Interesting Anti-Chariot Tactic

[civfanatic]

Hi guys, this is my first post on these forums.

I've been playing Rome Total War online for a good deal of time now (around 5 months). One of my biggest annoyances when facing factions like Egypt was how to deal with chariots. For some time, I thought the only way to fight chariots effectively was to use chariots of your own, since they cut apart horse cavalry and can outmaneuver spearmen. Due to this belief, I almost always used Pontus when facing players using Egypt.

I then discovered an interesting anti-chariot tactic involving horse cavalry. I found that grouping up 3 or more units of heavy cavalry into large blobs (for lack of a better term) and then charging chariots makes the chariots rout fairly quickly, and even when engaged in prolonged melee the horse cavalry take less casualties than the chariots. This tactic seems to work especially well with praetorian and sacred band cavalry.

Do any other players here use this tactic, or is it a nooby technique that a clanny like me shouldn't use? I would like to say I have won many battles against Egypt using this tactic, especially with Carthage and sometimes even Rome.

If you think it is nooby what are some of your favorite anti-chariot tactics?

[Delta21]

I make blobs of mixed cavalry+infantry. Slingers are pretty ok against chariots because of the chariots' low defensive rating and the slingers' high rate of fire and projectile speed(compared to the tortoise-slow of the arrows).

[Titus Maximius Thongus]

and chariots make fat juicy targets for any medium-range elite slingers. >)

[Lancy]

Do any other players here use this tactic, or is it a nooby technique that a clanny like me shouldn't use?

Any tactic which is not against the rules is fair game. Especially if it's actually effective. What your describing here is a legitimate tactic. Works even better with cataphracts. it's also more effective if you place your cavalry in guard mode. And if you take some hit points off the chariots beforehand (be it with slingers, jav cav, flaming/shooting them etc). Throwing some infantry into the mix as Delta says is also good if you can. Even better if its a pike unit (even a rubbish one).

[empr guy]

i have noticed that a charge from a large number ofcavalry will rout a unit of chariotes, it works with all heavy cav i think, although it only really works against isolated units... (well, it would work against multipule or supported units but i wouldnt be willing to take the losses i think i would get)

[Magic_8_Ball]

Yup. This is what you call a cav box. Not a new tactic, but it's nice that you figured it out on your own.

[Delta21]

Most chariots won't be ordered to attack back-to-back phalanx units, so I guess that's "anti-chariot" enough, since "anti-chariot" doesn't necessarily mean killing chariots.

[Plant]

Anything that works is not nooby.

[|Sith|Galvanized Iron]

Guard mode helps making the box stronger against chariots.

[|Sith| Max]

meh guard mode hasnt been helping it much lately. so i started backing it up with archers. funny thing to do against it is to run around the box and chase down his archers.

[civfanatic]

In a recent Parthia v Egpyt game I played, I found that g/g Eastern Infantry can be very effective chariot counters...

Who would of known, they actually are good for something ;P

[Magic_8_Ball]

That's pretty interesting, actually. I tested it against the AI by taking 1 g/b Egyptian Chariot against 1 -/g Eastern Infantry. Just like you said, the -/g Eastern Infantry actually Routed the Egyptian Chariot.

Yes, I alt attacked.

[KittySN]

Eastern Infantry and some pike units benefit from 60 men (normal scale) which makes them excellent for absorbing attacks. I dare say Eastern Infantry are almost as useful as Urban Cohorts because of this, and are even cheaper with 3/g/g, though I usually go 3/g/- or 2/s/s to bring other stuff. That's why I elected to use light cavalry, Eastern Infantry and missiles as Parthia against Mirariel's Brittania in that 3v3 replay I posted. Light cavalry evades chariots and chase/rout worn out missiles while the infantry absorbs the Warlord spam.

[Titus Maximius Thongus]

yea light jav cav are very useful against chariots I find. They can bring down a few chariots and tire them out making the chaz chase them about fruitlessly. Then it makes them fat easy targets for missiles and infantry.

[Xion]

I have a tactic..at least it works for me. Use some form of jav cav and keep luring the chariots away from the enemy army..for some reason, alot of people will just follow the cav around..which makes the chariots tired, then I lure them with a new jav cav and lure them into my pikemen/legions..

[|Sith|Galvanized Iron]

Unless the Eastern Infantry routs at the mere sight of the chariots...

[Magic_8_Ball]

Unless the Eastern Infantry routs at the mere sight of the chariots...

Well, what if you're not being utterly destroyed and no mass routs have occured? I'd think a cav-spear combo might work against chariots.

[Plant]

I have a tactic..at least it works for me. Use some form of jav cav and keep luring the chariots away from the enemy army..for some reason, alot of people will just follow the cav around..which makes the chariots tired, then I lure them with a new jav cav and lure them into my pikemen/legions..

I am worried for the mental health of your opponents if they chase the uncatchable. All players I know wouldn't chase and would ignore or shoot down the jav cav, nevermind being "lured" into pikemen. Unless of course, they don't have any archers, in which case they have no need to chase the jav cav.



Eastern Inf against chariots is very Parthia specific, as Pontus have better options. Eastern inf work so far as that its the only viable infantry Parthia has to block a chariot's advance. Best really to use your cata options as well.

[VersionLangley]

I tried the Easter Inf vs an opp from HEAVEN

6 g/- egpyt char vs 4 eastern inf g/g. as soon as the char touches the easter Inf rout immediately, then chained routed the other 3. My gen was nearby which means the 4 inf was virtually not existed
so...I charge 4 g/g cats in, killed the egypt gen and barely winning it

did i do something wrong?

[KittySN]

You need to use experience--it's not that expensive! Same thing if you use Levy Pikemen (as I often do). These units start off with weak morale, and a chariot unit is cavalry so it hurts morale as a base (that means they're "shaken" to begin with). Some casualties or any flank means a rout. Try using 3/s/s or 3/g/-, it's one of the few uses of experience at 15k normal.