Best Armies and Tactics!!!

[aoera2]

place your favourite armies and tactics here...

mines: Julii

{Roman General}
{Paetorian Cav.}{Paetorian Cav.}{Paetorian Cav.}{Paetorian Cav.}
{ Urban Co. }{ Urban Co. }{ Urban Co. }{ Urban Co. }
{ Archer Auxillia } { Archer Auxillia }
{Urban Co.}{Urban Co.}{Urban Co.}{Urban Co.} {Urban Co.}{ Urban Co.}

the other 3 spare slots are filled depending on what im attacking.

[Lazul]

Best attack army

Selucid
3 untis of elephants, (armoured if you can)
3 units of kataphracts
3 untis of companion cavalry
Rest being Silvershield Legion and archers, maybe some Scythed Chariots.

Tacitc

Use elephants to rush the enemy staright on, and rush to the back of the enemy army.
Then the same with Katas and Companion.... well if there is anything left, use the Legions to clean the place.

[Didz]

So, far I've only played Roman factions my army composition has stabilized@

1xRoman General
plus two legions each of:

4xLegion Cohorts
1xArcher
1xLight Auxilia
1xRoman Cavalry
1xOnager

Standard deployment is three lines:

1st line Missiles
2nd Infantry + Cavalry to Flanks
3rd General & artillery

If attacking I open with a barrage of flaming Onager ammunition, then close to within archer range and take out as many as possible.

Finally, the lights and heavies go in with javelins and pilums to finish the job. I always have my heavy infantry on FAW.

The cavalry finish the job cutting down the routing units and ensuring only a handful escape. I sometimes add exotic units to the mix such as mercenary elephants in my north african armies though these have proved to be a mixed blessing when they go berserk and I lost one battle because they smashed through my own troops.

[Jeanne d'arc]

Germania:
(nightraiders) (spearwb) (spearwb) (spearwb) (spearwb) (nightraiders)
(screechers)
(chosen archers)(chosen archers)
(gothic cavalry) (general) (gothic cavalry)

Suitable for attack and defence, spearwarbands on phalanx formation offcourse, nightraiders used to flank enemy units where possible.The screechers right behind the spearwarbands and let them screech away :) .The gothic cavalry will provide protection to the flanks and is also well suited for flanking or charging the rear, i always use them as additional shock troops in combination with the nightraiders, this makes for a pretty lethal combination.The chosen archers should try and take out the enemy general when he is close enough, else just target there archers or any other unit that dares coming near your flanks.Dont wurry about your center it will hold a very long time.
This formation is even more thougher when u throw in a berserker unit or 2 in the fray.Hail Germania!

[Gith]

Seleucids.

Gen cav
2 Armored Elephants
3 Cataphracts
2 Companion Cavalry
3 Silver Shield Phalanx
4 Silver Shield Legions
2 Onagers
As many archers as I can

Defending:

Find a steep incline (the steepest possible, sometimes none). Infantry in front (phalanx center, legions wings set on FAW). Archers behind them a good distance. Onagers dead behind the archers. Companions on one wing, Cataphracts on the other, elephants on whichever wing I feel like (usually the one with the steepest incline I can find). Gen with Companions. Sit and wait. Burn and feather as many as I can. Usually by the time they get to the army they are ready to break. When they attack, send elephants in across their line from the side and get to smashing, call off archers, when the army routs, send cavalry to mop up.


Attacking:

If they don't have any archers, send my archers up to shoot them to bits. Send elephants in. Send cavalry in to mop up.

I played once as the Julii, but it was my first campaign (and short) so I didn't develop any solid armies/tactics.

[Uesugi Kenshin]

Best army: Within a few hundred men and a few thousand Denarii of your enemy's.

Best Tactic: Find a weakness, poke repeatedly......

[Dark_Magician]

Also seleucid

center - lines of silvershield, like 4-5, in thin lines

behind at a close range 3-4 onagers, perhaps some cretan archers - normal seleucid archer suck

one scyth chariots, one kataphract or campanion, one elephant - better elephant archers (or armored) on each flank

defending means silvershields standing, onagers shrow flame, then switch to rocks then switched off. Silvershild just stands

Cavalry moves at acurve to behind
Elephants and chariots are slower and less maneuravable - they attack flanks and run through to the center.
Imporant that they move constantly and when throgh enemy lines chariots continue going for some time ans then turn back. Though it is necessary only against many star generals.

