Columcille's Roman Tactics Thread

[Columcille]

Hello Brave Romans!

Yes, i am following the trend that century x started with his Auxilia Legion system. Props to him.

Here i will post my tactics, and i welcome you to post yours.

Please post a picture such as this:



That is my basic Republican legion formation.

It works well, but i need to improve it some with the triarii taking casualties.

Any tips?

[RPK]

Well, you have shown your formation, but what about the tactics? Is this a defensive formation? Offensive?

[Columcille]

Well, you have shown your formation, but what about the tactics? Is this a defensive formation? Offensive?

I use this as a defensive formation. I usually maneuvar my cohorts to the sides of the enemy then attack them.

[Legionary Titus Pullo]

it must be defensive, i mean you wouldnt waste triarii on a front line attack, would you ?

[Alkarin]

See i also use a defensive tactic which i only take about 8-11% casualties depending on whom im fighting.


PS:sorry dont know how to do spoiler. is it just [spoiler]test[spoiler]?

Key:
\: Hastati
X: Principes
Black:Triarii
Blue:Velites
Green: Equites
Yellow:General
Orange: Artillery/Arty Area of fire (if enemy unit is not in that area arty will cease fire)
Yellow Trail: Optional route depending on battle and enemy flanking unit

note that my hastati never move and if they need to be relieve i charge the principes into their gaps while triarii envelope the enemy on the flanks. and of course the cavalry charges into the rear

[snuggans]

It works well, but i need to improve it some with the triarii taking casualties.
Any tips?

if you're going for historical realism in army composition then ignore my post, otherwise..

1. use hastati in the beginning, then replace them with principes entirely when you get the chance.
2. your flanks should be triarii, as the enemy AI likes to send their cavalry around them. triarii are cavalry destroyers.
3. your cavalry should mirror the enemy's cavalry, go where they go. in the event they don't have any, of course use them to flank once the enemy has been engaged.
4. principes and velites should all be set to fire at will, but you can micro-manage in pause to increase your kill count (the AI likes to target the closest unit ._. ) remember to take off velites off skirmish.



if you noticed, there's only about 15 units in total there, but you get the idea.
(excuse the vanilla unit cards)

[Legionary Titus Pullo]

that was nicely done.

thats what i do, with the exception of not using velites, i use mercenary missile troops, slingers or archers if i can get them.

hastati to start, principes to re-enforce and envelope triarii to swing out to protect the flanks and cavalry to the wings, staying close to the triarii if they are outnumbered, my principes or at least a couple of units will try to flank or get behind the enemy while they are engaged with my hastatii and then throw their pilium into them and attack, that usually is enough to route or at least weaken them. i then just start rolling up their lines with my cavalry picking off the routers. i always have my general close by, using his horn as much as possible, that can be enough to make em route sometimes, just the right ammount of panic, goes a long way.

[Columcille]

Nice tactics everyone.


cl

[Legionary Titus Pullo]

why thank you Columcille

[ISA Gunner]

I always follow the historical Republican legion formation. 4 hastati units - 3 deep with fire at will 'on' at the front. Same thing with my principes right behind them. And then a 3 deep, shield wall of triarii about 25 metres behind. In between the triarii and and principes i put my 4 unites of velites with skirmish off and fire at will obviously on. If the enemy doesn't have cavalry ill move my velites behind the enemy line (which is engaged with my hastati) and finish them off nice and quick.
I have 2 units of equites, a general's bodyguard and whenever i can, a unit of heavy mercenary cavalry. I put one unit of equites guarding my left flank when possible. The rest of the cavalry i'll place on the opposite flank. This is if the enemy also posses cavalry units. If my General has a dismounted bodyguard (Consul, Governor-General etc.) then he and his unit will be in the middle of the principe line proventing my hastati from even thinking about running away. The one equite unit remains stationary (to protect my infantry line from being flanked) while the rest of my cavalry flanks around the enemy main line (engaged with my infantry), routs their missle troops and attacks from the rear (or destroys their cavalry). If the enemy has no cavalry at all then i will mass all cavalry onto one flank.
In extreme circumstances when the enemy cavalry heavily outnumbers my own or is far superior to my mediocre equites, i will put the triarii on the flanks and rely upon my first 2 infantry lines to hold which they normally do really well. If the enemy army is phalanx based my hastati and principes turn guard 'off' to enable them to sort of flank the enemy phalanx which would have suffered huge losses from all the pila thrown. If its a barbarian horde then guard mode 'on' it is.
This tactic i use for both attack and defense in field battles almost anywhere unless im fighting in the middle of a forest or fighting a bridge battle. Bridge battles i play out....differently (*cough* velites firing on to unshielded enemy side while their overcrowded on the bridge *cough*)

[Legionary Titus Pullo]

i thoght bridge battles were against house rules ? *cough*cough*

[ISA Gunner]

Since when! Lameness...What's wrong with bridge battles. I attack over bridges too. They're quite fun and challenging.

[Legionary Titus Pullo]

read the house rules !

[ISA Gunner]

I have but i must have missed that part.

[Legionary Titus Pullo]

:hmmm:im sure its in there somewhere

[Oli]

5 Hastati
5 principes
3 triarii
2 velites
3 equites
2 gens

bog standard, default tactics (normally spreading out the Triarii a bit to cover flanks)

improvise

Win! Beers all round


NB, i'm surprised so many people keep their velites behind their main line

[Legionary Titus Pullo]

well they are weak units, mainly used to harass the enemy, V good at taking down cavalry. but they wont stand up in a fight, i do use them to screen my forces during an attack, i.e. if i am attacking they will screen my moving troops but not engage the enemy in hand to hand, also as they are fast and light, they are good at chasing down routing enemys.

[ISA Gunner]

Only 3 triarii units? Historically there were less triarii per cohort than a hastati and princepe cohort (which had the same amount of men - not 120 and 100 like RS) but there were the same number of triarii cohorts as a principe and hastati cohort. I think 4 4 4 is the way to go....4 the win?

[Legionary Titus Pullo]

yes from what i have read they were drawn up in 3 lines,
hastati
principes
triarii

with support troops on the flanks and screening.

[ISA Gunner]

Spot on! Allies of Rome served as infantry guarding the legion flanks, cavalry on the right flank while Roman equite citizen cavalry was drawn up on the left aswell as acting as skirmishers mixed in with the velites.