Conquest of Alexander (Diety) // You’re the Demonstrably Greatest

Overview

some tips on how i got this achievementshould be current as of the patch 1.0.0.216 (Rise and Fall update)

Goal

Beat Scenario on Diety
Achieve 200 pts (5 pts per city) — defined
currently this based on the your score at the beginning of the final round
so in reality need 205 (last city -built or captured -doesnt get added to score properly)

Required
Capture all 28 cities (game ends when last city falls) == 140 pts
Have 12 additional cities (1 Home + 1 Free Settler ==> need to buy/build 10 more settlers) == 60 pts
score bug – need 13 additional cities => 11 more settlers to get to 200 before capture last city

NOTE: so far my best is Turn 27 for 205 points

UPDATE: 2/13/18 just a couple of tweaks

Cities

captured cities
• are considered ‘occupied’
• dont grow
• gold and production reduced by 50%
• toggle production/gold focus and minimize food
• latest patch w/ Rise and Fall changed the 3 Independent Cities to normal cities on capture
  mainly applies to Athens but also Marakanda and Patala

founded/settled cities

• manage citizens
• populate worker tiles (swap)
• fall patch bugged the encampments/barracks have to build seperately now
  Rise and Fall update corrected this

encampement training

• converts the production to gold
• good for founded/settled cities
• minimal for captured cities due to Occupied status
  (production and gold halved => 4 production == 1 gold)
• yields 2 General Points on complete (minimal)

NOTE: in my game for all captured cities

• didnt repair granary (unless necessary to prevent downsizing)
• repair/built encampments
• then repeated Encampment Training till end

Troops

generals — ended with > 5 (>4 + alex)
• alexander of course with his great passives (+15 Combat and +3 Move)
• added generals come in 2 flavors
  • +10 Combat and +1 Move
  • +5 Combat and +2 Move
• generals can teleport between cities
  • can use to get special troops (prev patch used this for galley)
  • also ported (extra) +2 move generals around for speeding up settler travel times
• watch for zone of control units and cities as they will sap all remaining movement pts
• if have enough pair them in your armies while buffs dont stack highest wins (ie will get +2 Move and +10 Combat)

troop comment

• dont forget about the Hetairoi +5 Combat when adjacent to a general
  adjacent means just that general on top of Hetairoi doesnt yield the +5 bonus
• General Points are only earned from kills by Hetairoi or Hypaspist
• cluster army to maximize General’s Movement bonus
• if get a straggler due to not in range of General leave them behind other than Hetairoi (they can usually catch up)

seige engines

• siege towers over battering rams
• only needed 2
  • started build for 1st early Rnd 2 in 1st founded city — completes around Rnd 10
    this is used for Halicarnassus and Egypt
  • 2nd Siege is bought from Susa or Ispahan pending on route taken
    used for Parsa and Cyra
    splits from South Army after Zranka to join North Army

naval

• ignored for most part
• can get free Galley from Halicarnassus
• not needed as AI isnt really aggressive and naval fights are an unnecessary distraction
  last update AI Navy slightly more aggessive and can actually take a city
  should just need 1 Archer on coast to manage this

free units i used

• 2 Hoplites from Athens (xp tapped when possible / weaken enemy so Hetairoi or Hypaspist can kill)
• possible free Archer from Babylon (pending on situation)
• 2 Immortals from Parsa (these could been replace by archers earlier in the game)
• 1 Varu from Patala (wasnt needed) just happened to be path i used for Alex

Money

bought units

• 1 siege engine (200 gp in Susa or Ispahan pending on route)
• 7 settlers –> 4000+ gp (pending on when bought vs built)
  • cost increases 60gp for each produced/bought settler starting at 160 gp
  • while can buy earlier (cheaper) and build later (more time) you also face travel time issues pending on where they are being built
  • pretty sure wont make enough money in game to buy all 11 (5060 gp)
• 2 Hetairoi (240 gp)
  • Tarsus (round 6)
  • Ray

Various Tips

• Important
  • AI is not aggressive
  • just focus on capturing cities
  • dont worry about stray enemy soldiers around the map
  • appears they were only drawn to troops so if no troops they went to nearest enemy city or sat idle
  • pay attention to the AI tendencies on troop targeting
    • some wounded enemies will kamikaze (need to be melee vs melee) vs running
    • if positioned correctly can save your actions (for heal/level up) while still thinning out the enemies
  • last update made enemy naval units slighty more aggressive
    now possible to loose a costal city to the ships
    should just need 1 Archer to protect them
• while it might seem great to save promotions for healing
  • dont be stingy about their usage
  • several tiles to pillage for healing (or gold)
  • river crossing (L2) for Hypaspist is very helpful early-mid (arbela) and late game
  • you really want to have those double attacks when fighting Patala/Marakanda/Egypt
• archers with few levels help quite a bit — good at assisting in clearing paths
• hoplites want these leveled up a bit to cut a path through the horses in Marakanda
  • get free xp where you can have hoplite/archer tag units even if Hetairoi/Hypaspist has guarentee kill (but still want the Hetairoi/Hypaspist to get the kill (for GP)
  • cities/encampments dont yield General Points so easy xp targets for these units
• Misc
  • can also remove Copper Resources for another 25 gp (like Halicarnassus)
  • if get Builder from Gordian on Turn 5
    • can repair Copper Mine on road on Turn 6
    • can Chop Woods on Coast on Turn 7 and Turn 8
      this would allow a Het to pillage Pasture on Turn 7 as well
  • if getting Archer from Babylon remember he’s active as soon as city is capture
    allowing for another Archer attack that same turn
  • may need to Delete a few builders to allow for Great General movement/transport

