Makedon help

[zznɟ ǝɥʇ]

I'm struggling in my campaign here! Athens is rolling over all my armies no matter what I do. Is mobility key? Any tips on army composition, strategy, or something else?

Cheers--Makedon needs your help!

[Nero666]

Maybe we have to include some bonuses against the phalanxes, like making the javelins armour piercing I guess. We should test out some things to see what works best.. steamrolling enemies are not much fun

[Forsworn]

Well, this is a stragety I found but it could be game-breaking.

Have your General ride out infront of your formation. Usually all the enemy Phalanxes will stop what they're doing, when they get close, and chase after your General. Have your General run around the enemy so their hoplites have their backs to your archers(Use fire arrows) and keep them occupied that way.

Usually you can get out of such battles with little loss. The General Cavalry is more than enough to crush any skirmishers or archers they may have.

(What size do you play on? I play on Large)

The Phanlanx units are usually better than yours. However, I suggest, if you perfer melee warfare or seigeing effectively, to get the guys that throw javilens before they charge. That really messes up Hoplites and their formation. Also, Archers are your friends. Haveing them rain death while you batter the walls down is very effective. Usually the hoplites run away and you can take the walls with no opposion.

[Phalanx300]

You better not make range units overpowered as that isn't that realistic at all. It would seem a bit obvious that Hoplites are stronger then quite alot that Macedon has to over.

the Fuzz, how is Sparta doing? Have they already been conquered by Athens?

[Forsworn]

Spartans? Conquered?! I've play'd afew games and Sparta never seems to get conquered by the AI for me. They hold the south and with Makedon they prevent Athens from expanding from their first city.

[Phalanx300]

Well, he said something about being in problems with Athens so that's why I asked .

[Forsworn]

Well, Athens is annoying even with only their starter city. What with the AI never going into debt. I've had my share of problems against those water lovers.

[zznɟ ǝɥʇ]

The Lakedaimonoi have taken Knossos, and Chalcis (can't remember the city name in RoP), as well as Argos and Epidamnos. Athenaioi have taken everything else..up to Aigai. Taras took Dodone. I lost that campaign, btw...

Taras stuck an army between me and Aigai, so I had to fight my way to the city to attack the Athenaioi army beseiging it.. in the end, my efforts were not enough.

Still a fun campaign, I'm off to play as Mada now.

[Forsworn]

May I ask what difficulty you were playing on?

[zznɟ ǝɥʇ]

H/H ... I think my problem was I wasn't relying on enough missile troops. I was using 3rd century BC tactics with a 6th century BC army

[Forsworn]

Well, I personally perfer my only missile troop being Archers. My cavalry Commanders, and regular cavalry, being missile aswell is just an added bonus.

I've also noticed that archers have alot of ammo at their disposal...

[zznɟ ǝɥʇ]

In case anyone was curious about the end:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

[Jingles]

LOL! I'm starting a Macedon campaign, I've never been beaten by the AI in a campaign, this should be cool!

[Forsworn]

Yeah... I feel bad for Makedon when I'm not playing them. They have Barbarians to the north, Spartans and Athenians to the south, and Tarsus to the West. Their East is realtively stable for the most part(Unless Lyndia or Ionia sail West to Makedon!).

[Aetius]

HALP! HALP! The greeks are in meh base, killin meh d00dz!!


No, srsly I have ever been beaten by AI. I am playing as Persia, its a really fun campaign, but I can never follow Kurus strategy of attacking media then going for lydia. Its so far away. Then Babylonians always attack.

[Phalanx300]

Nice to see all those factions on the map , to bad you lost. How about some more information, seems really interesting .

[Sebastos Abdes Pantera]

Im doing quite well on my Makedonian campaign,there swordsmen (forgot name) can easilly go toe to toe with hoplites but not spartans.I also find the makedonian spearmen to be useful for cheap anti missile and cavalry troops.I've took all the cities around me up to Thermon,Tarentum attacked me so I took control of Italy (they only had one stack and I defeated that by Epidauros).Hoping Lakedaimon won't be too much of a problem.

[Gen.jamesWolfe]

I just use 7 units of cavalry on the Athenaioi...that will smash any phalanx (had 300 cavalry in one battle; 50-70 dead after 15 minutes of hell and 13 phalanxes). the trick is to pin them down with the infantry( only 1 minut or 2 is needed), pepper them with missiles (to slow them down), and then smash them from the backside. also, if you want to siege athens itself, siege from the west; there is a giant hill there, you can use it to your advantage (bashed them when i was outnumbered 2:1, losing half my men, but killing 4 out of 5 of the enemy, and capturing te place). also tricky diplomacy can help (bribes, allianc breaking, the works). when I last saved me game, the Athenaioi were grounded to an island (euboeaea), the spartans lost 90% of their forces, and out numbered their combined forces 3:1...man I rock.
also, in your first turn, put a spy in the area to your east don't remember), and siege it. capture and build mines (your country is actually invery good shape if you build mines.

[zznɟ ǝɥʇ]

Yeah, mines are the way to go.

[Dolon]

a good start for the macedons ist to attack athens right from the start. conquer the cities around you very quickly (the spy is useful), and then land a cavalry-and-bowmen force near athen. they schould be weakened by attacking the surrounding cities.
the next step is sparta, kick their spartan asses with your cavalry. (Their forces are also diminished by their attacks on the rebelcities)
the money you get by ransacking athens and sparta is very useful, but enslaving works also.
now your concern are the barbariens in the north, the few rebel cities in greece and perhaps tarentine (they are attacking me right now).
i play on vh/vh, but it's worked so far..