Eastern Infantry: Charge with them.

[Doug-Thompson]

I've had Eastern Infantry beaten by peasants when using them like spear units in Medieval: Total War -- put them into four ranks and keep them orderly.

Stretching them out into a two-rank formation and charging worked much better.

[KillerKadugen]

Pontus likes to make huge armies of these guys. I, as the Greeks, had to defend against them in a siege. It was enjoyable because they only managed to batter down my gates, so they had roughly 1,200 of Eastern Infantry versus a couple hundred of my hoplites. By sheer numbers, they almost overwhelmed my hoplites at the gate, but once I got one of their units to rout, all hell broke loose. End result, 1150 of their guys dead, and 30some odd dead for me. Moral of the story: DON'T charge them into big spears.

[DanMasey]

As the Parthians I try to avoid using any type of infantry... All of them are useless in my opinion... Well, when you have a decent selection of horses that is... Early in the campaign it's a different story.

[aw89]

i hate horses! infantry is much better! (this maybe becouse i hate horse using macedonions so much!! but theyr soon dead now!)

[Doug-Thompson]

Moral of the story: DON'T charge them into big spears.

True, but EI are going to lose a head-to-head competition with real infantry whatever tactics they use.

Only way they could have won that fight was to charge from a bunch of directions at once.

As the Parthians I try to avoid using any type of infantry... All of them are useless in my opinion... Well, when you have a decent selection of horses that is... Early in the campaign it's a different story.

Absolutely agree, but sometimes you're stuck with what you have.

I had a collection of leftover EI from bribing brigands. I kept them because they were cheaper than building new garrison units.

Lo and behold, Pontus attacked a town where no cavalry was available. I figured these guys could hold a bridge. Anybody can hold a bridge.

Wrong.

Had to bribe the invading Pontus army to spare myself a siege -- and got more EI.

[Midnight]

I've had many supposedly easy battles where my trusty Eastern Infantry have done their damndest to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. They seem okay against suicide cavalry, but against anything else they're only good at dying and routing.

Forward the horse!

[Colovion]

with numbers is their strength

[lismore]

"i hate horses! infantry is much better! (this maybe becouse i hate horse using macedonions so much!! but theyr soon dead now!)"

Ya I agree with the Spartans, people who ride horses are effminate and just want to run from the battle quicker.

[Doug-Thompson]

Sometimes you can bribe bandits and get Eastern Infantry for half-price: 167 dinarii.

You get what you pay for, though.