Worth the gamble?

[blado]

I have recently conquered southern italy and all islands around it. So I sent my great general to Rome in preperation of conquering the north. I raised a large army of nearly 2800 men to campaign in the north. I have come to the first city to find way more resistance than I had first expected. I'm not sure whether to attack or not. Here are some pictures of me and the enemy army.


The unit that is blocked out by that Registered thing is a group of Companion Calvery
https://img171.imageshack.us/img171/526/0004ra4.th.png (https://img171.imageshack.us/my.php?image=0004ra4.png)


https://img153.imageshack.us/img153/9123/0005yx2.th.png (https://img153.imageshack.us/my.php?image=0005yx2.png)

As you can see it will be a fairely even match. I have 5 rams ready for the siege. So, what is everyones opinion? Should I attack or abandon the siege and head to another town and come back later with more men?

[Parallel Pain]

Fight of course. The worse thing that can happen is you take heavy casualties and need to retrain your units before coming back again, in which case you would have took down a lot of enemies so next time you come back you can win.

That's if you have a good economy anyway.

[blado]

My economy is suffering from the size and quality of the army I recruited that you see. It will be a while before I am able to retain to get another army of this size.

[unreal_uk]

Maintain the siege and wear them down until they become desperate enough to sally. Exploit their difficulties in exiting the city and assuming formation to crush them. I'd also suggest some more long range missile units - you appear to only have a single slinger unit. If you're attacking basic wooden wall settlements, with a core of slingers, you can enter with at least 50 - 70% enemy casualties to 0% of your own, which makes larger forces a piece of cake to deal with.

Aside from the Gaesatae, your force would make mincemeat of those in an attack, but it is the Gaesatae that will prove difficult if you happen to run into them in a narrow street.

You've also wasted alot of money on cavalry that you won't need at this stage of your game. You'll be taking part in mostly sieges against rebels, you could easily do without the upkeep of cavalry at the moment.

[blado]

I think I will just wait for them to sally. I just hate that when they sally my guys are still stuck on their rams, oh well. This will be kind of a make or break battle for me.

[Bellum]

Just pause as soon as the battle begins *shrug*.

It's what I do.

[Torvus]

always wait for them to sally.

[Gaias]

Just make sure to keep your main general that is going to lead the attack in your territory. That way you can avoid having any of the morale negatives due to supply traits.

[sgsandor]

lift siege, come back on turn later, dont build rams and starve them fuzzies out bro. As a Roman you got 2 things 1time 2ruthless ambition....
my thoughts atleast

[LorDBulA]

Just make sure to keep your main general that is going to lead the attack in your territory.

I would consider this a cheat.

[blado]

Well I was victorius.

https://img168.imageshack.us/img168/4875/0007eo9.th.png (https://img168.imageshack.us/my.php?image=0007eo9.png)

I starved them out. But for some reason when they sally'd they had less then half of what was there originally. I guess they died of starvation? The first thing I did was make a line of samnites and hastati. The enemy troops pretty much charged out and most of them were dead before they even reached me. My samnited never lost a man in the first part of the battle. Then I charged all of my forces in but there was trouble getting through the gates because a single unit of 50 naked fanatics held me. And after about 5 minutes had very few casualties. I then picked up one of my rams and broke down the walls next to the gate and flanked the fanatics with my calvary, destroying them completely. There was a small battle in the middle where I eliminated the few survivors. Victory! I had lost 200 men in the battle.

[konny]

Yes, that's it. Do not assault towns with Naked Fanatics but starve them out. On open field Celtic armies are not much of a match to Romans (or Sweboz, or anyone else).

[blado]

I'm still curious as to where more than half of their army went.

[anubis88]

I'm still curious as to where more than half of their army went.
Well Konny already replied to that. You're correct. They starved

[konny]

I'm still curious as to where more than half of their army went.

You really haven't noticed so far? In sieges the besieged army loses men every turn. That can be so many that they even refuse to sally after the siege is over but surrender. Just send a full stack of your Romans to Masalia and siege it for the 8(?) turns the city can hold on: you'll get a large town for free.

[blado]

The next town I attacked lost too many men and surrendered.