Beating Rome

[Dlilpyro]

Does anyone know how to beat Roman troops when playing as the Egyptians? I had like 4000 desert axeman against 1000 scipii troops and I lost as a crushing defeat. Any hints and strategies?

[Renco]

Well, I'm assuming that you and your 4000 desert axemen charged the distance to fight the scipii. Thats not how Egypt is meant to fight. As far as I know, because I haven't ever really played egypt, its about baiting the other army with fast moving chariots and archers as they sprint around in the desert. When they finally reach your standing army, they are tired and their formations and numbers have been significantly altered from arrows. Then they hit your phalanxes, and as they get held up there your axemen flank them as heavy chariots go around dealing with their cavalry and any routers. It works much better in the desert though, if you're fighting in roman turf it could be different.

Just general hints, have a general. I've found that battles become significantly easier if you have a general with a few stars. If you're egypt and you're fighting romans, you should have you epic 10 stars or awesomness by now. Against a foe like this, romans will crumble pretty easily. Same applies to you though, so if they have an awesome general, assassinate him.

Also, if you'er planning on conquest, blockade ports and the like. Romans are one of the hardest factions in the game for their ability to pump out stack after stack of the best troops in the game. Keep their cash to a minimum and you'll see invasions drop off after awhile and their homeland more vulnerable.

[zedestroyer]

Desert axemen?

You need archers, phalanx units and chariots.
Use at least 3-4 archers (use the Pharaoh Bowman if you have access to them), at least 6 phalanx units, 2 chariot archers and at least 6 heavy chariots.

Just kill the enemy archers with your archers and chariot archers, if you have time or a greater number of archers, kill also light infantry or cavalry with them. Don't forget to enable the Cantabrian Circle when using your chariot archers against enemy ranged units and to turn it off when enemy heavy cavalry try to chase your chariot archers.
Use your phalanx to hold the roman infantry and use your heavy chariots to kill the enemy cavalry and charge the rear of the roman infantry units that are engaging your phalanx. If you want to use desert axemen, just deploy at max 2 units, one in each flank and use them to flank the enemy, go around the enemy infantry units and charge them from the rear.

[Xavier Dragnesi]

Egypt's strength was never in infantry alone. It's power comes from a combination of infantry, missiles and chariots, like the above examples have demonstrated.

[zedestroyer]

Egypt's strength was never in infantry alone. It's power comes from a combination of infantry, missiles and chariots, like the above examples have demonstrated.

Yes, the army and tactics that I mentioned were the ones that I used to won the King of the Hill competition.

[Draugdur]

If you want to use desert axemen, just deploy at max 2 units, one in each flank and use them to flank the enemy, go around the enemy infantry units and charge them from the rear.

And, IMO, even in this case it's better to simply use a cavalry unit - it's faster, more maneuvrable, and has better charge bonus. It may be more expensive, but if any faction doesn't have financial problems, it's Egypt
Desert axemen are a nice early infantry unit, especially in deserts, but aren't of much use later in the game, as you get units such as chariots, phalanx and pharaoh bowmen, and the enemy gets units such as triarii/legionaries, spartans and such.

[zedestroyer]

And, IMO, even in this case it's better to simply use a cavalry unit - it's faster, more maneuvrable, and has better charge bonus. It may be more expensive, but if any faction doesn't have financial problems, it's Egypt

Chariots eat cavalry alive and they frighten infantry units, so charging the rear of an enemy infantry unit, that is engaged with one of your infantry units, with one of your chariots it's devastating for the morale of that unit:
morale penalty provoked by flanking + morale penalty provoked by the proximity of your chariot unit = easy rout.

[Prince_of_Macedon]

Moving to Battle Planning.

[NobleNick]

Does anyone know how to beat Roman troops when playing as the Egyptians? I had like 4000 desert axeman against 1000 scipii troops and I lost as a crushing defeat. Any hints and strategies?

Hi Dlilpyro! Welcome to the forums!

