Strategy and Tactics: How to Conduct a Battle

[adembroski]

Both refusing the flank theories are wrong... the misconception is tied to the common descriptions of the Battle of Leuctra, in which Epaminondas both overloaded his left flank and refused his right flank...

Refusing the flank is curving your line by marching one flank ahead of the other so that your opponant must break their own line if they want to reach your back flank.

I use this tactic a lot in RTW when I use the Greek Cities, but lining with my Spartans to the left, 2-3 units deep, while using a thin 1-unit line the rest of the way down, and refusing my right flank, permitting my spartans to cut the opposing right flank to ribbons, since no army can match elites with mine when I have Sparta.


Top is traditional hoplite tactics, bottom is an illustration of Epaminondas' tactics at the battle of Leuctra... note the overloaded right flank and the refused right flank. Highlighted in red are either side's elite troops.



At any rate, in M2TW, Hammer and Anvil is by far my most common tactic.

I place my elite infantry at the center to create a bow... I want them to curve in on me, giving my cavalry easy targets from outside the flanks. Prior to first contact, I pepper the center of my opponents line with archers to weaken those units.

Often my interior troops will collapse the center and split the line, creating a two front battle... this in-essence rotates the battle lines outward, exposing the rear of my opponent to my heavy cavalry.

I go into most battles with relatively equal numbers of infantry, missile, and cavalry... though generally speaking, less cavalry will do, I use much of my cavalry as cavalry controllers... in the diagram below the further forward cavalry are in a position to screen opposing cavalry in order to allow rear cavalry to hit the enemy line from behind.

If I am unable to collapse the middle of the line, I will simply bow my flanks by retreating... this is risky, as retreating units take heavy casualties and have a nasty tenency to run, but either way, this exposes the opponents flanks to my cavalry... if I break the line, I win the battle.

  * * * * * 

  S S E S S
C A A A A A C 
     C G C  

     * * *
   * S E S *
C S  A A A  S  C
     A    A
  C     G   C

       *
C-->*  E *<----C
C->* S  S *<-- C
   S A A A S 
   A    G    A

*- enemy line
S- spears
E- Elite infantry
A- archer
C- cavalry
G- General