Byzantine army tactic

[Draksen]

Byzantine army tactic :
http://www.roman-empire.net/army/tactics.html

http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

Best regards,
Draksen

[HopAlongBunny]

Clear, concise and way too sensible.

Gotta love those Romans http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[Exile]

very interesting and I see some parrallels to the game http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[Jaret]

Hi

I gave the Byzantine Cavalry Tactic a try today. As enemies I choose Turks. My Army was :

4x Cataphractoi (-CA-)
4x Proinai Alagion (-PA-)
4x Byzantine Cavalry (-BC-)
4x Horse Archers (-HA-)

Enemys Army was :

3x Muwait Foot
4x Spearmen
3x Khawarzmanian Cavalry
2x Ghulam Cavalry
1x Ottoman Infantery
1x Assasins
2x Horse Archers

My setup was according to the setup found under the Link


-HA- -HA-
-BC- -BC-
-PA- -BC--HA--HA--BC- -PA-
-PA- -PA-
-CA--CA--CA--CA-

Horsearchers on the wings and in the center, Byzntine Cavalry to both Flanks of the Center, Proinai Alagion on the Wings and as Reserve, Cataphractoi in the Center behind the mounted Archers.

Map was Agnicourt, Summer.

In the Beginning everything worked well. I had more Archers then the AI did and I peppered them quite well. After all Arrows were gone, I moved the Archers behind the Heavy Cavalry to serve as Support and Reserve. Then my Forces Advanced. I charged my Cataphracoi frontaly into the ranks of the Spearmen. My Proinai Allagion began to Circle around the Flanks of the Enemy and Byzantine Cavalry jumped in to fill the Gaps between my Units. All went well so far. But then the Khawarzmanian managed to turn my right Flanks as I turned the Turks left Flank. I send my Horsearchers as reinforcements ... but they couldn´t save the Day.

The Horsearchers didn´t serve me so well, but to remove them would mean to cut the amount of Archers in half. After giving it some thought, I belive that removing 2 Horsearchers and replacing them with Alan Merc Cavalry (-AM-) would be more effective. Setup would look like this :

-BC- -BC-
-BC- -BC-
-PA- -HA--HA- -PA-
-PA- -PA-
-CA--CA--CA--CA-
-AM- -AM-

After the Archery Duell is over and the Charge is to come it changes to this :

-PA- -PA-
-PA- -PA-
-BC- -CA--CA--CA--CA- -BC-
-BC- -BC-
-AM- -HA--HA- -AM-

Alan Merc serves as a quick response unit on bot Flanks to counter unexpected moves of the enemy. Horsearchers act as last resort reserve. The Proinai Alagion hold the Flanks of the formtion, while the Byzantine Cavalry moves around the enemy flanks.

Discuss http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/idea.gif

[bosdur]

Thats really a great link draksen much thanks http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/cool.gif .

[Draksen]

np all http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

[HopAlongBunny]

Quote[/b] (Jaret @ Dec. 24 2002,17:41)]-HA- -HA-
-BC- -BC-
-PA- -BC--HA--HA--BC- -PA-
-PA- -PA-
-CA--CA--CA--CA-
That set up seems close to what you get if you use the "Steppe Envelopement" formation. I've had some success using that-might be more good luck than good management though. The AI seems to take the bait for the "soft" centre w/o much need to pull them in.

I substitute good spears to back up the archers with HC on flanks.

[Katasaki Hirojima]

WHy Did you put your Kataphraktoi in the center? YOu should have put your Horse archers and Byzantine Cavalry as the center. Charge your Heavy Pronai/Kataphractoi from the flanks. That forces the enemy army to split at the center, giveing the Byzantine Cavalry the chance they need to charge forward and take them out from behind, followed if need be by the horse archers. Like this:

HA HA HA HA
BC BC BC
KC KC KC KC
PA PA PA PA

HA- Horse archers
BC-Byzantine cavalry
KC- Kataphraktoi Cavalry
PA- Pronoai Allagion

I can't really show how the Cavalry should try and flank. Its a lil tricky cause you have to lead the army off to it sides without letting them hit your cavalry in the side as they run forward(ish).

[Jaret]

I used my Kats to hold the center, while I flanked with my Pronai and Byzantine Cav. But I have to admit your formation is interesting. Its use is to draw the enemy out of his cover and make him charge your "weak" center. When he does the Cav Archers skirmish away and the Heavies charge in from both Flanks ... nice

Its what I would call the "Giant sized Sandwish Formation" http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/joker.gif

Nice idea ... will give it some tries, my center always takes sever losses, that is why I had the Kats with their high Armour there.