Carrhae, DEAR GOD!

[Sinner]

The first step is to get your cohorts out of testudo, meanwhile the two cavalry are sent to the big hill directly south behind the Roman formation so that they will overlook the cataphract bodyguard that can be found on the small eastern extension of the hill.

The two slowest cohorts to reform on the front line then get volunteered as my sacrifices to slow down the cataphracts. I draw them out into a two-man deep formation while the other cohorts just run like hell for the top of the hill to the south.

As the cataphracts approach the sacrificial cohorts, look to see if any of them are looking to angle past, if so charge them with the sacrifices to ensure they're drawn into battle. The wide formation should otherwise guarantee that you'll draw all the cataphracts into combat.

Meanwhile charge the cavalry down onto the cataphract bodyguards - who're guarding the general of the horse archers - and kill or rout them. Once this is done get your cavalry back up on top of the hill.

Your running cohorts should reach the top of the hill before your cavalry have finished their objective. I group the six cohorts in threes, with two in front and the third positioned behind in support so that they form a little triangular formation. The top of the hill is almost flat and I place the two trios at the rough line where the main downward slope begins, facing the Parthians down below.

By now the cataphracts will have finished with the sacrifices and will slowly be making their way towards the hill. In some battles they're reached my infantry line before my cavalry have finished off the horse archer's general, other times I have had time to get them to the top of the hill. Sometimes I position one cavalry unit at each end of my infantry, set back so that they don't get targeted by arrows, other times I keep them both at the eastern end of the hill.

Generally I've found that the cataphracts don't approach as a group, instead coming up as one or two units. My general aim is to tackle each unit with one of my trios of cohorts, with one of the front two cohorts charging as the cataphracts are about halfway up, the support unit charging a second or so later and then the other front cohort running partway down the hill to flank the cataphracts before charging from the side. I also run the cavalry across, either charging them into the flank or slightly downhill to hit the cataphracts in the rear.

As soon as a cataphract unit routs, I let them run, reforming my cohorts and cavalry back into their start formation as quickly as possible. If one of the frontline cohorts has been badly mauled then I swap them with a supporting cohort. This whole process is repeated until all the cataphracts and their general - oddly with an unarmored bodyguard - have been killed or routed.

At this point I usually find I'm down to my general, 3 or 4 strong cohorts and the rest weakened. It's now that I get my cohorts to return to testudo and hunker down while the horse archers wear themselves out wasting arrows for relatively few kills. The general - and the other cavalry unit if by some miracle they're still alive - needs to be kept back behind the line to avoid being shot at.

Keep a close eye on the horse archers and as soon as you see one beginning to walk towards the hill you know that it's run out of arrows and will charge. Since the slope slows them down, you have enough time to get your cohorts out of testudo and then repeat the same tactics used against the cataphracts. The horse archers generally break quite quickly and sometimes one will rout without even attempting close combat.

As long as you keep control of your cohorts and don't allow them to pursue routers, quickly getting back into testudo, you should have no problems at this point.