has attacked me. I have moved fleets to combat them. At least two Quinquiremes in my fleets. My fleet of 7 to 9 Triremes continues to combat the Egyptians.

[This message has been edited by Kaidonni (edited 05-06-2005 @ 06:10 AM).]