Results 1 to 19 of 19

Thread: How do I stop these Scythians?

Hybrid View

Previous Post Previous Post   Next Post Next Post
  1. #1

    Default How do I stop these Scythians?

    It's 204BC, I'm playing as Rome and I have just finished getting Carthage where I want them- as a little buffer state with Egypt.

    As usual Macedon and Koinen Hellonen are a feudin' and a fightin' themselves into the ground and Getai have started steamrolling Macedon.

    Typically Roman as I play, I hate the idea of a superpower on my border (I have Illyria), so I go to intervene on behalf of Macedon. Declaring war on the Getians I have relieved Epirus (I wiped out the Epirotes 50 years ago and gave it to Macedon to prevent them dying and leaving me with a strong neighbour) but the Macedonian homelands are now looking very brown. Instead of the usual Rhompia-fest, the Getai are fielding mainly horse archer armies.

    Clearly, archer on pony is a good look this season because the Sauromatae have come in north of Dacia and attacked me unprovoked (that's not a surprise).

    I've fought two battles with them so far and am getting slaughtered. It's the normal problem- heavy cavalry can't catch them, light cavalry don't get close.

    Is there any strategy that doesn't involve spamming them in a war of attrition?

  2. #2

    Default Re: How do I stop these Scythians?

    I would say get some archers and slingars with your armies and let your achers concentrate on the same unit at that would do the trick
    "I should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people, whose history is ended, whose wars have been fought and lost, whose structures have crumbled, whose literature is unread, whose prayers are no longer answered.... For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a new Armenia!

    William Saroyan, 1935.


    High kings of the Mountains: A Hayasdan AAR

  3. #3

    Default Re: How do I stop these Scythians?

    That's awesome. Granted, having some mixed getai armies would be better, but having them "ally" with HA groups/tribes's and having the Sarmatians come after you too is a pretty neat twist.

  4. #4
    Not Just A Name; A Way Of Life Member Sarcasm's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Olissipo, Lusitania
    Posts
    3,744

    Default Re: How do I stop these Scythians?

    If you can't defeat them in the open with regular troops, then get some local auxiliaries to help you. Sufficient slingers and archers behind a strong line of heavy infantry (don't forget the testudo) is pretty much impregnable against horse-archers armies. Keeping a reserve of cavalry is essential in the later parts of the battle so keep them fresh and strike only when needed.

    Or fight defensively in fortified towns. And then go directly after theirs. Navy helps.



    We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars

    -- Oscar Wilde

  5. #5
    Ming the Merciless is my idol Senior Member Watchman's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2004
    Location
    Helsinki, Finland
    Posts
    7,967

    Default Re: How do I stop these Scythians?

    I have a tendency to put the slingers in open order in the first line (so they don't shoot friendlies in the back) and the archers right behind them. Preferably the spear/bow types. Both are taken off skirmish mode. Thus, HAs who wander close get a double dose of fire and if they decide to charge they'll get counter-charged by the archer-spearmen. With the addition of some decent line infantry and AP-toting fast units (both horse and foot) I was easily enough regularly able to pwnz0r the Parthians as Baktria... heck, by the time I eliminated them the "heaviest" unit (not counting the bodyguards) in my armies was still Nizag Gunds...
    "Let us remember that there are multiple theories of Intelligent Design. I and many others around the world are of the strong belief that the universe was created by a Flying Spaghetti Monster. --- Proof of the existence of the FSM, if needed, can be found in the recent uptick of global warming, earthquakes, hurricanes, and other natural disasters. Apparently His Pastaness is to be worshipped in full pirate regalia. The decline in worldwide pirate population over the past 200 years directly corresponds with the increase in global temperature. Here is a graph to illustrate the point."

    -Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster

  6. #6
    Not Just A Name; A Way Of Life Member Sarcasm's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Olissipo, Lusitania
    Posts
    3,744

    Default Re: How do I stop these Scythians?

    If he's being attacked he can prepare his slingers on a higher elevation. If none are present, then I like them on my left, with cav behind it.



    We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars

    -- Oscar Wilde

  7. #7

    Default Re: How do I stop these Scythians?

    Quote Originally Posted by Sarcasm
    If you can't defeat them in the open with regular troops, then get some local auxiliaries to help you. Sufficient slingers and archers behind a strong line of heavy infantry (don't forget the testudo) is pretty much impregnable against horse-archers armies. Keeping a reserve of cavalry is essential in the later parts of the battle so keep them fresh and strike only when needed.

    Or fight defensively in fortified towns. And then go directly after theirs. Navy helps.
    There is no testudo in 204 BC.
    Veni
    Vidi
    Velcro

  8. #8
    Trainee blame-taker, no class Member Underhand's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    UK
    Posts
    108

    Default Re: How do I stop these Scythians?

    Having superior firepower is definitely the least headache-inducing way to deal with skirmishing cavalry. I normally eschew missile troops in my current (Romani) game, but in western North Africa I happily spam slingers. Numidian cavalry is just so annoying if you aren't able to mow them down with missiles.

    Horse archers are obviously more dangerous, but just back your slingers up with some heavy infantry in case they get charged and you should be fine. Cavalry isn't really necessary in this situation, except to pursue any routing infantry they may have and perhaps slaughter their foot skirmishers, if your own don't deal with them.

  9. #9

    Default Re: How do I stop these Scythians?

    Quote Originally Posted by Maeran
    It's 204BC, I'm playing as Rome and I have just finished getting Carthage where I want them- as a little buffer state with Egypt.

    As usual Macedon and Koinen Hellonen are a feudin' and a fightin' themselves into the ground and Getai have started steamrolling Macedon.

    Typically Roman as I play, I hate the idea of a superpower on my border (I have Illyria), so I go to intervene on behalf of Macedon. Declaring war on the Getians I have relieved Epirus (I wiped out the Epirotes 50 years ago and gave it to Macedon to prevent them dying and leaving me with a strong neighbour) but the Macedonian homelands are now looking very brown. Instead of the usual Rhompia-fest, the Getai are fielding mainly horse archer armies.

    Clearly, archer on pony is a good look this season because the Sauromatae have come in north of Dacia and attacked me unprovoked (that's not a surprise).

    I've fought two battles with them so far and am getting slaughtered. It's the normal problem- heavy cavalry can't catch them, light cavalry don't get close.

    Is there any strategy that doesn't involve spamming them in a war of attrition?
    Try sending a legion into their territories and a good general too so that you can set up a series of watch towers, build a fort and send out a few scouts to instigate combat with near by men, have the fort forces within enough range to come in as relief support or better still intise them into siegeing the camp, archer cavalry are terrible at sieges.

    This isnt so much battlefield strategy advise more just macropolitical strategic advice for keeping them away from your precious cities and those of your dearest allies.

    As for taking down enemy armies without conquering their lands? 1) you can hire units of cavalry archers to combat them 2) you can imploy a good sturdy heavily armored infantry force to absorb most of their arrows while they are backed by decently ranged missle support such as slingers or archers. or 3) my personal favorite when dealing with annoying cavalry, get yourself a group of heavily armored cavalry and hire a fair number of very light and swift cavalry, and simply use them to catch up with and pin down the enemy cavalry archers then send your slower and heavier cavalry in to finish them off.

    Imagine it as sort of grabbing your enemy by the genitals and then head butting their skull off their shoulders.

    P.S. this is one of my favorite tactics in Medieval 2 online and has won me many victories especially against pesky cav archer like factions.

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Single Sign On provided by vBSSO