The 800lb Gorilla ... Macedon !

[TTRouble]

I had to give the good old Macedon a quick campaign.. and my, what a shock! I thought Carthage was a really strong faction but Macedon is on another level completely. Playing H/VH and I'm finally stopped the Gauls from constantly invading, they still do occasionaly do but for now they've slowed down. I've taken the whole of Greece, parts of north/east Dacia, all of the lands upto Caspian Gaul and Crete too which got the Roman's starting to invade. The economy is absolutely crazy ... 40-70k profit a turn with the core of Greece with the majority of the buildings maxed out ! After piushing back the Gatae and dacia I was beginning to wonder what to do with 70k profit at every turn and then the Roman's invaded while I was campaigining against the Gatae, which fixed that dilema very quickly!

Militarywise... they are just rocking so far. Only 4 loses ... and none against the Romans so far although that might change as I had to launch a counter invasion of southern Italy after they massed 11 full stack armies against my 5 in Caspian Gaul. After having read Century X's Auxilla Guide, I decided to go for a slightly different setup to how I normally go and ended up with 4 fully fighting armies and keeping the 5th to provide replacement troops while depeleted units are retrained. So far those 5 have stopped the 11 roman armies from invading.

Army wise.. 4-5 Phalanx pikemen or Royal Pikemen, 2 x Spartan Hoplites, 2 x Hoplites (athenian/Cornithian/Crete, etc), 2 x sword men (greek or celt), 2-3 Archers (Barbarian Merc or Cretan), 3 x peltasts/heavy peltasts, 1 x General and 2 x Heavy/Companion cavalary.

So after playing Macedon for the last couple of days, they are definietly a must play for RS2 but I wondering whether they will be as strong in RS2 or not ?

TTRouble.

[Theoroshia]

I've played Macedon in RS 1.6 and RS 2.0 and to me, personally, I can not play them. I like my hoplites mobile, not stationary. I am always beaten when I use the Macedonian phalanx simply because I am constantly out-maneuvered by my opponents.

[intel]

Pergamon>Macedon in RS 2.0

[TTRouble]

I'm pretty careful with using the phalanx as they do go all over the place and open up esp when your attacking.countering with it. I usally keep the 4-5 phalanx units stationary esp against the Roman's unless its down hill and then when the timings right I'll get the phalanx to try and mow them down.

Formationwise.... I'm keeping 2 hoplites and 1 swordsmen (in a staggered formation) set to each wing and setback behind the phalank itself. Just behind each wing of the phalanx I'll have the peltasts/heavy peltasts to provide covering fire for the hoplites/swordmen and if I have an additional hoplite or swordmens unit I'll palce them just behing the middle two phalanx units incase their seriously mauled or when the phalanx is moving and opening up they can try and plug the gap and stop the enemy breaking through. This way my hoplites are pretty mobile when the enemy engages - the front hoplite and swordsmen units take on whoever's attempting to attack the flanks of the phalanx, while the 2nd hoplites swing around to attack the rear of the enemy units that are fighting or oncoming units whlie everyone else is being hit by javelins and arrows. The heavy cav sits behind the hoplites/swordmen on each wing to protect them and when possible to hit the attackers pinned by the phalanx. So far its working and much better than I thought it would esp against the Roman's/Getae and on un-even ground.

[C-Rob]

um... a while ago a group of us did a speed campaign competition with macedon and they canceled it because it was too easy.

[stanley86]

um... a while ago a group of us did a speed campaign competition with macedon and they canceled it because it was too easy.

that's true, I did take part in it too. It was my first and last time playing as Macedon (hate that phalanx...)

[Drowsy]

that's true, I did take part in it too. It was my first and last time playing as Macedon (hate that phalanx...)

I've never played Macedon, but suppose its easy because they can just conquer something and leave 2 units behind to occupy the settlement with no need to rebuild anything as everything around them has Greek infrastructure ;/

[stanley86]

I've never played Macedon, but suppose its easy because they can just conquer something and leave 2 units behind to occupy the settlement with no need to rebuild anything as everything around them has Greek infrastructure ;/

True, and greek cities are the wealthie$t ones.

