How do you handle a ...

[Meraun]

... Rebell full stack (the north europe barbarian type)led by an 7 Star General with mainly heavy inf and heavy spearmen plus some light axeman
every unit has three silver sings... so they are very experienced.

i just lost my main army against them..
My army was experienced (at lest 2 red signs or more) and was led by an 4 Star General.
That was my army.

6x Hastati camillus
5x Principes camillus
4x Traiarii Camillus
2x Romanii cav
1x General
2x Greek Hoplit

I fought in three lines, first hastati then Principes and as last the traiarii. Hoplit where at the flanks with cav.

So far i won every battle that way (Hastati hold the line Principes attack as soon as i see a hole in the enemy line and break trough. Trairii are my last line in case i get flanked or the enemy breaks trough)

But these guys kick my ass... i got trough in the middle and split there army in two halfs... but they still managed to route most of my army.. (i withdraw with the general and some suriviors when the battle was lost) only 350 of 2800 men survived.. i filling up the ranks and will attack them again.

but i have no idea how...


Any ideas? they already replaced there (small) loses.

edit: i play VH/H

[delra]

First of all, your all heavy infantry army composition is very lame and you should lighten that with skirmishers for some historical flavor. Second of all, you need to wear them down in multiple battles - or better let AI factions do that for you. In the meantime using your OP against AI armies to conquer somewhere else.

[Meraun]

First of all, your all heavy infantry army composition is very lame and you should lighten that with skirmishers for some historical flavor. Second of all, you need to wear them down in multiple battles - or better let AI factions do that for you. In the meantime using your OP against AI armies to conquer somewhere else.

I know that i woud need more skirmishers for my army..

but i just prefer an army with more inf to use the 3 line tactic. (wich is historical)

[AntigonosDoson]

You met these bastards who protect the Alpine provinces? Well, they're placed there to do exactly what they've done: kick your Roman **** and prevent non-historical expansion northwards... they have a very numerous and experienced armies with heavy infantry.

I say, ignore them and expand in other directions. You will crush them later.

If you really want to slay them and get the town, you will have to:
a) Be a strategic genius.
b) Bring much more troops. If you attack them with 2 full stacks, you have a chance to win.

But beware! If your army stays in the province, another rebel stack will be spawned! The only way you can prevent that is by capturing the town. To do this you might need to bring some siege engines to break the walls of the town directly after the battle with the rebels.

[A_Dane]

Don't really get why the player would go through the alpes? not much useful to find there, compared to.. well everywhere else s:

[Saint_of_Battle]

Don't really get why the player would go through the alpes? not much useful to find there, compared to.. well everywhere else s:

The Alps, kind sir, have some nice cities AND each of them can build mines. Fully upgraded mines will give you some 15000-25000 mnai every turn. Its worth it definetely

[The_Blacksmith]

Ive beat them with a very unhistorical army, with an invelopment:

unit list: 1 General
8 Hoplites or Triarii
3 Princepei (Merc gallic swords are better)
2 Raetic Axemen (mercs)
2 Heavy cav (Extraordinarii or Brihenten)
4 Militeis Samnici

Use a single line of hoplites, draw the enemy on to it and invelop him

if you ask me to beat them with a historical army my reply would probably be... "gtfo O_O"

[The Kybrothilian]

Off-topic, but why do people, when they play as Romani, tend to expand towards Gaul and Germania, when expanding towards Iberia, Africa and Greece is not only historical, but also more benefical in terms of wealth and economy? Is it because of the regional units there, or is it just an old habit from playing as Julii in the vanilla campaign?

[athanaric]

Is it because of the regional units there, or is it just an old habit from playing as Julii in the vanilla campaign?

Probably the latter. You are right though, especially considering one point many people tend to miss: Culture penalty. Whatever Celtic factions (and rebels) have - paved roads, large cities, stone walls, tier2 farms, and so on - Romans can upgrade with a Roman building of a higher tier (with a few, less important exceptions). Not so with Greeks and Carthaginians, who can tech up just as much as Romans - leaving you with huge cities in Africa that remain at 40% cultural penalty. So it makes sense, gameplay wise, to grab the southern provinces first, as long as their cities are not yet fully upgraded by the pesky natives. You can take Gaul and the Alps any time later.

[Killzone_040]

Off-topic, but why do people, when they play as Romani, tend to expand towards Gaul and Germania, when expanding towards Iberia, Africa and Greece is not only historical, but also more benefical in terms of wealth and economy? Is it because of the regional units there, or is it just an old habit from playing as Julii in the vanilla campaign?

I wasn't the only player that kept playing Julii constantly?
+1 to myself, I knew I could fit in w/o myself knowing.

