Playing First SPQR Campaign

[Brucha]

I have started my first SPQR campaign (admittedly after several false starts to get the feel for it). I have to say that I love the mod! Congrats to Lt 1956 for a well-needed overhaul. SPQR is exactly what I thought RtW would be (and sadly wasn't after playing it).

One question I have, or rather a help request is this: I have decided that, when playing Rome, abandoning Sicily at the start is a good strategy (having read several threads about the subject) and using both starting legions to go after Gaul. However, I seem to have a problem with defeating the Gauls in battle without heavy losses to my legions.

I usually set up a battle line with my hastati in front, then a line of skirmishers, followed by a rank of my principes. I usually position my cavalry on one flank and my triarii on the other to deal with enemy cavalry. I usually can crush the enemy cavalry who inevitably try to flank me. Meanwhile, I engage my hastati with the enemy front, then withdraw them and engage my principes to the main battle line.

However, what seems to happen is that, once my cavalry and triarii are freed up on the flanks and I begin to wrap round the enemy flanks, the rear attacks don't seem to affect the enemy that much. Several times I have completed this manuever on the flanks, only to have the enemy units fight to the death!

I understand from reading other threads that cavalry have been toned down in SPQR, but I would think that a flank or rear attack would still be detrimental to the enemy.

Any thoughts to what I am doing wrong?

Edit: one further question...how can I recruit legions with an eagle, and have it named? Is there a specific building that needs to be constructed?

[Garnier]

The legionary eagles are only available after the marian reforms. Read the readme/houserules stuff for more info.

And when you rear attack the gauls, make sure that when your cavalry charge, they have their spears aimed down and not up, or else they wont do much. And also the cavalry need a long open channel to charge down, if they are blocked they wont be very effective.

[el_dude]

1) in all my time playing SPQR, i didn't know you could direct cavalry to aim their spears up or down...how do you do that?

2) to OP: you're going to suffer heavy losses with premarian units, especially among the hastati...they are weak, horrible at pitched battles, and not good for much else besides holding the line while your heavy units chew down the line...in my opinion, you'd be better off going into double line formation, having only your hastati hold the center, and have your heavy units (principe and triarii) hit the flanks and rear

[lt1956]

You need to apply tactics in SPQR to survive.

Basically Premarius shouldnt engage Germans, in reality Rome never fought with the Germans until Later in the Empire, if they did they probably would have been butchered. lol

Premarius is good to hold off the gauls maybe take a province or 2 but really you should go after Carthage just as Rome did.

But since your campaign was rushed and you are now facing germans try this tactic for ALL barbarians when fighting them. Place you Hastatii in a Shield wall 2 rank thick formation all 5 units.

Then have your 2-4 Velites/archer/slingers behind the Shield wall.

Next place your Principes all 5 of them in block formation behind the velites.

Make sure all units have Fire at will engaged.

Ok after that Triarii all 3 units for backup and finishing up to the enemy.

On the wings 1 unit of cavalry each. This is a standard Roman formation and works well in SPQR for Barbarians.

Look in the SPQR_Readme folder in your RTW folder, in there you will find extra goodies on formations and the README which is also in this forum posted.

Play the game slow, build and apply realistic strategies, read the forum for advice, there are alot of old thread that have answers. The mod was made to play in a realistic manner with logistics being an important part and tactics on the battlefield. No other Mod allows the Battle Time SPQR does, which allows for realistic gameplay and a realistic FEEL to the battles.

SPQR battles or ferious and massive, speed but mroe important Timing and tactics will when the day. In RTW speed was everything, battles over in 5 minutes, in SPQR battles can be as long as 1.5 hours! most are 30 minutes to an hour. Sieges are Massive in SPQR especially with the script activated, you will need to have more than 1 legion and for sure Backup units to soften the city before the Final Assault!