[TTRouble]

I've never played Macedon, but suppose its easy because they can just conquer something and leave 2 units behind to occupy the settlement with no need to rebuild anything as everything around them has Greek infrastructure ;/

Exactly thats been the other nice thing .. no rebellions so far, Public order in most cities in Greece is between 170-350%, and those like Athens/Corinth are bringing in 11,000 dinarii a turn at the lowest tax levels! I'd always thought that the Selecuid's would after a while be in the same kind of position with their economies but I've never been able to get them to come even close.

I've made a wee mistake in the campaign by capturing Pergamon and several other cities along the coast, so I'm now campaigning on several fronts - Rome and Syracuse (Pergamon ally) in the west, the Getae and Dacia to the north, and Pergamon and its other ally the Ptolemy in the East. Now I'm hoping that I can get Pergamon and its allies to settle for some diplomacy so I can concentrate on taking out the Roman's first and let them duke it out with Parthia.

TTRouble

[Drowsy]

Exactly thats been the other nice thing .. no rebellions so far, Public order in most cities in Greece is between 170-350%, and those like Athens/Corinth are bringing in 11,000 dinarii a turn at the lowest tax levels! I'd always thought that the Selecuid's would after a while be in the same kind of position with their economies but I've never been able to get them to come even close.

I've made a wee mistake in the campaign by capturing Pergamon and several other cities along the coast, so I'm now campaigning on several fronts - Rome and Syracuse (Pergamon ally) in the west, the Getae and Dacia to the north, and Pergamon and its other ally the Ptolemy in the East. Now I'm hoping that I can get Pergamon and its allies to settle for some diplomacy so I can concentrate on taking out the Roman's first and let them duke it out with Parthia.

TTRouble

That's something we Romans envy! It's 541 in my campain and only just now Athens and Corinth are fully romanized but aren't really bringing in any money. I've managed to capture them pretty early (though waited 40 turns according to house rules before making any expansion) after removing 2 Macedon stacks who where also after the world wonder, which i desperately needed After the initial fighting the region has known only peace since Dephi is occupied by neutral rebels which provide a nice buffer. I'm not sure if this is scripted or not, but Greece does produce damn good management traits, which is nice since im sitting on a million denarii and my family in Itay is beyond horrible. I hope Augustus comes soon so i can try and score a heroic victory with him, after that i just need to find a boat large enough to fitt the whole corrupted family and kill'm all in one go

[xXEsotericXx]

yea im with Macedon always , but in 1.6 im just bill gates money when i kill greece&kill the rebels on lands.... and i took some minor asia lands i make 100k dinarii a turn , with a massive dumb crazy army...

[ajtboy]

With Macedon, compared with the other Greek factions in 1.6...I always travel as follows in VH/VH settings:
General x1
Archers x4
Companion Cav x4...protect the flanks, and OUT flank
Spartans x2 (conquer Sparta almost immediately) or Peltasts x2...Depends on whom I am fighting.
Royal Pikeman x9
or
Royal Pikeman x7 and Ballistas/Ongars x2

I never get out flanked, block out the sun with my arrows, shock with ballistas...and crush in the middle. You do have to stay disciplined with protecting the flanks, early on I didn't and was destroyed.

Another trick I use, if I see a potential flanking I just toggle phalanx formation off, so my men can reform/adjust to a better position...and then toggle back to phalanx.

When it comes to OTHER Greek factions...not much of difference on unit selction, but Flanks are less important, because you are not bogged down with the slow moving Phalanx

[Gylippus]

Don't talk to me about Macedon!

I've been playing as the Cimmerian Bosporan's and I conquered 3 or 4 neighbouring cities and then spent a lot of time building them up without really having any fighting to do (made some local alliances, those Armenians are awfully nice!). Then I went to war with Dacia and having seen them off as soon as I bordered Macedonia land they immediately went to war with me.

