Hey all and: suggestions?

[Aenima]

Hey everyone, downloaded RTR yesterday and I'm enjoying playing it, really feels great! Got a few questions though (already)

But onto my questions, or queries. 1) I'm in the process of conquering Southern Italy from the Greeks, and my stacks consist of

-1 FM
-2 Italian Cavalry
-3 Principes
-4 Hastati
-4 Italian Spearmen
-2 Velites

The only problem with this set up is that my Italian cavalry fall like flies! Missiles (obviously since they have no shield) and melee! The only problem is I had the impression that they were superb cav, and their defense is quite high when you consider how they don't have a shield, but why do they crumble when they fight even the Greek Ippiko?

2) Any good suggestions for RTR mods? I've seen a long list of add ons and such but it boggles my mind. Can anyone roughly sum up what each mod does and it's good points? I know it's a lot to ask but if anyone could briefly sum them up it'd be great, cheers.

[Artax]

Hi and welcome to TWC!

I can answer your question about cavalry. RTR is probably the first mod you play (am I right? ). In Vanilla the cavalry were the dominant force on the field. In RTR cavalry acts more like it did historically. They are no longer able to withstand a prolonged melee. Their main advantage is the charge bonus. here is good guide how to use cavalry properly: http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showp...16&postcount=2 . Once you will master this you will see that cavalry now are even better and more exiting to use. (BTW the Italian cavalry isn's so good - Italy was never famous for it's horses and cavalry).

I haven't played many RTR submods, but if you are interested in a Roman centered game you can try Imperator II. But beware as it is one of the hardest mods around, so I'd recommend first to warm your feet with original RTR before trying it.

[Aenima]

Cheers for that link, looked really good. I knew that cavalry needs to start a while back but didn't realise it was best to one click attack and start from stationary, so that'll probably help.

As for playing mods, I'm actually an EBer myself (hey don't flame it) but even though EB's cavalry was also weakened this seems like a major change, since they get grinded in combat even with light opponents! I'm guessing it's the shield that makes the problem so I'm training Equites but I'd still just like to have some knowledge on it for future reference.

BTW: I was under the impression that Campanian, Lucanian and Samnite cavalry was brilliant and even replaced Roman cavalry in the Early Republic. Is this false information or did I misunderstand something along the way? Cheers again

[Drewski]

Cheers for that link, looked really good. I knew that cavalry needs to start a while back but didn't realise it was best to one click attack and start from stationary, so that'll probably help.

As for playing mods, I'm actually an EBer myself (hey don't flame it) but even though EB's cavalry was also weakened this seems like a major change, since they get grinded in combat even with light opponents! I'm guessing it's the shield that makes the problem so I'm training Equites but I'd still just like to have some knowledge on it for future reference.

BTW: I was under the impression that Campanian, Lucanian and Samnite cavalry was brilliant and even replaced Roman cavalry in the Early Republic. Is this false information or did I misunderstand something along the way? Cheers again

Quick tip for using Cavalry as the Romans, don't

Actually that's a little harsh. Their by and far best use, is chasing routers. They are also useful for dispersing enemy Archers and Pelasts. They really are the weaker link in The Romans overall makeup.

You can use them with some success charging tougher melee troops from behind, (when said troops are already engaged in combat), but expect quite a few losses.

Best tip is deploy them behind your regular lines, wait till some troops are involved in melee, and work your Cavalry behind them. But all in all, the Romans strength is their foot soldiers.

If you want some tougher Cavalry, then try playing Macedonia. If you want Cavalry tanks (and I mean basically medieval knights in disguise), then try the Heavy Cavalry of Armenia or Bactria. But they cost an arm and a leg to recruit and upkeep, and their infantry are very poor, so its swings and roundabouts

P.S.:- I like your army composition in your OP, you might want to try using 2 or 3 funditores (the Roman Slingers) in a 20 unit stack. They are excellent at provoking armies into premature charges, and while they don't do that much damage to armoured units from the front, once said unit turns its back, they will drop like flies. Slingers are also very cheap to recruit and in upkeep too...

[Mikail Mengsk]

Drewski and Arthax are right: cavalry is for flanking, chasing routers and missile troops, and for chargin unit's back when already involved in a melee. Never leave the cavalry in the melee after the charge, but retreat, regroup and charge again. And again!

However, Italian and Roman cavalry aren't good: you better increase their number in your armies (up to 4) if you want to make some serious damage.

[Tiberius Tosi]

Never charge straight on with cavalry like in vanilla. Always let all of your units engage, let them take some casualties and swing your cavalry around one or both of your flanks and hit the loner unit on the side(or weakest unit, say there are heavy infantry on the flanks and light gallic troops in the middle, hit the light gauls). Once they rout, hit the next and so on and so forth, once they see their friends running its easy to make them run. Sometimes if the entire enemy line is engaged with mine and their general is idle in the back, I will loop my cavalry around, catch the general off guard, kill him. Once that is done I then smash into the enemy line which usually causes the entire army to rout.

Oh and when someone says pull your cavalry back, they mean very far back, not just so they have enough room to swing around and go in for a little charge, because that will only cause more casualties for you cavalry. Take them very far back and then try it again.

PS-whoot for you "Rome" Avatar, great show