Chariots

[Masy]

Once again i find myself playing casse. However this time i actually wish to use chariots (previously i just ignored them). How do you use them effectivley? I charged my general's unit into a small mob of skirmishers, and the chariots were slaughtered. Do you have to withdraw them and charge again? Or maybe run them along the front of the enemy unit, so the scythes chop em up? Please help.

[QwertyMIDX]

Charge them through heavy infantry units, light infantry, like skirmishers, are a chariots worst nightmare. Also, don't stay in combat, charge through the enemy unit, and then send in infantry to exploit the gaps, eventually the chariots will have javelins too so once you're through you can pepper the enemy rear with javs while your infantry attack from front. Also, you chariots raise the morale of units around them, so just having them nearby helps keep your men from breaking.

[Masy]

Thanks very much, so basically don't play them as "heavy cavalry" , but as more of a skirmishing force?

[Masy]

Anyone else got any tips for chariot use?

[Sarcasm]

That's about it. Try to mass them (use more than one chariot unit on top of another) and use them in 3 or 4 rows. Shallow formations are espeacially vulnerable to chariots. Stay the hell away from javelin throwers (kind of difficult against other celtic armies, I know).

Use some skirmishers, in open formation, to thin out their ranks and so they waste their javelins on cheap and difficult to hit infantry instead of your valuable chariots.

Then charge through a group of heavy infantry and follow up with some of your own. They'll be extremely demoralised and out of formation and should break soon afterwards, or be at a great disadvantage throughout the remaining fight.

You may want to wheel around and hit other parts of the line where the fighting is the thickest to unbalance things but pull out immediately.

Oh by the way, enemy cavalry just go down like flies against your chariots...just keep your general's flank away from serious fighting.

[Ranika]

It was mentioned, but seemed in passing. The morale boost given by being near chariots is enormous. They may not seem overvaluable to a lot of people, but supported chariots are substantially more deadly than numerous other generals. Not for their unit, themselves, but because they keep other units fighting and doing far more damage than they would normally.

[Sarcasm]

That's right, forgot that.

They also scare infantry, so it's a double thing.

[jebes]

For those of us who think the Casse campaign is rediculous early on on VH setting;

Chariots have an unbelieveable auto-calc value.

200 men, 3 generals and 1 Mala Gaeroas Vs 1700 mixed with at least one 5 star rebel general.

Auto-calc a sally forth battle

Heroic Victory with 75 losses, most of them in renewable chariots.