I have not found that SPQR and vanilla battles feel that different regarding duration; the chance that a melee would last 6 full minutes without an ennemy units coming to make a difference are small. One on one tests are not showing that tactics may make a difference much before the one on one is over.

I have played a few test games in 1.2, running heavy cavalry into phalanx with phalanx on and guard off: phalanx came on top. I mean long pike phalanx (the regular kind) against praetorian cavalry and the like... Silver shield phalanx against praetorian would take like 15% casualties and rout the cavalry killing 80% of them.

Whether I put cavalry on wedge, or tried to get some wrapping effect changed the outcome little. In RTW 1.2, spears will beat cavalry; the main issue is to get the cavalry to run into the phalanx, or to get the phalanx to catch the cavalry... Usual issue. SPQR has not fixed that...

A broken army never come back to win, but it rallies again and again. Thanks to sky high morale.

Aren't shield protecting from arrows in 1.2 too?

Louis,