Battle tactics - Counter charging and formations advice please?

[Timhoc]

Hi all,

Has anyone got any tips/advice on the best way to deal with charging and formations especially as Rome?

So if you are being charged is it always best to counter charge? And should you do so in formation, ie defensive formation for legionarys or hoplite phalanx etc etc? Or is it better to brace in formation if you have charge defense?

I tend to always use these units as the anvil so with it being important to avoid formation being breached I tend to think its better to brace and set your line how you want, but am i then forgoing a charge bonus? And is it different for vs mele or cavalry?

Also what about Javelin volleys? So if you counter charge do you try to time it so they jav volley then charge, or do you charge in formation so dont use Javs and save them or what?


Any tips appreciated

Thanks

[KAM 2150]

If facing infantry charge, counter charge. If facing cavalry charge, always brace, even with swords.

For phalanx, even if you brace for the charge vs infantry, always give attak order after lines meet, this will make them perform much better.

[Timhoc]

Thanks Kam!

So when counter charging infantry do you do that in formation? Or charge non formation then go into formation for staying power when engaged?

Thanks

[Landtuber]

CAVEAT: This is based on my own experience over 4 DeI campaigns, but experts on the code/mod may have different info!

For Rome specifically - if you're using defensive formation counter charge with a single right click only. And do so when they're almost in contact with your lines! This still causes them to attack, but they stay in better formation and your lines should stay relatively firm.

Jav's are hard to time with Legionnaires because you have to break defensive formation to do so. In a perfect world your pila are thrown right before contact so that their front line gets staggered, reducing the amount of charge attacks hitting you at once. However, if you do that then you can't get back into defensive formation in time. For your center line, I let them throw their javelins once enemy is in range (leave on "fire at will") and then put them into defensive. For the flanks I keep them in defensive the whole time, so if I win that flank they can pop out of defensive, run behind or beside the enemy and pepper their backsides with pila.

If your flanks are being harassed by cavalry, I keep that flank in regular stance and use the pila to stagger their initial charge. If it's successful, their charge is SEVERELY handicapped so I countercharge. If you screw it up though, you can't get back into defensive in time so you won't be bracing.

[Timhoc]

Fantastic advice thanks Landtuber!

[night-crawler]

Thanks Kam!

So when counter charging infantry do you do that in formation? Or charge non formation then go into formation for staying power when engaged?

Thanks

Units with Jav will not throw them if they are in a formation.

I for example put roman units in defensive formation after they engage in melee when fighting infantry units. That way you get a charge bonus and missle thow and then get the formation bonus's when they are engaged in combat.