Britannia

**Empirate** · 08-29-2006, 20:56

If you can't outgun them, outrun them. Archer Auxiliaries are good troops, but they can't carry a battle all by themselves. I've never seen the Romans bring many archers, they tend to be very melee infantry heavy. But if they do bring archers, concentrate on bringing more melee troops, preferably cavalry (or, in the case of Britons, chariots). You might lose some troops against the Arc-Aux, but after all is said and done, chariots are a decisive weapon, while all kinds of missile troops are more the "nice to have" support kind of thing. Besides, isn't facing powerful Romans the point of playing a barbarian game?

**lot** · 09-21-2006, 02:59

Originally Posted by Empirate

Besides, isn't facing powerful Romans the point of playing a barbarian game?

So true. I just started playing the game (skipped the roman campaign altogether and began immediately with Britain as that was my favorite Medieval TW faction). The first time I met Rome on the field I was nervous prior to the battle, and my heart absolutely sank to my feet once I entered the battlemap and saw them, an entire stack, in their ordered rows before my uncouth barbarian horde.

I littered the field with Romans that day. I think I lost 60 men compared to their 900+.

Their Aux-Archers fell to my Light Charriots. As Rome was defending (I was sallying from a besieged fort), they awaited my attack. I drew their archers out with my charriots, who ran circles in front of them, dodging arrows, while pelting with a barrage of my own. The archers fell back and my two units of light charriots turned to weakening a weaker force in their center. When my troops advanced, I was able to flank certain positions in their front line. After a brief skirmish, the Romans broke and ran; my light and heavy charriots kept them running, those who survived.

Everytime I've faced them since then, I've used my charriots to weaken their missiles, and it hasn't failed.

I've figured out the Romans. Only things I'm worried about now are elephants and the cavalry-based armies of the east.

**Empirate** · 09-21-2006, 09:10

Concerning cavalry-heavy AI armies: The only ones I've ever really seen were, strange to say, Macedonians. Full stacks of Light Lancers and Companions. The "horse archer factions" rely on their few kinds of infantry a lot. I've seen Pontus and Armenia fielding stack upon stack of Eastern Infantry and whatnot, only occasionally supported by three or four horse archers. Same goes for Parthia. The Scythians seem to love Axemen, but they'll also field a lot of horse archers alright.
The only thing I ever had to worry about with these factions is the super-heavy Cataphracts or Cataphract archers. But these will come in small numbers, so never fear.

Elephants are a similar matter: I've never seen the AI field a lot of them. Fire arrows and swamping with massive numbers work like a charm to set them into panic mode. After that, just keep out of their way if you can. Still, a nuisance, I must admit. Try luring them with light chariots.

To be honest, my beloved rush strategy that I employ with all factions I'm playing whenever possible may make me a bit biased on these topics. I've yet to play a campaign that takes a hundred years...

**aWisler** · 10-03-2006, 00:28

ive never fought britannia or played them, do they have archers at all? i love using archers so i wouldnt play them if i couldnt use them. also, i dont know why but i cant post a new topic so while im asking about archers, what factions can make them? i know roman factions, greece, egypt and macedon i think. ive never seen macedon use archers but all other factions ive played ive never seen any form of archers and ive played 3 campaigns where i conquered even more than 50 provinces.

**Roman_Man#3** · 10-03-2006, 00:47

briton doesnt have archers, and macedon doesnt either if i remember correctly. scythia does, and i think dacia and thrace do too. gaul do, im pretty sure germans do, egypt does, numidia do, armenia do, pontus do, parthia do.