In attacking this complecates a lot, in some places onagers are immovable. In such case should not be brought. Otherwise - against ai - just empty their load then the rest is attacked with everything

[Sinner]

Not the best, but my latest refinement of my prefered Roman army...

- A general. Usually only gets involved in fighting during dire emergencies or when the enemy is fleeing.

- A junior general. Used the same as above in battle, the junior general's job is to act as a 'carrier' for additional useful ancillaries plus act as a governor of a conquered city when I don't have time to leave in place my main general and his army to keep the peace.

- A front line of 5 Legionary Cohorts, with one in reserve. The reserves are usually placed on a flank or behind the main line, the former to help deal with flanking attacks if I intend to use my cavalry in a purely aggresive role, the latter to deal with breakthroughs in the line or reinforce my own attacks.

My tactics for the line are generally quite simple: concentrate the pila on just one or two enemy units to shatter them, then exploit the gap in the enemy line, ganging up on remaining enemy units, although when I'm outnumbered it's just a way to try and even the odds.

I used to use Praetorian and Urban Cohorts, but I now prefer to limit their use to armies commanded by my Faction Leader and/or Heir. This is purely a 'roleplay' issue, nothing more.

- Missile support is provided by 4 Archer Auxilia, sometimes acting as skirmishers out in front, and sometimes supporting on the flanks or behind my infantry line. I tend to micromanage my archers the most to avoid the dreaded friendly fire.

- A couple of Legionary Cavalry. These tend to have the most variable role, sometimes being used defensively to hold off enemy flankers, sometimes being sent on wide loops around the enemy to attack from behind, sometimes being held in reserve to exploit when the enemy breaks or to try and cover retreats. Again, I prefer Praetorians, but limit my use due to 'roleplay'.

- Optional troops that consist of a mix of mercenaries plus extra archers and/or cavalry. I tend to be rather ruthless with my mercenaries, using them to soak up damage in risky assaults and from enemy missile fire - there are always more willing to fight and I don't feel quite so bad when I lose some to friendly fire. My favorite mercenaries right now are to have a pair of Barbarian Mercenaries which I group into a single long line of two ranks in front of my Legionaries, taking the brunt of any charges and allowing my Legionaires time to counter charge after a pila volley.

The extra archers and/or cavalry are to tailor the army to the main enemy they're fighting, eg. against the Greeks I add more archers.

[Parmenio]

I 've been having fun playing the Britons recently. My Field Armies tend to look like this:



(Light-Chariots) .... (Slingers) .... (Slingers) .... (Light-Chariots)

(Swordsmen) ... (Swordsmen) ... (Swordsmen) ... (Swordsmen)

(Woad.W) (Woad.W) (Woad.W) (Woad.W) (Woad.W) (Woad.W)

(Mercenary-Cavalry) . ((Druids & General)) . (Mercenary-Cavalry)



1st Line harasses the enemy.
2nd Line warcrys and brakes the enemy's charge.
3rd Line warcrys and counter-charges through gaps and around the enemy's flanks.
4th Line pursues routers.

[Colovion]

Phalanx, Falxmen, Cav

you got the Infanty wall, the quick and deadly flankers and Cav if you need it

[aw89]

5 units of phlalanx (sp?!?) pikemenn in front with 3 units of archers in front first then behind 2 units of ele's 2 units of the best cav i can get (at the moment greek cav.) for flanking and anti flank.

unbeaten yet!

[Jeanne d'arc]

can anyone post up a tactic for the macedonians also?

[Alphidius]

So far had played the Romans only.
Find their defense & morale rather rock steady.

Tactics would vary but mostly range (Archers, Velites, Pila-throwers) first, melee, flank & charge. Should have routed a few enemy units by then. I find the Hestati & Principles the best infantry with good morale that can soak up much damage.

My two cents