Armenia
Armenia
Primary culture
Capital province
Government
State religion
Military traditions
Armenian heritage
+5% Manpower recovery speed
−10% Light cavalry maintenance cost
−10 Subject opinion of us
Armenia is a Major Power controlling much of the provinces of Armenia and Cappadocia, a former satrapy of the 
Achaemenid Empire ruled by the the Orontids (known by native Armenians as Yervantuni) that submitted to the 
Argeads and emerged on its breakup as an independent kingdom. With a population of 710 spread across 128 territories, it is the largest state in the region after the Diadochi states of 
Antigonid Kingdom and the 
Seleukid Empire and its many narrow passes and mountainous terrain make it relatively defendable, though coupled with its low population density and the large proportion of non-state religion pops longer-term economic development is more of a challenge. Historically, Armenia would fluctuate between periods of independence and Seleukid (and later 20px Parthian) suzerainty until the rise of the Artaxiad dynasty, who would briefly transform Armenia into an Empire spanning from Syria and Cappadocia to Albania and Atropatene before its defeat by the 
Romans.
Contents
Events[edit]
- Main article: Armenian flavor events
Armenia has a few unique events around the return of the native Ariarathid dynasty to the throne of 
Cappadocia, which can lead to gaining Cappadocia as a 
tributary if the Antigonid Kingdom is sufficiently distracted, and the historical movement of its capital between several nearby cities up in the Armenian Highlands.
Formation[edit]
If it is destroyed, Armenia can be reformed by any Anatolian culture group nation that has its capital in the region. No countries start off being able to reform Armenia, but many of the Anatolian kingdoms to the west can gain access to this decision by conquering and moving their capital into the Armenian region. Armenia may also be reformed by successful revolter countries.
Form Armenia
The lands of Armenia need able and strong leadership. Let us unite the Armenian people and forge a stronger and more durable Armenian empire.
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Decisions[edit]
As an Anatolian culture group country, 
Armenia has access to the decision to form 20px Persia if it integrates Persian culture.
Form Persia
The days of Cyrus and Darius are long gone, but the Persian people remember the great empires built by their own. It is time to throw off the shackles of our foreign oppressors, and unite our people once again!
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Population[edit]
Armenia has a 
population of 710 at the beginning of the game. Culturally, the population is almost entirely Armenian, with the only substantial minority being Pontic culture in its Cappadocian provinces. While the state religion is Zoroastrian, the vast majority of country's population is instead Khaldic, with only 20% Zoroastrian in the southeastern areas of the country (and a small Cybelene minority among the Pontic pops in the west). This large proportion of wrong religion pops means that religious unity and 
omen power is very low at start and will remain so unless the country converts to Khaldic or acquires more Zoroastrian pops by way of conversion or conquest. The country's population makeup is also significantly biased towards 
tribesmen, with the few 
citizens concentrated in the cities of the Syracene and Ayrarat regions. A low population density with few cities means that Armenia will struggle at the start to research technology and keep up economically with its neighbours without careful planning.
Diplomacy[edit]
Armenia begins as an independent nation with no allies or subjects.
Strategy[edit]
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Players who wish to play as Armenia will be forced to play wide instead of tall due to Armenia's terrain and pops. One of the easiest but most effective strategies as Armenia is to fortify key mountain passes and critical bottlenecks (of which there are many) to effortlessly repel invasions. In the early game, players should build up their military and neglect research, and as soon as the Seleukids or the Antigonids invade, to repel the invasion with the help of the aforementioned forts and take land in the peace treaty. As soon as a truce is obtained with either power, the player should invade and annex the following: 
Atropatene (which has some more arable land), 
Trapezous and any other Greek Black Sea colonies (for their coastlines), and 
Iberia, 
Albania, and 
Colchis (for their land, their control of strategic mountain passes to guard from Scythian/barbarian invasions, and to prevent the emergence of any other major power in the Caucasus). Viable allies include anybody that doesn't border Armenia but is close to its main rivals (e.g. Thrace, any nation in Bythinia, Central Asia, the Northern Caucasus, or Crimea are all helpful allies that won't get in the way of expansion).
Mid-game, those who choose to play as Armenia would find it favorable to annex the western coast of the Caspian Sea and, more importantly, the southern coast of the Caspian Sea, which is easy to bottleneck with fortifications as can be done with most of Armenia's Anatolian and Caucasian mountain passes. When dealing with the Antigonid Kingdom in Cappadocia and possibly 
Thrace or 
Pontus in Bithynia, the player should try to avoid large vassal or ally swarms at all costs since the farther west Armenia expands, the less bottlenecks there are to fortify. As a result, patience and careful scheming are integral to any Armenian attempt to conquer western Anatolia. Expanding north into Scythia and Sarmatia is a double-edged sword, as the land is cheap in terms of aggressive expansion/warscore and the wars are easy to win. However, there are no bottlenecks since everything north of modern-day Georgia is flat terrain. In addition, the territories are sparsely populated and subject to incessant barbarian invasions, which means an army being permanently stationed there is necessary.
Late-game, Armenia will face challenges from the south (Egypt, Arabia, maybe even Mesopotamia), the west (Greece, Thrace, Dacia, maybe even Italy), and the east (Persia or maybe even India).
The player would also be wise to relocate their capital to a more central location like Tigranocerta (as happened historically) around mid-game.
Military tactics[edit]
The presence of 
steppe horses when combined with Armenia's 
Persian traditions means that Armenia can field strong, mobile horse archer armies that can pick off isolated Seleukid or Antigonid armies if used properly. Combined with Armenian heritage, which gives bonuses to 
light cavalry, it is entirely possible to field smaller and faster armies composed of cavalry only as well to clean up the small retreating armies or unoccupied territories left behind in the wake of larger armies.
Achievements[edit]
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