The Empire Strikes Back: Turn Eight (280-270 BC)

Situation in 280 BC

The revolt dice (6-4) see Mesopotamia, not for the first time, throw off Macedonian rule.

Andy's Parthians are drawn first, and he conquers Bactria with a 6.

Richard wants to avenge this defeat by attacking Armenia, but he does not have an adjacent province that is part of a chain of four provinces or is connected to the homeland, so instead he attacks 'Asia', but rolls 2.

I am next up. I could attack Cisalpina, but there is a -1 modifier for such attacks in the first 10 turns thanks to tribal ferment. I could cross the Strait of Sicily and attack AFRICA, but that would involve a naval crossing and an attack on a controlled province. However, attacking Graecia would also involve a naval crossing and an attack on a controlled province, and since the Macedonians are certainly not having things easy in the East, it comes down to Cisalpina or AFRICA, and I go for the slightly easier choice of Cisalpina, rolling the 5 needed.

Finally Carthage attacks Sicilia, but the naval crossing fails miserably when 1 is rolled.

Rome is expanding in the West, and the Parthians are resurgent in the East