What I do is attack with the auxilia units tagging along behind the legions, then in battle when I am done using them, archer etc I send them retreating and this then allows the Legion without a general so it waits on the sidelines to come in and assault the town. Soudns realistic doesnt it? Thats what SPQR is ALL about.

Lt

[lesterthenerd]

Hmm what i do is just have my skirmishers/archers/velites (4 of them) infront of my single line of legions. Both have fire at will enabled. I usually have my calvary (2-3 of them) on the right side of my legions since they can do more damage working together in one group. I have my triarii (3 of them) in one line to the left side of my legions ready to flank enemy units. When enemies gets too close to my missile units i just have them go behind my melee units and then have them keep firing.

I attack with all my units at once so i can inflict more damage so thats why my melee units are always in one line. Keeping units in reserve, like placing your triarii behind your legions and saving them for near the end of the battle, imo doest work well since they are not enganged and are not causing the damage they could be near the start of the battle.

[Dominus Latronis of Troy]

You need to apply tactics in SPQR to survive.

Basically Premarius shouldnt engage Germans, in reality Rome never fought with the Germans until Later in the Empire, if they did they probably would have been butchered. lol

Lt

that's funny - they were butchered - 110 bc to 103 bc saw the romans try and stop the advance of 4 germans tribes - the end result rome was defeated and massacred a lot of soldiers.....then GAIUS MARIUS came with his head count army from africa after the defeat of jugurtha and defeated them...

102 BC - Battle of Aquae Sextiae (modern Aix-en-Provence)- Romans under Gaius Marius defeat Teutons, with mass suicides among the captured women
101 BC - Battle of Vercellae - Romans under Gaius Marius defeat the Cimbri, who are entirely annihilated.

[Konig]

You need to apply tactics in SPQR to survive.

Basically Premarius shouldnt engage Germans, in reality Rome never fought with the Germans until Later in the Empire, if they did they probably would have been butchered. lol

Premarius is good to hold off the gauls maybe take a province or 2 but really you should go after Carthage just as Rome did.

But since your campaign was rushed and you are now facing germans try this tactic for ALL barbarians when fighting them. Place you Hastatii in a Shield wall 2 rank thick formation all 5 units.

Then have your 2-4 Velites/archer/slingers behind the Shield wall.

Next place your Principes all 5 of them in block formation behind the velites.

Make sure all units have Fire at will engaged.

Ok after that Triarii all 3 units for backup and finishing up to the enemy.

On the wings 1 unit of cavalry each. This is a standard Roman formation and works well in SPQR for Barbarians.

Look in the SPQR_Readme folder in your RTW folder, in there you will find extra goodies on formations and the README which is also in this forum posted.

Play the game slow, build and apply realistic strategies, read the forum for advice, there are alot of old thread that have answers. The mod was made to play in a realistic manner with logistics being an important part and tactics on the battlefield. No other Mod allows the Battle Time SPQR does, which allows for realistic gameplay and a realistic FEEL to the battles.

SPQR battles or ferious and massive, speed but mroe important Timing and tactics will when the day. In RTW speed was everything, battles over in 5 minutes, in SPQR battles can be as long as 1.5 hours! most are 30 minutes to an hour. Sieges are Massive in SPQR especially with the script activated, you will need to have more than 1 legion and for sure Backup units to soften the city before the Final Assault!

What I do is attack with the auxilia units tagging along behind the legions, then in battle when I am done using them, archer etc I send them retreating and this then allows the Legion without a general so it waits on the sidelines to come in and assault the town. Soudns realistic doesnt it? Thats what SPQR is ALL about.

Lt

i had a battle with impossible odds, against the Gauls who had their usual 4000+ Stack vs my 3000, so i decided to give Lt's tactic a go, with a few changes of my own. Simply amazing!

The battlefield was all grassland and level, with no significant amount of trees. i lost only about 10% of my troops (300, that is) and only 300 of theirs was left standing. I'm attaching my formation for anyone who cares looking at it. i put some space between my heave and light infantry to give my principes and triarii space to maneuver.

