Any good tactics against chariots?

**Cardinal** · 03-28-2005, 03:28

I have been fighting (as Scipii faction) against the Egyptians for some time and have ended in a stale-mate, the main problem being that unless I outnumber them I have serious problems beating off their chariot attacks. An attack of a few squadrons will just maul through my legionnaires and create havoc at my rear. Have also found that attacking them head-on with heavy cavalry often ends in a routed roman unit. As a consequence I have deployed my legionnaires 2 units deep (each unit 4 men deep) with the danger of being outflanked.

Any advice??

**Oaty** · 03-28-2005, 03:43

Guard mode for 1. Try to have your units stopped before they are hit.

Unit sizes is a big factor here, if on huge unit sizes go for about 10 deep. Also put your cohorts/hastati/princepes on fire at will to disrupt the chariots charge.

Have a few reserves and when the chariots hit, rush the reserves to the hot spot and they'll fal like flies.

But my favorite is wardogs nothing like making them duke it out over a cheap unit

**Uesugi Kenshin** · 03-28-2005, 04:10

My strategy is to send a large force against the chariots, no cavalry, and when the force hits the chariots if it is deep enough the chariots will ride halfway or so through and get stuck. This is because they lose momentum/charge bonus and cannot break through, so then your troops maul the stationary chariots. This works and with relatively few casualties, because chariots require several passes to deal a lot of damage. Adding ranks to your units may help as well if you do not have enough men to mob them.

**parrrrk** · 03-28-2005, 06:57

Hire mercenary elephants. They are chariot/cavalry killer. Using cavalry against chariot is very bad idea.
Or try to knock out them with skirmishers. Stop their momentum with bulk of heavy infantry. 4 rank deep is not sufficient. And make a couple of auxilla or triarii reserve, and send them quickly to the hot spot.

**cunctator** · 03-28-2005, 10:03

I am using Onagers or/and archers with flaming ammo to kill and legionaires to stop them. Usually I place my army in a half circle around a hill with deep legionary formations as front rank and everything else behind them. It is difficult for the Ai to outflank me and for the chariots to charge uphill. Most chariot units are routing after they can`t break the legionary line and after receiving high casualties by the missile troops before . Especially the onagers have a high range and can kill several chariots with one hit.

**Wishazu** · 03-28-2005, 10:07

i second the flaming arrows suggestion. allways works for me

**cunobelinus** · 03-30-2005, 21:45

the only tatic i no is arrows and dogs well it worked for me
littlegannon

**cunobelinus** · 03-30-2005, 21:47

hoplites kick there ass to they usuually fall over wen charging into a wall of spears have fun with it against normal infratry u cant really do anything against chariots unless they have spears but they are spearmen