Strategies and units to use against chariots in cities

**napoleon526** · 09-26-2005, 22:30

I'm playing as Pontus (my first time as that nation) and have, inevitably, come into conflict with the Egyptians. The fighting has been hot and heavy in Syria, but i've taken Antioch, Damascus, and Palmyra. I've suffered high casualties though, and my war effort has stalled so I can bring up reinforcements. The main reason that things aren't going so well is because the Egyptians are using huge numbers of chariot archers, which are quickly becoming my least favorite unit.

I was wondering what units/tactics you all would recommend against chariots in general, and especially in street fighting. Cappadocian and Pontic Heavy Cavalry will work against them, but they usually suffer around 50% casualties if I send them to attack the chariots head on. I've successfully defeated the Egyptians many times in the past, but i've never seen them bring so many chariots to the field before. Usually if they only bring one or two units of them, and they stupidly charge at your phalanx or something. Now i'm seeing armies where almost half their units are chariots.

Street fighting is especially tough. It seems like after I breach the walls, I have only 3 choices: I can send in my bronze shields, which get shot up by the chariots as they slowly march along. I can send in peltasts, which supposedly are good against chariots, but I don't see how. When I do send peltasts in they're either charged by the chariots and broken up, or attacked by desert axemen and massacred. Also, it's very easy for the chariots to stay out of range of my peltasts but stay within the range of their bows. If I send both bronze shields and peltasts, everybody gets mixed up together in the melee, and neither one does much good (plus the peltasts will also accidentally kill some of my bronze shields if their standing too close to each other). Usually I have to send in some heavy cavalry to stabilize the situation, which works, but they again suffer heavy casulaties.

Before attacking a city with loads of chariots, I generally use my onagers to incinerate as many of the bastards as I can. I'll try to use archers to thin out their numbers as well, but i'm dependent on Cretan Archers for long-range missle support, so I don't want to put them in too much danger. Elephants have worked in the past, but right now i've only got one unit of merc elephants.

Any thoughts?

**Norxis** · 09-27-2005, 03:49

I've never played as Pontus before, so my advice may not be that useful. But if you can get some ballistas, I've found that they can make mince meat of chariot archers (as long as you can protect em). They got longer range and can spear multiple chariots at once. They also work for chariots inside city walls (once you've blasted some holes in the walls). Thats worked for me as the Romans.

**lars573** · 09-27-2005, 04:09

Hillmen. They may take heavy casualties but they are good vs. chariots, at least on M/M the only difficulty level I play on. I've killed many an Egyprian general as Parthia with hillmen.

**napoleon526** · 09-27-2005, 05:28

Ah, hillmen. Haven't tried them yet. Thanks.

And I can't build balistas as Pontus. :(

**napoleon526** · 09-27-2005, 08:28

Have expanded into the Palestine/Sinai area. So far my hillmen are pulling their weight against the Egyptian chariots. Whenever I send them to attack, they always suffer around twice the number of casualties they inflict, but sheer weight of numbers is usually enough to overcome the chariot annoyance.

**AggonyDuck** · 09-27-2005, 09:26

If you can get your hands on mercenary elephants, then you have a potent unit against chariots..

**lars573** · 09-27-2005, 15:52

Yeah if, Hillmen are by far the better option. To defeat chariots you need to pin them down. Once they're pinned down you can destroy them. Really they don't stand up well in a prolonged melee.

**napoleon526** · 09-29-2005, 06:38

Originally Posted by 1pain1Duck

If you can get your hands on mercenary elephants, then you have a potent unit against chariots..

I've already discovered this, but I since you can't train elephants as Pontus, i'm reluctant to commit them in cities, where there's a chance they can run amok.