Any tips for using Armenia?

[Kensai Of Carthage]

Any tips for using Armenia?

[Lancy]

Here's a guide I stole from somewhere. It's for 15k cwb I believe.
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ARMENIA

This is a short guide for playing Armenia. Armenia is a good cavalry faction, that can be played with excellent success versus opponents like Carthage or Macedon. It is almost without chance of success versus factions that have chariots to counter its horses as for instance Egypt.

Faction strengths and weaknesses:


CAVALRY: Armenia has cataphracts, horse archers, and some skirmish cavalry units.

-> Cataphracts are, all in all, the best cavalry unit in the game. They can, if must be, even charge into spear units awaiting them and then fight them down in man to man combat. This is best attempted with 2 or 3 cataphract units ganging up on phalanx unit, but it can work in a variety of situations. Ideally, of course, they are used to charge in the flanks or back of engaged infantry units (they get a large charge bonus), or to fight down enemy cavalry. They must be kept away at all costs from enemy chariots of any kind, as those will decimate them quickly.

-> Armenia has three kinds of horse archers, but you will mostly use the cheapest kind, which are just standard horse archers. Cataphract archers are simply too expensive, especially at low denarii games, to bother with.

-> The skirmish units Armenia has is of very limited importance. As good cavalry is really the only strong point of this faction, this is where the money goes. In other words, most people will take at 6 cataphracts and 2 horse archers, which then fills up already all cavalry slots allowed by cwb rules. Sometimes 5 cataphracts are ok also, which leaves you to take one cheap but fast cavalry unit to skirmish with.


INFANTRY: Armenia's has the choice between phalanx units and Roman style legionaires.

-> Armenian Legionaries are similar to all the usual Roman infantry units. They throw a few rounds of missile weapons before attacking, have a short sword and a shield. They are however far inferior to the best Roman infantry (for instance Urban cohorts), and will only last for a rather brief time versus any good opposing infantry, be it Roman, Greek, or Carthagenian.

-> For Armenia's heavy spearmen the same holds true. While useful to engage enemy infantry so that the cataphracts can charge into their back and flanks, you have to be aware that they will hold for not too long versus good infantry. So once you engage the enemy, make sure to help them out with a cavalry charge right away. They can form a phalanx formation however, which gives them a bonus versus enemy cavalry, and which also tends to hold off enemy infantry a little longer than legionaries do, especially if the opponent has avoided to take the full brunt of their missiles.


MISSILES: Armenia only has standard archers as true missile units, plus standard peltasts, which however are of very limited use.

Suggested armies:

As in other cases, so also here the army must be adjusted to the opponent. One possible army that should work versus a range of setups is as follows.

3 Heavy Spearmen g/g
5 Cataphracts g/g
1 Arab Cavalry g/g
6 Archers g/g
1 Peltast
2 Horse Archers g/-

Plan of action:

The plan of action is very simple in this case:
1. Utilize your horse archers to the fullest 2. Utilize your archers to the fullest 3. Make sure you protect your archers at all times with your cataphracts 4. Try to skirmish versus enemy archers 5. Try to take out the enemy cav with yours 6. Once the archer battle concludes, engage enemy infantry, then immediately charge them with your cataphracts.

[roam]

If you join Hell you will find a massive selection of guides on a lot of subjects written by Zeke, Mir, and assuming they still have them
most epic player ever, me!

Seriously though, in 99% of cases use heavy spears and not legions and experiment with the faction until you win games.
The usual army is generally 6 g/g catas, 2 ha, 6 g/g archers then 4 unupped spears or 2 g/g spears.

Variants of that army involves replacing catas with arab light cav or more spears. Depends on situation.

I have had success using armies based around bedouin camels. Armenia is generally played as a balanced faction, but can rush and skirmish

[Kensai Of Carthage]

Uhh...I just use my crappy infantry to hold my line, so I could charge-through with my catas and win the day , I have no idea, how I manage to win missile fights with my crappy archers and horse archers

[Magic_8_Ball]

6 archers and 2 horse archers gives you 8 missile units, which is a decent amount. You can also bring light cav to pick off enemy archers.

[Kensai Of Carthage]

Against regular archers, I could win, but what about top-quality archers, such as pharaohs bowmen or forester warbands?
Wait a minute...I could just waste their ammo, with my heavy spearmen >=D

[TwoKnives]

Against regular archers, I could win, but what about top-quality archers, such as pharaohs bowmen or forester warbands?
Wait a minute...I could just waste their ammo, with my heavy spearmen >=D

Why waste precious heavy spearmen to waste the opponent's ammo? Get some peasants, because they can drain arrows better then heavy troops. Also they're cheap, and you don't have to worry about upgrading them. Just don't forget to retreat them when the archer fight is over and the melee comes, because if you don't htey will rout instantly and will lower the morale of the better troops you have under your command

[Lancy]

Against regular archers, I could win, but what about top-quality archers, such as pharaohs bowmen or forester warbands?
Wait a minute...I could just waste their ammo, with my heavy spearmen >=D

If you're facing pharaohs bowmen, bye bye Armenia. If you're facing forester warbands, bye bye Gaul.

Against Egypt, unless your opponent plays like crap, you're not likely to win the cavalry (chariots will destroy your catas) or archer war and will likely lose. Against Gaul, their only advantage lies in superior foot archers but they are way too expensive to be worth it. Your catas should just run right over their cavalry, infantry and anything else or near enough anyway.

And don't waste spearmen on absorbing superior enemy fire. If they achieve missile superiority, you have to rush (ofc there are exceptions). The longer you wait the less chance you have to win, as they're just going to start shooting any cavalry or infantry you have, while you sit there and take it.

[Kensai Of Carthage]

Awww crap, why I always keep forgetting about peasants? xD
Also, When I fight against Egypt, I take 2 arab cavs, instead of catas, I also take 2 javcavs (just to trap these chariots) and LOTS of phalanxes and legionaries
I use some micro management, to tire down his chariots and kill his infantry, but I can't seem to kill pharaohs bowmen, because they have chariots behind T_T