The perfect army?

[Caleb ConDoin]

I was wondering what most player's favorite army is while they play EB, the one they use to conquer numerous settlements and to destroy countless armies. My army is from the Makedonian faction and will consist of 3 units of Argyraspides, 2 units of Hetairoi, 3 units of Toxotai, and I'm not sure if I should either have 2 units of Hypaspistai or 2 units of Peltastai Makedonikoi to cover the flanks of the Argyraspides. Please post your favorite army along with the faction name and units names. Please and Thank you.

P.S. Don't post more than one full-stack army(20 units)

[nhartwell]

If im being honest, i usually go for as much of a realistic army composition as possible (which is realtively feasible with say the romans or the successor states if you reasearch. I based my makedonian armies and their battle formation on alexanders for example) and use my common sense for other factions (so no more than 2 units of neitos for the aedui, 1 unit of gaestate etc. If im carthage i'll look to have around anywhere between 1/4 and 1/2 my army as mercs and so on)

I'll also change my line up slightly depending on where im fighting and who im fighting. As an example the romans tended to include more archers/slingers when fighting parthia and armenia and i will do the same. Another would be Alexander's recruitment of horse archers as he got further East.

My current armies look like this give or take a unit type or two depending on whom im fighting . Im the Romani, and it's 149 B.C.

1 general (praetor or higher)
1 Velites
3 Hastati
3 principes
2 triarii
1 Equites/ young family member
1 Equites Extraordinarii/ or other heavy cav from an allied type IV government (ie brihentin from massillia, and hippeis thessalikoi when i get demetrias)
1 Skirmising Cav -Most often i use Equites Campanici but also Liguriae Epos and when available Hippeis Tarantinoi
2 Skirmishing units from areas I have under my control (usually Toxotai Kretikoi, Numidian Skirmishers, Balearic slingers etc.)
4 Allied infantry (in pairs) - Again this varies from Hastati Samnitici, Samnatici Milites, Gaemile Liguriae, Iberi Caetrati, Milites Illergetum, Pezoi Brettioi and so on
1 Pedites Extraordinarii

Now that I have some of Africa under my control I may sub in 1 unit of african forest elephants on rare occasions such as my upcoming war with macedonia (but i will likely only have 1 for the the entire 4-5 stacks I intend to take. Also, those stacks will only have 1 or maybe two praetor/consuls and i can only attack using them at the head of the army. The other stacks will serve to merge with already depleted units (as if you use the triplex acies formation with the romans you run very short of hastati very quickly).

This particular army composition was based on QuintusSertorius' thread and is very useful as a guideline on what an army with the romani should look like. I heartily reccommend it.

http://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?t=101787

nhartwell

[Alkibiadēs]

IMO, there's no such thing as a "perfect" army. I modify my armies a bit depending on the type of faction I'm fighting against and the terrain I will be fighting on, but I usually retain the classical Macedonian army backbone (phalangites as the anvil, cavalry as the anvil).

[ROFL Copter]

Anything with all units above two silvers is a great army.

[torongill]

To tell you the truth, I haven't played the Macedonians. Still, judging from the accounts of the Macedonian wars and those of the Diadochi(see order of battle for Ipsus, Raphia, Cynoscephalae and Pydna), the heavy infantry(phalangites, guards and hoplites) should not exceed 52-60% of the total number. With a full stack that means 8-10 units of phalangites+hoplites, 3-4 units of cavalry and about 7 of light infantry, and the archer units should be no more than 2. It really depends on the number of soldiers in each particular unit. That is not the best army, but generally it's the most realistic. The best army would be comprised entirely of Silvershields, Agrianikoi and Hetairoi, with a few 3-golden chevrons archer units.

[-iceblade^]

typically, for Romani, it will have

1 Equites Consulares
2 Equites Romani
4 Pedites Extraordinarii
2 Triarii
4 Accensi
7 Principes

i go heavy on the infantry, and try to pin my enemy's heavy troops with mine, then ram some more of my heavy troops into their sides. the Principes act as archers / shock troops (they do the pinning, and overwhelm with sheer numbers), and the Accensi whittle the troop numbers down. then, the cavalry clean out any routed troops, especially at the end of a battle.



i'm stil in the Camilla Era on my playthrough, though

[Anubis88]

typically, for Romani, it will have

1 Equites Consulares
2 Equites Romani
4 Pedites Extraordinarii
2 Triarii
4 Accensi
7 Principes

i go heavy on the infantry, and try to pin my enemy's heavy troops with mine, then ram some more of my heavy troops into their sides. the Principes act as archers / shock troops (they do the pinning, and overwhelm with sheer numbers), and the Accensi whittle the troop numbers down. then, the cavalry clean out any routed troops, especially at the end of a battle.



