Hayasdan Questions

[JG1Beck]

No, not about reforms

First off, long time lurker, first time poster, and many thanks to the EB team for a great mod, and one that revived RTW for me after a few years of dust gathering!

A couple of Hayasdan questions:

1) What do any of you like about the core roster? So far I am early on, and having a bit of trouble with the grey death pikes (well, I can beat them, but it is a micromanage fest) largely because the Sparabara are rubbish, and the Armenian Spearmen don't seem much better. Is there something down the line that can hold the line better? As it is, the FMs are saving me by the hammer and anvil method and done quickly before the Sparabara bleed out or flee. At some point soon I expect the silver shield spams to be heading my way and I tremble . . .

2) I've read several posts about Karkiokatherta as a great natural fortress because of the steep hills on two sides. How does this play out? Do you need stone walls so your missiles have the elevation to tear up the enemy? As it is with wooden walls I have to sally out and still meet them on level ground or with them just barely over the hill. So far I am seeing any tremendous advantage. Or maybe it is my tactics?

Anyway, again, great mod and cheers!

[Cute Wolf]

No, not about reforms

First off, long time lurker, first time poster, and many thanks to the EB team for a great mod, and one that revived RTW for me after a few years of dust gathering!

A couple of Hayasdan questions:

1) What do any of you like about the core roster? So far I am early on, and having a bit of trouble with the grey death pikes (well, I can beat them, but it is a micromanage fest) largely because the Sparabara are rubbish, and the Armenian Spearmen don't seem much better. Is there something down the line that can hold the line better? As it is, the FMs are saving me by the hammer and anvil method and done quickly before the Sparabara bleed out or flee. At some point soon I expect the silver shield spams to be heading my way and I tremble . . .

2) I've read several posts about Karkiokatherta as a great natural fortress because of the steep hills on two sides. How does this play out? Do you need stone walls so your missiles have the elevation to tear up the enemy? As it is with wooden walls I have to sally out and still meet them on level ground or with them just barely over the hill. So far I am seeing any tremendous advantage. Or maybe it is my tactics?

Anyway, again, great mod and cheers!

1) your line are supposed to be weak, but your support troops in matter of archery is not. Try to pack more archers (Caucasian Archers being the best when deployed behind wall of men) into your ranks, and if capable bring out several FM at once to pound the Phalanx's behind. If you want to hold for some more time, try to use Kardaka

2) Just put a big army hidden on the forest outside the city, and when they besiege the town, just counterattack them with that army, simple.

wellcome to the org JG1Beck

[vollorix]

Don´t think this is historical accurate, but you still can build tier 3 auxilla and bring your own panda phalanx on the field to hold the lines ( role playing the helenistic elements in your army, once you´ve conquered some of Greek towns ).
Playing Hai i utilize Scythian Horse Archers, instead of food archers, which you can get out from Mzcheta and Kotais with tier 2 auxilla center. If you use BI exe. you could use the shield wall ability of Armenian and Parthian Spearmen to block pike phalanx of the Seleucids, while using Georgian Swordmen or Axemen of any kind to hit them from the rear or flanks, after you have decimated them with missile units. And, by any means, use slingers! They are THE phalanx killers, if used properly ( attacking a phalanx from behind ).

[Brave Brave Sir Robin]

You can mass Scythian HA's but imo this is a cop out. Hai should struggle with infantry early on. Kardaka require the 12 turn 12000 gold barracks and before Persian Reforms can only be built in Phrasspa so forget them. Armenian Med Infantry again require 12000 barracks and so are out of the question early on. In fact, its difficult to afford Armenian Spearmen very early in the game. However, they are worlds better than Caucasian Sparabara so I recommend them as your main line. 2-3 Caucasian Archers along with maybe one Scythian Horse or foot archer. I actually like Armenian Skirmisher Cavalry since they have a large bundle of javelins and they can charge home mildly effectively. And of course your FM's are the real savior early on.

[Titus Marcellus Scato]

If you want Sparabara to hold the line against a phalanx, then you're going to need superior numbers of Sparabara. They're no match for a phalanx unit for unit, but they'll hold long enough if you have enough of them in deep formations.

