Rome post Marian reforms: Battle formation and tactics?

[pratolano]

So I've gotten to about 160BC so far with my first long campaign, playing Rome (Julia.) I've just researched Cohort Organization for the first time and of course replaced all of my Hastati, Principes and Triarii with Legionnaires and Veteran Legionnaires.

Up til now, I always employed the Triplex Acies (I'm so attached to it, I even use it as barbarian factions with less success - I should probably learn more formations.)

Generally speaking, what is the best formation to use after the reforms? I've also just discovered ballistas (I LOVE them) so I've got two of them in each stack. When I employ missile-first or triplex formations now, they stick the ballistas in the front. Doesn't seem like a good idea.

I've also just researched the barracks that give you First Cohort and Praetorian Guard. What's the best way to use them - should I get 1 First Cohort per stack and put it in the front-right of my order of battle as in the historical use (the position of honor) and keep the Praetorian Guard near my general? For the moment, most of my stacks have an Auxiliary Cav, a Socii Extraordinare Cav, 2 Balaeric slingers, 2 Ballistas, and the rest Legionnaires and Veteran Legionnaires (which replaced my triarri.)

Thanks!

[GussieFinkNottle]

I have actually found the triplex acies pretty ineffective myself.

With ballistas it's a good idea to play open battles defensively, as they will generally force the enemy to come to you. Deploy on the nearest available hillside so the enemy has to fight uphill. I find Rome II is a relatively weak battlefield simulator unlike earlier games so simple formations work best. I deploy the Roman heavy infantry in a single thick line without gaps, and a unit of spears on each flank a little set back from the front line to guard my missile troops, who are loosely spaced behind the legionaries. Turn off skirmisher mode for them. You can put artillery like ballistas and onagers at the back, they still have plenty of range to fire over everyone's heads and you need to protect the small crew. Don't forget to charge the legionaries out right as the enemy are charging you, to get the attack bonus. Use the cavalry and spears to dispose of enemy cavalry (with javelinmen in support, who massacre mounted units) and then send them on flanking attacks.

My formation:

......................Inf Inf Inf Inf Inf Inf Inf Inf Inf
Cav Cav...Spear...Missile...Missile...Missile...Spear.....Cav Cav
.....................................Artillery

Remember to select the 'formation group' option when grouping units after deploying them so they stick to the same position when you move them. And generally move at the walk, not the run, to ensure your artillery doesn't get stranded and vulnerable.
If the enemy is using a missile heavy and infantry-light army, deploy your infantry in quite a long line so you can envelop and destroy theirs, the morale shock will then help you to rout the missile troops.

One good way to mess up the AI when playing offensively is to hide a unit of cavalry in some woods off to the side of the enemy as your infantry advance. Rush them out to become visible and the enemy will start to redeploy to face the threat. Rush them back and it will turn again to your advancing main body of troops. Do this several times in quick succession and the whole enemy army could turn into a massive blob, easily enveloped with heavy infantry and cavalry in the rear and slaughtered.

Some other strategies that work (except the Zama tactic):

I've also just researched the barracks that give you First Cohort and Praetorian Guard. What's the best way to use them - should I get 1 First Cohort per stack and put it in the front-right of my order of battle as in the historical use (the position of honor) and keep the Praetorian Guard near my general? For the moment, most of my stacks have an Auxiliary Cav, a Socii Extraordinare Cav, 2 Balaeric slingers, 2 Ballistas, and the rest Legionnaires and Veteran Legionnaires (which replaced my triarri.)

Thanks!

I'd advise getting some javelinmen such as velites alongside those slingers since they can be devastating at short range, particularly to cavalry and elephants, and they have a higher arc of fire, so pose less of a risk to the backs of your own men. Just be sure to guard them with tough infantry, spears or cavalry and keep them out of close combat where they will start to drop like flies.

