Defending cities as Macedonia

I'm playing the Macedonians (VH/VH) and finding it hard, what with the Thracians, Greeks and Romans all wanting a piece of me... sometimes there's hardly enough of me to go around!

One of the things that makes it so hard is that I can't seem to defend my cities properly. If the enemy attacks before I can recruit archers, they swarm the walls. If they attack AFTER I recruit archers, then I can usually stop the ladders and ram, but the siege towers seem invincible.

When the enemy come over the top whether via ladders or siege towers, my militia hoplites can't seem to do much, especially against Hastati. They can't form a phalanx on the walls, and they seem to die really fast, even though the enemy is trickling over the ramparts.

I've finally reached the point where Thermon, Athens and Sparta are all mine, in addition to the cities I started out with. However, to achieve this I had to continuously engage the enemy out in the field, which rather defeats the purpose of investing in city defenses.

How should I go about defending a city?

Well, I've found that with phalanx heavy armies, it's often better to abandon the walls completely, and have your phalanxes set up in the town centre or at intervening choke points. The enemy that makes it passed all your tower arrows generally beats itself to death on your wall of pointy things. If you have archers, keep them on the walls until the siege towers reach, then have them run behind your phalanxes (remembering of course to take off fire at will before hand...)
I did wonder in a post last year whether this was a cheesy tactic or not, but I was advised that I'd stumbled onto the joys of guerrilla urban warfare. So that's alright then.

Once you can build silvershield legionaires holding the walls is no problem. Until then defend with masses of archers and (as Zatoichi said) in the close confines of the streets.

Its better if you used your phalanx in the streets wait at the gate instead of fighting on the walls, try to get phalanx pikemen quick will be very helpful cause the miltia are not so good at anything.

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Originally Posted by SpencerH

Once you can build silvershield legionaires holding the walls is no problem. Until then defend with masses of archers and (as Zatoichi said) in the close confines of the streets.

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Well then it is no problem for the Seleucids... We are talking about the Macedonians who have no Silver Shields.

I agree with Zatoichi, block up the obvious routes to the center, and remember to keep a reserve at the square in case the enemy routs your blockers (even Peasants can be nasty as I had two of them rout five units of weakened Eastern Infantry).
But a better way is obviously to hire lots of mecenary archers and Thracians mecenaries (to fight on the walls), but if you can't get Thracians don't be too afraid of using Heavy Peltasts or mercenary Peltasts, their javelins are good and they can fight well enough against the dribble of enemies they will face. Retire the archers when the enemy gets close and engage the Thracians and then repeat the previous style... It is almost flawless. The archers kills and weakens the initial enemies, the Thracians weaken them even further (don't expect them to hold the walls), by the time they reach your phalanx they are very tired and on the verge of breaking. Your core troops survive easily and you have inflicted massive losses.

I've been holding off starting a Macedonian campaign because I heard the Royal Pikemen were bugged - holding the wrong weapons or something? Is this true?

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Originally Posted by Kraxis

Well then it is no problem for the Seleucids... We are talking about the Macedonians who have no Silver Shields.

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Oops, I realized that as I came back to check on the thread and read the thread title. Macedonians, Selucids, its all Greek to me . ~;)

I haven't played Macedonia yet so I can't comment on much of the issues.

However, a couple of general points. Archers using fire arrows can usually destroy a seige tower if they have enough time. I usually try to focuss the fire of two archer units to each tower but make sure they don't get distracted by other targets. If you are really lucky the tower will survive until it has reached the wall and most of the enemy are in it. Its really nice to see it collapse and take a whole cohort to their deaths.

As the Eygptians I tend to avoid deploying pike armed troops on walls. as you say its a waste as they can't use their phalanx in that position. I use Desert Axemen instead (i have no idea what the Macedonian equivalent is) and deploy the phalanx troops across the roads leading to the town square.

In such a narrow space their flanks are secure and they can usually hold off several times their own number of enemies.

Well I just finished fighting the Macedonians as the Scipii. Go with what everyone else has said already. Phalanx at chokepoint = dead romans. Especially at the gates because you can't flank the Phalanx so you just have to throw your men onto their spears and hope for the best.

Thanks guys, I'll try that... I guess militia hoplites are just really bad. All it takes is for the Roman general to charge his heavy cavalry into the points of my phalanx and the whole thing collapses. Sheesh. I shall use levy pikemen or phalanx pikemen in future.

I don't think the Macedonians get any sword infantry at all, unless you count peasants.

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Originally Posted by The Storyteller

I guess militia hoplites are just really bad.

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Not at all. They are even one of the best units of the game in their category.
But don't forget that their category is "militia", not "full professionnal military".

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Originally Posted by The Storyteller

I don't think the Macedonians get any sword infantry at all, unless you count peasants.

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Try checking the mercenary list you may find the guys you want there.

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Originally Posted by The Storyteller

Thanks guys, I'll try that... I guess militia hoplites are just really bad. All it takes is for the Roman general to charge his heavy cavalry into the points of my phalanx and the whole thing collapses. Sheesh. I shall use levy pikemen or phalanx pikemen in future.

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I found the same with the Seleucs defending against the cavalry heavy armies in the north - as soon as your wall was breached, militia hoplites just couldn't hold it against repeated heavy cavalry charges.

:charge:

Until I used Vercingetorix's patch to get rid of the horse jumping animation...

~:cheers:

The best adive I can give you is put hoplits at the bease of the wall so that when enemies take the walls and come down the stairs you can slaughter them as they come out the doors before they can form up.

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Originally Posted by The Storyteller

I don't think the Macedonians get any sword infantry at all, unless you count peasants.

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Not per se, but Heavy Peltasts can in a pinch act as swords, something like really light legionaries. Upgraded with armour and weapons they can actually be quite good.

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Originally Posted by The Storyteller

Thanks guys, I'll try that... I guess militia hoplites are just really bad. All it takes is for the Roman general to charge his heavy cavalry into the points of my phalanx and the whole thing collapses. Sheesh.

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Yeah, this is an overall game issue that many of us have. The heavy cav tearing up phalangites/hoplites frontally leads to a bit of disbelief.

Firstly, if you're playing on vh battle dif, this can't be helped.

As any greek civ, just park 1 or more phalanx units in teh streets near the town center for a easy win (but remember to turn defend off so they don't move right).
I often don't build/demolish walls so the enemy assaults and i can use this tactic!