What is your go-to army composition?

[Bramborough]

I am not sure if you have seen it happen, but whenever I try something similar against the AI to what you have in the pic, the AI would respond with something I call "dumbell formation". It would throw all it's melee and cavalry at my flanks (huge blob on the poor hoplites or whatever I have there), while the AI's missiles would focus on the pikes

It's a mixed bag, sometimes the AI does try frontal assault, such as the Iudaea battle in Egypt AAR (Part 8). But yes, what you describe is also very common, as seen in quite a few other AAR battles. My flank Galatians, Nubian spears, and Thorax swords often get quite a workout. Main reason why I'm thinking of reducing the number of pikes and replacing with more melee infantry for the flanks. Also will probably drop one archer unit as well. I don't really mind the "dumbbell". Splits the enemy army, often leaves those missile troops exposed. Many times I can wheel a couple of phalanxes to the right/left and create a V-shaped vise surrounding the enemy blob. Sure, it breaks the integrity of the overall pike line...but the enemy center is empty as well, except for now-exposed missileers in the second echelon.

Never occurred to me about the ballistae being "aggression bait"...but yeah, I think you're right. This actually strikes me as a plus for a pike-centric army...one wants the AI to charge.

[Sp4]

It's a mixed bag, sometimes the AI does try frontal assault, such as the Iudaea battle in Egypt AAR (Part 8). But yes, what you describe is also very common, as seen in quite a few other AAR battles. My flank Galatians, Nubian spears, and Thorax swords often get quite a workout. Main reason why I'm thinking of reducing the number of pikes and replacing with more melee infantry for the flanks. Also will probably drop one archer unit as well. I don't really mind the "dumbbell". Splits the enemy army, often leaves those missile troops exposed. Many times I can wheel a couple of phalanxes to the right/left and create a V-shaped vise surrounding the enemy blob. Sure, it breaks the integrity of the overall pike line...but the enemy center is empty as well, except for now-exposed missileers in the second echelon.

Never occurred to me about the ballistae being "aggression bait"...but yeah, I think you're right. This actually strikes me as a plus for a pike-centric army...one wants the AI to charge.

I have never seen the AI do anything that didn't seem to amount to control A, right click behind enemy units.

[Slaists]

I have never seen the AI do anything that didn't seem to amount to control A, right click behind enemy units.

Try this Macedon move. Turn one, move your starting general from Pella towards border with Larissa. Train hoplites. On turn two: hire mercs to fill your army (not optional; this seems to trigger the city assault to be a field battle in this case and that's what we want) and ambush Pyrrhus' elephants next to Larissa. On the same turn, attack Larissa, which will have a garrison + the other Epirus starting army. Any time I try this, the AI sallies to the field. At this point, the AI will have missile superiority not you.

What will ensue will be a field battle against a defending AI. The AI won't rush you. It will defend a hill-top.

As to ballista: arty is definitely an aggression trigger. Any arty. The only time it is not a trigger in field battles is if the AI has similar arty to match.

Open Field Battle

Let them come. Usually I have 3 peltast units but in this I happened to have 2 ballista. Hid my cavs in the right flank trees and happened to split off half of the enemy force to try and stop those 3 units... Usually the Ai tries to find a weakness to the back and happens to just hit the sides. Then u pull the back ranks forward if the pikes get in trouble

Yup, I know we can win against the AI this way. But is it the fun way to win an attacking battle (where you are supposed to be attacking)? Surrounding your own ballista, with pikes and taking a walk to the bathroom. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with this: just questioning if it is interesting.

For one, it would never work if a human was controlling the defending AI (in an MP campaign). A human would just let the timer run out and you'd lose your attack.

[Kamakazi]

This is a defense actually. I had an Egyptian city sieged and they attacked with an outer army. Just throwing out a strength of the composition of my army....

[Sp4]

As to ballista: arty is definitely an aggression trigger. Any arty. The only time it is not a trigger in field battles is if the AI has similar arty to match.

No.

[Slaists]

No.

Do a quicksave before any battle where you are attacking and you have a ballista (one is sufficient) whereas the defending AI has none. Does the AI defend or attack you? OK, exit the battle, load from the quicksave, delete the ballista and attack that same AI again. Unless you have missile superiority of other type, the AI will defend. I am talking about a field battle here, not a wall-less town defense.

[Myth]

Try this Macedon move. Turn one, move your starting general from Pella towards border with Larissa. Train hoplites. On turn two: hire mercs to fill your army (not optional; this seems to trigger the city assault to be a field battle in this case and that's what we want) and ambush Pyrrhus' elephants next to Larissa. On the same turn, attack Larissa, which will have a garrison + the other Epirus starting army. Any time I try this, the AI sallies to the field. At this point, the AI will have missile superiority not you.



What will ensue will be a field battle against a defending AI. The AI won't rush you. It will defend a hill-top.

As to ballista: arty is definitely an aggression trigger. Any arty. The only time it is not a trigger in field battles is if the AI has similar arty to match.



Yup, I know we can win against the AI this way. But is it the fun way to win an attacking battle (where you are supposed to be attacking)? Surrounding your own ballista, with pikes and taking a walk to the bathroom. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with this: just questioning if it is interesting.

For one, it would never work if a human was controlling the defending AI (in an MP campaign). A human would just let the timer run out and you'd lose your attack.

This is called a Noob Box in Rome 1 MP

[Slaists]

@Myth, LOL, why did you grab that post with my text? The original newb box came from Kamakazi ;)

Unrelated

Temporary garrison army

I have started using temporary garrison armies. These armies get spawned right where I am doing conquest and disbanded when the area is pacified. They use cheap local militia exclusively (supplemented by mercs if some real danger appears), but, at times get decent fighting going for themselves (catching remainder stacks, etc.). For Seleucids, for example, such an army might consist exclusively of the cheapest spears + slingers (available anywhere). Once disbanded, the army's legacy can be reestablished later at some other point so such armies rack up traditions even.

[Kamakazi]

Call me a newb if you want effective is effective. Id never use this in multiplayer.

[Slaists]

Call me a newb if you want effective is effective. Id never use this in multiplayer.

I think, he was just teasing. Cheers, mate.

[Kamakazi]

Open Field Battle

Let them come. Usually I have 3 peltast units but in this I happened to have 2 ballista. Hid my cavs in the right flank trees and happened to split off half of the enemy force to try and stop those 3 units... Usually the Ai tries to find a weakness to the back and happens to just hit the sides. Then u pull the back ranks forward if the pikes get in trouble