I bin defeated. Horribly. For the first time ever... And the AI made smart moves.

[Artificer]

Anyway, i'm playing on H/M (hard campaign, medium battles) and my hastati route often. Personally i think they're underpowered when you consider at the start you are surrounded by far superior units such as Epirote phalanx troops in the south, Cartheginians in Sicily and naked madmen in the north... If they weren't so historical, as in they were always present and fought first at every battle, i wouldn't even use them... They're utterly useless, but their uselessness makes for a nice challenge, as i have found out.

Sounds accurate to me. After all, it was the job of the Hastati to merely wear down the enemy. The real killing was no doubt accomplished by the Principes.

[Ravenfeeder]

The key factor here is probably the hill. If you just charged straight up a steep hill then your troops were probably exhausted by the time they reached the enemy. Which means their martial prowess and morale were reduced.

When faced by an enemy on a hill try to flank march until you are on close to the same elevation, then stop moving until your troops are fresh again. Only then do you attack.

[Dayve]

The key factor here is probably the hill. If you just charged straight up a steep hill then your troops were probably exhausted by the time they reached the enemy. Which means their martial prowess and morale were reduced.

When faced by an enemy on a hill try to flank march until you are on close to the same elevation, then stop moving until your troops are fresh again. Only then do you attack.

My troops were fresh. They got tired whilst marching, but i stopped and skirmished for a while with slingers and leves...

[Ravenfeeder]

Oh well. Another theory up the swanee.

I've always found Hastati rather good in the early game. They have more armour than most light troops and slaughter liby-phoenican levy spearmen in great numbers.

However if they were facing mercenary Pez with a height advantage I'm not too surprised they lost. The Triarii would have been better pinning troops against those. I would probably have gone after their general with more vigour though. kill him and the battle is almost won.

[Intranetusa]

The key factor here is probably the hill. If you just charged straight up a steep hill then your troops were probably exhausted by the time they reached the enemy. Which means their martial prowess and morale were reduced.

When faced by an enemy on a hill try to flank march until you are on close to the same elevation, then stop moving until your troops are fresh again. Only then do you attack.

yeh, it must have been a very steep hill too. Once, a rebel army of 4 slingers units (320 men) on a huge hill annihilated 800 of my men before I reached them and killed them

[Dayve]

These Carthies seem to be more intelligent than in any other campaign i've ever played. I've just been ambushed by them outside of Lilbeo, after horribly defeating a large army of theirs led by a captain, a bloody 8 star faction heir ambushed me with a force similar in numbers to my own, and i won and killed him, but at a big cost... 1200 dead... I'm wary of laying siege to Lilbeo now incase they ship another big army over, another fight like the last and i'd be back to square one... For a second time.

Carthage is gonna pay for this...

[Cataphract_Of_The_City]

My Hastati seem to perform exceeedingly well given their stats. Even the Rorarii can be trusted to hold the line long enough for the cavalry to arrive.

[antisocialmunky]

My Hastati usually make as good of a report of themselves as the Principles. You just need to have something behind them and they'll usually fight to the last ten men or so.

However, a goo bit of advice is to never go uphill. Go around.

[Zaknafien]

I have never, ever, ever seen hastati or principes rout. What on earth are you doing to make them do so?