"Oh, crap" - Romani strategy vs Phalanxes

Just had my first big battle against Carthage, and noticed something very worrying. Although I did a little editing to allow myself to play with the imperial units from the beginning (I loves me some imperial legionaries), I found that my normal strategy - throw spears and attempt to surround - doesn't work QUITE as well as I thought it would against their phalanxes. (They.... would... not... rout! Even with my elite light infantry (I love those guys. They're like Romani special forces!) attacking the rear.) Now understand that they SHOULD have routed - I had them surrounded by multiple powerful units and their general was a long way away. This means my campaign against the successor factions will be *expletive* EXPENSIVE. Any advice on how to get phalanxes to rout quickly in EB, or was this battle more of a fluke?

Here's what I did against the elite African Pikemen (in a city square, where those bastards can't rout AT ALL)

-Use hastati to lure them.
-Run around with Velites/Accensi
-Start pelting them from behind with Velites/Accensi.
-Wait until the Velites/Accensi are out of ammo
-Hold them off with Hastati/Principes
-Charge them in the flanks with Triarii
-Charge their rear with cavalry.

Lol,

When I first clicked on this thread, I thought the full title would be "Oh, crap" - A Romani AAR.

If I ever write an AAR, it will be Romani and humorous.

Maybe a program on FOX.

Next on Fox: When crap attacks

"Crap. You will see it first on FOX"
"Crap. Only on FOX"

Carthaginian elites are among the toughest in the game. I hope you did not expect otherwise. So I don't think the result was a fluke. You could have used some auxilliary cavalry to attack them when engaged - succesful charges will help in routing them.

And of course use armor piercing slingers. Quite effective, if you can hit them from behind as well.

CBvani, What battle dificulty are you playing? You know that a very hard the enemie units get more atack, hit points and morale, don't you?

Medium difficulty, as intended. The thing was, it wasn't the elite phalanx of carthage - it was merc. medium guys, I think.

Phalanxes on EB are made near God-like when compared to anything but horse archers and Cannon fodder/flanking tactics:thumbsdown:
*Ranting mood gone*
But over-all I must say that when using them I often cheat by just making them sit there and just using Calvary to force them into my battle line:clown:

Don't forget, there is a reason the phalanx conquered the known world . . . .

And that reason did not go away. I wonder though, why people did not have the idea of more mobile soldiers earlier.

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Don't forget, there is a reason the phalanx conquered the known world . . . .

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Don' forget legionaires did aswell.

usually against uber-phalanx if im with pre marian, i use some cannon fodder units to attack them from the front, and heawy units (triari, principes etc.) to attack from the back, and a lot and repeated cavalry charges. It is strange that you are playing with post marian legionaries... with post marians, i never had problems against falanx.

you can also use accensi from the back, but it seems a bit unfair and unreal, i dont think in reality, slingers could fire in the back, while your other troops are engaged from the front.

Its not that I didn't WIN, its that it took much longer and they had much better morale than I thought they should have.

ah yes, i think you are right, phalanx pheraps could be better with a lower morale, so if they are sourrounded, they start routing as they should. It's annoyng when you play against them, and when you play with them too.

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Originally Posted by Cbvani

Just had my first big battle against Carthage, and noticed something very worrying. Although I did a little editing to allow myself to play with the imperial units from the beginning (I loves me some imperial legionaries), I found that my normal strategy - throw spears and attempt to surround - doesn't work QUITE as well as I thought it would against their phalanxes. (They.... would... not... rout! Even with my elite light infantry (I love those guys. They're like Romani special forces!) attacking the rear.) Now understand that they SHOULD have routed - I had them surrounded by multiple powerful units and their general was a long way away. This means my campaign against the successor factions will be *expletive* EXPENSIVE. Any advice on how to get phalanxes to rout quickly in EB, or was this battle more of a fluke?

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Are you playing VH battles? If so, the level makes Phalanxes almost umbreakable...:idea2: Use artilery, hire hoplites to hold the front assault and put your man to work behind the enemy lines!