All's quiet on the Macedonian front...

[underthesun]

Well, I'm in a bit of a pickle folks, and am now seeking advice.

So, the Macedonians have been reduced to Pella, Serdike, Byzantion, Nikaea, and Mytilene. I, the Romani, have two full-stack armies on the border of Macedonia (Pella).

The problem is that the Macedonians are LODGED in there. They have 1 1/2 stack in Pella, full stack in Serdike, and a full stack in Byzantion.

I know that if I ram those two stacks in there to deal with that 1 1/2 stack army, I'm guaranteed to suffer high casualties. Really high casualties. So great that I'm fairly certain I wouldn't be able to hold off the inevitable Macedonian counterattack, which would likely come from Serdike.

I know you guys have run into situations similar to this before, where the AI is just dug-in and waiting for you.

My question to you is, how might I go about leading them into my territory, where I can whittle them down to nothing with few casualties on my part?

I have two ideas:

1) My first idea is to move my armies away from the border. This may make him bold enough to attack. But then again I'm not really giving them an incentive to move away from Pella. Which is where my second idea may help.

2) Send one army to besiege Byzantion. This would force Macedonia to make a choice: Either let me besiege and conquer Byzantion, or move the army away from Pella to help in Byzantion. Should they choose the latter, my second army would swoop in and take Pella.

Really the question boils down to, how do you deal with entrenched enemies?

[Centurio Nixalsverdrus]

Get your smelly Romaioi asses out of my precious gardens I tell you!! My holy wrath will tear you apart, your women will be raped, your children sacrificed, the skulls of your men will cobble the roads from Pella to Demetrias... You will be crushed under the feet of the mighty Pezhetairoi. Damn even Deuteroi are enough to deal with the likes...

SO you wannabe-Caesar, come and get some! I forgot my medicine. Where's my medicine??
:smg: :smg: :smg: :smg: :smg: :smg: :smg: :smg: :smg: :smg: :smg: :smg:





Just start to besiege one city, there's always another stack out there to fulfill the glorious task of foolish relieve. ;)

[Ibrahim]

:laugh4: yes earnest hemingway, go with the Centurio

[lobf]

Well, it would be proper, given your faction, to simply build up a couple of big armies and overwhelm them with men. Otherwise it's really difficult to make the AI do anything you want it to do.

[SaberHRE]

I had the same problem fighting Carthaginian remnants who had full stacks of silver chevron african pikemen.

Firstly I suggest you do some reconnaissance and find out what exactly the enemy forces are.

If the situations looks like this:

Maks have full stacks in city and half stack next to the city, attack the half stack. Slaughter the half stack, before main mak army comes. Hide some of your cavalrymen and infantry in woods. Fight a normal battle against the full stack, and throw the hidden men in, when you feel that the time is right.

Another tactic which usually grants no casualties at all(but also no experience). Attack each city with two and a half armies. Two full stack armies besiege the city, while the half army chases away the enemy half stack. Wait some 4-8 years(due to full stack stationed in the city) and the city is usually yours.

[Obelics]

:laugh4: yes earnest hemingway, go with the Centurio

it's not Ernie, it's Erich Maria Remarque!

[Hax]

Centurio Nixalsverdrus, you can expect Seleukid Argyraspides and Elephants to help you out! Let's kick these smelly monkeys back to the filthy lands from whence they came!

[konny]

I know that if I ram those two stacks in there to deal with that 1 1/2 stack army, I'm guaranteed to suffer high casualties. Really high casualties.

Move your army into Makedonia without attacking anything, and wait what will happen. Usually they will attack you with the forces at hand leaving a strong garrison behind. You will suffer lesser casualties in a defensive battle. After that move your reinforces to the main army to bring it to a full stack again and siege Pella.

[pezhetairoi]

Attack the city, wait for an army of relief, then withdraw. The relieving stack will give chase. Wipe it out, taking what casualties you can.

Send in the second stack, besiege the same or another city. Rinse and repeat while your first is back in Italia retraining.

Then switch places. Eventually you will whittle them down. Anyhow, your troops are good for two fights at least before needing retraining.

Alternatively train up a halfstack of reinforcements and lodge them at Ambrakia so you can retrain instantly and keep up a two-stack pressure.

[Centurio Nixalsverdrus]

Centurio Nixalsverdrus, you can expect Seleukid Argyraspides and Elephants to help you out! Let's kick these smelly monkeys back to the filthy lands from whence they came!
Thank you very much, your offer is very generous but not necessary any more. Some children threw rocks at their camp, and the Roman General got hurt at the sleeve and now they are heading back to their ridiculous peninsula. My precious tulips are all trampled though!!