Cowardly Scipii

[Lazarou]

I've been playing a campaign as Egypt (easy, I know) on H/H settings and am trying to get stuck into the Scipii around Carthage. However, every time I face off on the battle map (usually full stack vs full stack) they last about 4-5 volleys of fire from Pharoah's Bowmen and Onagers before they turn tail and flee. Since my armies are infantry-heavy I have very few mounted units to chase them down so most of them escape.

The upshot of this is that there are about 5 Scipii armies in this part of the map which keep getting beaten then hide behind another one and recruit to cover their losses. Is there any way to stop them running away so quickly? (except playing on VH/VH because the moral bonusses there are just stupid)

[Franconicus]

Looks like they finally have a good strategy
As far as I see there are two possible replies:
1. Go for the towns! This should make them want to fight. If not - take the towns!
2. Try to encircle them! Split your army and use fortresses. If you play in Carthage there are some rivers. Occupy the bridges.

Good luck!

[Spartiate]

Recruit Prodomoi Mercs or bring your own Native Cavalry.When the Scipii turn tail to flee take the Prodomoi off skirmish, click Alt and send them in to mop up the routing troops.

[Conqueror]

Get some cheap units like peasants, 7 of them. Before attacking the roman army, place the units surround it, so that all of the 8 squares around the stack are occupied by your troops (7 peasants + your attack army). Then attack them. This will force a fight to the death situation where they are unable to escape. If they rout, their units are WIPED.

[Oaty]

You are in a very good position to cripple the Scipii. Basically if thier armies don't want to fight keep taking thier towns but leave them with a standing army so they are economically deveastated. After that leave an army or 2 there to ward off the Scipii and take the war to Italy.

Even on very hard you can devastate the A.I.'s economy with this tactic. The A.I. can only cheat so much.

[Lazarou]

Cheers for all the suggestions, I'll give them a shot tonight. I was going for one of their towns (can't remember the name, directly south of Carthage) but they surrounded it then beat me back when I assaulted it. I was up against a 3/4 stack garrison, two almost full stack reinforcements and a back-up 1/4 stack army. It wasn't pretty, a mass of corpses in the roads leading to the square, although if I'd remembered to turn off the time limit at the start of the campaign I might have made it.

I think I'll try the cavalry option to get rid of them first, I prefer to do all my killing in person

[pezhetairoi]

I tend to take down Roman armies that have a chance of fleeing by deploying cavalry as far forward as possible, then sending the cavalry at an allout gallop at them. If they start withdrawing then the cavalry will be able to rout at least a few units of infantry. If they don't, well, wait for the infantry to come up and pursue conventional battle. Always worked for me. Some battles ended with only the enemy general bodyguard making it off the map.