Ptolemaioi without Phallanx

[ertai1987]

I just started a campaign (vh-h) with the Ptolemaious, I decided not to use Phallanxes since phallanx vs. phallanx is (for me of course) propably the most boring kind of battle. I had a rather slow start since I disbanded all my phallanx units and used most of my cash on an early lvl 4 MiC in Alexandreia thus almost 10 years in the campaign I have only just started building my first mine.

I lost Side but I controll the Levant plus Edessa, I am now at war with the Seleucids (duh) and Carthage (they were trying to take Libya). The reason I decided to post a thread about this is that I'd like some advice 1) generally about the Ptolemaioi (did I mention it's my first Ptolemaioi Campaign?) 2) a possible mid to late game army composition.

Right now I use Thureophorous and Ioudaious Taxeis in a chessboard formation, 2 skirmishers - a combination of Toxotai/Spendonetai/Peltastai - plus 2 Cav Units (1 Prodromoi and 1 Gen Unit)

My house rules are:
- max. 15 Units in one stack
- max. 1 unit of toxotai kretikoi per army
- no mass elite
- max. 1 unit of elephantes

[Unintended BM]

Use some of them Galatian dudes.

[antisocialmunky]

Generally shirtlessness and nudity solve all problems in EB.

[Andy1984]

It's hard to give advice on the preferred army composition if one doesn't know how you fight your battles and on what difficulty you're playing. If your playing on medium or hard battle difficulty, the heavy galatian infantry can save your line or flanks quite easily. If not, you'll have to revert to the more expendable units (iudais taxeis, thureophoroi or other javelin-throwing units). About cavalry: again, it heavily depends on how you use it. The east offers quite cheap and decent missile cavalry (mostly javelin cavalry, but they'll serve most purposes), as well as a broad range of heavy shock cavalry (ranging from your bodyguards to the cheaper podromoi). None of your units - with the exception of the heavy galatian infantry - is going to last long or prove efficient in prolongued melee, but if you rely on charges or javelins (or a combination of both), you should be capable to pull off victories in most situations.

Edit: I forgot to notice you should try out the galatian tindanotae.

[ertai1987]

I am playing on vh-h, right now I havent faced any big stacks so I was able to just use the good old ai-abuse-lure-and-charge-in-the-back tactics (yeah, I'm quite ruthless). Taking Galatia was and is a high priority, allthough it has become a bit complicated since the arveni gained controll after a (failed) seleucid attack, so I expect I'll have to face a full stack with two units of tindanotae if I want to take Ankyra.

my current plan for a future army composition is something like this:

4 Thureophoroi/Thorakitai
2 Galatikoi Klerouchoi
1 Galatikoi Tindanotae
1 Basilikon Agema

1 Toxotai Kretikoi
1 Rhodian Slingers/Arabian Slingers
[1 Uazali/Other mercenary Peltastai (preferably thraikoi)]

2 Arabian Light Cavalry/Leuce Epos
1 Agema Klerouchon Hippeon/Hetairoi
1 Elephantes

1 Gen. Unit

[Unintended BM]

Well, you can recruit good Galatian dudes in Alexandria and Antioch.



Those guys.

[NikosMaximilian]

4 Thureophoroi/Thorakitai
2 Galatikoi Klerouchoi
1 Galatikoi Tindanotae
1 Basilikon Agema

1 Toxotai Kretikoi
1 Rhodian Slingers/Arabian Slingers
[1 Uazali/Other mercenary Peltastai (preferably thraikoi)]

2 Arabian Light Cavalry/Leuce Epos
1 Agema Klerouchon Hippeon/Hetairoi
1 Elephantes

1 Gen. Unit

Thureophoroi/Thorakitai

A minnor tweak:
Out of the 4 Thureophoroi/Thorakitai, use 2 units of each instead. Put the Thureophoroi in first rank, used as arrow/sling/javelin fodder (they're cheaper), and the Thorakitai right behind them to cover flanks and line thickness in case of a heavy cavalry/infantry charge. Pin them down with the Thureophoroi, outflank with the Thorakitai, or use them to charge if you face a very strong enemy unit.

Rhodian Slingers/Arabian Slingers:

Rhodians are much, much better (and expensive). Arabian Slingers are not that great, and they have less range even than that of the Spendonetai.

[stratigos vasilios]

Generally shirtlessness and nudity solve all problems in EB.

LOLOLOL oh man, I'm not sure why I'm finding this so funny but I haven't stopped laughing in 10mins!

[jirisys]

LOLOLOL oh man, I'm not sure why I'm finding this so funny but I haven't stopped laughing in 10mins!

Cause it's true.

~Jirisys (wondering why men in the iron age, who painted and sculptured naked men, were afraid of them in battle)

[stratigos vasilios]

Generally shirtlessness and nudity solve all problems in EB.

Hey antisocialmunky, would you mind if I used this in my signature? I just find it so amusing! If not, no problem, happy gaming.

[vartan]

LOLOLOL oh man, I'm not sure why I'm finding this so funny but I haven't stopped laughing in 10mins!

Welcome to a world filled with antisocialmunky trivia. I love that guy! P.S. To the OP, as Ptolemaioi you REALLY could use those Galatians. They work wonders in my experience. Idk what about them does the trick but they hack away at most enemies.