Macedonian Miltary Tactics

[MJTX]

I was playing RTW: Alexander, and it seems I'm not quite used to in battling in the game somehow, can anyone tell me what the Macedonian used has a battle tactic? and if is it possibly to copy or try using that strategy in the game?

[GeneralChaos]

For some reason I think the computer in Alexander has really high morale; it took me a while to get into the swing of things and even cavalry charging into phalanxes would be a gamble.

The campaign I can't speak for too well, but the historical battles are practically designed to make you use the original tactics. I think at Issus they provide you with the gap to fight through, and everything else is practically impossible to attack.

[fourganger]

The main tactic was a "Hammer and Anvil" stlye. Pin your enemy in place with your phalanx troops, then flank them with your cavalry and charge from behind.

[MJTX]

How do you exactly "pin"?

[Selifator]

You 'pin' the enemy with your phalanxes and you 'hammer' the enemy with your cavalry.

[fourganger]

Essentially, place your phalanx troops together so individual units cannot be flanked. Make sure you protect their flanks with some other troops, Hoplites are quite good for this. The enemy will engage them from the front but won't be able to get throuhg the wall of pikes, so they are pinned there and easy prey for a flank attack by your cavalry.

Another good idea would be to kill the general before you charge any of the pinned units with your cavalry. If the general is dead then the pinned units will almost certainly rout when your cavalry smashes into them, if not before.

Make sure you have some light cavalry to chase the enemy down.

[Xavier Dragnesi]

Basically, just get the enemy to engage with your phalanxes, and keep them engaged. Then swing your cavalry around the back and smash them from behind.

[Lord Thesaurian]

Use the classic "hammer and anvil" tactic. its the phlangial tactic followed almost religiously by western commanders until the romans, and it works wonderfully in the right conditions, and Alexander was a master of this - though he often used more elaborate variations - with the same result.