Ignore the real historical use of units such as praetorians or 1st cohort, just use them as very heavy infantry. Since now all your infantry units are heavy swordsmen, and even regular legionaries are superior to almost all opponents, treat them all the same, praetorian, first cohort, veteran, whatever. Don't scrap the units in your old armies, that would be an unnecessary expense and would lose any accumulated experience, but when recruiting new armies, I'd recommend simply buying only the best units available, if you can afford it. In this case that's probably the praetorians. Oh and get some spears for flanks and dealing with cav (such as vigiles, rorarii, auxiliaries or other spear auxiliary units of any culture).

Hope I've helped

[pratolano]

That was amazing! Thanks so much! There are so many tactical considerations I've not even dealt with yet. So far I've just done triplex acies and let the enemy rush toward me while my ballistas shot at them. I hadn't even had my front lines charge - just let them stand there and receive the enemy. I've pretty much won battles just based on the superiority of my troops. I will recruit some roarrii or other spears and try them out.

Game mechanic question - when you deploy your forces in a custom formation (i.e. not relying on a preset), and they're grouped as a formation, will they stay that way while moving? I was always wishing there was a way to make a custom formation instead of relying on a sub preset, but I guess that would do it!

[GussieFinkNottle]

I will recruit some roarrii or other spears and try them out.

Just a reminder, do not use spears as front-line troops as they are weak vs. infantry and will take high casualties. The main battle line should fight with swords. Spears are very good at killing cavalry and static defence against charges, but they don't inflict high casualties on infantry. So use them as light, mobile troops on the flanks

Game mechanic question - when you deploy your forces in a custom formation (i.e. not relying on a preset), and they're grouped as a formation, will they stay that way while moving? I was always wishing there was a way to make a custom formation instead of relying on a sub preset, but I guess that would do it!

When you customise your own formation (which is advised), they will not stay together automatically but you can make them. I took some screenshots to demonstrate how (from Total War: Attila, not Rome II, but you get the idea).

First arrange your formation. Here I've used a simple one unit at the front, two on the sides:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

(http://cloud-4.steamusercontent.com/...ACDE7FD261992/)

Just left of the faction icon at the centre bottom of the screen is the group options icon, which opens a pop-up of multiple options if you hover the mouse over it. From this pop up list select 'create formation group'. This will lock units into the formation you have created (If the locked formation starts to get messed up later in the battle it may be a good idea to dissolve the group by selecting all units in it and pressing 'g' to release them):

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

(http://cloud-4.steamusercontent.com/...7F205B62C1D51/)

Right click and drag the formation where you want it positioned. Release to start moving. Be aware that they will start moving at a run, so you may wish to slow them down with R to stop them getting tired or outpacing the artillery. They will generally try to stick in formation when moving, especially at a walk. You can also move a formation the same way you move an ordinary unit, single right clicking somewhere on the map to walk there, and double right clicking to run there. This is less exact than click-and-drag, shown below:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

(http://cloud-4.steamusercontent.com/...8AF7F8CE246D2/)

If at any point in the battle you want to check the orders you have given, holding down the spacebar will show you where you have ordered your units to move, as well as indicating with arrows the route they will take (particularly useful information in cities):

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

(http://cloud-4.steamusercontent.com/...98C1D4E6F38DF/)

[pratolano]

Thanks! I had no idea your custom formation would stick together while moving. I thought only the preset formations would stick together! I also learned somewhere else today that you can shift-click to create a specific route for a unit. Can't wait to try these out in battle!

[RaidLeaderZiggy]

Just like to add that I like to keep my Triarii even after the reforms. Most of my legions have 2-4 units that I don't upgrade into veteran legionnaires, because they are excellent spear inf. which the Romans otherwise lack. Also, with the defensive testudo turned on, they're great at soaking up missile fire, especially from slingers (I've had battles where 2 units of triarii soaked up nearly all of the enemy's slinger fire and didn't even take very heavy casualties). They're definitely superior to auxiliary infantry in every way.