Roman tactics against Germans

[rpg48]

Folks, only my second post, but need help in a looming online match. I'll be Romans facing a German enemy -- presumably spearbands, screaming women, chosen archers, berserkers.

Can anyone offer me some Roman tactical counsel or point me to where I can find it in the forum? I've done a couple searches with little result. TIA.

[Ludens]

I am not exactly an MP player, but from my limited experience Germanies best units are chosen archers and noble/gothic cavalry. Their infantry is unarmoured but powerful so your best bet is not getting in a slogging match but attack them from multiple sides. To do that you need to destroy their cavalry. Chosen archers will do a lot of damage if left alone so you need to take them out as well. I recommend archer auxila and cavalry at the flanks (many cavalry: numbers and fast reaction are more important than shear strenght) and a decent holding force in the center.

[Mooks]

Be sure to storm them with pilu's before they attack, that will devastate any unarmoured enemy.

[Monarch]

Are we talking BI or plain RTW?

In standard I just had a very interesting battle against Germans, my archers fighting hand to hand (they were out of arrows) snuck behind a unit of German spearman and managed to take almost all of them out. Very fun to watch :)

But yeah standard rules should apply, if he's got spearman, go round them for instance. Standard stuff like that ;)

Oh but I I dop suggest taking out screaming women first, even if its just to rid your speaksers of their awful sound!

[rpg48]

Thanks, fellas. I've run a couple tests on the "German woodland" map of RTW, using a Scipii Roman configuration -- heavy cavalry and heavy infantry, a few archers and auxilia foot -- against a German mix of Screeching Women, warbands, Gothic cavalry, chosen archers, berserkers and chosen axemen.

I had a close win the first time. The second time, it was ugly; a crushing defeat. I let my flanks get turned one unit after another and everyone panicked.

Question: As a principle, should I set my units to "loose formation" when facing the Germans? I did that in the second match to minimize arrow damage, but you already know how that worked out. ;-(

[The Stranger]

are you defending...if soo check the tactics thread...thats stickied in the entrance hall and scroll down to the bottom of my first post and use the normal line tactic the one that looks like this /--\ that will fend them off...use the archers versus berserkers and use yur heavy cav wisely to defend yur flank...

use the the bait tactic to do that...use one cav to lure them and engage but not to soon and the other will flank them...but be careful yur opponent will likely do that too

[Craterus]

Let him attack you. Especially if it's on a forest map. Being ambushed by some crazy Germanians isn't good for your army's morale.

You'll want to take their archers out as soon as possible because they're superior to your own. If/when there's no missile support for the Germans, let your archers rip his unarmoured units apart.