Strategic Help

I use three lines, so there are no genuine gaps to be filled. I also sent the Principes one by one into the battle - just where there are needed, what must not be the part of the fighting right ahead of them. I keep the Triarii in reserve until either my line tends to break even with the Principes involved, or the enemy cavalry is somewhere appearing en masse and spearmen are desperatly needed.

That is for the Polybians. In Camillan times I use some classical hoplites tactics. That is the Triarii (here the same number as Principes or Hastati) in the center and the Hastati and the Principes on the wings of that. The Romans had allready abonded this formation in 272 BC for a good century, but I don't want to play two Manipular periods but want to experince the change from Hoplites to Maniples.

I maintain the checkerboard formation only when the enemy is weaker by quite a bit. In real fights I approach in checkerboard until just inside archer range, then form a solid line. I place the triarii and alae (6 hoplitai or 6 neitos, depending) in reserve, my principes in a second line between, still in checkerboard. Principes are used purely for filling in gaps in the hastati line when they advance, or to add weight or sustain a fight (e.g. in unequal fights against myself and my big brother argyraspidai). Flankers are the hoplitai or neitos. Triarii are used primarily for anti-cavalry flank protection, with a unit of alae in support with each, and the cavalry. Remaining alae are used for flanking if not required by as reserves.

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Originally Posted by pezhetairoi

I maintain the checkerboard formation only when the enemy is weaker by quite a bit. In real fights I approach in checkerboard until just inside archer range, then form a solid line.

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Not sure what you mean by this...do you move your hastati from an 8-man front to a 4-man front, thereby filling the gaps in between units, while keeping principes in a second-line reserve?

Konny: Regarding your use of Camillan-style hoplite tactics...I find myself using very similar tactics, even while firmly in Polybian times. If I have a group of allied or merc hoplites in a legion, I will place them in the center-front of the line to "fix" the enemy. I can then wheel more mobile hastati and/or principes around to the flank to finish.

One final question: I too have found it difficult to perform a standard withdrawal of my hastati to make way for fresh principes, as the hastati tend to go through a pretty brutal few seconds of getting cut down while turning and moving to the back of the line. Is there any way to simulate a "fighting withdrawal" -- always keeping one's front to the enemy while giving ground?

I've found this discussion really interesting...thanks for the advice to all!

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Originally Posted by Tarkus

If I have a group of allied or merc hoplites in a legion, I will place them in the center-front of the line to "fix" the enemy. I can then wheel more mobile hastati and/or principes around to the flank to finish.

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That is pretty much what I found myself doing in my current campaign. Fighting in Egypt, I am far away from any Polybian reinforcements. So to conserve my strength in these faraway lands, I am using Hoplitai Haplaioi (Greek levy hoplites), which I can easily retrain in Egypt proper, as the shock absorber. I retain the checkerboard and simply place another line of these hoplites (with the normal gaps) in front of the Hastati. Due to the gaps, only four hoplite units are sufficient to spread my front wide enough for all comers, with an equal number of Hastati and Principes/Neitos. That way I can deal with all those stacks the yellow fever is marching into Egypt from Asia, and still maintain a proper fighting force.

In the usual checker configuration, the hoplites' job is of course done by the Hastati. But they're more or less designed for fighting in Italy, with reinforcements close at hand, because they meant to take the losses.

I think the large number of *fresh* reserves in a checkerboard battle does make a difference. In addition, I find I can indeed maneuver the units from the back through gaps and without contact with the enemy into the back of flanks of the enemy quite often. Especially when shaping the unit to fit the width of the gap. This freedom of maneuver as a coherent unit is important I think, and standing in a solid line with another solid line in front is detrimental to that.