Woad Warrior's RTW Battle Guide

[Craterus]

Hmmm, then one member might steal another's credit?

Merged threads can have only one name...

[ArnoldLol]

in the thread you could honour all contributers

[Woad Warrior]

The tactics guide by the Stranger is more for beginners, and to tell people how to use different unit types. My guide kind of carries on from the Strangers, and goes into formations etc, and tells you how to use them for each faction.

[Glaucus]

I tryed out the schiltron formation, and I have a good addition. It helps, since your defending, to deploy away from the enemy. Then the enemy has to walk further. But I like to deploy near trees if there are any. That way, you can hide your cavalry in the woods and charge the enemy when they least expect it.

[Craterus]

Unless you have plans of a counter-attack, you should always deploy to the back of the deployment square (unless of course there is terrain you can use to your advantage).

Make the enemy walk further, tire them out, and you've already created an advantage. I've used it to good effect against huge Senate armies, because they're mostly infantry and the long walk tires them out before they can even think about engaging with your troops.

[The Stranger]

i agree with that. =nice guide btw

[Alexanderofmacedon]

The Stranger!

[Monarch]

The tactics guide by the Stranger is more for beginners, and to tell people how to use different unit types. My guide kind of carries on from the Strangers, and goes into formations etc, and tells you how to use them for each faction.

Not sure why I quoted your post. Just have a little nit pick, box, or err, Schiltron formation as you call it is not inbreakable. Let say your playing with Romans, hammer one particular spot with pilliar (the corner is weakest as spears leave a gap at box corners), and then push nearly all (keeping cav and a couple of units back to ensure you dont get flanked) your units onto the weakened part, eventually it'll collopse and now the boxer dude will have to take units from the formation to reinforce, probably done from the back so the rear is exposed. Then with good cav support you can hammer 'n' anvil him. :)

Of course you only need worry about that when playing multiplayer, the AI will just charge onto your spears nice and evenly and be crushed :)

Anyhow, once again, good guide and great for single player battles

[rotorgun]

As for skirmisher heavy armies, like the numidians, etc. I played a guy on multiplayer once who used a Brittish army in such a way. He set up a long open line of Charioteers as a screen behind which was another line of Skirmisher infantry in extended line. I was using a pretty much standard pre-Marian reforms Roman legion with the usual mix of Velites, Hastati, Principes, Euites, etc.

As soon as the battle began the Chariots went into Cantiberian circles, while the Skirmishers went into open formation. As I tried to approach this bunch of whirling Dervishers they would just fire a few missles and then retreat out of pilum range. This was repeated over and over until my infantry were exhausted trying to chase them. What few cavalry I had was quickly routed whenever I attemted to close and melee with a Chariot unit (everyone knows how cavalry performs against them). After running my horsemen off, the chariots would work around on the flanks and behind my infantry. Then the Skirmishers got in on the act. It wasn't long until I watched my infantry being whittled away to rout status, one by one.

I'll never forget that! Utterly stupifying! Exasperating! I couldn't play about 15 minutes after that. I was simply dumbfounded, and just sort of fiddled with the keyboard for awhile while I stared at the Multiplayer interface.

It is a good formation for a missle armed foe.

[Woad Warrior]

So was this formation just one line of missile chariots backed up by one line of skirmishers, and the enemy couldn't get near them?

[Alexanderofmacedon]

As for skirmisher heavy armies, like the numidians, etc. I played a guy on multiplayer once who used a Brittish army in such a way. He set up a long open line of Charioteers as a screen behind which was another line of Skirmisher infantry in extended line. I was using a pretty much standard pre-Marian reforms Roman legion with the usual mix of Velites, Hastati, Principes, Euites, etc.

As soon as the battle began the Chariots went into Cantiberian circles, while the Skirmishers went into open formation. As I tried to approach this bunch of whirling Dervishers they would just fire a few missles and then retreat out of pilum range. This was repeated over and over until my infantry were exhausted trying to chase them. What few cavalry I had was quickly routed whenever I attemted to close and melee with a Chariot unit (everyone knows how cavalry performs against them). After running my horsemen off, the chariots would work around on the flanks and behind my infantry. Then the Skirmishers got in on the act. It wasn't long until I watched my infantry being whittled away to rout status, one by one.

I'll never forget that! Utterly stupifying! Exasperating! I couldn't play about 15 minutes after that. I was simply dumbfounded, and just sort of fiddled with the keyboard for awhile while I stared at the Multiplayer interface.

It is a good formation for a missle armed foe.

That sounds frustrating!

[SomeNick]

Wow!

Very, very nice!

Great detail and really comprehensive