Favorite tactics

[Quirinus]

There are two options to this scenario:
1) Make your battles have a time limit. If the enemy attacks you on the campaign map and then doesn't attack you on the field, then you've won after 45 minutes.

Haha, I usually uncheck that, because sometimes, my cavalry tactics against a superior force depends on tiring out the enemy, which takes a hell lot of time. I haven't actually tried the battle timer though, so I don't know if it matters or not.

2) If time limit is not an option, they you must cajole the enemy into attacking you. If you're a hellenic faction, send out your militia cav and throw a couple spears into him. See if that makes him attack. Or move your archers into postion, and fire a couple volleys into him, to rustle up some movement. And as a last resort, take your general and dance him around in front of the enemy. Nothing looks quite as tasty to the AI than your general all by himself.

Almost always one of those will work.

Haha, yes, I remember that. The Gallic army wouldn't move from their wooded position, so I sent my general to play tag. They wouldn't move, and I was taking casualties from their archers, so I charged them repeatedly from the flanks, hoping to lure them out. The result? My general got speared by a javelin. My demoralised troops then proceeded to die in large numbers, rout, and generally make a huge disgrace of themselves. =(


But I tried the phalanx box tactic in a custom battle with seven units of Greek hoplites, versus a full stack of Parthian eastern infantry and another full stack of Pontic chariots. It worked spectacularly. A particularly determined charge, though, almost broke through my lines at one point before they routed. Isn't it possible that an infantry unit with better morale and stats (say, a Roman legionary cohort) might actually break through by sheer numbers?

[The Wandering Scholar]

Haha, I usually uncheck that, because sometimes, my cavalry tactics against a superior force depends on tiring out the enemy, which takes a hell lot of time. I haven't actually tried the battle timer though, so I don't know if it matters or not.

I always, always set a battle timer. Especially good for defending sallys. plenty of missile to weaken them, charge with cav then retreat using your speed to another part of the map. You win 9/10.

Isn't it possible that an infantry unit with better morale and stats (say, a Roman legionary cohort) might actually break through by sheer numbers?

yes, them legionnaires, especially spec'd up with foundry and stufff can easily break your pike line. This ame as a suprise to me as I could not understand hoe a short gladius could somehow evade a very long spear.

[woad&fangs]

Armoured hoplites would probably also work if you took them out of phalanx mode and had them charge. Chosen swordsmen could also work.

Large pike armies used to scare me until I realized that I could bullrush them with a heavily armoured unit and force them into their secondary weapons. At that point I brought in some medium infantry to finish off the now pikeless pikemen while my bullrushers went on to the next pike unit. In my next EB campaign I'm thinking of playing as the Saby'n which means I'll have to master this tactic in order to have a chance against the endless hordes of Egyptians and Seleucids.

Edit: anyways, here is a tactic that I've used with the scythians.

Trident:

Factions-Scythia, Egypt, Parthia(?)

AAAAAAA
AAAAAAA............................../\..../\..../\
........................................./N.\./ N\./ N.\
........................................HHHH..G..HHHH
...............................................HHHH

A-horse archers(chariot archers for eggies.)
/N\- I think that I used Scythian Nobles but any strong Cav that can form a wedge will do.
H-Head hunting maidens(the cavalry with axes for the eggies.)
G-General

Tactics: Ram the into the enemy with the wedges followed closely by the AP cavalry and the general. The wedges should be freed from melee as soon as possible but the AP cav and the general should fight in melee as long as is practical. The wedges should repeatedly charge the enemy and then withdraw. The HA's should focus their fire on one flank until it is weak enough to insta-route when charged. Then they should draw back and repeat with the next set of units.

Strengths: Strong against armoured foes, mobile, good offensive formation

Weakness's: Heavy casualties in the melee Cav, lots of micro-management.

[o_loompah_the_delayer]

I have only played two campaigns so far, but here is what I do for what its worth.

1. My usual defensive set up for Romans pre Marian against Barbarians, Spaniards and Carthaginians is:

---Slingers---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------Hastati--Hastati--Hastati--Hastati--Hastati--------------------------
--------Spearmen---------Velites----Archers----Velites-----------Spearmen------------
-----------------------*Hastati*-Hastati-General-Hastati-*Hastati*----------Wardogs--
---Equites----------------------------------Equites--------------------------------Equites-------

Slinger to pelt them as they approach, wardogs to attack any missile units that the AI sends up front (though I do feel a little exploity using them except against rebels), mercenary spearmen to beat of any flanking cavalry. I let the enemy come up and bash the hastati before flanking round with the *hastati* (the two most experienced units) and equites. Genrally also I have the hastati in the second line and the missile troops focus all their fire on one unit at a time. Usually I can get three enemy units to rout bfore serious fighting. If the enemy general charges at any point, I will give him one volley from the velites and counter charge with my general. Otherwise too many hastati get killed.

