Problem beating battle of Carrhae

**cooldragon** · 10-05-2004, 16:10

I have been trying to beat this historic battle for 6 hours straight and i still havent done it. Its almost impossible. I tried surrounding the heavy cavlry with my infantry but then the cavlry archers just charge into my infantry.
I use my cavlry to chase the cavlry archers but i can never get them. Eventually my infantry die out and my cavlry slowly gets run over.

Can anyone please help? this battle is too frustrating.

Also i am playing on meduim difficulty.

**chemchok** · 10-06-2004, 01:25

Whoaa... I just played the battle twice, first on VH, then on medium. I was slaughtered on VH; as in 22 kills and 15 men remaining. On medium I managed to get 282 kills, but it was still a horrible defeat.

Here's what I did on medium during the initial pause. Make your general chase the cav archers that are directly behind your formation. Make your other cav unit chase off one of the cav archer groups to either the left or right. Meanwhile, get all of your units that are not on the front line out of the tetsudo formation. Once they're out, have them run into formation creating a thick band just behind the front line infantry that are still in tetsudos. Put them in guard and fire at will mode to await the oncoming cataphracts.

Meanwhile, keep your two cav units chasing away the archer cav, make sure it's just far enough for the archers to be busy moving rather than firing... so chase a bit, pick a new target, rinse and repeat. By now the cataphracts should have hit. Have your cavalry run around the infantry/cataphract mess, chasing archers away, and slamming into (and then QUICKLY retreating from) any archers that try to charge your legionnaries.

This was working somewhat until I missed a half-strength cohort run after a routing cataphract unit, the battle was just too close to let anyone run away from the fray. Anyway, tell me what you think, or post your battle results so I can get an idea of how it's going for you.

**cooldragon** · 10-06-2004, 03:01

I will try your idea. one big problem i have with the infantry is that they can't charge. They first trow their javelins and when they do that they get run over by the cavlry. Dumbest infantry i have seen.

Also i dont see any point in keeping the testudo formation. You only lose a few infantry to to CA's but you lose all your troops to a cavlry charge with that formation.

Also the other cavlry that come from behind the mountain just murder my infantry from the flank. Add that to the fact that if you don't surround the first cavlry they run back and charge again.

I actually tried most of the historic battles yesterday but before i played this battle i promised myself that i will beat this one. Luckily for me, i picked the most impossible battle ever.

**chemchok** · 10-06-2004, 03:12

The theory behind keeping the units in the front in tetsudo was to soak up the arrows from the cav archers since they're mostly towards the front of your formation. It's probably a better idea to have them get out at the last minute possible before the cats hit.

It's an extremely hard battle, and the worst tactical blunder is already made before you even start playing.

**bigredlemon** · 10-06-2004, 03:27

And i thought i was the only one!

btw, presuming we kill off the cats... how the heck do we take on the horse archers? they'll keep running away while firing at you!

**Noong** · 10-06-2004, 03:36

They have to run out of arrows some time.... hehe

**bigredlemon** · 10-06-2004, 03:37

Well i thought up another possible start:

use the two calvary to heard the horse archer into your infantry... have the cavs flank a archer or two from behind/sides so it has no where to go but toward your infantry. Keep all of the in testudo formation except two units closeest to where you're hearding them. have the two infantry alt charge the cav archers while hearding and then charging them.

You should be able to kill off one or two archers this way before the cats get here. Then remove testudo formation. Have the infantry that the cats are charging into counter alt charge, while the other infanty javelin charge. Position your cavs in front and to the side of the infantry and charge into the back of the cats and pull out just in time for the flank infatry to charge in after chucking the javlins. The cats are now suroounded.

You'll probably need to keep them a bit awar from the infantry at first so that the cats don't charge your cavs first. (you'll lose them quick.) Or if they do charge you, i guess luring away two cats isn't too bad, but it'll be hard to shake them off without losing some cavs which you'll very much need for the horse archers later. After taking care of teh cats, repeat the hearding trick ti finish the horse archers.

If you do it all right, i think you could pull out with a victory.

**cooldragon** · 10-06-2004, 03:39

Chemok i tried your strategy and well it didn't work. I have been able to surround the Heavy cavlry and killed about 200 of them but then the CA's jump in and charge from 5 directions.

To surround the heavy cavlry i took my 2nd line which has 2 units and i took them out of the testudo formation. then i made them run to each side of the front line and move them up. THen when the cavlry charges the 2 units can charge the cavlry from the back of the cavlry.

The only problem is that they charge too late. If they would charge right when i tell them i would be able to kill them quickly. I may just give up on it till someone comes up with some crazy strategy.

**cerberusti** · 11-22-2004, 18:48

I beat Carrhae on medium difficulty... after about ten tries. I held the highest part of the hill almost directly behind where you start.

I actually killed less than 300 units, but their horse archers killed some of their own as well.

My best on units killed was 370 (setting everyone to loose formation before the cat charge), although I was completely destroyed.

