Problems with Macedon (I play Brutii)

[Starmo]

This is my first run of the game, and I probably have made a lot of mistakes, but I think they can be solved.

The Macedonians by now are pretty strong. They have about two armies with the banner almost filled and their capitol's banner is also almost filled.

I seem to have a problem fighting (And defeating) a large Macedonian army.
I usually engage or engaged with a typical roman army, I would think.
about 6 infantry units (preferably principes), 4 missile units (usually velites) and 4-5 cavalry units, including missile cav.

What I did with the samller armies I handeld until now is try to kill off their horses fast, and then lure their phalanx into an attack on my infantry so I can charge my horses in their rear.
This worked pretty well for me, until now.

Now this tactic doesn't work anymore.
My infantry can't kill off the horses fast enough, and the phalanx really messes them up.
My cavalry are torn between backing the infantry up against the enemy cav and attacking the phalanx, which are backed up by more enemy cav.

I've reached a good state for conquest, I think, but these Mac's are annoying.

Any help would be welcomed.
Thanks.

[NightStar]

The answer to your prayers are archers or mercenary hoplites...preferably both, you can easily lure the cavalry to charge your mercenary hoplites with a skirmisher unit or two, getting the macedonian cavalry to throw themselves on the pointy end of a stick solves your problem as you wont take so many lossess....oh I wish I had a campaign where I was at an disadvantage, maybe I'll just kill of the Dacians and give all their cities to macedon so I can have a big fight with them :)

[econ21]

Yes, Macedonians can be tough. I think you are working on the right lines, trying to kill their cavalry with your infantry. Use hastati or other heavy infantry to absorb the charge, counter charge with cavalry. Maybe use velites to fire into the melee. Just do anything to kill their cav before engaging their phalanx. Watch out for their general - often a cav unit that charges ahead - in particular. Killing or routing him will help you a lot.

Once the cav are gone, I find phalanx can be killed at leisure - unsupported, they are too slow and can be shot to death, flanked etc. You should rarely engage them head on (except maybe to pin them for a rear charge) - if necessary, retreat where possible until the enemy cav have been neutered. You should be able to lure the AI cav to attack before the phalanx can get into action - a line of velites would make a risky but attractive bait for their cav.

Others may have more subtle tactics, but large reserves of heavy infantry and preferably a lot of archers (Cretans tend to be mercs available near Macedon) are perhaps the best way to blunt the enemy cavalry. Your velites will be ok against unsupported phalanx, but are not so useful against cav. Macedonians may be one of the few enemies of Rome that you cannot be sure of winning with a smaller, harder army. You probably need to max out your stack too - 20 units, not 15.

If all fails, take as many of the enemy as you can and then hit them with another full stack. Such attrition tactics are not subtle but are not ahistorical!

[zhuge]

The main theme here should be to isolate their cavalry from their slow moving phalanx and to have enough regular infantry to deal with the cavalry (having more infantry units would be nice if you are dealing with mainly full stacks which are predominantly cavalry). With both Velites and Cavalry Auxilia, you shouldn't have many problems later dealing with the phalanxes if you can hit them from the rear with javelins and can mop up with a general's unit and missile cavalry. Try to position your infantry some distance away from their main force and only use missile cavalry to lure their cavalry. This will give you more time for your infantry to deal with their cavalry before their phalanxes make it to the scene. Cavalry Auxilia are fast and won't be easily caught, retreat them just in time behind your infantry line and have your infantry mix it up with their cavs.

Having an archer unit or two might help cut down enough cavalry so that your infantry can handle them better but you should keep them well protected. Light Lancers have little armour so if you can catch them while they are stationary or moving at regular speed you'll be able to inflict a reasonable amount of casualties. Macedonian cavalry will need quite a few more shots though.

If the enemy cavalry charges, your Velites may not have enough time to land good shots and you don't want to risk having them being caught in the open by a charge (Light Lancers can do pretty hefty damage), so you could try holding them back with fire at will off to deal with enemy phalanxes later. In case the frontline of principes is hard pressed, you could try charging Velites at Light Lancers. I've done it with some success but only if the Light Lancers have already been bogged down in melee.

Commit your general only when their cavalry are well engaged. If you have several Light Lancers units bearing down on your general followed by Macedonian cavalry, you may not be able to withdraw your general to safety in time.

[Maltz]

It seems to me that the AI Macedon has developed faster than you, so gradually their troop is more advanced and equipped than your legion.

Triarii (4th level barrack) counters cavalry well, and Roman archers (2nd level archery range) are the natural predator of phalanx. So if you get these 2 units things should improve quite much.

In my games Macedonians like to have a lot of horses. This can be very deadly on open fields, so you probably want to avoid field battles. (later on you will probably meet some Scythian horse archer horde - that will be a even greater pain).

For now you can build forts "in the face" of an AI army and attempt to attack them from the fort. Your army can come out from the sides or rear, so their phalanx will take a lot of time to reach you. ~:) Your little archery garrison plus the arrow towers will pin the pikemen to the ground.

[Zorn]

Makedons can be tough. They are the only non-missle tribe that can give me a headache.
The main reason being the light lanciers. AI handles those amazingly well, comaprared to it`s usual behaviour. I am allways amazed haw the same rotines can use lanciers so brillant and everything else so retarded. When I first met them, playing greek cities, My phalanx-line was outmaneuvered so badly, I couldn`t believe what was happening. Wherever I looked, some cav was charging my hoplites in the back.
Moreover, light lanciers are awesome on their own. I have seen them routing a Phalanx with a frontal charge. Ok, it was vh, charging down a steep hill an my phalanx was only militia hoplites, but it was impressing nevertheless.
So, as it was allready mentioned your main problem is to get rid of the cav. I found that light cav works best, I believe even better than heavy cav. That`s fine, because you have not much heavy cav anyway. I´d just leave the velits at home and take as much eqites as possible. then just take the lanciers head on and hpe for the best (try to hit every enemy unit with at least two of your own, you will probably lose otherwise).
Once you have the cavallerysuperiority, his pikes will be no problem.