I'm pretty much having to built a stack and a half army ever turn just to fend them off! It's an expensive business but luckily I have 450,000 denarii in the bank! But at this rate for how long?

It's pretty terrifying when you see 4,000 Royal Elite Pike men coming towards when you only have normal hoplites. The Bosporan hoplites are no match for a Macedonian phalanax and since they cost nearly twice as much as the normal hoplites you might as well not bother with them. Every battle is a stressful business!

[TTRouble]

Don't talk to me about Macedon!

I've been playing as the Cimmerian Bosporan's and I conquered 3 or 4 neighbouring cities and then spent a lot of time building them up without really having any fighting to do (made some local alliances, those Armenians are awfully nice!). Then I went to war with Dacia and having seen them off as soon as I bordered Macedonia land they immediately went to war with me.

I'm pretty much having to built a stack and a half army ever turn just to fend them off! It's an expensive business but luckily I have 450,000 denarii in the bank! But at this rate for how long?

It's pretty terrifying when you see 4,000 Royal Elite Pike men coming towards when you only have normal hoplites. The Bosporan hoplites are no match for a Macedonian phalanax and since they cost nearly twice as much as the normal hoplites you might as well not bother with them. Every battle is a stressful business!

I've not tried to recruit too many Royal Pikemen yet as macdeon.. I've not recruited too many as the upkeep costs is 450 a turn more than double that of a Phalanx Pikeman and a bit more than the Spartan's. I've been impressed with quiet a few of the Falx wielding units of the Getae as they're more than able to rip a phalanx unit to bits, and thats where the hoplites/swordmen at the wings and one just sitting behind the centre of the phalanx has been really needed. I've not been too impressed with my Spartan units so far as a couple of them have been mauled badly by the Roman's. However, I've got one army in Italy thats taken on and crushed 3 x full stack Roman armies in one turn including one that had a Praetorian 1st Cohort unit, although the casualties from the last battle was pretty high - all of phalanx and hoplite units are down to their 30-40 each so I'm hoping that the AI doesn't attack them again.

TTrouble...

[Elsadill]

Remember how Alexander the Great placed his Macedonian Phanlanx in Gaugamela? Face a 45 degree angles,not facing straght to the Persians... This formation may attract more enemy troops to attack your infantry,and hardier to use his cavalary do an out-flanking. Protect the flanks with short-spear hoplites(Spartan/Cretan,etc.),they are really cavalry-killers. Try to recruite more horsemen,the Great won his battle mostly by his gaylove...eh,I mean,companion cavalres,not the hoplites.Heavy cavalry's upkeep is 330,only 50 more than a hoplite phalanx,but 120 cheaper than the royal ones...

Stick them with your phalanx (as much as you can) and finish them with your out-flanking cavalries (not the light lancers,they can do nothing but scout).Peltasts are good aganist heavy infantries,archers are suitable to shoot the light-armored ones.But do not depand on them,6-7 missile troops may be a bit to many.You know,suppressing fire can't crush your foes,a rare-charge/flank-attack can do that.When they start to run,we send them to Hades.

Another point...you may take out their missile troops by your cavs,instead doing muzzle-to-muzzle combat.This will surely decrease your loses...maybe one more reason to recruit a huge cavalry division...

[Irishguy]

Macedon is the stupidest faction around (apart from the germans they never EVER expand ) THey just sit there getting there as kicked by the romans, greek_cities and the ptolomyl's (yes they do invad greece after a while, it's not a myth )

strangly enough they always survive until I crush them

[xXEsotericXx]

Macedon is the stupidest faction around (apart from the germans they never EVER expand ) THey just sit there getting there as kicked by the romans, greek_cities and the ptolomyl's (yes they do invad greece after a while, it's not a myth )

strangly enough they always survive until I crush them

Macedon is great with the right Strat_Player.

Germanya Does exspand on mine campaign.


but im injoying my self , i only play Greek factions.

oh that Syracuse Faction , they just fail , 5 stacks vs 3 stacks of macedonians, i ownd those guy's in like what 4-5 turns?


