Historical army compositions

[-Praetor-]

hum.... I like urs K raso. I think I MIGHT use it in my Romani campain.

When I faced carthed I had 4 Pezetaroi (sp) in my armies, because those Cartheginian hoplites and phalangies where HARD to kill!

But if I wanna be a proper Roman I need to stop fighting like a Hellen.

lol , a good tactic against hellenic and carthaginean phalanxes is the following:

First, form your first rank of hastatis and allies on a straight line. (Note, the 1rst rank of allies must have good stamina)

Stop the enemy phalanxes. Tire them up a little with your hastatis, but not so much as to tire your own hastatis. The idea is to make them get all together.

Then, as soon as your hastatis get "winded", retreat your first rank through your second line, and then, quickly form your second rank, the principes and 2nd line allies, as a solid line. They should have better defensive capabilities, and can be expected to hold enemy phalanxes by their own on defensive stance.

By now, you should have defeated the enemy flanking cavalry with your own cavalry, together with your support troops (accensii and leves, don`t use the rorarii and leave them as a last resort defense). So their flanks are vulnerable.

Once your hastatis and 1st rank allies have rested a little (and your 2nd line tire the enemy phalanxes), send them round the enemy formation, obliterate anything that the enemy have got guarding their flanks (usually units of skirmishers and such), and, using 1 maniple on each flank, and the other 2 maniples behind the enemy phalanxes, crash over the enemy formation.

If during the process, the 2nd line (principes and 2nd line allies) begin to shake, reinforce them with the triarii and rorarii (that`s what they are for). If they get into a very bad shape, replace them alltogether, and just use the triarii where`s hottest, and the rorarii and the less mauled principes where the fighting isn`t too gruesome...

The result is a simple envelopment. Keep any supporting enemy troops away from the encirclment with your cavalry and skirmishers.

If you`re lucky, the whole army will panic in a domino-effect, and start fighting to the death. I usually chew them up, and leave no one to get out of that pocket alive.

Easy peasy, Japanesey.

PS: Off course, you should use good`old manipular formation!!!!