could a full stack of archers win against a full stack of hoplites?

[seleucid empire]

hey is this thread about EB or vanilla rtw?, cause in EB, the british faction's chariots are so op you can win with 3 levies and one-two chariot general against 15 units of midlander elites

[ReluctantSamurai]

Vanilla.

[Alrik]

What you need is Gallic Forresters, you can recruit them with 5 in experience and fairly decently upgraded weaponsand armour. when they are make a fullstack of them and take on what ever the heck you like. If the phalanx walk towards you it'll be shot to pieces and if it runs it will be only half so, but then you'll butcher it in close combat, because the forresters are as good as most infantry in close combat and with 2 silver chevrons straight out of the box they are more than that. they also fight with spears so they butcher any cavalry that tries to run them over.

So yes it can be done, at least with Gaul and in campaign, might be a totally different thing in multiplayer if you're given the same amount of gold (I imagine the upgrades you'd get more or less for free in the campaign will be very costly when you buy your units for multiplayer.)

[ReluctantSamurai]

So yes it can be done, at least with Gaul and in campaign

It can be done with any faction that can recruit archers. Obviously, some factions get better archers than others...Forester War Band, as mentioned...Germanic or Scythian Chosen archers...even a group of merc Cretan's.

The method is the same...skirmish with a main line, and strike from the flanks or rear with reserves. However.....if the full stack of hoplites happens to be Armored Hoplites or Spartans.......good luck! I've managed to make pin-cushions of Armored Hoplites once, in such a scenario. It wasn't a full stack (six or eight units, IIRC), and they were attempting to assault a group of five or six Cretans with three gold chevrons standing on a very, very high hill just outside Sardis. I didn't kill them all, and those that survived, routed.

[Cantemir]

If you used it well and making it stay away from the hoplites: YES!
If not, buy more hoplites!

[ReluctantSamurai]

If not, buy more hoplites

Ehhh, I hate to bring this up, but the whole point to the thread is fighting all archers against all hoplites

[Myth]

Actually I think that a full stack of Cretan Archers upgraded in a Hellenic temple of Artemis can probably slaughter anything that isn't Sacred Band, Spartans or Armoured Hoplites.