Sparta: What is the plan?

[Southern Hunter]

Does anybody have a winning start strategy for Sparta? They seem super awkward, especially as you can't get any troops early that have siege factors...as soon as you see a wall, just leave.

[13obo]

Get a mercenary centre and get mercenary in infantry.

[Blathergut]

I did really well with them: top of legacy and CDR by about 150 turns.

I nabbed the nearby regions and formed a first province. Yes, Athens was impossible to take. I left it and I think it was Antigonus who took it and then I took it from him eventually. I tried to just build up for quite a while after that. Eventually my next goal was Crete for the archers. I never went west or into Asia. Just a slow build and then started taking chunks of the north.

The beginning was tough though, but the Spartans can take a beating in battle and then recover.

[Southern Hunter]

Get a mercenary centre and get mercenary in infantry.

I have a mercenary centre in Greece but I still can only recruit Spartans, not mercenaries. Do you see something else?

[Pocus]

"Imperial" Sparta (CL3) should have mercs in its national pool of units. But no merc center. It means that if you capture a center and are CL3, you can recruit them.

[eddieballgame]

First, if my screen shots look a bit odd, I enhanced the fonts a little.
Sorry 'devs', did not want to show off this gem in a bad light.

Here is a play through I am involved with at the moment. ( Balanced )
Not far along (112) & am in numerous wars, courtesy of Rome.
He is "My Protector".
My main Rival has been Macedonia ( they declared war on me & shortly after Rome offered some...hope ) who appears to be in seriously trouble.

Despite being "Sea Haters", I found it quite helpful to have acquired a small navy in thwarting Macedonia's threats, though my navy is non-extistant for now.
I have also given up on trying to take out Achaia...for now.
Those 'large walls' are a pain.

My biggest issues have been dealing with man power & funds, which is now under some control.
My leaders have been fair to ok...still waiting for a 'great one'
I am not expecting to conquer the world & it does feel like things could crumble at any moment, though being 'Civ III' is helping to stave off that, for now.

[Geffalrus]

Actually, as soon as you see a wall, just assault it. You can't siege, but your units will do surprisingly well so long as they have a good general and support troops. Yes, they have a penalty, but if you look at their stats, it just takes them down to a level that's still better than Mercenary Infantry and many other units. Plus, they have way more HP and Exertion, so they can survive bad rolls pretty easily. Like other Phalanx units, the terrain/assault penalty makes them cost inefficient, but not completely ineffective. There are certainly better assault units out there, but most factions in your starting area don't have access to them. The Diadochi do have - some - good assault units:

Heavy Infantry have attack 5, 3 HP, and 2 Exertion.
Companion Cavalry have attack 5, 3 HP, and 4 Exertion.
Elephants have 7 attack, 1 HP, and 2 Exertion.

[Southern Hunter]

Yes, I figured out that Spartiates, although heavily penalized, can absolutely take cities despite the walls. That is now my plan, once I deal with a frighteningly strong Macedonia.

I have just woken up to the fact that Sparta is not the capital of Greence, Aetolia is So now my troops are being formed in Aetolia, and not getting the bonuses I have been building in Sparta. Better start building barracks in Aetolia I guess.

[scrangle]

"Imperial" Sparta (CL3) should have mercs in its national pool of units. But no merc center. It means that if you capture a center and are CL3, you can recruit them.

Pocus, then this is not working as intended.

I recently conquered Strymon from the hands of Macedonia as the Spartan ”Stable Empire”. Strymon previously had a Mercenary recruitment center but once conquered the building was gone and i didnt have the possibility of recruiting mercenaries.