Best Roman Army

**HailMightCaeser** · 03-24-2005, 17:42

What is a good combination for a Roman Army on settings m/m. Can someone give me a good one, w/o using urban cohorts, protorian (cp) calvery, heavy onagers, and repeating balistas? (I just think those units are cheap). Oh yeah, don't do to many protorian cohorts either, I want to keep it semi-fair.

**Brutus** · 03-24-2005, 19:34

I prefer 1 General, 4 units of Roman/Legionary Cavalry, at least 4 (preferably 6) units of Archer Auxilia and all the others (so between 11 or 9 units) Legionary Cohorts

I generally think the other Auxilia units are hardly worth building (maybe Light Auxilia when facing Elephants), and further you should always get any nice mercenaries that are around (Bastarnae, Elephants, Sarmatians, Cretan Archers)

**HailMightCaeser** · 03-24-2005, 20:05

so no siege equipment?

**The Stranger** · 03-24-2005, 20:26

it depends on wether you're a attacking or defending player and your tactics. but my defending pre-marian army is. 10 Princeps, 4 triarii, 1 general, 3 archers and 2 cavalry
post-marian is (i'm keeping it real so no urbans and praetorians) 10 late legionares, 4 auxilia, 1 general, 3 archers and 2 cavalry. i always put them in this formation /---\

**HailMightCaeser** · 03-24-2005, 20:34

I have all of Spain, most of Africa, all of former Gual, and Sardina and the little carthagian island. Right now I am building up my economy, troop production buildings because I'm waiting for the reforms. When i do assemble an army (probably not for another 50 years atleast), i plan to, litterally, conquer the world. I am going to steam roll through africa to the middle eat, conquer the italian peninsula, and conquer all of Europe meeting up with my southern army in the middle east. I am going to have about 10 fulls armies in the field, so I need to know the best combination of troops to use.

**The Stranger** · 03-24-2005, 20:40

i conquer fast, but i almost never attack, i siege cities and wait till another army comes and tries to relieve the city (only if one is nearby). they attack and i simply defend, eliminat both armies and walk into the city. so for that i suggest to use the
10 legionares, 2 auxilia and 2 merc hoplites, 3 ranged units like slingers or archers and 2 (light) cavalry to kill the routers.

if you're a attacking player you should use 8 legionares, 4 spearmen, 5 heavy cavalry units and the rest can you fill in yourself

**Lochar** · 03-24-2005, 21:18

I think the enemy will define the tacts IMO, you did like I did in my roman campaign and took the west side first. You may have en taken carthage before they fully developed. If enough time elapses tho the eastern side with the phalanxes and elephants is a whole different ballgame. Altho the AI is dumb and will keep their units in slow phlanx that you can harass them to death or simply use your long range bowmen to decimate them. But the cataphract cavalry, elephants and scythed chariots can cause havoc.

For me javelins are supposed to be good vs chariots and elephants, but if they are in a run speed, in the time it takes you to set and aim and fire a javelin unit , usually means they are, just about if not already, on you.

The camel cavalry while slow has a chance to spook horses, so this can offset roman cav.

10 armies is more than I ever fielded, I usually had 3-4 at the most unless your planning on attacking cities behind your lines, or if you start a civil war you may need that many when the other 2 roman factions start hitting you. For me it was sorta easy as they came to me pretty much so just defended against them and wore them down.

ATM I am playing the western side and have yet to meet romans in battle, but I do the slow and steady approach myself.

**Quillan** · 03-24-2005, 22:47

Most of my full field armies consist of a general, one First Cohort (I modified the files to make the buildable), 9 legionary cohorts, 2 units of roman cavalry, and 3 archer auxiliae. The other 4 units I field as needed for the situation. I NEVER bring artillery. It slows the army on the strategic map drastically, and I've found that I almost always can get to the city I'm going for at least 1 turn sooner without it.

**soibean** · 03-25-2005, 01:46

my best roman army (before your marinus(sp?) upgrade) doesnt use siege equipment, but I can't live without my cavalry. I use smaller armies so I have about 4-5 hastatai(sp?)/principles(sp? Im not much of a speller incase you hadnt noticed) then on the sides I have 3 units of archers, my general, and 2/3 more units of cavalry.

the formation looks like

c c a a a c c
i i i i i

works well enough for me on hard/hard