Re: Basic Rome v. Gauls Strategy
Gauls are fun, its the german axemen that get a bit interesting.
Best formation I have found is:
....SSSSSSSSS..............................................SSSSSSSSS.... (Slinger, guard on, skirmish on, fire at will off)
....HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.... (Hastati, shieldwall, guard and fire at will)
....VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV.... (Velites, guard and fire at will, skirmish off)
....PPPPPPPPPP..............................................PPPPPPPPPPP..... (Principes Shieldwall and guard)
....PPPPPPPPPP..............................................PPPPPPPPPP..... (Principes shieldwall and guard)
....................................GGGGGGG...................................... (General, just sitting there looking cool)
....CCCCCC TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT CCCCCC.... (Cavalry 4 ranks deep, Triarii Shieldwall and guard)
This is based on a legion with 4 Hastati, 4 Principes, 2 Triarii, 1 General, 2 cavalry, 2 slingers and 5 velites).
The way it works:
- Slingers just concentrate on enemy missile troops. If the enemy get too close they will runback through the hastati (which is why you need fire at will off). If you're lucky you'll find they attract the enemy cavalry to charge into your lines. When the main enemy charge happens they retreat and then move out to the flanks to see if they can shoot at people from the side (they are particularly good at killing gallic cavalry).
- Hastati are there to stand and die basically. Their pilum barrage will normally break the first rank of enemy attackers, then they have to stay and hold the line while the Principes and cavalry do their stuff.
- Velites, I tend to keep them off fire at will and manually target them on the elite enemy units. Once all their javelins are used up move them to the flanks and stack them. They make brilliant cavalry killers and are very, very good for sending after routing enemy units.
- General, well he's there to look pretty and chear up his men so move him in behind the point of the line which is hardest pressed. Keep him on guard or he'll suicide.
- Triarii are there to bolster the line. Where the Hastatii line is most pressurised put the Triarii in shieldwall right up behind the Hastatii and the morale boost seems to be huge (I've had Hastatii units reduced to 3 men and still be fighting when backed up in this way.
- Right, whereas the rest of the army is the anvil, the cavalry and the Principes are the hammer. When the enemy attacks wait until the front lines are engaged and then move the Principes out around the flank and attack the enemy from the rear (using a pilum charge first). Cavalry join in.
If you do it right you will roll up the entire gallic line and massacre their armies.
I haven't done a Gallic walkthrough (or at least, I thought I had bu I can't find it) but I have done a Roman vs. Macedonian battle walkthrough which shows you exactly what I mean, you can get to it through the Scriptorium, Total war world catelogue, here
Hope it helps
- It's my smilie and I'll use it if I want to...... 
