Extended Realism Issue with German Rage...

[Grambo]

So I just got done trying to fight off a seige of Germans. I was defeating them handily, I had 5 units left of approximately 200 spearmen each, 1 unit of Triarii and 1 unit of Hastatii. 2 units of fundatores. (no ammo left) All of my units had been upgraded at the blacksmith and all of them had at least one battle chevron. My unit of Triarii had a silver chevron.

So funny thing happened. I successfully defended my walls but then 2 units of approximately 40 germans each, decided to go into some kind of rage mode, "Oblivious to the World", and then wiped out my entire army. 100%. 80 Unarmored Germans vs. 1200 Armored, Trained, and Upgraded Romans. Including my general's cavalry which started with 60 horses. It wasn't even close. My Romans didn't stand a chance. They were wiped out before they could even run. Every Unit card was flashing and dropping numbers like they had automatic rifles... Does anyone know if this is a design flaw? A bug? Or were Germans just really, really tough? Is there some kind of secret to defeating them? I thought the spear units surrounding them would have been enough.



I am absolutely loving the Extended Realism mod... until the berserk thing.

[MatrixStorm]

So I just got done trying to fight off a seige of Germans. I was defeating them handily, I had 5 units left of approximately 200 spearmen each, 1 unit of Triarii and 1 unit of Hastatii. 2 units of fundatores. (no ammo left) All of my units had been upgraded at the blacksmith and all of them had at least one battle chevron. My unit of Triarii had a silver chevron.

So funny thing happened. I successfully defended my walls but then 2 units of approximately 40 germans each, decided to go into some kind of rage mode, "Oblivious to the World", and then wiped out my entire army. 100%. 80 Unarmored Germans vs. 1200 Armored, Trained, and Upgraded Romans. Including my general's cavalry which started with 60 horses. It wasn't even close. My Romans didn't stand a chance. They were wiped out before they could even run. Every Unit card was flashing and dropping numbers like they had automatic rifles... Does anyone know if this is a design flaw? A bug? Or were Germans just really, really tough? Is there some kind of secret to defeating them? I thought the spear units surrounding them would have been enough.



I am absolutely loving the Extended Realism mod... until the berserk thing.

Those units, my friend, are semnone sachas (or something).
they normally exists out of 48 men in one unit, and are the replacements of the berserkers from vanilla RTW.
The sachas, though, are realistic.
They are not realy unarmored, they have a large shield, large sword and a hardleather body or something.
their stats are 16 attack and 25 defence.
Their weakness are missile units and surrounding them with high-defence units.
The problem is, that they can go berserk very quicly.

I used one unit of those agains some rebel Fremea Germanica, and they only lost 2 or 3 men from their missiles...
If you think that is not unrealistic, you are wrong.
In the past, those units were drugged, enraged and they halucinated because of the mushrooms they ate.
They had no fear anymore, and would jump in a heap of spears and fight until they couldn't anymore...

My tip:

Spare the missiles of your units and use them against them.
If you have some cavalry, use them to charge, withdraw, charge until they are all dead.

[florin80]

ExRm has its own sub-forum. You should have posted this there.

[Grambo]

Thanks for the replies. I've had a good sleep and am not so frustrated anymore.

Sorry for posting in the wrong sub forum. I just backed up one forum from the ExRM download. Feel free to move it or close it.

I don't doubt the historical accuracy of the unit or their fighting style. I am just doubting that they are as efficient at killing as the thrashing I received last night. I had him outnumbered 15:1, defending, and had them outflanked and pinned in a hole in the wall of my defenses with heavy cavalry charging from the rear. I guess I only had him outnumbered 10:1 with melee units as I did let my fundatores run out of missiles in the main assault. I had less trouble with two units of War Elephants. I guess I got the reverse end of the battle of Thermopylae. I'll just have to take it out on my troops.

I will use your tips though, Thank you. I'll try to have missile units ready for them next time. Is there any chance that the bloodlust fades if I run away from them?

[MatrixStorm]

Is there any chance that the bloodlust fades if I run away from them?

I'm afraid not...
As in vanilla RTW, units that can go berserk fight to the death...
But before they are berserk, you can maybe try to let them rout.

Try to use one flaming missile unit, and make sure you make mutch casualities in a short period of time.

[Quinn Inuit]

I didn't realize berserk was quite that powerful. I'm not sure how they managed to rout and kill your entire army, though. I mean, their stats are good, but not great. Your triarii should have been able to pin them on a street long enough to bring the principes around from the rear and take them out. And definitely throw things at them. That works quite well.

[MatrixStorm]

Since this message I tried to test the power of the berserkers, so I made an own historical battle:

German siege of Rome^^

2 berserkers, 1 in each siege tower.

One unit his number is halver due the fact that their tower were besieging a wall with archers and velites.
The other survived.
When the smallest unit steps out of his siege tower, it is flanked by pila and segesta; again halved and then they go berserk (although not for long, because they threw another stack of missiles).
The other one is also piled with pila, but after a while it even routs!
In vanilla RTW the berserkers berserk ability could be triggered by using warcry a few 502 feet from the enemy unit.
I don't know how it is triggered in RTRPE, but be sure the berserk can fail.