How to deal with boxes without missile units?

[King Carthage]

Im wondering that is there a way to deal with boxes without using missile infantry, and what strategy is the best?

[Ventos Mustel]

Onagers. I never take a carthaginian army to the field without at least two units of onagers. When you dont have any good, cheap missile infantry like the other factions do, you need some other way to project force at range. Soften up those spartans with flaming boulders before moving in the sacred band. If the noob box decides to just stand there, then you get a couple hundred free kills before running out of ammo. Otherwise, you've successfully forced them to pull out of their box and fight on your terms.

[diez]

well no.arty is at 90% of the matches not allowed.Your best hopes are in the following strategy.Find the weakest spot/unit in the noobox,and attack with all your might,so that even if he has more soldiers,at this specific spot you will be wining becuase your whole forces will attack there.Now,keep a unit at each of your flanks,as reserve.Sooner or later he will break the noobox and reinforce the cracking spot.As he amasses his whole force against yours throw in your reserves and outflank him.It works if the difference between the numbers arent huge.If doesnt work the first time,our your attack got repelled ,simply withdraw and repeat

[Ventos Mustel]

In my opinion that makes it a good argument for NOT banning artillery.

I agree though, if you cant force them to break formation with artillery then the next best thing is to find a weak point and press hard on it, as you said.

[sobchack]

From what I've seen, arty is usually worthless in multiplayer, although if someone decided to camp in a box it would definitely pay for itself.

But you don't need it to break a noob box. All you need is a decent amount of decent swordsmen (preferably with good armor).

Simply use up all your pilum by doing feint charges at the pikemen and they will get decimated. If you have 6-8 good infantry and the boxer sits there and takes it, the cumulative pila blasts will probably break a couple units of pikes before the melee engagement even begins. Go through these openings and start flanking, and his box will be eaten from the inside out. If the pike box is still standing after your pila assault, then mass at the corners of the box and charge in. Keep your cav at his flanks in case he peels of units to assist the fight.

If the boxer decides to not to sit there and take your pilum fire and advances, then voila, the pike box is no more. Now its up to you to out maneuver your opponent which isn't difficult because pikemen are not going to catch you ever.

I've also heard that very heavily armored shock cav can bust openings into a box if they angle their charges just right at pike box corners, but i've never done this myself.

If you have no swordsmen, no javs, no archers/slingers, and no horse skirmishers than you probably didn't bring a very balanced army.

[PlautusLeo]

Disruptive post removed.

[alQamar]

In my opinion that makes it a good argument for NOT banning artillery.

I agree though, if you cant force them to break formation with artillery then the next best thing is to find a weak point and press hard on it, as you said.

who bans art anyway... CWB players.. in a good total war match there shouldn't be artificial restrictions but good rulesets that support usuage of all units and not only elite unit spam.