Stuck choosing stack for attack.

[Total Roach]

I want to create an elite stack as TSE to take on the Romans with, a typical Roman full stack at the mo comprises of around 7 cohorts, 4-5 Auxillia 2-3 light Auxillia and 4 Auxillia cavalry and an Onager. What stack would you build from the TSE roster that has a good chance of fighting at a least 3 battles before needing refit?

Note: Am playing on 1HP system, also won't be including any elephants as too far away to be retrained.

[Silver Legionary]

That's a pretty smart stack considering the AI.

For starters, you might want 1 Onager, if only to counter their own.

A good amount of phalangites, preferably at least the 3rd tier ones,
Argyraspids at best, would be ideal. Say around... 8 phalangite
units.

As for support units, say 4 units of heavy infantry, Thorakitai or Legionaries,
if possible, or maybe highly upgraded Hoplites.

That's around 3/4 of a full stack, assuming a general is already part of it.
The other 6 slots can go to 3 Syrians/Gastraphetes/generic Archers, and 3 heavy
cavalry units(e.g., Kataphracts or Hetairoi); all these units can be changed as to your preference.

If you play this stack(after some tweaking, perhaps) smart(i.e. you, the player, decide when and where the battles happen) against the AI, you'll take few casualties,
considering the way the AI plays.

Also, what .exe do you use? BI, ALEX, or RTW?

[Total Roach]

That's a pretty smart stack considering the AI.

For starters, you might want 1 Onager, if only to counter their own.

A good amount of phalangites, preferably at least the 3rd tier ones,
Argyraspids at best, would be ideal. Say around... 8 phalangite
units.

As for support units, say 4 units of heavy infantry, Thorakitai or Legionaries,
if possible, or maybe highly upgraded Hoplites.

That's around 3/4 of a full stack, assuming a general is already part of it.
The other 6 slots can go to 3 Syrians/Gastraphetes/generic Archers, and 3 heavy
cavalry units(e.g., Kataphracts or Hetairoi); all these units can be changed as to your preference.

If you play this stack(after some tweaking, perhaps) smart(i.e. you, the player, decide when and where the battles happen) against the AI, you'll take few casualties,
considering the way the AI plays.

Also, what .exe do you use? BI, ALEX, or RTW?

I have 5 of these already but they are currently engaged in hold the Balkans:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Had a custom battle as an experiment earlier.

Using BI exe, love that shield wall. Gastraphetes are a fantastic unit although they are so spread out and can't fire over friendlies that I do have trouble with them, put them in front the AI will charge them so you are lucky to get 1 or 2 volleys off at the most, but the AP power is devastating.

Cataphracts, have to say that's the 1st time I have ever had Cataphracts in my stack, awesome, but tier sooo quickly, although if I did it right 4 of them could smash an entire line of legionaries(damn javelins)

The main problem I have is with the enemy Jav Cav, always endless amounts of these units with every faction even those like Rome that should be infantry based with 1 or 2 max of cav, wish I knew how to make the AI recruit less of them.

Will have a big think about this, only trouble is I really need to decide now, before I tick the turn over

[knguyen_93]

You cant beat the Roman with close-combat infantry because theirs is superior. Buy as many Phalangite as possible, they can easily destroy the legions. In my opinion, the best army formation is: 7 units of Phalangite in the middle, 6 units of Thorakitai, they can throw javelin that can destroy any enemy unit or cavalry attacking both flanks (3 units each flanks but place them behind the phalanx), 4 units of archer behind the phalanx but place them between the Thorakitai flanks, and 3 units of cataphract. I dont think we should need general, your phalanx will not enter a hand-to-hand combat so it is not necessary for the general. If you fight again one of the Diadochi, use general because you gonna lose a lot of phalanx due to push-of-pike action!!!!

[Diomede]

On the contrary, several factions have close combay units that are either on par or superior when the correct ground and tactics are in place. See also: Scutarii with 2-4 cavalry units and ranged support, preferably slingers. Iberian calvary is strong enough to beat back preatorian calvary also.

[nhinhonhinho]

The other way to fight the Roman is mass Thureophoroi.I found they're extremely useful.A stack with more than 10 Thureophoroi units can darken the sky with javelin and kill haft of enemy stack with few lose.Thureophoroi have the better range and more javelin so they can "outfire" most of Javelin/pilum unit.One more advantage for them is they easy to train and cheap.

[knguyen_93]

Man, What if they use tons of peltast in loose formation with cavalry charge on both flanks. That will be depressing. As for the Iberian, they dont have slinger unit but their archers are disappointing, however Iberian peltast is a good way to go - good in both range and close attack. The scutarii or even the heavy one are no match for the legions because their attack is only 7 for both and the amour is even lesser for the legions. The best infantry against Roman is German Night Raider, try it on custom battle!!!!!!