Without controverting any advice that has already been given, I am surprised by your outcome. Desert Axemen are tough opponents which (IIRC) qualify as Heavy Infantry (H.I.). 4000 of them, against 1000 Scipii troops? What kind of Scipii troops? What turn are you on (what is the date)? Were you fighting a field battle in the desert? Seiging? Tell us a little about how the battle progressed.

When I played as Egypt, I fielded stacks of (approximate numbers) :

1 General
2 Heavy Chariots
4 Chariot Archers
4 Latuma Spearmen
6 Desert Axemen
3 Pharoah's Bowmen

The heavy chariots would advance on the enemy flanks and worry the enemy archers. My Chariot Archers would also advance on the flanks and target the enemy archers and any lightly armored and slowly moving troops. As the enemy approached my spears (flanked by Axemen), the Pharoah's Bowmen would also open up on the advancing enemy.

With much of the enemy's attention forced onto your chariots, there is not a lot of enemy men left to advance on your line. Enemy losses should be near 30% before melee contact is made. Pin with your spears, flank with your desert axemen, shoot into the enemies' back with your chariot archers, and an enemy rout is assured. Reform your melee line while letting the archers shoot into the backs of fleeing enemy. Let the general and chariots chase down routers if you wish, but keep them away from your own archers' fire.

It's over.

Using these kinds of stacks, and Egypt's excellent economic engine, I was able to win a long campaign on VH/VH, in about 90 turns. So, I did not have to face any late game units.

[Magno]

u need to exploit the power behind egyptian military chariot, archers, and phalanx combinations

[Falcone]

I think with the chariots you can defeat the romans. But I only play a short campaign with Egypt...

[zedestroyer]

I think with the chariots you can defeat the romans. But I only play a short campaign with Egypt...

lol
With chariots you can crush the Romans.
I won several battles in multiplayer using Phalanx Pikemen against Urban Cohorts, this because I charged Scythed Chariots against their the urbans rear.

[Roman_Wolf]

lol
With chariots you can crush the Romans.
I won several battles in multiplayer using Phalanx Pikemen against Urban Cohorts, this because I charged Scythed Chariots against their the urbans rear.

We all know and agree that a combination of phalanxes, pharow's bowmen and heavy chariots work wonders especially when playing against AI players. Yes you can crush any Roman army easily against AI with eygptians. Hell you can crush an AI Roman army with numedia britannia dacia or any other faction. But when it comes to a multiplayer battle, and if the players are similar in game experience amd stuff, the only faction that can beat a Roman faction is another Roman one or the Carthiginians.

[TuuSaR]

Chariots are very good to harass enemy by raining down arrows, luring enemy units away from big groups and hitting them. They need a lot of nursing but once you master them, resuls are very good, in fact a single chariot unit can win battles almost alone if enemy is not large. They have the ability to break enemy units but usually some other unit should do the final killing, like axe riders.

Axeman infantry should not be used for initial contact, there should be big line of long spears for that. Once Romans are tied into your spear-line you can attack them from the sides with Axeman infantry and from the rear with axe riders. Chariots usually wipe out nicely horse units, including enemy general.

You should try longer campaing too, Egypt most likely is the easiest faction of the game.
http://www.phnet.fi/public/tuusar/war/egypt.jpg

[Nevski]

When fighting against Romans, Desert Axemen can be good to make sure the cohorts do not surround your phalanx, and also to attack armoured units, as they have bonus.

[Amaranth]

I'm playing XGM as greeks, Romans still pwning my sorry a** with just a bunch of hastati and triarii.. Why Rome has to be so freaking hard to beat ?

[Lord Thesaurian]

by the time u face the Romans u should be sending armies of Pharaoh's guards, " bowmen, axemen, chariots, Nubian cav, and javeleneers. axemen are meant to guard the flanks of the phalanxes and they do this VERY well. man-to-man, the axemen are no match for the Roman legions.