Byzantine army composition

[Mythos]

Has anyone come up with a good one? There is the one in this site, but i am not sure if it can work in TW.

http://www.roman-empire.net/army/tactics.html

It is almost all cavalry. I don't see how you could fight a balanced catholic army, for example, though without many casualties.

The one i use most is like this

HA-------------------------------------------------------HA

---2XByzCav------------------------------------2XByzCav--

------------2XHC--------------------------2XHC------------
-----------------5XByzantine-------Infantry-----------------
--------------------4XGuard------Archer--------------------
--------------------------Varangians------------------------

[Syntax Error]

I'm not much of a horse archer guy, but my "standard army" is very Romanesque in its design.

----------------------- x5 Dismounted Latinkon ------------------------
-----x3 Kataphractoi ----- x4 Varangian Guard ----- x3 Kataphractoi -----
---------------------- x4 Byzantine Guard Archers ----------------------
------------------------ x1 General's Bodyguard ------------------------

Simple, sweet, and to the point. It can take down other armies toe to toe and allows for some nice flanking. Of course, it's weakness would probably be horse archers.

[Mythos]

It seems a good force to use against catholics. I guess you have to use different kinds of armies in the east much as the byzantines historically did.

[Hodor]

You guys should give the Vardariotai a chance.
While horse archers are usually considered light cavalry , these guys can easily stand up to knights in a melee due to their excellent defense skill (they even have a higher total defense rating than Kataphraktoi). They are more than worth their 250 florins per turn.

Honestly, I'd actually like to see them toned down a bit in future patches.

[Syntax Error]

Higher defense than the Kataphractoi? Now someone made a typo during development there.

I know there's a couple of those "hybrid" units (like Ottoman Infantry) that can fight both ranged and melee attacks effectively, but if a freaking HA unit can take on knights head on, then it's overpowered IMO, especially if it has a higher defense rating than those walking tanks known as Kataphractois.

[Mihail]

Honestly, I play most factions the same way, range units in front untill the enemy starts charging, then they run behind my infantry who become my first line and my horse men normally go and flank the enemy from the sides, I would love to attack from the rear with the horse men, but they charge and move poorly unlike in romeTW

[Comrade]

I'm terrible. I can't fight the horse archer warfare of the East, even though it's a true necessity of Byzantium. I have to have the infantry-heavy Legionnaire columns. I can't help it. Usually use something close to Syntax Error's, though drop a few Kataphractoi and throw in some Byzantine infantry.

[Phaedo]

I've successfully employed the Byzantine tactics of the Strategikon in my campaign - they really work quite well as long as you have the room to maneuver.

I usually make my armies on a smaller scale - 6 Byzantine cavalry, 2 Vardariotai, and 2 Byzantine lancers (or Latinkon, if you have them). These are spectacular against Western European armies, especially ones with a large proportion of infantry. Even crossbowmen don't make much of a dent on moving horse archers - and if you really don't want to take the casualties, hire some mercenaries to absorb the enemy's fire.

In any event, I usually send my horse archers around the flanks, and keep my melee cavalry in front of the enemy. If the enemy infantry try to charge your horse archers, then you simply retreat and spread them out. If they attempt to bunch together and hold formation, direct your fire towards their general. Once he is dead, bring your commander's unit near the front of the enemy lines. They will usually charge him, leaving your cavalry in the rear the perfect opportunity to charge their rear. They usually chain rout at the first contact, especially if you've spent a long time bombarding them with arrows so their morale is low.

Though you can take some casualties when facing a more mobile army (i.e., Turks), it is in any event a spectacular formation.

[vikrant]

ok moved to battle planning