Need Romani vs. Sweboz tips.

[Matinius Brutus]

Well, my approach is deffinetly not historically correct but I don't usually stick strictly to historical formations. Here it is:

___Has Pr Pr Tr Tr Pr Pr Has
Ped___S____S___S______Ped_____Cav Gen

Has- Hastati
Pr- Princepes
Tr- Triarii
Ped - Pedites Extra
S - Skirmishers or slingers or archers
Cav- Cavalry
Gen-General

The Pedites are there to make sure my center is not flanked and to flank themselves if they have the opportunity. I have grown confident that a unit of pedites can withstand a strong cavalry charge and fight for a long time against almost all infantry. Enough to hold the flank while my stronger wing outfights the enemy wing. I amass all my cavalry units for stronger charge. If the enemy has some cavalry it is usually positioned on both wings which makes mine superior and after I defeat the wing against my cav. units I am at large to flank or charge at the rear of the enemy. In the case with the Sweboz it is vital to kill the general. Once this is done a charge at the rear or the flank is all that you need to rout their army. If you do not kill him however you will get heavy casualties and you may even lose the battle. And the other guys are right - against sweboz units use more missiles. These bastards hardly have any armor.

[Skandinav]

I can only emphasize what others have said already, take advantage of their general lack of armor with arrows and pila preferably, bring some additional skirmishers for this, and wait for them to attack you ( unless you consider that an exploit ) so you can exhaust your supply of these before the engagement. Other than that your heavy infantry should do the trick, they are able against most of the unarmored germanic units except for having a weakness against the club-wielding ones.

[Che Roriniho]

Well, my approach is deffinetly not historically correct but I don't usually stick strictly to historical formations. Here it is:

___Has Pr Pr Tr Tr Pr Pr Has
Ped___S____S___S______Ped_____Cav Gen

Has- Hastati
Pr- Princepes
Tr- Triarii
Ped - Pedites Extra
S - Skirmishers or slingers or archers
Cav- Cavalry
Gen-General

The Pedites are there to make sure my center is not flanked and to flank themselves if they have the opportunity. I have grown confident that a unit of pedites can withstand a strong cavalry charge and fight for a long time against almost all infantry. Enough to hold the flank while my stronger wing outfights the enemy wing. I amass all my cavalry units for stronger charge. If the enemy has some cavalry it is usually positioned on both wings which makes mine superior and after I defeat the wing against my cav. units I am at large to flank or charge at the rear of the enemy. In the case with the Sweboz it is vital to kill the general. Once this is done a charge at the rear or the flank is all that you need to rout their army. If you do not kill him however you will get heavy casualties and you may even lose the battle. And the other guys are right - against sweboz units use more missiles. These bastards hardly have any armor.

There is a reaon that historical formations are used: because they were used historically because they worked. I have the Romani formations done in my manual, click the link in my sig.
From what I can tell, you need bigger armies. what diff are you playing at?

[teh1337tim]

this is what i do to sweboz unit armies (yes i once defeated 4 effin fll stack sweboz armies near iuvovaeta with a full consular army (no allies, all roman)
4 hastati, 4 principle, 3 triarii
2 pedites extroadinarie, 2x neitos, 1 general 2 kretan archers, and 2 mercanies samnites
this is how i played my battles with my knowledge that infantry armies will always do single or double line
formation is this---(note-if on historical campiagn, take out some roman troops for allied ones)

Samnite|----------------Hastiti--------------|Samnite
Neitos-------- Velites --------Neitos
Pedites-|-----------Principles----------| Pedites
|--------triarii----------|
Equites-|------------ Kretan archers---------|Equites Extroadinaries
General
The formation depth is mine (could be swapped around, but i never lost o and i didnt get the CTD lol)

Saminite- 8 Deep- Hastati 4 deep
Neitos behind saminite on the flank 7 deep with velites firing any remaining missles etc
Pedites 8 deep with principles 4-6 deep- when hastati bends into the principles, take them behind the triarii to rest
Trairii 6-8 deep with a little distance between them and principles
Ketran archers Right behind (recommended a lil slight incline so the archers dont kill ur own troops)
and general with calvalry on flanks

Most of the times the infantry engage before my archers could expand all their armmo
so i screen them with my equites and hide my extroadinary nearby
(this will be done 5-15 mins into battle, where the enemy istired)
go RIGHT behind them with some distance
and put the calvaly on their flanks
use 1 with fire and 1 without and MAnually target into a nice lil clump of infnatry
BAM instant 120+ kills
by this time theyll be scared so CHARGE ur calvalry right into them and move them back
(this is where the roman equites dont suck as much as people think they do)
rinse and repeat until they start routing
and charge!! = instant heroic victory
:D