Battle flow for the winning battle was as follows:

1) Battle Starts
2) Immediately get all legions out of testudo, have calvalry run around after archers.
3) The moment legions are out of testudo, they run like mad toward the highest point on the hill behind them.
4) Just before I reached the hill, I had one of the legions charge the oncoming cataphracts (they were getting too close.)
5) As the sacrifice legion hits the cataphracts, both my calvalry units hit them from behind
6) Cataphracts destroy sacrifice legion and run after my calvalry, which are fleeing to the top of the hill.
7) All legions except sacrifice legion (which routed with two units left) arrive at the hilltop
8) Enemy general (the one in cataphract armor) charges
9) One legion countercharges the enemy general
10) Enemy general impacts legion, both my calvalry hit him almost immediately from behind.
11) Two legions countercharge the cataphracts coming up the hill, all others (except the one on the general) throw javilins and attack
12) Enemy general in cataphract armor routes
13) Remaining members of the anti-general legion throw javilins and attack, my calvalry hits the cataphracts from behind a few times.
14) Cataphracts route.
15) Archers exhaust their arrows (I used testudo for the two hardest hit legions, which were a bit out front.)
16) Second general charges (the one with the normal generals calvalry), along with two horse archer units.
17) Out of testudo, one legion countercharges each oncoming unit, both calvalry charge the general
18) First general (the one in cataphract armor) stops routing and charges
19) Roman calvalry (non general) charge general in cataphract armor and are destroyed to a man (but the general charge stops)
20) Send one legion and my general after general in cataphract armor
21) One horse archer unit routes
22) Enemy general in cataphract armor routes and is killed
23) Enemy general in normal armor is killed (although the unit does not route)
24) Two more horse archer units run out of ammo and charge
25) One more horse archer unit routes
26) All legions countercharge the two charging horse archers
27) Both charging horse archer units impact
28) My generals calvalry hits the back of the last horse archer unit from the first wave, which routes
29) The two horse archer units which just charged route
30) Enemy generals calvalry (from the dead general in normal armor) is destroyed
31) Last horse archer unit charges, all of my units countercharge, the horse archer routes before impact.
32) The battle is won, I had 39 men across six cohorts and 7 of my general calvalry left at the end, enough for a Close Victory.

Screenshots from the win screen:

http://culsu.net/carrhae_win.jpg
http://culsu.net/carrhae_win2.jpg

**rmlindley** · 02-25-2005, 19:17

I know this is now a bit old, but I was so pleased to finally beat Carrhae that I had to post...

Like Cerberusti I went for the big hill behind and to the right of where you start. I have now beaten the game multiple times using this strategy on medium.

Firstly, set you cavalry to charge the archers behind and to the left of you as you start. This is to drive the horse archers (HA) away.

Put all legions into standard formation asap. Also fire at will.

As soon as they are out of testudo, pull the center two legions back at charge speed. The idea is to turn the n formation you start with to a u that the cats will charge into. You will have just enough time to pull the units back and turn them to face the cats.

Meanwhile have you cavalry charge forwards after driving the HAs away for a short distance.

Target you cavalry to charge the flanking cat units on either side. This completely disrupts their charge. Meanwhile the two center cat units rush into your u shape - charge them from the sides and behind.

The cats will rout with heavy losses in less than 30s. Do not chase them.

Start running all units to the hill behind your starting position. If you are lucky a few HA units will charge you - turn and kill them (your cavalry is v good at this) then continue.

You will meet the enemy general on the way to the hill - overwhelm and kill him

Get to the top of the hill, put you general way back out of arrow range and put all your legions into testudo.

Wait for the HAs to run out of ammo.

You will have to come out of testudo to deal with the other enemy general charge - get back in asap.

Once the HAs start charging up the hill (out of ammo) your legions can easily defeat them. If you can spare a cavalry unit, chase routing units off the map cos otherwise they regroup and cause more hassle.

I usually have 370+ kills with this strategy and 40+ troops surviving. Keep your general alove at all costs

**overlord_88** · 12-29-2010, 10:47

This battle took me ages as well, beat it playing on Medium 357 Kills 185 Men surviving

At the start of the battle, move all infantry into standard formation. All units fire at will.
Have the general charge the HA behind you, do not stop until it routs.
Have the other cav unit charge the one on the left.

Move the two frontal infantry units into the back, so your units form an 'U' Shape

By this time your infantry will be firing their javelins and routing the HA on the right, and the normal cav unit would've routed his target. Change his target to another HA.

Once the cav routs that unit, immediately charge into the rear of the enemy Cataphract, thats where he will be fighting and dying for the rest of the battle.

Once your general routs the rear unit, have him charge at the Cataphract general, he is stronger and he can definitely beat it.

Meanwhile the rest of the cataphracts will be suffering heavy casualties and the Eastern General will be charging, take him head on with your surviving soldiers. Once he's dead the battle is over, have your general mop up any surviving horse archers.