[ROME] Spears...

It's prabably been beaten to death, but I wonder - are there plans on fixing the spears. What I'd like to see them do is making the spearmen throw them quicker (sometimes infantry will charge them while they make up their minds about trowing). Also, I think it'd be historically correct to let spears disable shields, since they struck and stuck to the shield, adding a very cumbersome pole sticking out from it. This way the enemy would have to charge you with shields. This would help to strenghten the skirmishers, that right now are pretty tame and simulate the historical use of javelins.

Hmm you meant javalins, a bit confusing but anyway,

I love the way javalins work in the game, they do wait for eachother to throw all the javalins in one strike, but the effects are amazing. Its beutifull to see hole units of pikeman disapear before my cheap peltasts. I think they have a excelent range and have enough time to trhow their javalins. And about your comment when enymy infantry charges you must have your own infantry waiting so your javalins can run behind them and continu their attacks.

They don't seem weak to me.

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Originally Posted by ThijsP

Hmm you meant javalins, a bit confusing but anyway,

I love the way javalins work in the game, they do wait for eachother to throw all the javalins in one strike, but the effects are amazing. Its beutifull to see hole units of pikeman disapear before my cheap peltasts. I think they have a excelent range and have enough time to trhow their javalins. And about your comment when enymy infantry charges you must have your own infantry waiting so your javalins can run behind them and continu their attacks.

They don't seem weak to me.

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Yep, I meant javelins, pila, or pelasts... :)

I've felt I run out of time when charged by Gaul swordsmen, when I try to use the skrimishers "historically" to screen ahead of the main force.

The last tactic I tend to use, but I'm a bit wary about it, since it seems to put a lot of my own legionaries out of action as well. I was a bit surprised to see that I lacked 50 men when comparing my losses to the enemy kills in some battles until I realised that I might have problems with friendly fire...

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Originally Posted by Lucidor

Yep, I meant javelins, pila, or pelasts... :)

I've felt I run out of time when charged by Gaul swordsmen, when I try to use the skrimishers "historically" to screen ahead of the main force.

The last tactic I tend to use, but I'm a bit wary about it, since it seems to put a lot of my own legionaries out of action as well. I was a bit surprised to see that I lacked 50 men when comparing my losses to the enemy kills in some battles until I realised that I might have problems with friendly fire...

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Maybe you could try and move your velites or light auxilia around the enemy and when they are out of amma charge them into the back. i think that's enough to make them rout.

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Originally Posted by ThijsP

Maybe you could try and move your velites or light auxilia around the enemy and when they are out of amma charge them into the back. i think that's enough to make them rout.

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Hehe... I love pincer movements as well, a unit attacked from the rear, especially if charged by a unit with any charge at all (Praetorian cavalry is a real killer) is pretty much out of the game for good. :knight: :charge:

(phew... this board has tons of smilies...)

Ok, Pila work fine for me, when attacking the unit stops, throw, then charges into a now disorganised and shaken enemy unit. When defending stand them still and hit fire at will and they will get some off, unless charged by cavalry or other super fast units, but thats fair. When charged by infantry it's rare they don't get a shot off.

But the javlin units, light auxillia, velite's and so on, they are much more difficult to use. Stand them infront of you line with skirmish off and they will get a few shots thanks to the greater range, but they will get hit full force by the enemy and break easily, demoralising the rest of your army. Position them behind your battle line, and everyone gets a javlin in the back of the head.

While I've gopt used to the kill speed and infantry speed, that means that if you try and move your javlins around to the flank or rear, by the time they get there the battle has been decided. if fighting cavalry quite often the cavalry has charged straight through the enemy unit and turned around, meaning you would be throwing javlins at your own troops again.

The best use I have made of them is by putting them infront of the army, any archer units to the side, with skirmish on, let them have a shot or three, then run and the MOMENT they start to run take fire at will off and ignore them unless sorely pressed for troops.

If you hava a phalanx army you can put those peltast behind your pikes. The enemy doesnt always charge right away especially when there defending. Then your peltast can easily throw over your own units and they have enough range to kill enemy units.