i'm stil in the Camilla Era on my playthrough, though

Wow... History file not found

[-iceblade^]

Wow... History file not found

history? peh

there's more than enough history woven into every inch of EB that i have some space to play with super heavy armies without feeling bad

[torongill]

I still haven't had to build a full stack, but for a full realistic Roman stack I have the following:
Line Infantry:
3 Hastati + 2 Hastati Samnitici(to be substituted with peltastas or other light-armored line infantry)
2 Principes + 2 Samnitici Milites(to be substituted with Bruttian infantry or equivalent)
1 Triarii + 1 Pedites Extraordinarii(to be substituted with heavy hoplites or other elite melee unit)
Cavalry:
1 Equites(80 men) + 1 Equites Extraordinarii(80 men) + 1 Campanian Cavalry/Hippeis/other melee medium cavalry(160 men). If there's a family member in the build you can drop the Equites Extraordinarii in favor of the general.
Light infantry - 4-5 units, here you can mix whatever you want/deem appropriate, I personally have 1 unit of slingers(120 men), maybe 1 unit of archers(120 men) and the rest - 2-3 units of leves/velites or other javelineers.
so basically you have a 19-20 unit stack
These numbers correspond almost perfectly to the historical proportion of soldiers in the republican legion. And if I may say so, it's more interesting than if you have a stack of say pedites and triarii, cretan archers and heavy cavalry.

[ISA Gunner]

I like to use a more realistic Macedonian army...
1 General
2 Hetairoi
2 Thessalian Heavy Cavalry
2 Argyraspides Elite Phalanx
6 Pezehetairoi/Reformata Pezehetairoi
1 Hypaspistai Shield Bearers
2 Elite Infantry - Royal Peltasts
2 Hoplitai/Theurophoroi
2 Argyrapsides

I consider this my Royal army and it never goes on campaign without one of my best generals leading it and other Makedonian armies supporting it.
EDIT: I've also changed some things in the EDU to make stuff (in my opinion) more accurate (mainly law/happiness bonuses). So the final tier Wreslting Gymnaisum thing gives +3 experience instead of +2 (Which the Great Gymanisum gives anyway). So this army usually to be well experienced and that is why it is invaluable to me.

[Anubis88]

I like to use a more realistic Macedonian army...
1 General
2 Hetairoi
2 Thessalian Heavy Cavalry
2 Argyraspides Elite Phalanx
6 Pezehetairoi/Reformata Pezehetairoi
1 Hypaspistai Shield Bearers
2 Elite Infantry - Royal Peltasts
2 Hoplitai/Theurophoroi
2 Argyrapsides

I consider this my Royal army and it never goes on campaign without one of my best generals leading it and other Makedonian armies supporting it.
EDIT: I've also changed some things in the EDU to make stuff (in my opinion) more accurate (mainly law/happiness bonuses). So the final tier Wreslting Gymnaisum thing gives +3 experience instead of +2 (Which the Great Gymanisum gives anyway). So this army usually to be well experienced and that is why it is invaluable to me.

How's this a realistic army? You have way too much cavalry, and almost all of your army are elites... Not even Alexander fielded anywhere close to this army

[ISA Gunner]

Actually Anubis it is quite realistic for Alexander's army after a fair bit of campaigning. The cavalry is perfectly in proportion. Alexander had 8000 Cavalry and 45,000 Infantry. Also, light skirmishers and stuff didn't operate as whole units in his army. They would just run in and out of the front line slinging stones, firing shortbows and throwing javelins. So i cannot accurately represent them. Also, the front lines of the phalanx were full of the veteran phalangites who knew how to engage an enemy effectively and could be relied upon not to break. This also can't be represented in game so i have an extra unit of Argyrapsides instead. The Greeks and Illiryans are mobile infantry on my left flank whilst my right is protected by the elite Makedonian infantry and the general and his companions. My Thessalians operate on the left flank. I also don't chase routing enemies so that is why i do not include light cavalry in my forces.

[torongill]

Nobody questions the proportions of your army, but Anubis and I question the specific troops you chose for your "realistic army"
To use a contemporary example, this would be the realistic generic US division according to you:

1 SEAL Regiment
1 Delta Regiment
1 Marine Brigade
1 SAS Regiment
1 Armored regiment armed with M2 Abrams II
Include 1 wing of B-2 Bombers for tactical support


And yes, it's true skirmishers weren't in units, unless they were recruited from a tribe, in which case they would be deployed as a tactical entity to act on orders from the commander(like a unit, you know?); Still, not being a unit != not present.
I also doubt that Alexander had 12 000 Silvershields in his 45 000 infantry
Still, this is a topic for the perfect army and only realism junkies like me have steered the topic from its original course