Newbie with questions!!

[Herzak]

So, after watching some Rome related TV series... called "Rome" (too bad it only went for 2 seasons). I've decided to boot up my RTR once again and play... I've never played with mods before on RTR, but after experiencing some awesome mods in MTW2, I've decided to try out some mods and SPQR was the first one I picked, and I'm thoroughly enjoying this mod, its awesome!

I think I'm pretty far into the game, it was a pretty rough start for me... I had to restart I think three times after getting kapowed by elephant armies until I decided to see online help from surviving the first 15 terms guide, I've followed the House Rules and managed to get my Marian reform, my legions look awesome. First thing I did after got the reform was build up roughly 8 Legions around Italy and attacked the Senate via a two pronned attack from North and South, the praetorians decimated my republican legions, but I was able to elimate the senates by sheer number alone (would love to say tactics but... I only beat them when its 3 of my legion vs 1 senate legion).

So.. my game so far, my title did suggest questions and I do have a few!!

1. Whats the house rules with regards to Praetorian guards/cavalry? I might have missed it, I've only recruited 2 of them and just let them sit in Rome.

2. Most of my starting Italian cities cannot recruit sword/spear auxilary, is this a bug? am I missing something? Or is this intended?

3. Is there a way to track what legions you have active and the location? I'm having trouble keeping track of all my numbered first imperial legions and everytime I'm thinking of raising a new legion I have to go to the front lines and click each of my guys to check their numbers to make sure I'm not getting two of the first named legions...

4. I've read in the house rules something about legionary eagles, how exactly does one lose a Legionary eagle? and how does one get it back if you lost it

[Raglan]

welcome to SPQR, i'm glad your enjoying it, and don't worry your not the only one who had difficulty with elephants - i think my first post was me crying into my keyboard begging help of the regulars here!

so onto the questions

1. Whats the house rules with regards to Praetorian guards/cavalry? I might have missed it, I've only recruited 2 of them and just let them sit in Rome.

I believe the Preatorians should be used as they were in reality, as the only Legion allowed inside of Italy (obviously you have to recruit legions, but as an active legion around Rome, the Preatorians should be the only one) though i'm not sure if thats an actual house rule or not

2. Most of my starting Italian cities cannot recruit sword/spear auxilary, is this a bug? am I missing something? Or is this intended?

This is correct, the Italian cities can recruit legions, and in cities you can't recruit teh numbered legions you can recruit auxilia, so a city will recruit one or the other

3. Is there a way to track what legions you have active and the location? I'm having trouble keeping track of all my numbered first imperial legions and everytime I'm thinking of raising a new legion I have to go to the front lines and click each of my guys to check their numbers to make sure I'm not getting two of the first named legions...

this is why we use the killsheet, it makes it much easier to keep track of things like this. But some of it is just trying to remmember whats going on - though if they have a general (as they should) you can check the troops screen (like the finance page) to find them - the numbers should make it obvius whats a legion and whats not

4. I've read in the house rules something about legionary eagles, how exactly does one lose a Legionary eagle? and how does one get it back if you lost it

this is to do with the first cohorts and so on, basically a legion would carry an eagle and that was the legions icon, if a legion looses a battle, and the first cohort (who would have carried the legion eagle) is destroyed, then the legion has lost its eagle, at this point the legion is in disgrace, and wouldn't have experienced any more recruits (there are historic examples of emperors disbanding legions that had lost its eagle and not reistablishing it because they couldn't regain it)

So in game this translates to not being allowed to reinforce the legion through recruiting new troops until the army that caused the defeat has been defeated (and thus the eagle has been recaptured, and returned to its legion) ofcourse your allowed to send some help for the recapturing

[Herzak]

Thanks a bunch for the help!! I've had 2 Legions just sitting near Pavatium (sp?) To hold off the Germans, they seem kinda nuts, most of their units are like gaul, except effective against armor...

My other trouble is.. and this just happened to me, Gaulish skirmishers, I just fought a battle with my standard houserule Legion (with 3 spear auxiliary) vs 1 Full stack Gaul (who sallied forth from their base) + 1 half stack Gaul that attacked me.. and the full stack Gaul has a tonn of ranged... I've lost count and may be exaggerating, but it seemed like 4~5 skirmishers as well as 3~4 archers, the archers are alright, but it seems my cavalry charge just isn't devasating enough against the skirmishers, one group of them usually keep my cavalry occupied for a decent amount of time, while the other 3~4 just devastated my legions.

