How do I use elephants properly? I've tested them in several battles, as the S.E., but I just can't manage to kill many of the enemy with them. Perhaps I am using them wrong. Is there a specific strategy one should follow with elephants?
How do I use elephants properly?
How do I use elephants properly? I've tested them in several battles, as the S.E., but I just can't manage to kill many of the enemy with them. Perhaps I am using them wrong. Is there a specific strategy one should follow with elephants?
Re: How do I use elephants properly?
Elephants are similar to cavalry... They make the best impact when they charge!!! They are devastating!!!! I killed 2 units of Principes with 13 War Elephants!!!
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Re: How do I use elephants properly?
Following an elephant charge up with normal cavalry's a good idea, they mop up any survivors... do the same with chariots instead of elephants, if you have them.
As with anything, try to charge into the rear if possible...
Being able to beat wooden walls down is handy for a quick siege resolution...
They're also quite good for dealing with cavalry, and stopping chariot/elephant charges.
Just having them around is also a good morale dampener for the enemy.
Also, being in towers on the elephants' backs, the archers in War and Armoured Elephants can get a decent angle of fire over wooden walls at the defenders... though this is a fringe benefit.
Last edited by Somebody Else; 05-12-2005 at 16:53.
Re: How do I use elephants properly?
make them run through enemy line's , if possible do it from behind.
If you have War Ele's you can also just let them shoot every arrow the've got
and then charge.
However watch out for pikes and fire arrows, never take on pikes from the front () and let cav, take out the archers, this is important because you do not want the ele';s running amok into your own lines, I've lost generals due to that.
Also be sure to send in your own units once the ele's have charged through the enemies lines ( for maximum impact dubble - click behind the enemy units ) this will cause terror and panic amongst enemy lines, they can never keep up the fight for long that way.
Hope that helped
Re: How do I use elephants properly?
For some reason, when i pursue with elephants, they do not inflict any casualites. They simply knock the soldiers to the floor and they get back up again.
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"Ive played 7 major campaigns and never finished one. I get tired of war."
Re: How do I use elephants properly?
Elephants Bah!
Keep them far far away from fire arrows.
Use em when u are already engaged and want to really hit the enemy hard send em in. dont use them as a primary attacking force
Re: How do I use elephants properly?
The trick is to keep them moving. Elephants get a huge charge/attack bonus, so don't squander it by letting them stop and melee with an individual enemy unit. If I am using elephants in the center of my line, instead of simply attacking an enemy unit, I usually double-click BEHIND the enemy unit, so that the the elephants will run through and not get bogged down, thus losing their charge bonus. If I'm using them on the flanks, I will charge them - not at the very nearest enemy unit - but at the next-to-nearest enemy unit in the battle line. Keep doing that all the way down the line, spreading fear as you go.
As already noted, preserve your elephants by 1) only attacking pike or phalanx formations from the rear (even a flanking attack can get them killed); 2) retreating from missile fire, especially fire arrows; and 3) using them in tandem with another unit right at the elephants' feet (skirmishers or cheap melee infantry are great for keeping enemy skirmishers out of range).
Elephants in R:TW are unrealistically powerful, even after the last patch. However, watching elite Roman infantrymen get tossed into the air like matchsticks IS rather fun. R:TR takes a more realistic (though less enjoyable) approach: the elephants are much easier to kill, especially with javelins, and they rout if you breathe on them wrong.
Just call me sui generis, and leave it at that.
- Huey P. Long
Re: How do I use elephants properly?
Also in vanilla those javelins are very deadly for elephants, so for gods sake keep `em away from those!Originally Posted by Count Belisarius
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Re: How do I use elephants properly?
Maybe that's why I'm not good with them. I use R:TR.
I'll test out the suggestions, thanks!
Re: How do I use elephants properly?
I use elephants when I need to screen my flanks because I’m outnumbered. Sometimes I try to cave in an enemy flank with them. I never have them near the center. In fact, it’s not uncommon for me to leave them out of the fight altogether. They are also good for smashing in the gates of palisades and wooden walls.
