Missile Troops

[Patronus]

Thanks for your replies to my previous thread, but I have another question. When an enemy battle line engages your own battle line, is it worth while to let your missile troops keep firing away at the enemy. Doing so does do damage great damage to the enemy, unless they are in phalanx formation, but it also will do damage to your own units, due to their proximity to the enemy. And, I imagine, the damage done to your units will be even worse because they are getting hit from behind, where they are less protected.

[Marcus Scaurus]

Archers are quite useless in my opinion. Playing as macedonia, I never use more than four groups of (Cretan) archers in a full stack. It's usefull when you're fighting superior troops: you can concentrate the fire on one point, so that your troops can break through their lines.

[[ROK]CompanionOfficer]

When the lines meet, try your best to shoot enemy from behind.
If that's not easy, target idling units or cavalries still running.
Final option is to throw them into melee and hope their daggers would make difference.
BTW, Pharaoh archers and chosen archers are special, they are very capable swordfighters.

[SkweePeeps]

Arches are very good when fireing in a close formation when using fire arrows.

[Bovril]

Send your missile troops round their back. It'll break them in no time. Obviously you need appropriate support to do this.

[Marcus Scaurus]

Arches are very good when fireing in a close formation when using fire arrows.

Yeah, try to concentrate the fire on the center of the enemy formation, it will weaken that unit, what makes it easier to penetrate their lines.

[guyyug]

archers r also good 4 droppong morale. aim at low morale troops so they run quicker and drops morale of better units so easier 2 break and kill

[Valerius Maximus]

imo missile troops are very useful, use archers to thin out the enemy before they reach you,
since missile troops are usually fast moving, move them so they can attack the flank or from behind

friendly fire doesn't cause that much casualties, depends on how much u care about your own men...it's like in "Braveheart" - 'Archers' - 'but we'll hit our own troops,sire' 'yes but we'll hit theirs as well'

[TotalWarMan]

it's like in "Braveheart" - 'Archers' - 'but we'll hit our own troops,sire' 'yes but we'll hit theirs as well'

Haha, that was a good movie imo and that line was great. I usually take my archers around the back and hit them with arrrows or if I have men I don't care about (usually don't) then I fire away. I don't have many archers in my armies though so if I only have a couple I use them in the beginning and then just pull then back and won't let them fire and if my line starts to waver then send them in to fight hand-to-hand or to use their arrows.

[SonofSparta]

I Prefer to use the javelin skirmisher's in my Phalanx army over Archer's..just place them behind your main battle line and command them to hold their ground..they will happilly lob volley after volley on the approaching enemy army..killing plenty of them as they approach, thinning them out enough for the Phalanx and Cavalry which by now has hopefully defeated any enemy Cavalry and is hitting the enemy army from behind, game, set, match.

[guyyug]

i find archers are better in the open feild whilst i like javlin men behind my troops when fighting in streets. One battle helped loads because of that i made some indian eles run amok makeing a huge gap in the greek line allowing my roman to go through and smash slowly and of coures that doent help the greeks espeicly when my genral came around and charged them in the back living the battle the greeks had 70 men left out of 800

[Hector of Troy]

I really like using archers as a flanking force in battles if you have the support to get them around. Otherwise, another good tactic, especially if you can produce good archers like Forester Warband then make an army consisting of almost all achers and a few cav, and use that to thin out any enemy forces in you regions. This way you can destroy half their army before they can attack your main troops, or if you're under siege, you can use this army to trap them between the army in your city and any exits.

[Aetius]

I Prefer to use the javelin skirmisher's in my Phalanx army over Archer's..just place them behind your main battle line and command them to hold their ground..they will happilly lob volley after volley on the approaching enemy army..killing plenty of them as they approach, thinning them out enough for the Phalanx and Cavalry which by now has hopefully defeated any enemy Cavalry and is hitting the enemy army from behind, game, set, match.

That is exactly my tactics as any hellenic faction. It is practically undefeatable.

[jahjeremy]

To OP,

The short answer is yes, your archers should continue firing into the enemy, but you have to be careful.

In general, crossbows and gunfire should NOT continue firing unless they have a clear field of fire from the flanks, because they will cause too many friendly fire casualities.

Archers on the other hand can arc their fire above their own troops.

If the enemy blob is really big, fire into units at the back. Less likely to kill your own troops that way.

It is best if you can deploy the archers to your flanks and/or on an elevated hilltop position with a clear line of fire.

However, this isn't always possible, and furthermore you need to have them behind your infantry for protection sometimes, especially if the enemy army has a lot of light/heavy cavalry (the battlefield archer's worst nightmare!).

[aznflea]

i dont use archers at all. slingers and javvies are superior imo. AP ftw.

[SonOfAlexander]

Thanks for your replies to my previous thread, but I have another question. When an enemy battle line engages your own battle line, is it worth while to let your missile troops keep firing away at the enemy. Doing so does do damage great damage to the enemy, unless they are in phalanx formation, but it also will do damage to your own units, due to their proximity to the enemy. And, I imagine, the damage done to your units will be even worse because they are getting hit from behind, where they are less protected.

It is worth it - because RTW isnt so realistic (big suprise...not !) barely any damage - in fact, ive never sustained any damage to my own troops when i keep firing at troops theyre engaging. This demoralises them a lot and makes them break much quicker.