My Expedition

this is my usual path/route that i have had pretty good success with

Turn 1
• Capture Athens Encampment
• Attack Athens (2 Hits from Hets w/ Alex support)
• Attack and Position for Sparda Encampment Capture
• Alex ends NW of Athens

Turn 2

• Capture Sparda Encampment
• Advance and Attack Archers
  NOTE: usually a Horse on Road if both attack it should die on Counter
• Capture Athens
  NOTE: when capturing Athens if only troops by Athens is Alex (NW) and 1 Het (NE)
  then Hoplites will have a better spawn position and can end Turn in range of Alex outside Pella
• Alex ends SE of Pella

Turn 3

• Clear units if needed and promote
• want 2 Hits on Athens (Het and Hypa)
  Note: if skip promotions and give up pasture pillage can take Athens this turn
• Alex ends on Road (W of Athens Encampment)

Turn 4

• Clear troops as needed
  • want to pillage Pasture
  • want to get 1 Hit on Gordian Hypa usually close enough to Attack
• Capture Athens (2 Hops and maybe Archer should be enough)
  want Hoplite from Road to Capture otherwise may not be in range of Alex at end
• Alex ends 2 Steps E of Athens

Turn 5

• Capture Gordian
• clear road N of Tarsus
  position troops as needed next turn want to pillage the Copper Mines
• want 1 Hit from a Het on Tarsus and possibly archer hit as well
• Alex ends NE of Lake

Turn 6

• Pillage both Copper Mines
• Capture Tarsus
  NOTE: any Enemy units in Encampment when City is Captured get auto-killed
• Alex ends Hills (i think) NW of Encampment
• if got all the Pillages then should have enough $$ to buy Het in Tarsus

Turn 7-8

• Capture Thapsacus
• Pillage Pasture
• Pillage for Heals as needed
• Should have at least 1 Hypa at or close L2 for River Crossing Promotion

Turn 8-10

• Capture Arbela
• Pillage Pasture (W of Arbela)
• try to avoiding going to far South

NOTE: around here is where i think i probably deviate from most

Turn 9-11

• NOTE: at this point i’m pushing my entire Army East through Hag and skip Susa and maybe Babylon pending on Defense
• if Babylon lightly defended (<30) and have easy path to city
  • get Archer if can
  • cluster NE of City
  • try avoid going into Susa lands
  • set up for attack on Hag (clear/wound enemies as can)
• Capture Hagmatana
  • typically will take 2 rounds w/ 1 or 2 hits on 1st round then finish on 2nd
  • if move troops carefully then Hets who hit Hag on 1st round can hit Ray
  • if Ray lightly defended (Def <30) then 2 Hets with Alex can capture by themselves
• Pillage Copper Mines if possible (most likely not)
• try to avoiding going to far South
  tryin to minimize reactions from Susa (and Babylon if didnt take)

Turn 11-14

• Capture Ray
• push slower units to Road E of Ray and march on Shahr-I Qumis
• attack and move as needed
• Ray build Encampment and buy another Het
• should have 4 Hets – 3 of these are going to push South w/ Alex
• Capture Ispahan
• buy Siege Tower on capture

Turn 15+

• North Army
  • 2 Hypas (from start)
  • 2 Archers (from start)
  • 2 Hoplites (from Athens)
  • 2 Het (bought in Ray 1 from start)
  • Great General (prefer Alex or +2 Move General)
• South Army
  • 3 Hets 1 from Start – 1 built in Pella at beginning – 1 bought in Tarsus
  • 2 Immortals (after Parsa)
  • Seige Tower (bought in city closest to Parsa)
    not really needed after Parsa – but can technically reach Cyra in time
  • Alex (can move Alex to N army if have +2 Move GG after Zaranka or possibly sooner)
• East Army
  • 3 Hets – 2 built in Pella 1 built in Athens
  • Siege Tower – built in Alex1 (1st founded city)
  • Archer – built in Sparda
  • Great General

  North Army

  • just follows road to NE of map taking cities along the way
  • pillage/promote when can
  • focus on getting Het/Archers/Hypas to Double attack promotions
  • and Hops to at least +1 Move Promotion
  • path
    • Shahr-I Qumis
    • Tusa
    • Haraiva
      if timed right Seige Tower from South may be close enough to join this army
      on last play through Seige Tower never actually made it back to N. Army
    • Bakhtri
    • Marakanda (these can be reversed)
    • Cyra
      at this point shouldnt be too many enemy units left
      Siege Tower not required so just all out attack should break thru walls no problem
      specially since this is essentially the end of the North Army moves

  South Army

  • backtrack and take Susa (dont need all.. 2-3 Hets enough)
  • rest march East
  • path
    • Susa (i actually left a Het behind in Susa on last play)
    • Pura
    • Zranka
      if timed right Seige Tower w/ Alex may be close enough to join N. army
    • Patala
    • Taxila
    • Kabul

  East Army

  • path
    • Tyre
    • Gaza
    • Thebes
    • Memphis
      NOTE: skipped and captured on return to better timing for the Heal
    • Babylon

Other

Some Notes on builds and purchases

NOTE: may be able to build more settlers in Pella/Athens/Alex-1
and use +2 Move Generals to help them get to destinations
but in general think this is too slow from time of build to time of founding the city

• Pella – builds
  3 Hets
  2 Settler
  training
• Alex 1
  encampment
  Siege Tower
  training
• Athens
  repair
  Het
  training
• Sparda
  build Archer (chop trees to speed up)
  buy Settler (around Rnd 8)
• Tarsus
  buy Het
  build Settler (chop trees to speed up)
• Ray
  buy Het
• Ispahan or Susa
  buy Siege Tower