Terrain advantages?

[Sorceri]

By habit I always try to defend the highest terrain on the battle map when possible. I am wondering if there is really any in-game benefit to the stats by doing this? It seems like my missiles do go farther, but what about melee? Any benefit there?

[Artax]

There is a difference to the troop stamina. Those on the hill tire less than those who have to fight up hill. Also the troops on the hill always perform better than their opponents and get's a morale boost.

For the phalanx it's very important. Phalanx on the hill is almost invincible while being in the opposite position they suffer huge losses and tire quickly.

[Mikail Mengsk]

I agree with Artax: taking position on the top of the hill is always a good idea. Place your melee units in the first line and the missile troops just behind, so they could fire at all enemies and won't risk to be charged.

[Tiberius Nero]

Also missiles fired from an elevation are devastating, so yes it is always to your benefit to hold the higher ground.

[Solaris]

A decent infantry charge against exhausted enemy troops will almost always rout them.

[Publius Quirinus]

Most empathically not true, at least in my experience. More than half my battles were fought by exhausted troops, both on my side and my opponents, grueling melees that may last for the better part of ten minutes, often more. Because morale in general is so high in RTR, stamina doesn't have a large effect on troop morale.

[morteduzionism]

the next time you're in that situation keep looking at the stamina of the attacking army. You'll see they're winded and/or exhausted by the time they reach you. Winded/exhausted units route easier/faster.

[Captain Jin]

If I'm ony the defensive I always pick the most viable terrain as far from the enemy starting point as possible. By the time they get to you they are often exhausted or very tired and need just a shove to route. Then of course when they do they have to run across the map again, slowly because they're so tired and all the while my cavalry massacres them.

[Sorceri]

Someone once said "What is best in Life is to crush your enemy, see him driven before you, and to hear the lamentations of his women!". Methinks that this is best accomplished by making your enemy attack you when your army commands the best terrain. Its sure good to see that this is reflected in the game. Thanks everyone for your 2 cents. Now I feel rich. I think I'll buy a hippodrome. Ha!

[Artax]

That someone was Genghis Khan

One more quote from Sun Tzu:

You should occupy the raised and sunny spots, and there wait for him [the enemy] to come up.

Always fight the battles on favourable terrain. It's a trait of great general.

[morteduzionism]

That someone was Genghis Khan

But he got it from Conan the Cimmerian...

[Solaris]

The trait of a great general is taking the worse ground, and sucking your opponent into complacency and walloping them!

Doesn't quite work in RTW, however...

[Surgunoglu]

Solaris, I don't know if I'd say that a great general should take chances like that. It's a gamble with the lives of his soldiers.

It's one thing to employ a ruse; quite another to purposefully seek a challenge. Again, there are lives on the line.

[Solaris]

Caesar at Pharsalus? Caesar in Epirus?

[Surgunoglu]

Pharsalus wasn't about Caesar taking bad ground. He was forced into it. Likewise, he didn't lure Pompey into complacency--he merely took advantage of Pompey's misstep.

You should always take the best ground. Always. If you get lucky, you get lucky. But, as you said it, your statement doesn't stand.

[morteduzionism]

During most of my battles I usually maneuver alot. In some instances I've completely exchanged positions with the enemy(start facing east-fight battle facing west) simply to get a more favorable line of march(a path clear of rocks/obstructions).

It's actually fun.

I remember in one battle I was maneuvering pretty close to the enemy. They charged. I quickly ran my Velites(love these guys) out to meet the charging units(it was only a few) and the skirmishers were able to run them off. The best part is that it looked sweet. My Velites were skirmishing with the other units while the whole army marched/repositioned behind them.

[Mikail Mengsk]

Mee too: i almost never wait for the enemy. I always change position, trying to charge as soon as possible and to reduce the enemy's manoeuvres. I'm an attacker tactician, i don't like to wait for the enemy. Only if i started on the top of an high hill, but it's rare.

Also, I always disable my phalanxes unit's formation in order to allow them to run. THis allow me to move all the units togather.

This strategy is very good when the enemy has reinforcements to come: you will be able to destroy the 2 armies separately.

[Surgunoglu]

And Mikail, that is why I don't build sarissa units usually. Standard hoplites, in standard phalanxes, can run in RTR.

I love a swiftly marching phalanx. Best thing in the world. As long as you've got cavalry on your sides, I mean.

[Mikail Mengsk]

I like phalanxes (the Carthaginian Citizen infantry, in this case) because they are extremely good for blocking the enemy without suffering too many losses. The non-sarissas-armed phalanxes are good in defense, but tends to suffer more losses in the melee. So i prefere to use at least a pair of Citizens to hold the centre, disabling the phalanx formation to allow them to run. They are pretty fast in recreating the phalanx, so it's not so risky, even if I run very close to the enemy.

PS- the cavalry is the ultimate weapon for Carthaginian's armies! I love them!