What is your go-to army composition?

[Hooahguy]

So we all have a go-to army compositions. Some of us like flexibility so we can fight in any terrain and any type of (land) battle, other times we make armies that are tailored to meet certain challenges, like sieges or ambushes, or even certain enemies. An infantry-heavy army will not do well against a mainly horse archer army.

Personally, I favor an agile force that can adapt quickly to anything with the exception of a horse archer army.

That means for me my force has a lot of infantry that can be flexible on the battlefield. If I have to quickly wheel around to meet a different enemy coming at me from a new direction, I need to do that fast.

So in general, its a cavalry general, two units of heavy cavalry, and depending on where I recruited them, two units of light cavalry or ballistas. More recently its been ballistas since they are quite amazing, much more useful than light cavalry in the long run as I can batter them even before the melee starts. Though I do miss out on more cavalry to chase them down as they rout, so its a give and take I suppose.

I have contemplated how I would deal with army composition with a greek faction, as their pikes are their strong points. But on the other hand, pikes are unflexible and lack the flexibility that normal spearmen have. So I suppose I will have to play around with the roster, see if normal spearmen can hold up to greek pikes.

So what are your army compositions like?

[Slaists]

depends on the faction I play. As Romans, for example, I tend to roleplay a bit: hastati, mixed with principes, triarii, just a couple weak cavalry units, few missiles. As a hellenic pike faction, I tend to go 4 to 8 pikes + infantry or cavalry for flanks (depending on the faction setup and tech development at time) + the best javelins I can get for firing from the rear ranks. Why so few pikes? Because even though they are powerful, they are very inflexible (as mentioned by hooahguy above) when playing against the AI. AI would try to avoid your pikes at all costs and go for your flanks en masse. So, stronger flanks is a good idea against the AI.

I tend to avoid ballista unless it is a walled city assault army (that one would be heavy infantry + ballista + javelins for helping to clear the breach). No ballista setup makes for more fun battles when attacking the AI. If the player has artillery, the defending AI tends to rush you unless they have their own arty.

Then there is the early game "clear barb towns setup" for hellenistic factions: hoplites + massed slingers for no-walls settlements; hoplites + javelins for walled cities ;)

[Kamakazi]

General
Pikes X4
Sword Infantry X4
Hoplites X4
Ranged unit X3
Cavalry X3

Generally

[Sp4]

4 ballistas, rest whatever (no, not 15 units of slingers)

[Subedei]

Roman
1. General (Cav or Inf, depends on region)
2. 2-3 various Cav (currently building Horsearchers somewhere East….adding them to my legions step by step)
3. 1-2 Praetorian
4. At least 3 Legionaries or a mix of Spear- and Sword Units
5. 2-4 Slingers/ Bows
6. 1 Artillery
7. If in danger: Merc Units

Pontos:
1. General (Cav)
2. 3 Cav
3. 2-3 Phalanx
4. 2 Sword Units
5. 2-5 Slingers/ Bows
6. 1 Artillery in case available
7. If in danger: Merc Units


Starting to develop a feel form y Gernerals/ Armies with the 4 TPY Mod.

[Myth]

Rome

Early game army: 12-14 units of Praetorians, 4-6 units of veites. 2 units of light cav for routers (mandatory).

Mid game: reduce veite count for Socii Equites Extraordinarii

Late Game (haven't even played that yet due to deleting my saves constantly): Mass pretorian guard (10 minimum), and an even mix of Aux. Cretan Archers and Aux. Eastern Cataphracts.


Northern Barbarians (Gaul/Suebi/Iceni)

A core of the best spear units I can field. Between 6 and 8 units.
Heavy sword infantry on the rear flanks - things like Oathsworn, Swormasters etc. Between 4 and 6 units (used to chop up enemy spear/phalanx units from the side and rear, and to dispatch cav units that get bogged down in melee).
Masses of shock cav and 2 units of light cav for the remaining slots, with 2-4 skirmisher troops if I lack funds/time to recruit more cav and melee.

Early armies get a lot more skirmisher support and only 2 light cav units to rout enemy skirmishers and kill fleeing armies.

Hellenistic factions (true greeks and successor states)

If true greek:

Masses of pikes (8+) as a core, 4-6 heavy hoplites on the flanks. 2 light cav to kill routers/route enemy skirmishers. Peltasts for support since hellenistic slingers are somewhat meh.

If successor state:

Pike core of 6-8 units. 2-4 heavy hoplites on the flanks. 2-4 heavy infantry as rear flanks. Rest is shock cav and 1-2 units of light cav to kill routers.

If early game army, replace cav units with peltasts/eastern slingers

As a nomad barbarian: 12-16 units of the best HA I can field (migh tmix in jav-cav if available) the rest is shock cav.


It's important for the factions who have niche units to make use of them correctly. Don't try to hold a line with berserkers, naked fanatics or painted ones. Use them to butcher enemies from the side/back. Don't chase down routers with heavy cavalry unless i'ts past the victory screen. Etc.

[Veho Nex]

When im playing my normal campaigns I move armies in twos.

One army is mainly my main fighting infantry. Spears, heavy inf, auxiliary of some form. Second army comprises my archers/ranged, cav, and artillery. Special units normally tag along too depending on who im playing as.

[Bramborough]

When im playing my normal campaigns I move armies in twos.

One army is mainly my main fighting infantry. Spears, heavy inf, auxiliary of some form. Second army comprises my archers/ranged, cav, and artillery. Special units normally tag along too depending on who im playing as.

I've thought about doing something like this, but have refrained from doing so for a couple of reasons:

1. Army Cap. Depending on territory configuration and # of enemies, I've sometimes felt stretched thin responding to incoming threats. Often my biggest problem is that while my armies are hugely successful in any battle, they just can't be everywhere at once.

2. Enemy agents. They're pretty good at immobilizing armies and preventing reinforcement. Using this setup further increases their power, allowing them to affect 2 stacks instead of 1. Plus the danger of one wing getting attacked when the other cannot help.