Time flies like the wind. Fruit flies like bananas.
Re: How do I use elephants properly?
I use them to throw the enemy lines into disarray or when I need to get out of a stalemate. Personally I think they are most effective as psychological weapons. I mean, they don't kill as much as one would think, I simply let them run around, sowing terror in the enemy ranks, they are most effective this way, just make sure they never stop. Keep those elephants moving.
The word that has heralded progress throughout the ages: "It's gotta be worth a try..."
Re: How do I use elephants properly?
first, you might want to be aware of the fact that the charge bonus stat doesn't seem to have the effect one would assume:
https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showt...4&page=1&pp=30
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/index...pic=25801&st=0
second, units which are not specifically ordered to "attack" a unit are not interpreted by the game as "attacking". therefore, they are more vulnerable, and they never initiate a charge. they are technically "running" units, nothing more. individuals within the unit will engage the enemy as they come in contact with them, but will be reactive, not proactive (ie, they will usually not strike until struck first).
elephants i suppose are one of the exceptions to the second point. like chariots, they seem to have a "kill zone" around them for enemy units. still, it would seem that simply running through a unit is less effective.
Last edited by tai4ji2x; 05-12-2005 at 19:57.
Re: How do I use elephants properly?
If you are using normal elephants, be incredibly careful with them. They can go amok for any reason. If you're using Armoured Elephants though, you can win an entire battle with just two units. Only problem is, they are suseptible to Fire Arrows like their smaller cousins, but less so fortunately. And also, armoured ele's can kill hundreds of people. They send them flying everywhere. Against the Parthians, they are amazing, all of this little light infantry men go flying everywhere, even across the walls.
Re: How do I use elephants properly?
As many have said here the main purpose of elephants are to create a devastating charge against the opponent. They can go through thick formations of enemies and make the enemy shiver in their boots!
Hope that helps.
Aegisthis
Men Can die, Gods cannot.
Re: How do I use elephants properly?
I use them to roll up the flank after the inf lines have engaged. One thing I try to keep an eye on is their energy level. Winded elephants are prone to go amok and should be walked to the rear to rest and (presumably) calm down.
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Just one old soldiers opinion.
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Re: How do I use elephants properly?
If you're using R:TR, you have to be VERY careful with your elephants, especially the normal kind. They tire very quickly, and that makes them much more susceptible to routing. Once they rout, they very seldom rally, and are prone to run amok. You have never seen a more tragic sight than a unit of your own War Elephants tear-@ssing through a formation of very expensive cataphracts. They also drop dead in droves if you let skirmishers or hastati/principes get off a volley or two of javelins. Also, watch out for "friendly" fire when you engage. Your own missiles can kill/rout them just as easily as the enemy's. If all this weren't enough, I think the designers of R:TR also have dialed back the "fear factor" that makes elephants so devastating on the battlefild. When playing R:TR, I seldom bother building them, and many times do not allow them to participate in the battle until I have dealt with the enemy's missile troops.Maybe that's why I'm not good with them. I use R:TR.
I'll test out the suggestions, thanks!
As to the first point, I have not conducted any research or experiments or detailed comparisons of unit stats, etc. I can only offer the anecdotal evidence of my own gameplaying experience. In the battles I have played, elephants rack up many more kills in a shorter amount of time when they are charging. The kill rate APPEARS to slow down dramatically once they stop to melee. Thus, I still always keep them on the move so long as their stamina holds up.
As to the second point, I can't say if not having your elephants in "attack" mode renders them less effective or not. If it does, I haven't noticed.
Regardless, when I use the click-behind-the-enemy tactic, my objective is to disrupt the enemy's lines and damage their morale, as opposed to killing them in large numbers, because I follow the elephants' charge closely with an attack with fast-moving infantry (Iberian Infantry are great in this role, and even Eastern Infantry will work in a pinch). The real massacre begins when the elephants turn around and crash into the rear of the enemy formation. However, crushing the enemy's center like this only works under special circumstances: where the enemy doesn't have much in the way of missile troops and isn't deploying phalanx troops.