Hmmm i get around 100-90 K a turn , + i got massive army's and i use only the best Unit's company calavry and royal pikeman+swordsman+ some archers = GG too all faction's.

[arcsquad12]

Never liked Macedon, too static for me.

Greece I feel has much more mobile phalanx troops.

Can't wait to play as Sparta in RS2.0

[Arlin]

Been playing my own Macedon campaign and just rolled over Greece, Getae, Epeiros, and Egypt. However, I've met my match in Rome. I'm so pissed. My first bridge battle is seeing my units get pulverized by their overpowered crap. But even then, I can deal with the pila blasts from 4000 Romans running across a bridge. This is fine. Totally normal. But my issue is that my Royal Pikemen seem to have decided to charge on their own. I had them in nice multi-layered rows to stop the Roman charge yet my guys started pushing forward and eventually jumping onto the bridge itself and trying to smash Rome across. I never ordered this. And the unit description didn't have that "charge without orders" trait. Is this an issue with the RTW system itself? My most elite units aren't following my orders... and when I was finally able to pull them back, they got beaten to a pulp as they backed off.

[TTRouble]

Been playing my own Macedon campaign and just rolled over Greece, Getae, Epeiros, and Egypt. However, I've met my match in Rome. I'm so pissed. My first bridge battle is seeing my units get pulverized by their overpowered crap. But even then, I can deal with the pila blasts from 4000 Romans running across a bridge. This is fine. Totally normal. But my issue is that my Royal Pikemen seem to have decided to charge on their own. I had them in nice multi-layered rows to stop the Roman charge yet my guys started pushing forward and eventually jumping onto the bridge itself and trying to smash Rome across. I never ordered this. And the unit description didn't have that "charge without orders" trait. Is this an issue with the RTW system itself? My most elite units aren't following my orders... and when I was finally able to pull them back, they got beaten to a pulp as they backed off.

Hey Arlin

When i first fought Rome in my Syracuse campaign, they were just seriously mauling every single unit and every army that went up against them. For Macedon, I made a change to my armies that were going to fight against Rome and any other faction that had lots of mobile heavy infantry. Right now I've reduced Rome to just 3 cities on the entire map, and they now only have 5 full army stacks left. Three of my general's in Italy are Eagle collectors (first time I've ever seen that!). The last battle played was near Tarantum - my single stack army (general being an eagle collector) defeated 3 full Legions (7300+ kills) - although by the time the last legion had routed, most of the hoplite, phalanx and sword units were down to just 30-40 men each so I was extremely lucky at winning the turn.

My standard army to fight Rome is made up of :

4-5 phalanx/Royal pikemen
2-3 Cretan/Barbarian Archers - the one in Tarantum has 5 archers (Barbarian archers are cool .. cheap too)
2-3 Heavy Peltasts or peltasts
2 - Spartan Hoplites
2 - 4 Cretan/Corinthian/Athenian Hoplites (4 hoplites if no Spartan's)
2 - Swordsmen (Greek or Celtic)
1- 2 Companion or Heavy Cavalry
1 - General

Make sure that all of the units have had armour/weapons upgrades (silver or gold). I have the hoplites and swordsmen placed at the wings and sitting 1-2 unit lengths behind the phalanx - the phalanx units take the brunt of the pila/javelin attacks and I usually wait for the Roman heavy infantry to engage it before countering with the hoplites and swordsmen. This works just fine against the Gauls, Dacia and Pergamon as well.

Keep a second full stack close to the main army, I use that to replace units after a battle and incase of a real emergency they can come to your aid.Usually a mix of 4 phalanx pike, 4-6 hoplites, 2 + heavy cavalry, 2-4 sword, 3+ peltasts, 2 + archers. I then retrain the units that have been mauled and rotate, so they are constantly gaining experience.

I was going to start RS2 with the Seleucids but right now, I'm itching to go with Macedon and see how quickly they can conquer!

TTrouble .