Tips to save the West

**Greyblades** · 03-04-2015, 19:30

Hrm, you start out with about 7 small 6-10 unit stacks, have any of you tried emulating the diocletian methods of keeping them seperate and using the garrisons to compensate while defending the borders? I could see the skilled use of a garrison being able to deplete a horde enough for the small legions to destroy.

If you are lucky with the african tribe's disposition it might be possible to deal with the suebi with the iberian and african legions and leave the border legions in place.

If only there was a way to gift lands, say give the suebi pannonia in exchange for a pledge not to let the barbarians through.

**Philippus Flavius Homovallumus** · 03-04-2015, 21:25

OK, here's a big tip - DO NOT - agree to join the ERE's wars unless they're defensive. Sure, they'll give you a little cash but you'll be at war with the Huns, and the Vandals, refuse and you can put them off, the longer you put them off the stronger you will become and the less likely they will be to attack.

**Greyblades** · 03-04-2015, 21:42

In my first game game the vandals took over Urburzis and after I took it for myself to dislodge them (after they had betrayed me 1 turn after I had subjugated them) I ended up spending 5 turns chasing them around gaul, is there something special about hordes that make them move faster than my armies or something?

**Bramborough** · 03-04-2015, 23:24

Originally Posted by Greyblades

Hrm, you start out with about 7 small 6-10 unit stacks, have any of you tried emulating the diocletian methods of keeping them seperate and using the garrisons to compensate while defending the borders? I could see the skilled use of a garrison being able to deplete a horde enough for the small legions to destroy.

If you are lucky with the african tribe's disposition it might be possible to deal with the suebi with the iberian and african legions and leave the border legions in place.

If only there was a way to gift lands, say give the suebi pannonia in exchange for a pledge not to let the barbarians through.

There might be something worthwhile in that approach. I can't speak specifically for playing WRE, haven't done so yet. But in general, settlement garrisons seem a little stronger than in R2; I'm not seeing the "pleb" or "farmers" fodder units. Plus the minor settlements are much better fortified and defensible.

A couple of days ago as Saxons, got surprise-attacked in a Level II minor settlement by a 20-unit Burgundian horde stack. AR prediction was quite low; 20% or so. Decided to play it out just to wear down their army as much as I could for a next-turn counterattack. Pleasantly surprised that the garrison alone managed to beat them off and keep the town...and were still viable at the end, wasn't a Pyrrhic.

**Greyblades** · 03-05-2015, 02:35

So I've been browsing the CA forums and I've gotten the gist that it's a waste of time to buy cohors and I should just stick with limitanei and comitatensis' until tier 2. Also that I should allways testudo, which is apparantly a different formation to the Rome 2 classical testudo

God I miss ballistae. Give me 2 units and some principes to hide behind wnd I could take over the world. Hell just let my onagers have more than 6 shots and I would be content.

**Paradigmatic** · 03-05-2015, 19:23

Without testudo, your units are pin cushions for archers, javelinmen, slingers (well not pins really), etc. With testudo, all those missiles are like a light rain.

Personally, I find that limitanei, etc. don't kill as fast as the comitatensis do. I like to stack 1 unit of spears in front with 1 unit of swords right behind. Both testudo. The enemy breaks on the spears and when the limitanei tire or waver, i send the swords in.

I destroy all military buildings at start though, but recruit heavily from hordes and puppet states. Getting axemen to run around the enemy and charge them in the flanks or back really does the trick while your testudo'd spears hold the line.

Javelinmen (of all sorts) are also insanely powerful. Never let them fire from behind your guys - too much friendly fire and it will kill your morale. Have the javelinmen run around the enemy and take position behind them. They massacre all sorts of units, even generals, and will also kill morale.

**Greyblades** · 03-05-2015, 21:12

Real pity garrisons dont get any, by god would I love to trade in the useless medium infantry for some javelins.

Have any of you guys had any sucess avoiding getting your garrisons outflanked in siege battles? My problem is that the only way to keep the capture point from being taken and ruining my morale is to cover 3 or more alleys and seing as only 2 of my 4 units can actually last any length of time the Ai usually just walks through my medium infantry and beats the crap out of my testudos.

Aparantly the last patch made the attacking testudo usless as it falls apart the second it's charged.

Edit: doesnt seem to be happening on my game, I do notice that it turns off when you tell them to atack but it holds when they are charged themselves.

**lugh** · 03-07-2015, 20:02

I'm having some luck this third or fourth attempt. Burned Africa and Gaul except for the Provincia. Lost two provinces in Iberia and one in Britannia but they were swiftly retaken. Best part was the haul of gold from all the dismantling. Bout 60k allowing me to run in red for a few turns while getting the food situation in order by removing taxes from the worst provinces.

**Philippus Flavius Homovallumus** · 03-10-2015, 23:31

Originally Posted by Greyblades

So I've been browsing the CA forums and I've gotten the gist that it's a waste of time to buy cohors and I should just stick with limitanei and comitatensis' until tier 2. Also that I should allways testudo, which is apparantly a different formation to the Rome 2 classical testudo

God I miss ballistae. Give me 2 units and some principes to hide behind wnd I could take over the world. Hell just let my onagers have more than 6 shots and I would be content.

I've found Cohors to be quite effective, actually, Legio even more so. While the spearmen are tough defensively they have limited killing power, and that means they take more casualties in the long run. Try this, staggered double axies with the spears at the front and the legion behind. The enemy will hit the spears who are good defensively and you can then strike each enemy unit in it's flank with cohors.

Also, it's easier to recruit those guys gradually and then retrain rather than waiting until you have the legio upgrade ready.