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Thread: Tell me what tactics to use attacking Macedon

  1. #1
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    Default Tell me what tactics to use attacking Macedon

    Ok I've been playing with my buddy and he uses Macedon but I cannot defeat him with Rome. We use 40k money, syrian flats map and his army setup is the following:

    9 royal pikemen - almost fully upgraded
    5 cretan archers, full attack and 1 exp
    3 to 4 Cavalry units almost fully upgraded.

    His deployment is the following:

    p=pikemen
    a=archers
    c=cavalry

    ---This is where my army is----


    p p p p p p
    a a a a a
    p p p
    c c c c

    Generally I find that using my roman archer auxilia against him isn't effective because his cretans are too strong. Generally I use around 8 or 9 fully upgraded urbans (except for attack), and 5 praetorian fully upgraded. That's my whole army. My tactic is to pin his pikes with urbans from the front, and eliminate his cavalry as I usually have the cav advantage, and then to strike pinned phalanxes from the rear but those reserves are pesky,he'll get 1 or 2 pikes from his reserve line into the cav battle. During this period his archers will rain arrows on my urbans making them rout. No surprise there as urbans engaged against a phalanx head on, under arrow fire will undoubtedly rout quickly. I the key is to eliminate his archers, but I aways lead the cavalry attack from only 1 flank, maybe i should get more cav and attack from both sides so that the archers are in more danger? Or maybe try to breach and create a hole in his line, but this is diffcult to do. Any suggestions?

  2. #2
    Paul d's Avatar Praepositus
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    Default Re: Tell me what tactics to use attacking Macedon

    are there rules? if not, be an eastern faction. horsearchers render a phalanx damn near useless. that is, until their arrows deplete.

  3. #3

    Default Re: Tell me what tactics to use attacking Macedon

    try whit 4 unit archers fully upgraded and all other units-the best melee unit and try to make a circle around his army while your archers fire upon his.

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    Default Re: Tell me what tactics to use attacking Macedon

    this is a good idea, but if i dont bring any cavalry, he will use his cav to attack my archers. should i use 1 melee unit on each flank to protect the archers?

  5. #5

    Default Re: Tell me what tactics to use attacking Macedon

    Testudo? Or bring some dirt cheap (normal) archers to draw his fire from your urbans. Once you have taken out his cavalry and still have a fair amount of urbans left, you will have won.
    End of an era

  6. #6

    Default Re: Tell me what tactics to use attacking Macedon

    get greeks
    Armoured Hoplites kill their pikes
    Get Cretans and 3-4light cav


    Busy!!!

  7. #7
    Prince_of_Macedon's Avatar Πρίγκηψ της Μακεδονίας
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    Default Re: Tell me what tactics to use attacking Macedon

    Rome outclasses Macedon in every department except for archery where both factions are roughly equal. Try bringing some archers next time. Make sure they're attacking his archers directly. So basically, the most important change for you is to bring archers (and use them effectively).

    Pit your archers against his archers. Pit your cavalry against his cavalry. Pit your infantry against his infantry. You will win with sheer quality. Just remember: as a Roman, you're faster & stronger than him. That's not an opinion - it's a simple fact. You can't lose. And at 40k, you have a huge ridiculous advantage. That's important to know because the Macedonian should be scared of you (not vice-a-versa).
    Last edited by Prince_of_Macedon; January 11, 2008 at 09:51 AM.
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  8. #8

    Default Re: Tell me what tactics to use attacking Macedon

    At 40k vs Macedon I would go 6 Preatorian cavalry (full armour and weapon upgrade) 6 Archer auxillia (full armour and weapon upgrade) 8 Urbans (full armour and weapon upgrade) spend the rest of your cash on experience

    This is how I would set up
    ---A---A---A---
    ---A---A---A---
    CCCUUUUUUUUCCC

