Romani Lovers... How did u face Horse archers and Heavy cavalry only army?

Especially in multiplayer... well, I was often play with my friend at my school network, and that guy always play either Hoplite heavy army, or all horseman army... Against hoplite and Phalanx army, I often deploy Romans to flank them off, with some sucess (well score is roughly win a bit more when we play infantry battle)... but then, he usually resort to all horsemen armies when I say I want to play as Romani, or Barbarian forces against him... And with his ridiculously two or three unit type of army, he beat me every time we play... and I know, there was many Romani lovers that should know appropriate tactics against those Nomadic soldiers... so pleas help me...

Not really a Roman Fanboi but when I play them I typically follow 2 internal guides:

1. Auxiliaries are your friends (ok, poorly paid and manipulated mercs.) In any event effective. When knowing that I will be facing larger numbers of horse archers or archers in general I increase correspondingly the number of missile troops with good range and effectiveness.

2. Much like Longstreet, I prefer a more defensive posture. Chasing horsemen = quick way to get butt kicked. Make the slippery twerps come to you. I've yet to find (save very expensive troops) large numbers of horse archers that can stand up against return missile fire (usually by cheaper troops with larger numbers.)

WWRD?

Hire auxilaries.

But in multiplayer, my Sagitarii auxilia usually took up several minai, and with a lack of spearmen, their Cataphracts will almost bring my line dead... the worst things if I face (as usual), the armoured Saka Nobles, and many "Steppe Nobles" that usually ends up impaling my horsemen... but then, I'll try with more archers & Slingers (maybe I must start using cheaper greek missile?)

Use slingers. They do a great job of dealing with armored horsemen. Against lighter horse archers counter with archers of your own. Just don't use Toxotai. Spend little money on your missile troops while he spends all of his on his. Then put your remaining money into Roman infantry. You shouldn't need spearmen. Recruit two or three units of cavalry and just keep them in reserve the entire battle until he charges. Then swing them around his lines to deal with the tiring heavy horse and prevent them from charging over and over while your infantry swarm them.

countering his elites and their charge might require some corresponding non-line troops of your own. Of course, this works well against the AI and maybe not as much against a player since he'll have mobility on his side. Always (always) have auto fire on your infantry so that the pila can do some damage (especially if he likes to withdraw and recharge.) Even a few pila to the back has a good chance of causing casualties.

If he stays and fights hit him with some Triarii or another elite level unit. Loose formation and surround.

φιλopωμαιoς;

Θανατoς τoις βαρβαρoiς!
(Hope this is a good sentence :sweatdrop:)


Serious now,
Just let them fire their missles and wait till he runs out of arrows, then wait for the time to run out or let him ccharge you and kill them off with your spearmen.

Hold the line until he finish arrows XD. Roman infantry can stand against almost any cavalry charge, even catanks. Cover your back, use foot archers to counter its horse archers.

Admit you can't conquer them and stop trying to expand in that direction. :P

While not a Philoromaios myself, I have some suggestions when fighting against a player with a brain. Make sure you use some spearmen, especially in the flanks. Don't bother using too much cavalry, as we all know you Romaioi have crap cavalry. Use some good slingers or archers (like those Saggitarii or whatever you call them) in loose formation and make short work of their own shooters. Stay defensive and make them waste their arrows on you, and make sure you have your flanks and rear well-protected.

But I'm sure there are many out here who can help you more than me. Especially fellow Philoromaioi like yourself.

Maion

If you are fielding a Camillan or Polybian legion, deploy your army as usall, then when the enemy is close enough attack with levies/Velites supported by Hastati and Principe in losse formation. Slingers will support your attack from a distance. Use cavalry to attack already fighting enemy units, running after horse archers is a waist of them. Pray Jupiter Maximus and have faith in your tactic.

Fighting with a Marian or Imperial legion is a lot more easy. If your opponent is not using anlimited arrows, just sit down in Testudo formation and wait until they exhaust their ammo. Using the above tactic works fine too.

Using this tactics their is a 50/50 chance of winning with heavy casualties.

Cheers.

First recruit yourself a bunch Scythian foot archers(excellent range and ammo). Get a few units of spearmen(Cohors Validvm Avxiliarivm will work) to protect your archers from heavy cav. Then when you deploy find the highest hill and put your archers on top and spearmen below. Then simply wait for him to come to you. Make sure to direct your archers to fire on his horse archers and not the heavy cav.

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Originally Posted by Reno Melitensis

Using this tactics their is a 50/50 chance of winning with heavy casualties.

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Lol. What would Pyrrhus say? :laugh4:

Or you could always play as Getai, their HA's aren't too shabby. Getai has a nice all around roster.

You can use Heavy Archers or just sit there until they run out of missiles.

I'm not sure how many money one would need for the rest of your army, but accensi - while cheap - maintain a decent cost/value-rate. Other than that: take sufficient hastati or legionary cohorts for their pilae. Once that steppe army decides to charge and retreat, these pilae (and slings) in their back will hurt. Your opponent can't fight hand to hand for any prolongued period of time, so spearmen don't seem necessary to me.

Hide them in the forest, hire some cavalry mercenary to match the cavalry charge. Then rush in your infantry to finish them off.