Well anyway, all I can say is try to get some more experience on your guys and try to envelop and such tactics.

[A_Dane]

Only played the julii and the scipii, most entertaining campaigns IMO :p

But yeah, going for Gaul & Germania never made sense to me in EB, always went for spain, Africa and Greece

[Meraun]

Well my plan was to attack spain.

But the aedui attack me. so i took Mediolanum and decided to take the alps to have
an defence line before italy.

But well i might gonna change my plan.. i woud take me years to secure every Province with a border to
northern italy.

I just did like the tought that italian mainland as also has enemy's as it direct border.

[A_Dane]

I think that those rebel armies are a better line of defence than the one you can set up

they're cheaper atleast :p

[The_Blacksmith]

Off-topic, but why do people, when they play as Romani, tend to expand towards Gaul and Germania, when expanding towards Iberia, Africa and Greece is not only historical, but also more benefical in terms of wealth and economy? Is it because of the regional units there, or is it just an old habit from playing as Julii in the vanilla campaign?

when you are in 188 and is dead bored, own everything frm Gader to Antiocheia and from Carthage to Mediolanum.... and you dont wanna break your house rules of not taking Egypt or Gaul before the Marians...


THEN i tend to take Pannonia, Moesia and the Alps

[Rhomphaiaphoros]

Off-topic, but why do people, when they play as Romani, tend to expand towards Gaul and Germania, when expanding towards Iberia, Africa and Greece is not only historical, but also more benefical in terms of wealth and economy?

[...] considering one point many people tend to miss: Culture penalty. Whatever Celtic factions (and rebels) have - paved roads, large cities, stone walls, tier2 farms, and so on - Romans can upgrade with a Roman building of a higher tier (with a few, less important exceptions). Not so with Greeks and Carthaginians, who can tech up just as much as Romans - leaving you with huge cities in Africa that remain at 40% cultural penalty. So it makes sense, gameplay wise, to grab the southern provinces first, as long as their cities are not yet fully upgraded by the pesky natives. You can take Gaul and the Alps any time later.

I actually conquer the Alps and Germania first for the exact same reason, but in an inverted sense: I want my "civilized" opponents to develop a little before facing them, resulting in a more interesting Romani campaign. The "Alpine rebels", on the other hand, are already quite developed unit-wise, and I can get into a good fight with those as soon as I want to. And defeating them usually takes me enough time so that the Sweboz can develop into powerful enough foes (well, the AI Sweboz don't even need to develop that much, considering that they can recruit most of their units right off the bat). And only after the Sweboz are defeated (or at least reduced in power), I go against the Gauls, Lusotannan, Carthage, and Hellenic factions.

- Rhomphaiaphoros

[jukeness]

I take Bononia and then leave the other northern towns for about a 100 years.

[delra]

There are some nice regionals to train there too. Always fun to see Germans try to come and break through Mori Gaeusum in the streets... Still, it's hardly a priority.

[Saint_of_Battle]

Gaul itself doesn't offer much. IMHO, the only Gallic and generally barbarian territories worth capturing (quite early in the game) is Tolosa and the Alps. For me just because of the mines. Of course, Greece (Hepirus) and further north to Panonia are great targets too (Mines, mines, mines).

Sicily and southern Italy should be first in order to cover your back (and for the reforms). You also get a mine in Rhegion.

Finally, either Alps or Greece are great. If I had to compare these 2, I would say 48 - 52% . Cheers!

[Giurza]

well, I did that once, and now in my new romani campaign I intend to do it again. not overly hard, but first time it cost me 2 (!!!!) full legions before I figured what to do.
First, you have to have the region directly to the left (name escapes me now) then you need two crack legions - one pretoriani, the other evocati.
there usually are three armies in that pesky little East Switzerland - one with uberGeneral, one without and one in the city itself.
one that is without the general, goes down quite easily and doesn't respawn (at least I didn't see so)
so, first take that one and destroy it utterly, take position in the Alps where you would have a highly elevated defence against them when they come.
when that army is gone, you need to move your chess figure now. take legio pretoriana and equip it with scorpiones et catapultae as supporting arms and move this army in from the left hand province - put it on the river crossing! the legio evocata should get balistae and wait south of the target province.
on the next turn, barbarians shall attack your pretoriani, form a open ended square and let them come. scorpiones et catapultae should have their fire at will switched off and fire by your command on barbarian general! if you are lucky, you'll get him, then it is the matter of meat grinder
after you have dispatched of this army, send in your evocati and take the city on the sane turn! if not successful retreat in a hurry and start over

[delra]

Can't wait for EB2 with M2TW unit spawning limits to get rid of those full Evocata armies...