Pleasant Start to Create a Bosporan Empire

Factions: Bosporans Summary: This guide aims to provide a few initial steps and tips to help you set up your Bosporan game. This faction brings together the best of the Scythian and Greek worlds, I hope this path makes your experience as rewarding as possible. Author: nerva6569

Overview

The Bosporan Kingdom is not a powerhouse, it never was in history, however, this realm gives you the option of bringing together the best of the Greek and Scythian worlds. Starting as a middle-sized realm, the Bosporan Kingdom's first turns might look challenging, but clever diplomacy and early aggression will build you a solid power base to fend off your nomadic neighbors and pick whatever path you choose to expand to.

I wrote this guide with the aim of creating a stable power base and strategy to turn the Bosporan Kingdom into the major player of the Black Sea (Pontos Euxinos).

Getting started

The Bosporan Kingdom starts as the wealthiest nation in its area, your control extends to both sides of the Strait of Kerch, three settlements on the east of the Crimean peninsula, and five on the Taman Peninsula. In your first turn, there is no rush to increase your military, there are significant garrisons in every settlement, your start couldn't be better.

As the army is already big enough, let's expand the realm's income by developing your nation. I'd suggest the following:

• Recruit a Diplomat in your capital.
• Build an open-field Pasturing in Hermonassa, it's great for early income.
• Build a Reedland Pasturing in Skopelos for easy cash and growth until reaching the size of a city. This town can grow to create quite a bit of cash in a few dozen turns if managed properly.
• I like to change the government in Gerousa and use it as an AoR recruiting station, but it is more of a roleplay thing for me, as in this settlement you can get Scythian high-level cavalry (Cataphracts and Noble Cavalry). If you agree, destroy the Basilike Arche building and build an Autonomia. Then build a wooden wall here, it is direly needed.
• Build Cisterns in Pantikapaion and Phanagoreia.
• You will control a few towns with the fruit and honey resource. I'd opt for the Iaptros (Healing) building tree, to get the most out of these resources and increase your population quickly in these towns.

Besides this, and during your entire playthrough, remember that your homelands house an abundance of grain provinces. Try to maximize your income by building Milling Districts and farming infrastructure where grain is present.

My first move involves rushing the Greek cousins of Chersonesus to the west. Proceed with amassing your army at Theodosia, and use your fleet to gather the eastern regiments faster. I like to place the Faction Heir (Spartokos) as the main general, his numerous bodyguard might come in handy in the wars to come. Phanagoreia is a very loyal town, there is no need to keep a garrison in it.

So why Chersonesus? Let's be honest, fighting horse archer armies with your current infantry-based army will turn into a frustrating amount of time chasing after horse archers with your infantry. Only in sieges will you not be annoyed to death by the escaping rascals. Also, Chersonesus' settlements will be a much faster way of developing your faction's economy, and the Large Town of Chersonesos itself can be quickly turned into one of your most profitable settlements. Meanwhile, nomad factions, on top of having annoying armies, will have sparsely populated settlements that will become a much bigger nuisance to defend in the future.

Load your army into the fleet and in two turns you will be able to reach the western coast of Crimea. You can skip over the rebel settlement of Lampas for the time being; make sure to click directly on your ships to use the navy's full movement points. A spy will come in handy to check which settlement is better to hit. Try to force a field battle with Chersonesos garrison by attacking an army outside the city. You will avoid fighting a large garrison army that will spawn in the siege's second turn. Remember to bring your fleet to a friendly port after declaring war. Chersonesus' army should be no match for your own, use your cavalry archers wisely to thin out the enemy troops.

Meanwhile, I'd recommend allying and establishing Trade Rights with the Siraces to secure a stable eastern front. Give them generous terms, but you may extract some funds from them for this treaty.

After conquering the western Crimean towns of Chersonesos and Kerkinitis, the options open up. You may choose to clean up your Crimean conquests by taking Lampas and then hitting the Royal Scythians at Skythike Palaiopolis. The Isthmus of Taphros (small path that connects the Crimean Península to the rest of the continent), guarded by a fort and a decent garrison of five regiments, can give you a lot of time to consolidate and develop your gains if you don't mind fighting a few defensive battles. It must be noted that while the towns of Karkine and Tanais remain in rebel control, no one should seriously come knocking on your door.

Since I'm not an enjoyer of chasing horse archers on a battlefield, I'd only recommend pushing north if you can match your nomadic neighbors on the cavalry front. Don't be afraid to renounce most of your infantry to defeat the Royal Scythians, Iazyges, Rhoxolani and Siraces. Just remember that establishing a secure northern border in the steppes is never easy, and you may have to keep pushing north and deal with the Royal Sarmatians and Aorsi as well.

If you want a more traditional run, by fighting mixed armies, use your navy and push west or southeast. At this stage, your economic base should be solid enough to hold your northern frontier and simultaneously conquer the coast of the Black Sea.

You could as well choose to play tall and be patient. By developing your settlements and reaching your last military reforms ( Bosporan Military Reform & Military Innovations from the Frontiers ), you'll get access to the heaviest infantry and cavalry options available in the known world, and your armies will be unstoppable.

Tips

• Your starting army is enough to consolidate your area of influence, so only recruit to fill up garrisons when and where required. Focus your resources on expanding your infrastructure and boosting growth.
• Take Chersonesos early: Your starting infantry-heavy army is poorly suited to fighting nomadic horse archers. Conquering Chersonesos gives you richer, easily defendable, and more developed settlements while removing a major source of frustration coming from your western flank.
• Use your navy to move armies quickly around Crimea and Lake Maeotis. Take advantage of your navy's better movement points to move armies quickly around Crimea and eventually north.
• Secure your frontiers through diplomacy. It can quickly become quite annoying to defend against all your nomadic neighbors.
• The Bosporan Kingdom controls a special mercenary center in its capital region of Kimmerikos Bosporos, use it wisely when the economy allows it. Remember that its recruitment pool is only accessible to you.
• The Bosporan Kingdom's recruitment roster is among the most elite in the world. In your first turn, you'll already have access to some of the best archers and horse archers in the known world. Developing your cities and securing the conditions to get the Bosporan Military Reform & Military Innovations from the Frontiers reforms will only increase your military's potential, matching Rome and the Celts in infantry quality, the Scythians in foot and horse archers and even the eastern realms in heavy cavalry potential.