The best way of fighting a bridge battle

[White Knight2]

What's the best and most efficient way of fighting a bridge battle ? Block the bridge and fight the opposing army there or let them cross over first and then fight.

[fableofsea]

Block them at the bridge. Also bring archers or jav troops, they will do wonderful on bridge battles. Just put them on either side and have them target the enemy troops sides and watch the enemy route.

[DwailerY]

I find it that letting them cross and then surrounding then just as they're getting of the bridge with Javelins targeting the middle troops works wonders.

[White Knight2]

would you say blocking the bridge when fighting horde of barbarians who all come charging at you is the best method.when you're blocking the bridge you have to put your troops at guard mode, and when you're fighting those barbaric packs the legionaries tend to step back and before you know it they're pouring through. Then all your archers can do is sit and watch the massacre... before they get butchered themselves.

[Hanti]

would you say blocking the bridge when fighting horde of barbarians who all come charging at you is the best method.when you're blocking the bridge you have to put your troops at guard mode, and when you're fighting those barbaric packs the legionaries tend to step back and before you know it they're pouring through. Then all your archers can do is sit and watch the massacre... before they get butchered themselves.

Put all archers/missile on LEFT flank. Even if centre would step back, archers would be saftly shooting unarmored side of enemies.
If they really push - use cavalry at the centre to stop them, retreat cavalry and do it againt untill line will be restored.

[Stath's]

I find it that letting them cross and then surrounding then just as they're getting of the bridge with Javelins targeting the middle troops works wonders.

yes

[Paladin247]

I have fought a lot of these and always use the following tactics. Assuming you have a complete legion, I form a U-shaped formation with two cohorts on each leg at my end of the bridge head. Then a cohort at each corner with the last line cohort and the eagle cohort backing the center; so the center or bottom of the U is four cohorts deep with the bottom two available to plug holes should they appear. The general and two cav alae behind the infantry. Depending on terrain, I place one archer cohort either side of the infantry and then two onager batteries (total of four) using fireballs outside the archers. Do not place the artillery behind your infantry as they can dribble fireballs down their bibs onto own forces. Even placing them on the flanks doesn't completely prevent friendly fire casualties, but these will be overwhelmingly outnumbered by the fearsome number of enemies incinerated. In most battles the artillery will account for half the enemy's KIAs. This is because they will normally get clumped together at their end of the bridgehead where they make a terrific artillery target. I generally cease fire with the arty when the last of the enemy are on the bridge because continuing to fire after that runs increasingly to friendly casualties. The arty has to be micro-managed; don't just set them to fire at will because they will pick out a lead target unit and stay on it so when that unit engages your infantry the fireballs will be raining down on you.

Using this formation, I have never lost a bridge battle where I started with a full legion. Depending on the enemy, it can get dicey if a second army assaults immediately after the first. With Greeks and barbarians, even that's not usually a problem , but with an army equipped with multiple cataphract alae, you might be in trouble.


That's not to say I've never lost at a bridge period. These tactics while still effective, will not work as well if your infantry are auxiliaries. I've lost bridge battles with those even at full strength; they're just not as tough as legionaries. Here, I'm talking about a full aux army, not a legion with a couple of aux cohorts filling them out.

Hope that's helpful.

[dvk901]

I have fought a lot of these and always use the following tactics. Assuming you have a complete legion, I form a U-shaped formation with two cohorts on each leg at my end of the bridge head. Then a cohort at each corner with the last line cohort and the eagle cohort backing the center; so the center or bottom of the U is four cohorts deep with the bottom two available to plug holes should they appear. The general and two cav alae behind the infantry. Depending on terrain, I place one archer cohort either side of the infantry and then two onager batteries (total of four) using fireballs outside the archers. Do not place the artillery behind your infantry as they can dribble fireballs down their bibs onto own forces. Even placing them on the flanks doesn't completely prevent friendly fire casualties, but these will be overwhelmingly outnumbered by the fearsome number of enemies incinerated. In most battles the artillery will account for half the enemy's KIAs. This is because they will normally get clumped together at their end of the bridgehead where they make a terrific artillery target. I generally cease fire with the arty when the last of the enemy are on the bridge because continuing to fire after that runs increasingly to friendly casualties. The arty has to be micro-managed; don't just set them to fire at will because they will pick out a lead target unit and stay on it so when that unit engages your infantry the fireballs will be raining down on you.

Using this formation, I have never lost a bridge battle where I started with a full legion. Depending on the enemy, it can get dicey if a second army assaults immediately after the first. With Greeks and barbarians, even that's not usually a problem , but with an army equipped with multiple cataphract alae, you might be in trouble.


That's not to say I've never lost at a bridge period. These tactics while still effective, will not work as well if your infantry are auxiliaries. I've lost bridge battles with those even at full strength; they're just not as tough as legionaries. Here, I'm talking about a full aux army, not a legion with a couple of aux cohorts filling them out.

Hope that's helpful.

This is exactly how I have fought bridge battles for ages. I have found that I suffer less casualties, and, oddly enough, have less problems with the game overall. For some reason, having all units from both armies all balled up in a mass on the bridge and at the exit tends to increase the risk of animation glitches, and resulting CTD's. Allowing the enemy to cross at least some of its units into your 'U' shaped formation helps to relieve this issue.

[tungri_centurio]

My tactic most of the time is place 3or4 units at the bridgehead on gard mode.
With Rome i use spearman for that,with greeks elite phalanx units, than on the
Left side of the bridge is use 3 archer units to fire on their archer units and then on
the unshielded side of the infantry.on the right
Flank i use 2 onagers and shoot balls of fire on backside of the bridge like paladin
All the rest of my army i put in a large V formation out of enemy archer range.
When all arrows are gone i retreat them to back of the map.
When my 3units at the bridge are almost death i retreat them to
Than let the tired enemy come to my V formation and attack them from al sides,
My 2 cav can circle around and attack them from behind and block their escape route.
Most of the time its an Easy win,but it takes a lot of time.

[Sertorio]

I have been using mostly cavalry strong factions so indeed bridge battles are not my favourite. I will usually deploy on a normal formation out of archery range, pepper the incoming enemy with missiles and engage as they come across the bridge in an organized fashion. Still i will fight bridge battles if the bridge is a good choke point to my regions butt i will deploy with space enough to effectively use cavalry charges.

[Lord Dakier]

Being that I'm Sparta and have a few Phalanx I just slap 4 of them around the bridge and watch as everyone pushes to their own deaths!

[Velico]

I typically rotate my infantry based on who is the least experienced so that they can rank up. I put two cohorts to block the advance at the end of my bridge, with missile troops on the sides for flank shots hitting the masses. When the unit ranks up or is close to routing, I move up another cohort that I'd like to have more experience. Once my missile troops are rounds complete, I pull back my block and have the horseshoe formation ready for the influx of enemies. From there, most of their units are 50% or less and rout quickly. I use infantry with javelins/pila in the front so they stem the advance, and constantly send my cavalry around the horseshoe to frighten the enemy.