MP tips?

[Gazius]

I think it's a matter of pure quality/invicibility. We both use Gold upgrades for both weapon/armor, so I hope that balances it out.

His army composition consists of, on the field.
Epilektoi Hoplatai = E
Sphedonetoi = R
Spartans = S
Erashar [bow/spear guys from Iran] = I
Ekdromei Hoplitai = EH
Toxatoi = T

/W = wide formation

Looking towards me I see.

(R/T/I)/W (R/T/I)/W (R/T/I)/W
S EH EH E E E E E E E E EH EH S
(R/T/I)/W (R/T/I)/W (R/T/I)/W

This is not exact, and in forest battles he'll use some sort of javelin missle unit I can't remember to screen the forest for any of my hidden troops, who get bogged down fighting them, while E will charge in and slaughter. In cities this is modified to include PWNZER divisions, siege artillery. The numbers of each also vary, but there's a very heavy focus on the EH or E.

I've tried a large number of of various hammer and anvil tactics all to massive fail. My phalanxes cost 1200 more than him, which makes a huge impact considering how Our rules work. They are vaguely equal, but the numbers he can field of his mean no matter how good mine are, they will fall to him on a head on phalanx battle. While those elite phalanx pikemen occupy him, I've used nearly all calvary to charge his battle line, but, even with proper use of the calvary charge in 1.5, I have never seen it make a effect on them. A few units will just turn around and slaughter my calvary, making it hard to get away as he brings in some light inf or his Iranian spear mean to make mincemeat of the finest Carthagian and Iberian horsemen. I've had no luck flanking with inf while engaging with phalanxes, as I've been unable to get either encircle him, or else due to the reduced number of phalanxes to occupy him, he can turn reserve ones on me and thus counter the inf charge. So far all my javelin tests have proved useless. Even thrown from the back, they make little impact. I've used slingers, ensuring they have long range and armor piercing, and while they make some impact, I have to provide a screen for them, and by screening them, they seem to just fire into my own backs of troops, rather than the enemy. I've found no slinger troop able to hold their own against Iranian spearmen. The heavy liby-phoenicians and heavy libyan troops have shown a bit of promise, and being cheaper, I may finally be able to make a decent push against him, but again, getting them to deploy and encircle is a luck of the draw, and you have a better chance of aligning entire galaxies than you do getting the troops to go AROUND the spears, if you can even find a edge to encircle. He also will break his phalanx line into two separate pieces, or a couple, so that they can operate independantly, but join together because the screen will hold up my guys long enough for them to make a solid line.

The unit selection absolutely sucks, my cheapest phalanx is still POWERFULLY expensive, and the one saving thing in the phalanx battles is the long pike it seems like.

Elephants on every try have been routed within seconds, I can't get them near enough to do anything, nor can I reasonably defend them until later.

While I appreciate all the help, so far nobody has suggested anything I've found to be remotely useful. We are using the SP EDU, I wonder if this makes a big difference?

[mAIOR]

Well, That army you posted has a great weakness... No cavalry. Place your pike phalanxes (or like I said buy some cheaper ones like deuteroi or Machimoi) on the center just to bid your time (your elite phalanxes are too expensive to field enough. He'll keep outflancking you) and place your more elite infantry on the flanks...
Your cavalry should start behind your heavy infantry.

Well, like this:


PD - phalangitai deuteroi
EA - elite africans
AI - Assault Iberians
BS - Balearic slingers
SB - sacred band
HC - heavy cavalry (either sacred band or Iberi Lancers)
SC - skirmisher cavalry (Numidian or Iberian you see what fits you better... More missiles or the ability to better engage infantry.)

-------BS BS SB PD PD PD PD SB BS BS
----EA AI EA-------------------- EA AI EA
HC SC---------------------------------HC SC

Now, your Slingers will have to cope with his front row of slingers... while your heavy cavalry charges them from the flanks (if they're in wide good for you) you must engage and disengage all the time and don't forget to Alt charge!
Your sacred band and phalanx are gonna be missile absorvers... maybe move them first so he focus his missile units on them...

Don't haste yourself into battle take your time. Your heavy infantry has javelins his doesn't. And your infantry is more than able to cope with his Spartans and the ekdromoi Hoplitai no problem... Your center will have to hold a just the time needed for your superior heavy infantry to rip trough his.

If you don't know how to use slingers, get some Syrian Archers to do their work... just remember to get them to the flanks...

Inovate, try new things :) with this army composition you have the troops to take him. Once your engaged use your numidian light cavalry or the Iberian one to outflank them. unload missiles on the light hoplites backs to see them crumble faster than you can say "Bullseye!".

Cheers...