[Diomede]

Man, What if they use tons of peltast in loose formation with cavalry charge on both flanks. That will be depressing. As for the Iberian, they dont have slinger unit but their archers are disappointing, however Iberian peltast is a good way to go - good in both range and close attack. The scutarii or even the heavy one are no match for the legions because their attack is only 7 for both and the amour is even lesser for the legions. The best infantry against Roman is German Night Raider, try it on custom battle!!!!!!

By the time you come into contact with Marian-reform era soldiers, your scutarii will have united Iberia, Gaul, conquered Carthage and their islands (hence you gain access to those slingers) and you'll have probably pushed into Germania, but the Rhine is a nice defensive line until securing the south. So you'll have better more experienced troops and importantly, pick your own battlefield.

[Grimbold]

Diomede the barbarian!

[knguyen_93]

By the time you come into contact with Marian-reform era soldiers, your scutarii will have united Iberia, Gaul, conquered Carthage and their islands (hence you gain access to those slingers) and you'll have probably pushed into Germania, but the Rhine is a nice defensive line until securing the south. So you'll have better more experienced troops and importantly, pick your own battlefield.

Do you mean Balearic Island. I found out that they are useless against the legion too. Frist of all, their range attack are short, only get 3 or 4 hits before the legion come into range for pilum attack. Second, they cant throw rocks over head other units, that limit them when close combat begin. The only time they can be useful when placed in front of phalanx, several roman units will break into a run engaging the slingers but always turn back when getting close to your army and then your slinger will take care of that matter. Third, you only get 1 unit of slinger a time and it hard to replace or restrain them when you dont have a big and experinced navy (to due with Carthage's one, btw u wont get very far until updating yr city and port). As I said in previous posts, "there is no way on this earth u can beat the reformed-legions", they are great for close combat and you gonna regret dearly if using infantry against them. There are 3 types of factions can defeat them: steppe factions with horse archer, hellenic factions with phalanx, flexible factions with extremely shock forces or elephant. As for the hellenic, using the phalanx is very useful because the legions can be hold off by mass of pike when your cavalry or flank infantry can cycle them. For steppe faction, encircle them with cavalry and harass them with arrows. For others use elephant to charge them from the flanks to center. That is all, if you dont believe me, try it on custom map against a full stack of legionary first cohort. I guarantee u a total victory, but not when u use hails of javelin or crappy scutarii.

[Publius Quirinus]

The other way to fight the Roman is mass Thureophoroi.I found they're extremely useful.A stack with more than 10 Thureophoroi units can darken the sky with javelin and kill haft of enemy stack with few lose.Thureophoroi have the better range and more javelin so they can "outfire" most of Javelin/pilum unit.One more advantage for them is they easy to train and cheap.

That's what I do, except I would rather use thorakitai so that they don't die like flies in melee. When fighting Romans as Greeks I use a massed thorakitai/thureophoroi core with slinger and medium cav support... phalangites move so slow that with the Roman pila storm it's not very cost-effective. Better to have something to throw back.

[nhinhonhinho]

Well you will lose some man and more important waste more javelin so your men may have to fight melee.About cavalry they aren't a very big problem since the hail of javelin can destroy most of them and our thureo boys can fight well with their spear and in XGM cavalry is weaker (not mention cataphract).Beside that you will probably have some cavalry on your side and your general to fight their cavalry.I love thureo guys because their javelin darken the sky and devastate nearly everything.In siege battle again wooden wall they are useful too.Again a large ha army however they can be destroy quickly

Anyway German Night Raider is awesome unit with all weapon have AP and cause fear.I love these boys too

[Diomede]

lol, indeed! I love Barbarian factions.

[Grimbold]

I only like Iberia, since im, well, portuguese.

[nhinhonhinho]

I love Germania .

[death to the romans]

i the Netherlandic Germanians!!! well they're beter than the Cimric Germanians. 2 points to be precise

[nhinhonhinho]

Thracian Thorakitai is better than Scutarii because their weapon have ap trail.

[Diomede]

I disagree with your issue on retraining slingers. Iberia is within just one boat's range of movement, port to port, as is Massilia. All you need is one boat, but I do of course use more. Their range increases a lot when used correctly, e.g. on a hill. I'm not a fan of custom battles because they never contribute towards the campaign and have never regretted having at least 10 scutarii in any stack. Add some skirmishers and cavalry, then profit. It's as much about using what you have correctly and I assure you, they are not crappy by any means.

Edit: ap trail?

[Grimbold]

You dont need slingers as Iberia. Just make sure half of your army is packed with cavalry and that your infantry is strong / experienced enough to hold a legion in line and the cavalry will do the rest.

[Diomede]

Pretty much, I generally have four units, I just like to have the mercs in there.