    A = archers
    C= cavalry
    U = urbans

    Tactics
    Archers into the wide setting to reduce casualties, Urbans into Testudo
    1st aim kill off the cretan threat so archer battle is the way to go, fight to the death and don't worry if you loose the first phase, the main aim is to use up as many cretan arrows on a cheap target (keep your cav away from the cretans)
    If he attacks your archers with horses then smash his cavalry from both sides with your Praeto's (then retreat your cavalry out of cretan range) and continue with stage 1
    Stage 2 Move up your cavalry around his rear and attack the cavalry, the tactic here is to attack on mass (all 6 cav together best way is to divide into 2 groups of 3 praetos each and hit him from both sides)(keeping your cav away from the pikemen) If he insists on keeping the 3 Pikemen in reserve then go to stage 3 (before stage 2) as 8 urbans on auto fire and then attack vs 6 pikemen will rout some pikemen quickly and force him to commit his reserves
    Stage 3 take your urbans out of testudo move them up put them on auto fire (if he doesn't attack) then when they have used up their pila atack with Urbans and smash your remaining cavalry into his rear (again en masse and to the end of his line) as soon as the end unit of pikemen rout pull back all cavalry and smash into the next unit from the rear etc etc etc
    Do not waste time chasing down his routers until all his units are routing even if they regroup they will be easy meat and too far away to join up with the rest of his army
    Do not try to attack his cavalry in his area of the battlefield with yours as his cretans will kill your cavalry, keep the cretans busy firing at archers and only attack his cavalry when they attack your archers or when his cretans are low on ammo or out of ammo and isolated from the protection of his pikemen

    If he is stupid enough to charge you take the urbans out of testudo and kill his cavalry first (with your cav + urbans) then push your cavalry + archers) round the back (avoiding the pikemen) Archers to fire into the centre units of the Pikemen and cav to charge into the end units

    Main thing to remember Phallanx units are strong at the front but very weak when attacked from the rear, so pin them down with the best infrantry unit going (Urbans) and smash into their rear with arrows and horses and Cretan archers are one of the best archer units going but not worth a lot when the ammo runs out

    If you want me to show you online pm me and I wiil help
    Last edited by general nuisance; January 11, 2008 at 02:12 PM.
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    Default Re: Tell me what tactics to use attacking Macedon

    Quote Originally Posted by Prince_of_Macedon View Post
    Rome outclasses Macedon in every department except for archery where both factions are roughly equal. Try bringing some archers next time. Make sure they're attacking his archers directly. So basically, the most important change for you is to bring archers (and use them effectively).

    Pit your archers against his archers.
    How do you suggest I deploy my archers exactly?

    Quote Originally Posted by general nuisance View Post
    At 40k vs Macedon I would go 6 Preatorian cavalry (full armour and weapon upgrade) 6 Archer auxillia (full armour and weapon upgrade) 8 Urbans (full armour and weapon upgrade) spend the rest of your cash on experience

    This is how I would set up
    ---A---A---A---
    ---A---A---A---
    CCCUUUUUUUUCCC

    A = archers
    C= cavalry
    U = urbans

    Tactics
    Archers into the wide setting to reduce casualties, Urbans into Testudo
    1st aim kill off the cretan threat so archer battle is the way to go, fight to the death and don't worry if you loose the first phase, the main aim is to use up as many cretan arrows on a cheap target (keep your cav away from the cretans)
    If he attacks your archers with horses then smash his cavalry from both sides with your Praeto's (then retreat your cavalry out of cretan range) and continue with stage 1
    Stage 2 Move up your cavalry around his rear and attack the cavalry, the tactic here is to attack on mass (all 6 cav together best way is to divide into 2 groups of 3 praetos each and hit him from both sides)(keeping your cav away from the pikemen) If he insists on keeping the 3 Pikemen in reserve then go to stage 3 (before stage 2) as 8 urbans on auto fire and then attack vs 6 pikemen will rout some pikemen quickly and force him to commit his reserves
    Stage 3 take your urbans out of testudo move them up put them on auto fire (if he doesn't attack) then when they have used up their pila atack with Urbans and smash your remaining cavalry into his rear (again en masse and to the end of his line) as soon as the end unit of pikemen rout pull back all cavalry and smash into the next unit from the rear etc etc etc
    Do not waste time chasing down his routers until all his units are routing even if they regroup they will be easy meat and too far away to join up with the rest of his army
    Do not try to attack his cavalry in his area of the battlefield with yours as his cretans will kill your cavalry, keep the cretans busy firing at archers and only attack his cavalry when they attack your archers or when his cretans are low on ammo or out of ammo and isolated from the protection of his pikemen

    If he is stupid enough to charge you take the urbans out of testudo and kill his cavalry first (with your cav + urbans) then push your cavalry + archers) round the back (avoiding the pikemen) Archers to fire into the centre units of the Pikemen and cav to charge into the end units

    Main thing to remember Phallanx units are strong at the front but very weak when attacked from the rear, so pin them down with the best infrantry unit going (Urbans) and smash into their rear with arrows and horses and Cretan archers are one of the best archer units going but not worth a lot when the ammo runs out

    If you want me to show you online pm me and I wiil help
    The archer deployment you showed me here. I don't quite understand it. Are you proposing I use 2 lines of archers in LOOSE formation, and also in a wide formation?

