The Seleucid Empire

[ReluctantSamurai]

You are, of course, correct about the province restriction as to where you can train Ellies. One tactic I use (for any faction that gets Ellies) especially when I land on distant shores with them is to keep a replacement unit or two sitting off-shore in a fleet. That way I can simply debark the replacement unit and bring my fighting units back to full strength. I also do this with mercs.

Now I typically counter cav archers with light cav, if I fight a cav archer army I use bring more light cav than usual. Good strategy or no?

Probably the only way to fight them off in numbers. The Shogun AI always went after your Cavalry Archers with Yari Cav (the fastest unit in the game). I learned real quick to keep some of my own Yari Cav nearby to my Cav Archers to keep enemy cav away or kill them.

Naginata Cavalry:

http://wiki.totalwar.com/w/Naginata_...%28STW_unit%29

Anyway, heavy infantry, at least in RTW, have the defense to withstand CAs

Cataphract Archers will decimate even heavy infantry with archery alone even from the front:

http://rtw.heavengames.com/rtw/strat...tle/CataClass/

Because of their mobility of getting to the flanks or rear, they force infantry units to turn and face them (retaining their shield bonus) and that's when the heavy Cats go to work

Scroll down the list to find them. Vanilla stat is a missile attack of 7....add 1 more for each missile upgrade....add 1 more for each experience chevron (up to nine)....add bonus modifiers from a cavalry general.......well, you get the idea.

It worked this way even historically:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Carrhae

In Shogun, the purpose of Cavalry Archers was harassment. You got enemy formations to break up trying to either defend against them, or chase them. If the AI broke off some foot archers to deal with them, you sent the cavalry to melee to destroy them. If the AI sent Yari Cav after them, your own Yari engaged. A tough nut to crack either way....

[Vincent Butler]

You are, of course, correct about the province restriction as to where you can train Ellies. One tactic I use (for any faction that gets Ellies) especially when I land on distant shores with them is to keep a replacement unit or two sitting off-shore in a fleet. That way I can simply debark the replacement unit and bring my fighting units back to full strength. I also do this with mercs.

A strategy I followed as well. I may have stopped because of my tendency to fight defensively, elephants are not effective in a defensive setup. I have since learned to use the phalanx offensively (unless defensive is to my advantage due to terrain). The fleet thing is actually nice for preparing an army, usually my experienced ones. If it is a city that will come under siege a lot, I will train a replacement garrison unit of some kind until I have a sufficient-sized garrison and send the experienced ones to the ship, one by one or two; it takes a while sometimes, but that way I have a sufficient garrison, and my experienced army is able to conquer instead of sitting inside of a siege, or getting attacked and constantly needing to replace losses while I am building a garrison.

[williamsiddell]

elephants are not effective in a defensive setup.

If I remember correctly, elephants have more superior defensive attributes. They also appear to attract a lot of enemy attention. I would plant them somewhere off an exposed flank and put in defensive mode. The enemy will attack in numbers and eventually the elephants go amok. At that point, because they are away from your troops, they'll do damage to the others rather than yours.

[ReluctantSamurai]

I would plant them somewhere off an exposed flank and put in defensive mode

Then you would be wasting their potential and would be better off not using them. Guys....the whole purpose of ellies is to smash enemy formations with their charge. They need to be used in an offensive way, though you shouldn't get reckless with them. As I've already stated, ellies disrupt enemy formations so badly that a follow-up cavalry charge usually routs whatever unit that just got bowled over.

eventually the elephants go amok

I've played extensively with ellies, and the only ones I've ever had go amok are the "baby" ones. Never, ever, have I had a War ellie or an Armoured ellie go amok (and I play at VH/H). Because of their expense they always get paired with my better (best) generals that have all kinds of stat bonuses for cavalry (including morale), and I actually prefer enemy archers to waste their time shooting flame arrows at my ellies where they do no damage, instead of at something they can damage.

[williamsiddell]

Historically you are absolutely right - elephants were used offensively (and you also know that they were negated by creating corridors for them to pass harmlessly through).

I can only base what I say in the game by what I've seen. Attacks on my forces always result in them running amok - after causing a couple of holes. But the AI isn't smart enough to take advantage. My experience is also that they attract AI units - so if I have elephants I use them as scapegoats to draw off the enemy while I stuff them elsewhere. They of course might die :)

[ReluctantSamurai]

Of course we all know that RTW is anything but historical.

Ellies are just too damn expensive to be used as decoys, IMHO. Take my advice and pair them with generals that have battlefield bonuses...you won't be disappointed

If you don't feel comfortable using them...then don't. Seleucia has a good enough roster to win without them, tho' I'd question why you'd want to play Seleucia in the first place if you don't AFAICS, ellies are one of the main reasons for playing Seleucia

[williamsiddell]

Not gonna argue with any of that. You've hit the nail on the head - I don't like elephants (or scythed chariots) because, for all you say they're trustworthy, I always feel I'm not in full control. Aye, it's not a good idea to waste cash - so I would only buy if flush.