Battle Strategies

[The Walrus]

I'm doing homework but I want to post this now. What are your battelfield
tactics? In general, against certain units,etc.

[century x]

Well usually, It depends on how many units there is also. If i'm out numbered I will attempt to use cavarly to scare them away and kill them as they run. Use my light and medium infantry, for fighting the strongest units, use my heavy infantry to protect my flanks. And use my general every where to encourage morale, and to get kills. If I have archeers or missle units, I use them as well on the enemy's center or flanking cavarly. It all depends on situation. ANd if the enemy routes, I tell the whole army to go and keep attacking, I have no mercy to enemies. Some times like once in a while, I will show mercy, but USually I don't. Cause remember they will not show u mercy.

That's just like an overview of my tactics, I'm always constantly changing them.

[The Walrus]

What is your battle strategy against phalanx Macedon. Also do you play PE, AE, MnM, or
extended realism?

[century x]

I play PE. With that BI.EXE.

Well for phalanxs, I usually have my infantry in the front, then have others flank them from behind, and have missle units pick them off, or have them hitting other phalanxs. Pila works great againsit them, that's if your roman and all, there's other units with that ability, but with the romans I always know I will have a good fight, Against Macedona I have a pretty good track record, but alot of times I get my ass kicked, but then I go right back and kick there ass. Even though roman cavarly is not that good, I find a way to use them effectivily. Especially in macedona fights and others. SO YEA.

[JoeyJubb]

I play RTRPE1.6/Bi.exe
Usually in Macedonia there's at least on unit of Elephants to recruit. Sometimes they might seem like a bit much money early game but they can really pay off! Once I have elephants I pin the phalanxes down as quickly as I can, then systematically charge into the backs of them with the elephants! They get scared quickly and rout, then it's just a case of getting some light cavalry to mow them down, hehe

[century x]

great way of killing some enemy units

[The Walrus]

Any Parthain tactics?

[MrT785479]

I used to use them for a while with the sarmatians, but it is just too easy against this AI.

[century x]

I havan't really played the parthians, but when I did I ususally used the cavarly as my main weapon on the battle field, and use my infantry to hold off the enemy.

[JoeyJubb]

Woa! I think I've just fought the hardest battle I've ever fought! Lol.

It was against rebels, no less, in the south of Italy. They has built up a huge army in Rhegium, lots of phalangites and skirmishers; most of which has experience 4. I got them out of town by assassinating the governer.

Anyway, they held a small hill on the defensive and I had no choice but to attack up hill. The odds were 3:4 against me as well, lol. I eventually broke their units but due to my lack of cavalry they kept rallying and coming back! Lol. Was quite immense.

Also, I know it's not really "battle tactics"... but can anyone give any pointers on using diplomats? Mine always end up with 0 influence because they're rude and tactless!!!!

[Slime]

On the diplomats: They get rude etcetera if you make a deal which the other party won't accept. So, before trying to make any major deals needing influence, train your diplomats by making small things like trading right negotiation, bribing and map information stuff. Also, if your bad diplomats get good ancillaries, transfer them to the best diplos you have. Usually one or two very good ones are enough.

[AncientWarrior]

When using elephants i have two options,smash them into the front lines and have my infrantry follow and attack the scared and disorganized front lines,shock troops would be used for the assault if you got em causing more fear,
The other tactic i use is when the front lines are locked into battle and the flanks secured,il flank with the elephants,but not to charge anyone.The elephants will go around to witch ever flank and charge from one side to the other and back and forth flank to flank using the shift botton, creates more panick because there going up and down the lines effectin every one like a general would.But make sure your elephants dont interfer with your men so keep there path of rampage at the back of the locked frontlines.
If they panick the enmy will be first to suffer.

[The Walrus]

Second elephant strategy good but in the stupid game engine would have them get massacred if that was against phalanx troops.

