Quote Originally Posted by worlddomination88
Ok. Im in the polibian reforms Got the typical 4 hastati 3 pricaples 3 triarai. Does your hastati hold out any good against the against the barbarians. Particularly Averi or Audui im in the typical cheacker board formation with the hastati in the front and it seams they just get creamed peaty fast against any heavy infantry unit. And I have to quickly engage my pricaples before I want to.
Hastati should be of the same number as Principes and Triarii 1/2 of that. Example: 4-4-2

The idea behind the Roman tactics is to have the Hastati fight in the first place and keep the Principes in reserve. At any point where the Hastati cannot succeed they are retreated and the Principes from the second line take over. That is, your best fighters are kept in reserve until you see where the fighting is the heaviest and your line runs into trouble. That's where the Principes will engage and not to be wasted against any militias that the Hastati can rout on their own.

You should withdraw the Hastati, may be, when they down to under 100 men or show serious signs of beeing close to routing.

And what was your startegical question? ;-)