Barbarian Battle Guide (Pic Heavy!)

[A Terribly Harmful Name]

@Cure Wolf, well, I'm not really a fan of the Lusos , but I can assure you it works if the units have a "powerful charge" (e.g. 8 or more).

@SwissBarbar, impressive feat! Well any player can use deception in his favour, but then again units that are "Expert at Hiding in the Woods" (the "barbarian" roster) can launch better prepared close order ambushes since the enemy doesn't realize they are there until he's glued to them. This guide is more about the "orthodox" way of fighting, alas.

@Dewirix... Yep. But then that's because I exaggerated a bit in the enemy elite roster - they had two Neitos, two Solduros and one Gaesatae. In my other test battles the elites didn't get so much of a battering, but then that really depends; Calawre are not really an "elite" in any practical sense, due to their low stats (for an Aedui unit) while the Kluddargos faced the Gaesatae from the front, so they were definitely outclassed.

As you said, I kinda like the "feel" of having my Champions take the brunt of the fight due to all that Celtic ethos and the like... but your alternative strategy of using the elites in a focal point is also viable. Say that instead of distributing it among the strongest parts of the enemy line like I did, you focus them on the militia spearmen and the weakest points, I can't see how you would not successfully break through and surround the enemy.

[Dewirix]

This ain't true. For example, the gallic roster has Bataroas which are mediums with 6 armour.

The Bataroas are probably the closest thing the gauls have got to a cheap line-holder, but I'd argue that they're not really representative of the factions' troops as a whole. They're not available in the south and their equivalent, the Botroas, have very low armour values.

In my Aedui campaign it was noticeable how vulnerable my army was to missile fire and how much it relied on skill for defence.

@Dewirix... Yep. But then that's because I exaggerated a bit in the enemy elite roster - they had two Neitos, two Solduros and one Gaesatae. In my other test battles the elites didn't get so much of a battering, but then that really depends; Calawre are not really an "elite" in any practical sense, due to their low stats (for an Aedui unit) while the Kluddargos faced the Gaesatae from the front, so they were definitely outclassed.

OK, that's a different matter then. Solduros in particular are great at holding out against even overwhelming numbers, so to break two of them, and a unit of Gaesatae, without resorting to pin and flank is impressive.

Neitos ain't half bad either, but I've always considered them a half-way house between regulars and true elites.

[Andronikos]

I use quite different deployment. I use deeper lines, my first line are swordsmen, elites closely behind them or dispersed among them, spearmen (especially if they have javelins like Gaeroas) are on flanks to support the charge with javelins and to catch flanking cavalry.
Skirmishers and slingers start the battle before the lines collide, than move to flanks.
Mounted units with javelins skirmish from rear, than charge and catch routers. Heavy cavalry hunts generals, supports charge or charges the units that haven't routed.
Again, this is for Celts and Sweboz and against army that doesn't have main line composed of phalanxes.

[Ca Putt]

nice guide tho I would rather say it's mainly for Celts. Lusos already mentioned and Sweboz and Getai ALMOST play a bit greekish as they have more steady line holding spearmen and use skirmishers as first (and like the KH exellent archers with a crappy AOR or a high MIC level) wave which are augmented by their superb(or just extremely cheap- Chatti youth and Drapanai) AP Assault troops

[Olaf Blackeyes]

Sweboz = barbarian version of KH ((IMHO))
KH = civilized version of Sweboz ((IMHO))

[DaciaJC]

Hmm, I don't believe I have ever based an entire battle's strategy upon the charge. I will have to give this a try.

However, I regularly play barbarian factions and I find that pinning the enemy's main line with spearmen or elites while *flanking* with shock troops (I wouldn't necessarily label every barbarian unit as such) is a very simple but effective strategy.

[A Terribly Harmful Name]

nice guide tho I would rather say it's mainly for Celts.

I have to say... nope! I tested this intensively with most "barbarian" factions. Yesterday I was playing with the Sweboz vs. Romani on a fairly forested map (that has a certain influence). I deployed my units in a thin line, the right flank having Kludda Lugie (or whatever it is called now, is similar to Kluddargos) in two lines, followed by Teceitos and Sloxonez. It was very fun because the charge was very fierce, but at the right it was an astounding success - I routed one Imperial Cohort in contact with the Kludda Lugie and another one shortly followed, so I was able to surround the enemy with AP assault troops and slaughter them. Got a Heroic Victory.

As said, you got to be a bit bold and unorthodox. Certainly this isn't the only good tactic, but "barbarians" are perhaps the best troops for a frontal charge. They are a bit like cavalry alas, the obvious difference is that they are on foot.