If fighting against chariots I will go in with a couple more velites and put them on the flanks to swamp the chariots or hide in woods to emerge and attack from the back.

2. On the attack, it really depend on the terrain.
- Never attack up hill or head on. Maneouvre to attack along the top of a ridge.
- Wait to let your troops get back to fresh or atleast warmed up before final attack.
- Lead with velites or some other missile unit in loose formation to absorb missiles - casualties matter less as there wont be much time to bombard the enemy with missiles anyway and velites are cheap.
- Always attack one flank first with infantry and with cavalry sweeping around, archers/ slinger bombarding the rest of their line (velites dont have enough range). As the AI redeploys to line up face to face with you, look for opportunities ot pick off units, charge missile units with cavalry or infantry units which can be attacked quickly from all sides and routed.

3. When sallying out in a siege, lead with cavalry first. As the AI redeploys (why doesnt it shoot as you emerge from the gates?!!?) charge whatever unit is at the AI's tail. With 3 units of cavalry it will rout and at most the penultimate tail unit will move back to support it. Run the cavalry off a little distance and then charge and rout them too. By then your infantry will be outside the gates and the cavalry "warmed up" so give the horsies a rest and use the infantry to start the main battle.

4. Siege assaults: anyone have good strategy for this? controlling units i find is a nightmare they keep going the worng places, find the worst routes and engaing units they should be skirting around. Ugh.

[whtdoesitmatta]

the best tactic is to warcry with bezerkers.

[Hannibalbarc]

So that they run head on into a bunch of Spartan phalanxes.

[whtdoesitmatta]

Mine have never seen a phalanx other than my own.The Greeks only exist in Asia Minor and Rhodes.

[gaiusmarius8]

This is my usual battle formation when I was playing Germania...

WWWWWWW WWWWWWW
WWWWWWWWWWWW

C AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA C
CC AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA CC
CCC CCC
CCCC GGGG CCCC


C: Cavalry
W: Spear Warband
A: Axemen
G: General


I put some warbands out diagnal to my main spearwarband line, I enclose the enemy for the most part to win.

[The Wandering Scholar]

A tactic I used on multiplayer as macedon was this:

CCIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICC
CC AGA CC

Letters are pretty self-explanatory, I don't really know if it is effective as my opposition just warcried and charched into my spears, idiot.

[TruePraetorian]

Since we are using letters




Romans:


SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

555 444 333 222 111111
CCC AAA 666 777 888 999 000 AAA CCC
OOO OOO
GGG






Numbers - Legionary Cohorts. 1 is first cohorts OR a double cohort (two side-by-side)
AAA - Infantry Auxillia or Mercs.
SSS - Skirmisher
RRR - Archers
CCC - Cavalry
GGG - General
OOO - Onager/artillery

When my archers start firing, i turn off my onagers. I then advance all units (except onagers, archers, and skirmishers) forward. The skirmishers are on skirmish, but not the archers. I then move my double line so my archers are in the middle of my Cohorts. My skirmishers stay infront, and just retreat when they need to. First row of infantry is set on guard and fire at will. I check each unit, when one or more say shaken, i set rear row to fire at will. They throw, then I charge with my second lines. I then retreat my first lines slowly, and line them up behind in the same fashion. Then I repeat

[Motep]

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Note that it is vulnerable to missile fire, so heavy cavalry is a must. Especially when dealing with onagers. thats why I use two general units, as they can take on a regular cavalry unit fairly quickly, and can then procedd to stomp on the enemy missiles. It is also virtually impenetrable to enemy units, but, just in case, it is good to have backup units. I usually take 15 phalanx, 2 archer, 1 onager, and 2 cavalry, but I grabbed to many this way and my phalanx had no supporting units. I usually have 1 or 2 units waiting within the circle for backup, and they patch when neccessary. Note that the onager is just for fun, and it does cause the enemy to lose morale and men. Please be careful when firing downhill, as the men in front of them are likely to take any misfored shots. If you do not win the battle, you will at least make sure that they lose alot of their men. More men than you lose, at any rate.

For the defense of a city:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Self Explanitory, pretty much. Strong defense on the walls they will attack, and if that fails, a decent defence in the center. Works pretty much all of the time.