Either that or you'll have to seriously whittle down the phalanxes with missiles before they make contact, and flank them when they do. Fighting defensively helps a lot, you can site your army on the high ground, and give your slingers and archers enough range to shoot the phalanxes to hell as they march up, before they even lower their sarissas (long pikes). After that a unit of Sparabara should do OK against a half-strength phalanx.

[JG1Beck]

Thanks for the welcome and the tips. Looks like I'll just have to wait till I get better barracks to really push the Selukids as hard as I want. For now its hit and run, defensive war, micromanagement of battles. It's the most fun I've had in EB in some time- a real nice challenge, having to worry whilst trying to get the economy up and running. What a chore! I think I will give the Armenian spearmen a try, though the cost is a bit tough to take.

[vartan]

No, not about reforms

First off, long time lurker, first time poster, and many thanks to the EB team for a great mod, and one that revived RTW for me after a few years of dust gathering!

A couple of Hayasdan questions:

1) What do any of you like about the core roster? So far I am early on, and having a bit of trouble with the grey death pikes (well, I can beat them, but it is a micromanage fest) largely because the Sparabara are rubbish, and the Armenian Spearmen don't seem much better. Is there something down the line that can hold the line better? As it is, the FMs are saving me by the hammer and anvil method and done quickly before the Sparabara bleed out or flee. At some point soon I expect the silver shield spams to be heading my way and I tremble . . .

2) I've read several posts about Karkiokatherta as a great natural fortress because of the steep hills on two sides. How does this play out? Do you need stone walls so your missiles have the elevation to tear up the enemy? As it is with wooden walls I have to sally out and still meet them on level ground or with them just barely over the hill. So far I am seeing any tremendous advantage. Or maybe it is my tactics?

Anyway, again, great mod and cheers!

1) Nothing bad to say about the roster. From the slingers to the kataphracts, loving every second of it.

2) Karkathiokerta is located quite darn close to where Tigranakert was located, and we're talking about what were historically two major forts, quite similar to, for instance, the fort at Ani, or earlier forts at Erebuni (located at the ancient Araratian Argishti-hinli, modern day Yerevan). These are quite great places to defend by combining infantry, cavalry and missile. Missile makes the best defense at these locations, stopping most if not all of enemy siege tools.

Thanks for the welcome and the tips. Looks like I'll just have to wait till I get better barracks to really push the Selukids as hard as I want. For now its hit and run, defensive war, micromanagement of battles. It's the most fun I've had in EB in some time- a real nice challenge, having to worry whilst trying to get the economy up and running. What a chore! I think I will give the Armenian spearmen a try, though the cost is a bit tough to take.

Have fun. There's no need for Armenian Spearmen this early in the game. In fact, just realize that almost all of those Caucasian Spearmen are actually Armenians levied to fight. They aren't professionally trained soldiers like Armenian Spearmen. And honestly, when it comes to fighting the Seleucid Empire, especially early on, don't worry about losing Spearmen. You don't need to lose Spearmen. In fact, your Spearmen are lightspeeds faster than the enemy phalanxes, so you should in fact refuse battle to the enemy line. It'll give you an edge and plenty of time to use all your missiles properly. It's the easiest thing in single player to split up the enemy line. If only humans were that unintelligent, I would win every MP battle!

[JG1Beck]

1) In fact, your Spearmen are lightspeeds faster than the enemy phalanxes, so you should in fact refuse battle to the enemy line. It'll give you an edge and plenty of time to use all your missiles properly. It's the easiest thing in single player to split up the enemy line. If only humans were that unintelligent, I would win every MP battle!

Thanks for the reminder Vartan- I had gotten caught in the "man up" ideal and was getting shredded- now they scamper all about the battlefield whilst slingers and archers deal damage. It was a bit counterintuitive at first, but getting used to it.

The stupid suicidal SE is annoying. No way to get a lasting peace there, so they have to die. One province creep at a time. I figured out to that the economy got a bunch better when I grabbed Arbela and Mazaka- I was treading water for a while barely able to afford the troops I had. What a fun campaign!

[vartan]

Haha, yeah. Frankly, if you wanted to, you could all your money from Pan-Caucasus towns. It takes trade, mines and taxes.