[AncientWarrior]

against phalanx troops(using a non phalanx) i try to get the enemy squads movin exposin each others flanks.On the front battle lines when facin the phalanx i try to use their tight formation against them.If they have 5 phalanx squads as there main line i will try and use 3 to 4 weak spread out squads on defense with 1 or 2 other quads behind to support midle if being brokin through and tell them to hold their position infront of the pikes not engaging yet.With my strongest troops forming on the flanks i create a knew battle line on their flanks facing in,like a u shape around the enemy the enemy phalanx is not to mobile so it cant respond to sudden threats presented.Then if the computer didnt already engage in the frontlines on the defensive i send in the defensive troops to engage and hold the lines just keeping the phalanx occupied.Then i either circle the enemy presuming the battle for flanks is won or chew their flanks with mass heavy and elite troops one squad after another until both allied flanks flow into each other .Usually to whoever the phalanx spears are attackin, that squad will switch to defense.Can also use feint attacks causin the phalanx to forever switch directions and force them to use swords when in disaray.If the phalanx breaks through the front it can be an advantage cauing them to break formation in pursuit which can set conditions like HANNIBALs Cannae
One of many strategys that can be applyed

[The Walrus]

Also phalanx troops start with defence mode on and so everytime during a siege when they finishing putting siege towers they don't go up autimatically. At least I think that is the problem.

[JoeyJubb]

Hum... my favourite way is to beat phalangites is with skirmishers or archers. I'd pin the phalanxes down with the infantry (doesn't matter if it's light or heavy) and run the skirmishers round the back to throw javelins at them! This normally makes the rout quickly, then the skirmishers (who can run faster) will kill them as they run from the battle.

Another tactic I like to employ is to use my skirmishers as bait for the phalangites and tire them out by running them around over the battle map. If you keep the skirmishers close enough the enemy will keep pursuing. A good supplement is to fire arrows into their backs with another unit while they chase your bait unit! An archer-unit paired with a super-cheap unit can take out any isolated phalanx this way, including the spartans.

I really only use heavy infantry for pinning the enemy down, using lighter troops to attack their flanks. Oh and elephants? Three words can describe my strat for them:

Run, charge, smash.

[Dramascus]

95% of the time i just deploy a straight line of infantry to engage the enemy lines, then move some generals/cavalry around to attack their rear. even if they have many more infantry than you, if you set your dudes to maximum horizontal spread, they can cover eneough ground to hold the enemy long eneough for you to flank.

in other cases such as against skirmisher heavy nations, i get as much cavalry as i can and give chase. horse archer nations are always a pain though, you cant avoid losing men to them even if you have lots of slingers/foot archers to counter them.

[Solaris]

A Post Marian tactic.. have 10 Roman Legionares including the Aquila Legionares, then group them, put them in the SHIFT + 7 formation, I find it a very flexible formation and it ensures safety for your missile troops if you position them behind your infantry.

[The Walrus]

Thanks Solaris I will try that.

[Invoker]

I've been playing Imperator II, and so I have found lately that deploying in the standard manipular formation causes way too many casualties and leads to more defeats than I can survive with in the campaign, so I have started messing with formations and seeing what works well.

I put my units that can deploy the shield wall formation in the center, tightly packed together with no gaps at least five men deep (the larger the enemy force, the more thin I spread my line to prevent being flanked). Set on guard mode, these men hold the center line and prevent it from buckling while my more flexible and mobile troops move from the right and left to flank the enemy's sides. This is a fairly useful technique when on defense.

I have also been trying to replicate effective Hannibal's tactics at Cannae, where he allowed his center to buckle and bend like a bow, luring the Romans into a position where they could then be easily flanked, surrounded and destroyed. I fought a battle against the Carthaginians using this tactics, and it worked fairly well, though I took heavy casualties in my center due to their pulling back to lure the enemy into the trap.

Against hoplites, particularly Macedonian hoplites, I become quickly frustrated. I have yet to find a great way to kill them without losing many of my men.