Advantages of Hastati?

[Angarah]

I just got Rome Total War for Xmas, and Ive been playing the Brutii campaign (currently wiping out those damned Macedonians). I was wondering, what exactly is the advantage to putting Hastati in front of your Principes? In numerous strats I have seen the recommended formation is:

H H H H H
P P P P P

Why not just put the Principes on the front line? Is it a cost thing, i.e. Hastati are cheaper to retrain so they should take the bulk of the assault?

:sign_help

[John I Tzimisces]

Use the hastati up front to hold the enemy line, then use principes at the flanks. Pulling the hastati back and letting the principes at the enemy doesn't quite work in RTW, so that is how I have to do it. As long as the hastati hold, they are tiring the enemy. They were basically meant to take higher casualties, since their purpose wasn't to win the battle rather than facilitate the victory.

[subedei the great]

Hastati are easier to replace because you only need a militia barracks to make them, but a legion barracks to make princeps.

[Slimshoom]

also hastati have good morale, like all roman units, and like said b4 they are meant (as they were in the roman military system, to wear down the enemy and then let the heavier units clean them up

[MasterAdnin]

Basicly, the hastati are cheaper and so therefore are expendable. Also due to tactical advantages, while the hastati hold the line, you can use the princeps as follows:

____H__H__H_H
__\____|__|____/
___\P__P__P__P/

H=HASTATI
P=PRINCEPS
\=MOVE LEFT
/=MOVE RIGHT
|=MOVE STRAIGHT

So basicly, use the hastati to hold the lines, while the two middle units of princeps a fortify the line, and the two outer ones go and surround the enemy.

Peace,
MasterAdnin

PS-Welcome to the forums.

[Hyungoku]

hastati's are basically a cheaper and more expandable version of the principes.

and like many people mentioned, they are used to basically hold the line until the more experienced troops can surround them and win the battle.

[removeduser_426582376423734]

I actually didn't ever do this. Mainly, I put the heavier units in the front, and light units on the flanks, with one or two behind. Once in a while, when the enemy advanced on the line, I'd put Guard Mode on the Principes, and have the Hastati throw spears, HALT, throw, HALT, spears...

[Last Roman]

That is actually an intresting way to do it. Since principes can take a heavier beating, it is a logical step to have them pin down the enemy while your faster moving light troops attack the flanks (which was actually the norm in ancient warfare),while it might be "historically inaccurate" for the romans, it makes perfect sense.

[Hyungoku]

nah the usual strategy proved itself time and time again of its effectiveness.
i always regretted when putting heavier troops on front line of a battle.
since i would lose just as many principes as i would have lost hastitati.
and hastati can do the job perfectly holding the line so why change tactics.
also principes arent that slow.. to me they were fast enough to always surround the ennemy in time.

[Last Roman]

nah the usual strategy proved itself time and time again of its effectiveness.
i always regretted when putting heavier troops on front line of a battle.
since i would lose just as many principes as i would have lost hastitati.
and hastati can do the job perfectly holding the line so why change tactics.
also principes arent that slow.. to me they were fast enough to always surround the ennemy in time.

I'm not saying the "normal" way doesn't work, just that the way Spartacus and I stated is an effective alternative

[removeduser_426582376423734]

This is only when there was no cavalry. And I wouldn't have a large, pitched battle without cavalry and archers/velites.

BTW, a bit off-topic, but the names that are given to the troops are quite historically innacurate. For example, velites are a light formation troops, throwing missiles on the same level as hastati - just before they attack.

[Last Roman]

BTW, a bit off-topic, but the names that are given to the troops are quite historically innacurate. For example, velites are a light formation troops, throwing missiles on the same level as hastati - just before they attack.

huh? Thats the way they are in the game, I'm not sure what you mean by inaccurate. The names are one of the few things CA gets historically accurate

[Shawkhan]

...Hastati are cheaper than principes. I use them for the first twenty years or so of the game until my finances are in order, then go for quality with principes. The best infantry for Romans to use in finishing off routing units are Velites, as they are fast enough to catch just about all other infantry.

[The Dane]

I put my Hastati in front course if the enemy cavalery cahrges then it will be the my cheapest unit that dies, and on campaigne they are easy to replace.

[orangat]

Not to mention being meatbags for enemy archers.

[professorspatula]

I always stick the Hastati up front with the Principes behind and on the flanks. As others have said, they are cheaper and easier to replace. I try to get a bit of historical atmosphere to my campaign by loosely attempting to stick the 'historical formation'. However, as I don't retrain units when they reach more than 3 chevrons of experience, when a unit of Hastati has reached 4 experience or more, I consider them to be battle hardened veterans and experienced enough to go on the second row alongside the Principes. I can't so easily replace them either, so they've earnt their place in the second battleline. It then becomes a solemn moment if those Hastati get overwhelmed.

[severdhope]

I always use hastati on gurad, this will hold the enmy and absorb charges while my principes (not on guard) charge between their ranks and counter attack after the enemy has lost momentum, rout almost every time. also if your hastati become too weak, withdraw them to behind the triarii and use principes instead to hold the line and triarii to charge in.