Taming the Gauls

[Alphidius]

Hello everyone, I'm new to this great game & forum.

I'm currently playing the Julii in the campaign. The Gauls are the first enemies needless to say. I've read most of the threads here & guides, just wanna know if any of you guys or gals have tips to share when battling the Gauls?

Thx in advance

[aw89]

stop with one unit and flank them with another! and use archers!

[YAKOBU]

Hi Alphidius

Here are my general tactics for fighting the gauls at the start.

I try to have a core line of hastati, if possible 2 ranks deep with only the 1st rank on fire at will. My missile troops will be out front or behind the infantry depending on the situation. My cavalry or wardogs will be on the flanks with my general at the rear centre. Wardogs are very good against the gauls light infantry but I have stopped using them as they are just too good.

On Attack:
I will move my missile troops within range of the enemy closely supported by the rest of my army. If the enemy do not move I will use up all my missiles and then move my infantry in range with the cavalry or wardogs wide on the flanks. Once the infantry engage I move the cavalry or wardogs to attack the flanks and rear. Battle is now quickly over! If the enemy attack my missile troops I will retreat them behind my infantry who will try to get in a few pila volleys. Once the infantry is engaged I again flank with the cavalry or wardogs. Battle over!

On Defense:
Will place velites in front of infantry and archers behind. My 1st rank of hastati will be longer than the 2nd supporting rank. If I have my usual 10 cohorts of infantry I would have 7 as the 1st rank on fire at will with 3 supporting cohorts as the 2nd rank. As the enemy attacks the velites will retreat behind my infantry. Once the infantry has released a few pila volleys they will engage. My archers will then be targetted at non-engaged enemy untis. Cavalry or wardogs will then flank. Battle over!

These are just a rough guide and early on in the campaign I generally end up with just 4/5 infasntry units and just have a single line of hastati all on fire at will. My strongest hastati units will be placed on the flanks and in the centre. I then use the same strategy but replace with better units as I get them.

Hope this helps.

[Nobbystyles]

you can always use some equites to ride along the front of the gaul line. sometimes you an encourage single units to chase them back to where you can easily wipe them out or at least tire out soem of their troops.

[Alphidius]

YAKOBU: wow! those are pretty gd tips thx

Thx again everyone.... going to play R: TW now hehehe can't wait to try YAKOBU's tatics

[Owen]

Providing you're playing on normal difficulty, the Gauls are, to be blunt, crap.

As the Julii, get a full stack of Hastati, with a general and a couple of equites units. Stretch the Hastati out in a long line three men deep. Put them all on fire at will, turning it off whenrever you need to prevent friendly fire from firing into melee. Place the general in the centre behind the line, and one unit of equites at each end of the line, set slightly back from it.

If you have velites in your stack you can place them in a line two-deep in front of the hastati and withdraw them prior to melee. Personally I don't really see the point of fielding velites against the Gauls, as they just get in the way and often cause friendly fire.

On the attack, advance towards the enemy line until within pila range, allow the hastati to fire all their pila and then double-click charge across the gap into the warbands or swordsmen.

On the defence, allow them to come to you. Loose off as many pila as you can while they attack, but allow enough time to countercharge the Gauls. If they charge with their general, stand and receive the charge with the Hastati, then charge your general directly into the melee at him, while also flanking with the neighbouring Hastati units if that doesn't expose them to flanking. His general will probably die during your general's charge.

Once melee has started the value of Roman morale becomes apparent. The thin lines of superior Roman troops in your centre can easily fight for long enough for the ends of your line to turn the Gallic flanks and for the equites to gallop into the enemy's rear, routing any skirmisher warbands (which the Gauls rarely use anyway) and then turning to smash the centre of the line. If the Gallic army is lead by a non-cavalry captain, then he will be standing behind the main line, and the equites can be used to kill him off.

The whole Gallic army will soon be routing, if it isn't already, and your cavalry units are well-placed to run down the routers. If you're lucky enough to have brought along some war dogs, these should be sent against the very first unit to rout, after which they'll keep attacking until the enemy has left the map.

These tactics should get you 1000 Gallic casualties for about 50 of your own in a large battle.

When assaulting Gallic cities, create several breaches, send hastati through one, then use the other to charge their rear, probably with cavalry. If you're happy exploiting the ai staying static in the town square, line your hastati up in a ring around the enemy and use fire at will to break them down with missile fire. Velites or that starting unit of archers can come in handy at this point. Once all the ammo has run out, charge in to finish them off.

Oh, and once you're rid of the Gaul's, beware the Germans. They're not scary, but their specialist troops are much better than those of the Gauls, and their phalanxes gave me a nasty surprise the first time I met them.

[lars573]

Oh, and once you're rid of the Gaul's, beware the Germans. They're not scary, but their specialist troops are much better than those of the Gauls, and their phalanxes gave me a nasty surprise the first time I met them.

Actually the night raiders are scary , well there supposed to be anyway.

[Owen]

Actually the night raiders are scary , well there supposed to be anyway.

That may be true, but how often does the AI field them?

[Alphidius]

Actually the night raiders are scary , well there supposed to be anyway.

Night raiders??? Woah!! Sounds fearsome to me...Have yet to encounter them. On quite good terms with Germania actually

What special ability these Night Raiders have?

[Shadow]

What Does the night riders do?
Are they Calvary like equites or something stronger ?
& did anyone met them cause I sure didn't in my julii campaign ?

They sound like raiders to me. Those that looted, killed & burn eveything in their way *burn**kill**burn some more*

[Suppiluliumas]

Hmm, somehow I always knew they were connected with David Hasslehoff.