Just call me sui generis, and leave it at that.
- Huey P. Long
Re: How do I use elephants properly?
Yes well, if you had an object the size of a small house crash through a group of people at 30mph, i imagine there would be alot of casualties. And btw, if you can get alot of enemy to gather around you, the elephants can cause quite alot of damage. I was recently fighting a battle against the numidians, were 3 units of their javelin men gathered around a unit of Armoured Elephants. It was a massacre. Within a few seconds, about 200 of the enemy were dead because of the elephants in melee mode. Heck, some of the enemy went flying across the wall.elephants rack up many more kills in a shorter amount of time when they are charging.
Re: How do I use elephants properly?
Most tactics I read are the same for both chariots and elephants. They say charge them at the beginning and mop up with the rest of your army. That works, but I find it wasteful. I'm talking war elephants here, but it might work for african elephants. I like posting them at the flanks as a kind of uber triarii last defense if the rest of the army fails.
I wait until it gets towards the end when the enemy is on the verge of losing, but needs that last push to cinch the win. It really pays off to wait so your elephants can scare the enemy the most. By this time they're exhausted and ragged and looking past my main line at a big lumbering pachyderm just makes them go "Aw, crap" just before they get punt kicked to the afterlife. And when the mass rout occurs they can really clean up.
Re: How do I use elephants properly?
View them as large chariots that are far less likely to die. The trick is to hammer home the charge and then quickly utilise the shockwave using cavalry/infantry. I find in vanilla war elephants are very very hard to kill. But usually when you start to lose them, you'll quickly find the entire unit has paniced and will need to be killed. Oh and one final thing... keep them away from onagers. A single firepot can kill four and panic the entire unit!
~LordKhaine~
Re: How do I use elephants properly?
...I am all of a sudden confident that my Greek peltasts can rule Carthage.
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Re: How do I use elephants properly?
Just don't allow them to get stuck, continue charging one unit after the other. With just one unit of cavalry behind to charge on the already messed enemy unit in case it hasn't routed yet, it guarantees routing 100% of the time. I they are already routed you can use your cavalry to without tiring your elephants, who should be charging the next unit. With only one unit of elephants and one of cavalry you can slaughter an infantry army of almost any size, and probably without any casualties.
They are also very good against chariots. You can soften the chariots first with arrows and use some velite gladiators (if you have them) or skirmishers to aid the elephants when the chariots get bogged among them.
I only have had a unit of mercenary elephants, so I haven't used them very much, but are really worth it. The other day I completely slaughtered a gallic army, including the chariots of their general, for a total of about 1300 men with an army of 180 soldiers with the elephants on their lines. I had only about 15 casualties. In another battle they managed to get a kill board of 658.
Re: How do I use elephants properly?
the best thing about elephants and chariots is their ability to break up formations.
playing as the romans right now, formation is EVERYTHING to me. as long as i have a nice, tight formation, i am near unstoppable.
however, im going up against Briton and Pontus right now, and their heavy chariots to wonders to break up my well ordered lines. However, the AI (shitty as it is) lacks the ability to co-operate. My forces, broken up from the chariot charge, quickly reassemble and ususally rout the chariot after a while.
If the AI was smart, it would know to rush (axemen, chosen, other cavalry) into my broken up ranks, exploting the chaos and negating bonuses that well-formed units get.
but they dont. so i win.
same goes for elephants. Use them to split up an enemy force, mess up it's ranks, and then send in infantry to mop up
Re: How do I use elephants properly?
Or send elephants in, and send a cavalry immediately after to kill the guys that think it's funny to get back up after an elephant has trampled them.
Re: How do I use elephants properly?
KEEP THEM MOVING. They are un-stoppable if you don't let them sit in one position and attack. Attack one unit, move on quickly, attack another unit. Keep them on the move and avoid fire arrows. Those are the two most important factors.
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