    And regarding the testudo - when urbans are coming out of testudo, they are very vulnerable to missile fire because they are all bunched up in a small area, I've seen 1 singple volley from 5 cretans take out half an urban cohort. Do you think it's best to keep them in testudo until all his ammo is depleted?

    Thanks for the tips.

  10. #10

    Default Re: Tell me what tactics to use attacking Macedon

    I am proposing using 2 lines in loose formation of archers on NO skirmish mode
    What will happen is he will either have an archer battle with you (instruct your archers to fire at the cretans keeping your main army close behind) or attack with his cavalry in which case the archers will retreat and you hit them from both sides with your cavalry IN YOUR AREA OF THE BATTLE FIELD resulting in total defeat of his cavalry then you retreat your cavalry out of cretan range and start again
    When you bring your Urbans out of testudo ideally you want the cretans out of ammo or dead with 6 archer auxillia firing at them there won't be too many cretans left, there certainly wont be full units of cretans left too cause you too many problems
    The only scenario in which you would bring your Urbans out of Testudo with cretans still firing is if he attacks with his Pikemen, but this is unlikely as he has a defensive army either way you MUST keep your archers firing at the cretans and if he does attack then his cavalry and cretans will be very vunerable to your cavalry as he will be forced to commit his reserves to back up his front line of 6 pikemen who will be getting creamed by 8 urbans
    Your opponant has set up a defensive army he wants you to attack so take advantage and attack at your pace
    Last edited by general nuisance; January 12, 2008 at 07:14 AM.
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  11. #11
    Prince_of_Macedon's Avatar Πρίγκηψ της Μακεδονίας
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    Default Re: Tell me what tactics to use attacking Macedon

    Quote Originally Posted by avesta View Post
    How do you suggest I deploy my archers exactly?
    Put them in loose formation somewhere. It doesn't matter where really because you can always re-position them later if you have to. Just make sure they can hit his archers.
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    Axeman's Avatar Praepositus
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    Default Re: Tell me what tactics to use attacking Macedon

    Be Egypt, use cheap Nubian Spearmen to pin him from the front, and spam chariots and reak havok on his rear, muhahaha

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    Default Re: Tell me what tactics to use attacking Macedon

    Ok cool thanks for the tips.
    Usually when I do archer battles like that I try to put ALL my archers within range of his archers, in this case if I use a 2 line archer formation then the rear line won't be in range right? Do you think it's better to put them all in 1 long line?

  14. #14
    AngryTitusPullo's Avatar Comes Limitis
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    Default Re: Tell me what tactics to use attacking Macedon

    If you have to use Rome the concentrate on moving your archers to his right since phalanx have no shield bonus on the right side. Make sure you cavalry cover the archers while you legionaries engage them from the front.

    Do not contest with Cretan archers from the front.

    Phalanx armies are defensive in nature so you must attack them from all sides if possible.


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  15. #15

    Default Re: Tell me what tactics to use attacking Macedon

    Quote Originally Posted by avesta View Post
    Ok cool thanks for the tips.
    Usually when I do archer battles like that I try to put ALL my archers within range of his archers, in this case if I use a 2 line archer formation then the rear line won't be in range right? Do you think it's better to put them all in 1 long line?
    All your Archers need to be firing at the cretans, I choose a 2 line formation because their backs are covered by the urbans and cavalry (very important) and if they are attacked by cavalry they should run back into the protection of the urbans, leaving you free to concentrate on attacking his cavalry with yours, so both lines of archers need to be within range of the cretans
    I personally would not put my urbans into testudo if they are out of range of the cretans as the protection that they would offer your archers when they retreat from a cavalry attack is very superior out of testudo (but the choice is yours as testudo is a perfect arrow waster)

    Finally Prince-of Macedon knows what he is talking about Rome is superior at 40k, and remember archers vs archers, cavalry vs cavalry
    Last edited by general nuisance; January 13, 2008 at 01:46 AM.
    If at first you don't succeed destroy any evidence that you tried

    "Here within the folds of my toga hang peace or war"
    "Which shall you choose Carthage peace or war"----- Fabius Maximus
    "You say Fabius let rome decide"-----Carthage temple of the elders
    ................WAR.......Fabius Maximus

  16. #16
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    Default Re: Tell me what tactics to use attacking Macedon

    cool thanks.
    I will let you guys know the results of the battle.

  17. #17

    Default Re: Tell me what tactics to use attacking Macedon

    My guess is your opponent will be too cocky to read on here, he has no chance

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