The Ptolemaic Empire

2022-09-15 · Tarnholm

Hello, and welcome to the next developer diary. Today's diary is all about the Ptolemaic successor state.

The Ptolemaic Empire is in a unique position at the start of the game, with large possessions in Asia Minor, islands in the Aegean Sea, hunting colonies on the southwestern Red Sea coast, as well as its main possessions of Egypt and the southern parts of the Middle East. This large amalgamation of possessions results in a realm of many cultures and customs, but also in long and hard-to-defend borders. To make things worse, you face a rebellion! Magas of Cyrene, the half-brother of pharaoh Ptolemaios II, declared his province of Cyrenaica independent and plotted to usurp the Egyptian crown. This would have been a significant thorn in the side in and of itself, yet things got even worse when the usurper allied himself with the Seleucid King, Antiochos I Soter. Ptolemaios now faced attacks from both the west on the core of his realm, as well as from the mighty Seleucid Empire in the north. Thankfully, even rebels face rebellions, and while Magas was occupied with his own troubles at home, Ptolemaios concentrated his forces and defeated the Seleucid army, thus concluding the First Syrian War.

Antiochos gave up land in Asia Minor, and a number of Phoenician coastal cities in the Levant, something he will surely want to take back in future, and yet, the Cyrenaic rebellion under Magas rages on. A precarious start for sure, but one that comes with many rewards in terms of avenues of expansion, for instance, in the Aegean Sea. The Ptolemaic navy reigns supreme in the eastern Mediterranean sea, and from the Cyclades, where the Nesiotic League remains under their control, the Ptolemies have a strategic position to launch an invasion of Greece should the opportunity to interfere in mainland conflicts present itself. Do you have what it takes to reunite Alexander's empire under the banners of the Ptolemaic dynasty?

Nile Delta

Red Sea Coast Hunting Settlement

Cyprus

Middle East

Asia Minor

Aegean Sea Islands

Now let's switch over to the units!

Greek Peltasts:

Greek Archers:

Greek Slingers:

Machimoi Archers:

NeoCretan Archers:

Psiloi:

As with any successor state, the Ptolemaic armies got access to a wide range of missile units, both recruited from the Greek settlers as well as the native Egyptians.

Thureophoroi:

Thorakitai:

Therapeia Infantry:

Basilikon Agema:

Greek Hoplites:

Libyan Phalangites:

Machimoi Phalangites:

Kleruch Phalangites:

Machimoi Epilektoi:

Kleruch Agema:

Machimoi Swordsmen:

Machairophoroi:

Any Ptolemaic player will have plenty of infantry to choose from.

Early Bodyguard (Therapeia) Cavalry:

Prodromoi:

Xystophoroi:

Machairophoroi Cavalry:

Agema Cavalry:

Late General's Bodyguard (Late Therapeia Cavalry):

Heavy cavalry is just as vital as phalanxes in a successor army.

All our new units will come with new unit cards. Cohesive and of much higher quality than the old ones.

With that, we leave you for now. We hope you enjoyed seeing the extensive upgrade that 0.5 will bring to the Ptolemaic Kingdom. See you all very soon!

Extra pictures:

View of the Machimoi Archer in blender:

Some of the historical sources we're using Machimoi Swordsmen

Machairophoroi