Full stack unit rosters

[Garvanko]

Do you prefer having 3-4 units in your full stack armies, or do you favour 6-8 different units so that you have more options on the battlemap?

Having played Macedon a lot, I found 3-4 units - e.g 8 Lancers, 6 Pikemen, 3 Archers plus 3 Mercs was a winning combination everytime.

[lars573]

For Macedon I go with 2 lancers/Greek cav. 1 Macedonian cav/Companions 2 Hypasptis 2 Cretan archers 1 General 1 siege weapon 1 Illyrian merc and 10 phalanx pikemen. Works better than you might think.

[Garvanko]

Thats a lot of Pikemen for a faction that draws most strength from its Cav.

[econ21]

Playing RTR, my full stack as Romans in Italy is typically:

1 General
2 velites
2 hastati
2 principes
1 triarii
1 equite
1 funditore (slinger)
2 Italian skirmishers
2 Italian swords
2 Italian spears
1 Italian heavy cavalry
1 Cretan archer
2 mercenaries for local colour

If I am out of Italy, I would replace the Italians with appropriate local allied troops.

This is (a) to be historical (the above represents something akin to 2 legions and 2 allied alae, a typical Republican army); (b) for game balance (a power maxing RTR army would just be principes and funditores, but that's no challenge).

I find it's great fun - you find yourself husbanding your valuable Roman units (which are hard to retrain away from home). And the variety does make for more tactical decisions. I find myself relying a lot on flanking an enemy piecemeal whereas in MTW I just march forward with a spearwall backed by archers)

It's a lot more fun with half a stack though, as then the AI can be a real threat.

[Kralizec]

Yeah, I always try to attack with armies below the strenght of the enemy. That way you're in for a real challenge. I do the same in custom battles, where I give the enemy a monetary advantage of about 4000-6000 denarii and leave the difficulty on medium.

Simon: Sounds like an interesting set up! I've downloaded RTR the otherday, when I start playing as Rome I'll give it a try. Right now I'm busy guiding Pontus to victory

[YAKOBU]

Hi there

Generally I play as the Romans and both pre- and post-marius I try to use a 3/4 stack with the last 1/4 being used for mercs when necessary.

Pre-marius:
4 Hastati
4 Principes
2 Triarii
2 Missile
3 Cavalry

Post-marius:
1 First Cohort
9 Legionary Cohorts
2 Missile
3 Cavalry

[lars573]

Actually it's not enough pikemen. A small phalanx was 16 companies of 256 men each. A real phalanx was 3 small phalanxes. The cavalry is just there to hit the enemy in the flank/rear while they are engagin your pikemen. That's the Macodnian way. And this is how I try and use my pike using greek armies.

Now
Rome, pre-marian 2 velties, 2 Roman archers, 4 hastati, 4 princepes, 4 triarii, 2 equites, plus general and siege weapon
Marian 1 first cohort, 9 legionary cohorts 2 archer auxilia, 2 auxilia spears, 2 Roman cavalry, 1 cavalry auxilia, 1 legionary cavalry, general and siege weapon
Civil defense forces 4 town watch 2-4 praetorian/urban cohorts, 2 gladiators and or Arcani

Rome however is a special case because I will switch out the siege wepaon for war hounds pigs or Arcani

Seleucids
2 silver shield pikes and legions, 6 phalanx pikemen, 2 archers, 1 militia cavalry, 2 greek cavalry, 1 companion/cataphract, 2 war elephant/armoured elephant, general seige wepaon.