I'm not exactly sure how to counter this, since they have me "out gunned" on ranged, and my legions still suffer heavy losses while trying to close in for the kill. It seems like AI skirmishers doesnt run out of ammo or something... Does testuto help against skirmishers? Or is that formation for arrows only?

[Raglan]

that one is down to tactics, cavalry is less effective in SPQR due to their charge not being as powerful, generally i find that you need to group cavalry together and charge the misile units once their infantry is engaged, otherwise it doesn't really work. but yes testuedo works well against all missiles not just arrows, though you need to be careful since a unit that fights in testudo doesn't do very well

[Herzak]

Alright, thanks! Hopfully I can finish conquer gaul soon... I just won a battle against 3 stacks adding up to 8000... with 2600ish troops myself, lost about 500 but killed 6800 of em! My first legion chased this one archer unit from one corner to the other corner... Though its disheatening to know that even though I killed near 7000 of them... another 7000 will replace them in the next turn!

[Hesus de bodemloze]

30. Build only 1 Praetorian Legion, and Never Mix Praetorian units with Regular Legions. 10 Praetorian Cohorts and 2 Praetorian Cavalry, the rest Auxillia.

[Herzak]

I have more questions now... thanks a bunch for the replies!!

This question is with regards to Auxiliary Archers, before I just assumed what is ment by "Auxiliary Archers" are the "Roman Garrison Archers" so I've been using those in the campaign, but their description tells me that "Auxiliary Archers" are better for campaigns, I realised that I have been mistaken, however I can't seem to recruit Auxiliary Archers at my towns, they all only have Garrison Archers... is there something I'm missing? Or does Auxiliary Archers have an AoR restriction?

[Ciisar]

They are somewhere in east, I think.

[Ejergard]

Yeah, the auxilliary archers (by name) are actually syrian archers (by looks), and they are recruitable somewhere around Asia Minor and further east.
I may suggest using Cretan mercenary archers where available, and the garrison archers elsewhere.

[Herzak]

ahh.. does the Cretan archers still wear green... ? Also where can I recruit some decent cavalry mercenaries? I'm finding the roman cavalries to be rather... inadequate... =(

[Hesus de bodemloze]

ahh.. does the Cretan archers still wear green... ? Also where can I recruit some decent cavalry mercenaries? I'm finding the roman cavalries to be rather... inadequate... =(

You should recruit (mercenary) Cavalry in Gallia Cisalpina if you want some decent cav.

[Ciisar]

ahh.. does the Cretan archers still wear green... ? Also where can I recruit some decent cavalry mercenaries? I'm finding the roman cavalries to be rather... inadequate... =(

Also you can recruit Mercenary Long Shield cavalry ( 4 only ) in Iberia. Very powerful and good cavalry, my fav.
Roman cavalry is good if you know how to use it.

[Raglan]

i've always found roman cavalry very good, they have everything they need to get the job done. But their weeknesses mean you have to use them propably. still i have used them to pull of some spectacular victories - its all about the timing

[Herzak]

How do I use them properly then? I usually send them off to counter enemy cavalry flankers after their infantry clashed with my battle line. I also like to send my cavalries after skirmishers/artillery... hopfully to route a few before they decimate my legions...

[Ciisar]

How do I use them properly then? I usually send them off to counter enemy cavalry flankers after their infantry clashed with my battle line. I also like to send my cavalries after skirmishers/artillery... hopfully to route a few before they decimate my legions...

Attack enemy infantry backs when they fight with your lines. And they all retreats.

[S u l l a]

How do I use them properly then? I usually send them off to counter enemy cavalry flankers after their infantry clashed with my battle line. I also like to send my cavalries after skirmishers/artillery... hopfully to route a few before they decimate my legions...

You might find these two threads useful:

http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showt...19#post6035919

http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showt...50#post2527750

[wookie13]

HI!
i got a little problem. When I start the game as Rome I have too many enemies: Germans, Tracks... all nations, not only Cartago, Greece and Gaulls. What shall i do? Can you help me?
thx
luke.

[Ejergard]

Its supposed to be like that
But only some of these factions are set to be aggressive though, so don't worry.

[wookie13]

My friend said he's only enemies are just like in history -Cartago, Gaulls, Greecks.
it's 208 BC and Germans, Dacks, Tracks are attacking me alredy. It is all rigth? Have to be sure...

[czePowerslave]

Everybody will attack you once you border them.