rome vs sparta

[Sir Diaz]

anybody having trouble fighting the spartan armies i can barely beat them one one with my roman armies
what the best way to deal with them? playing o turn campaign

[ImperialAquila]

Nope. having no trouble with them actually. They're quite easy to beat if you soften them up with missiles first before engaging them with your legionaries then performing a cavalry charge behind them.

Are you using pre-Marian reform armies? If so then the strategy is the same but your stack should have archers as well as velites. Also bring more cavalry to deal with them.

[Sir Diaz]

i think my problem is that i dont have enough cav or quality cav right now i keep getting surrounded by sparta and macedon armies and my armies are getting high casualties because lack of cav

[High Fist]

I remember using Cretan archers to destroy the Spartans from behind ( ) on my last Rome campaign. I don't remember Sparta having much cav either but I'm probably wrong. Still, I had one stack defend against several Spartan stacks and I managed to pull it off thanks to the Cretans.

Basically, get Cretans is my advice.

[ImperialAquila]

Sparta has some cavalry and they're much stronger than Equites. The Hippeis cav I think. Best counter I use are the Latin Medium cavalry and the Capuans.Cretans are your best archers but you can use the Corsico-Sardinians as well.

[Sir Diaz]

i think if found my solution, right now im facing gallecian stacks and im using two slingers and two archers to attack a single unit then charge in the cav then they rout, its been working pretty good so far so im going to use this against the spartans to lower my casualties

[ImperialAquila]

Spartans are different from Gallaeci units. The Spartans have better morale.

[FeralBlueBird]

Sparta is the only faction with which I've managed to conquer Rome. Their units are more than a match for most Legionaries.

The best advice I could give is to engage the phalanx asymmetrically so as to expose their sides and backs to Slingers. One problem I might imagine is the fact that their generals fight on foot, which could make them survive longer. Grind them down where you can, armies without a general are much less threatening than those packing a three or four star name.

[Sir Diaz]

you are right about their general being on foot is way harder to kill, since they are in the thick of battle and you cant really kill them with your cav since they are spears.

[ImperialAquila]

To kill Spartan generals, your approach must be to lure them away before the get mixed up in the chaotic fighting. Best to use Javelin cavalry supported by a unit of medium cavalry and some slingers/archers/velites for these and use them as bait. Chances are that the general, along with a few units of theirs will run along after them. Soften the general up with your missiles, best target them from behind and at the sides. Since that also leaves you with fewer men to contend with when the main battle lines close in on each other, divert a heavy infantry force of a unit or two to intercept the units that went with the general. Bring another unit to pin the general as well while hitting him with lots of missiles, then charge with your medium cavalry from the rear. Withdraw them after a few seconds, then charge again.

Overall, you need at least three heavy infantry, a unit of javelin cavalry, a unit of medium cavalry and two units of missile troops to deal with the general properly.

The rest of your army and cavalry shall deal with their battle line.