Either that or archer base army on the hill should do.

any fight with nomads tends to become a missile duel at least during the first stages of the battle... they just sit back and shoot missiles against you... my first idea of dealing with them was to place my slingers archers and missiles in front and battle it out with them... this lead to heavy casualties also the AI usually placed the heavier units of nomad bodyguards and nomad nobles in front and those guys being better armoured died signifigantly slower than my troops... not to mention they had a better range and they could always withdraw and hammer me from a distance (though they very rarely did that) plus the benefit of mobility (=cantabrian circle) can make it really difficult to get many of them...

what i do now instead is apply a wall of shield and pikes between my missiles and nomads... i stretch my pantodapoi phalangitai to a long thin line (to cover as much os the front as possibe) ...plus the phallanx is impressively resistant to missiles (of course some casualties are inevitable) behind them follow the slingers, archers and skirmishers in three waves and loose formation... my cavalry (generals) are placed together in the back...i guess any kind of heavy infantry or pikemen could work as this "anticavalry wall"

This way the phalanx absorbs the arrows and allows my missiles to kill off the enemy ... when i run out of long range ammo the skirmishers are called forth... (unfortunately those guys suffer the heavier casualties-they are the bate!!!taking the full effect of themighty nomad charge) and when the nomads are busy slaughtering them the phallanxes (directly behind skirmishers) march through and pike them ...

when facing nomads i have observed that the key is to keep your army together... do not isolate units or send them forth too far... the nomads being more mobile will simply move away or take the chance to kill some poor forgotten undefended missille troops on your back-keep your pikes missiles and cavalry together and let them interact and support eachother...

Of course i understand that in real life things would have worked out very differently... if i played as the nomads i would split my army in many small groups (frontal attack and flanks) and arrow the hell out of them... and when they came after me i would wipe out the weaker exposed units one by one using my mobility... being fluid and armoured i think in real nomads must have been almost unbeatable ...

BC Romans can't stand a chance against horsemen factions. :clown:

I am playing Hayasdan (my favorite faction), and every time I am fighting the AS heavy infantry army and always being outnumbered, I fight in guerilla tactics, ambush, arrow shower, "bulldozer", hit and run. Results are multiple heroic victory.

So if you really want to fight the steppes or the tankers, I suggest deploy your army in defensive position first. Let your unit face the direction where the arrows are coming, less casualties. But watch out for cavalry charge. Recruit few long range archers to kill some unarmoured horse archers. Don't use your cavalry to fight the heavy cataphracts, only use them to flank light horses or chase when routing.

Deploy your army formation to Roman checker formation and not 3 lines formation. This you can trap those heavy cavalry charges without getting hit and run tactics from your enemies. Just like what happened in ZAMA.

I don't play Romans so I am not sure how long can the legionaries or the auxilia spearmen can hold cavalry charge. But a combination of Thureophoroi and Thorakitai can definitely kill even the heaviest tankers.

the tetsudo formation works very well. just make sure to get out of tetsudo before the enemy charge hits you.

If you are trying to attack a steepe faction, don't even try with the romans. Try some other faction for a greater chance.

Testudo works great, and do not worry Parthia has no Surena that will use arrow supply wagons.
after their arrows depleted the rest is piece of cake.
of course so long as you do not play with unlimited amno for historical realism. :laugh4:
but your legions has no chance against catas.
if it is too miserable put the soldiers at the edge of the map (red line as you know) so that they cannot outflank you.
and never attack them only siege their cities. if you attack your legion cannot chase them (esp. I love the scene that phalanxes tries to catch my HAs with 6 m long sarissas :laugh4:)

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Originally Posted by Atraphoenix

Testudo works great, and do not worry Parthia has no Surena that will use arrow supply wagons.
after their arrows depleted the rest is piece of cake.
of course so long as you do not play with unlimited amno for historical realism. :laugh4:
but your legions has no chance against catas.
if it is too miserable put the soldiers at the edge of the map (red line as you know) so that they cannot outflank you.
and never attack them only siege their cities. if you attack your legion cannot chase them (esp. I love the scene that phalanxes tries to catch my HAs with 6 m long sarissas :laugh4:)

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I think he mentioned online multiplayer, so ah...siege their cities and putting units at the edge of the map might not be an option.

There is more suicidal ways better than facing a Human Player who uses HAs while the player himself using romani :no:
like charging your general into the front of phalanxes .....

Against the AI late Roman Testudo works very well, the trick is deploying to line before a cavalry charge, against a human player hope he leaves fire at will on !
Scorpiones, have the range to snipe Cata's etc but are very vunerable to missle fire, but an opponet has to react to them.
Best bet would be to use your haevy inf to shield your cavalry and missle troops until the arrows run out, and then counter attack.
If I were the Steppe warriors I'd just wait without firing until you do and then nail your most vunerable troops:laugh4:

Seriously, Roman army cannot beat the steppes or nomads, period.

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Originally Posted by chenkai11

Seriously, Roman army cannot beat the steppes or nomads, period.

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seconded

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Originally Posted by chenkai11

Seriously, Roman army cannot beat the steppes or nomads, period.

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well, I allready said that to Sonic... but he still insist that someday if he got better skill, he will defeat my saka army with Romaioi.... poor boy.... poor boy.....

All-imperial legion army. Testudo. Wait until arrows finished.

I can beat steppe armies with Rome in multi if anyone wants to try. ^.-