[Che Roriniho]

this is what i do to sweboz unit armies (yes i once defeated 4 effin fll stack sweboz armies near iuvovaeta with a full consular army (no allies, all roman)
4 hastati, 4 principle, 3 triarii
2 pedites extroadinarie, 2x neitos, 1 general 2 kretan archers, and 2 mercanies samnites
this is how i played my battles with my knowledge that infantry armies will always do single or double line
formation is this---(note-if on historical campiagn, take out some roman troops for allied ones)

Samnite|----------------Hastiti--------------|Samnite
Neitos-------- Velites --------Neitos
Pedites-|-----------Principles----------| Pedites
|--------triarii----------|
Equites-|------------ Kretan archers---------|Equites Extroadinaries
General
The formation depth is mine (could be swapped around, but i never lost o and i didnt get the CTD lol)

Saminite- 8 Deep- Hastati 4 deep
Neitos behind saminite on the flank 7 deep with velites firing any remaining missles etc
Pedites 8 deep with principles 4-6 deep- when hastati bends into the principles, take them behind the triarii to rest
Trairii 6-8 deep with a little distance between them and principles
Ketran archers Right behind (recommended a lil slight incline so the archers dont kill ur own troops)
and general with calvalry on flanks

Most of the times the infantry engage before my archers could expand all their armmo
so i screen them with my equites and hide my extroadinary nearby
(this will be done 5-15 mins into battle, where the enemy istired)
go RIGHT behind them with some distance
and put the calvaly on their flanks
use 1 with fire and 1 without and MAnually target into a nice lil clump of infnatry
BAM instant 120+ kills
by this time theyll be scared so CHARGE ur calvalry right into them and move them back
(this is where the roman equites dont suck as much as people think they do)
rinse and repeat until they start routing
and charge!! = instant heroic victory
:D

My pre-marian armies consist of:
1Accensi ,
1 Velites/Leves
2 Allied Ranged troops
2 Hastati
2 Allied Light Infantry
2/3 Principes (2 in cammillan, 3 in polybian)
2 Allied Heavy Inf
2Triarii
Pedites Extraordinarii
commander
Tribune
2 Allied Cavalry

Arranged in quincux, with PEx behind the generals, so can act as reserves wherever they're nedded, or after a few battles can be used in the main line to hold it steady. It really does work well, and is reasonably historically accurate. Plus, you can use it in roleplaying by keeping the allied units regional to the location of the Legion, but this is hard until Marian.

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

Sounds like you did ok, the Roman thing to do would be to use more men.

[Che Roriniho]

Sounds like you did ok, the Roman thing to do would be to use more men.

If it's not a full stack, then what's the point?

[Matinius Brutus]

There is a reaon that historical formations are used: because they were used historically because they worked. I have the Romani formations done in my manual, click the link in my sig.
From what I can tell, you need bigger armies. what diff are you playing at?

I use it because it works, mate! And I use bigger armies than that. This was my mistake in describing my formation- I simplified it. I use much more cavalry, which I know is absolutely ahistorical for the Romans. I play on Medium battle difficulty. Thanks for the manual, though!

[lonewolf371]

I use it because it works, mate! And I use bigger armies than that. This was my mistake in describing my formation- I simplified it. I use much more cavalry, which I know is absolutely ahistorical for the Romans. I play on Medium battle difficulty. Thanks for the manual, though!

Hmm, I'm not sure why. I've found infantry to be more useful when playing as the Romans than cavalry. Cavalry doesn't have any consistent staying power and their charge only breaks shaken or wavering lines.

[Matinius Brutus]

Hmm, I'm not sure why. I've found infantry to be more useful when playing as the Romans than cavalry. Cavalry doesn't have any consistent staying power and their charge only breaks shaken or wavering lines.

My experience shows that a massive concentrated charge can break steady units. Especially if you can get their General. Which is much easier with overwhelming cavalry. And roman infantry can hold forever until my cavalry dispatches the enemy horsemen and charges at the rear.

[Che Roriniho]

I use it because it works, mate! And I use bigger armies than that. This was my mistake in describing my formation- I simplified it. I use much more cavalry, which I know is absolutely ahistorical for the Romans. I play on Medium battle difficulty. Thanks for the manual, though!

you're welcome. I'd reccomend a BIT more infantry, if only to act s the anvil, so your hammer (cavalry) can wipe those useless Germans off the planet.

Oh, and you're more tan wecome for the manual. it's a labout of love. keep watch for new versions!