[Marcus Tullius Cicero]

formations looking good may i ask how the skirmishers move back through the lines when rushed through the hastati shield wall?? i tried a similar formation to urs and the skirmishers actually ran forward into the enemy lol , many died

[lt1956]

It does when you use the Kill sheet and Play using Real tactics. :-)

Back then Generals couldnt produce elite troops out of a hat. Why WASTE your good units when the lesser ones can WEAR the enemy down?

See by allowing Hastatii to wear down the enemy you can then send in your Principes. If things get Bad or Cavalry issues you have a unit on the flanks of triarii, One unit is more than enough to handle cavalry.

Basically In my campaigns I try to save my men, get them experience without sacrificing them on the altar.

Velites in Front can work depending on terrain, I found that all too often Barbarians RUSH them causing a mess and not allowing them to effectively use their missiles. For other factions it works fine but for the rush-in style barbarians the Shield wall is the KEY, that is why I added it.

Lester I suggest you look up some tactics on SPQR as you seem to be playing an anything Goes style with your Legions, SPQR really Shines when Played Right otherwise you might as well play on VH and pump out as many units as you can to win, which is boring in my opinion.

I am quite surprised at how many people play SPQR incorrectly. lol And since I made the mod I can say what is correct or not when playing it. After all I designed the Mod after the style I like to play.

[Marcus Tullius Cicero]

lol its funny to see when u hav a 2 rank shield wall of hastati with principes, triarii behind in block formation cav on rear slinger in front and velite behind hastati (if on hill) with slinger in skirmish formation!

wen the enemy rushes the slingers cant go back through the roman lines and so they run at the enemy and get buthchered lol

[-|I_L|-Empire]

Hey, I've seen/heard of most people playing as Romans, and was wondering if the MOD was made for the campaign to be played as the Romans.

Just its either everyone knows Barbarian Tactics or no body plays as them in Campaign...again I have no played much SPQR and not played these latest version, but I hopefully will be doing soon! Once I get Rome reinstalled....

But, i found having a line of Hastatii followed by Vileties and then Principes.
Triarii and Cavalry on the flanks, against Hannibal.....slaughter.....Roman slaughter.

I think my line was either not long enough or too long, it was a while ago now but I managed to almost encircle his main force, while my Cavalry and Triarii protected flanks, how ever my Triarii got owned by his Hoplite unit and my Army routed.

So yea I heard that pulling out of Sicily is good, using Both Legions along with backup Legion (Build it up) to hold off against the Gauls! Once the Gallic armies are defeated, I attacked one of their settlements with few men in, took it........then my game crashed so I couldn't save it, but my plan was to build more Legions and turn on Carthage or Greece, mainly because I lost a whole Legion and a half against Gaul!

lol

[lt1956]

You dont use that tactic against certain factions its useful for Barbarians. I use another tactics for each of the other factions.

[Brucha]

By reading everyone's advice, it sounds like I am pretty much using the correct tactics. The only thing I guess I need to do is have patience and slow down. I really am used to the fast and furious pace of normal RtW battles, where speed and quickness is the most important thing.

[lt1956]

I agree, you shouldnt even be worrying about the Germans, this means you Blitz too fast in the campaign.

[jegui]

I agree, you shouldnt even be worrying about the Germans, this means you Blitz too fast in the campaign.

or maybe THEY Blitzed the Macedons/Gauls and are at the northen Italian borders It happens a lot in my campaigns

[Garnier]

Or rather, he took patavium. That is the start of all germanic troubles in all of my games. Patavium... ah patavium.....

[-|I_L|-Empire]

Well, realistically I would like to secure Italy first, hold out against Gaul, ceasefire and hold. Build two or Three Legions and a backup force, then take Sicily and destroy Hannibal.

From Sicily I land at Carthage and wage my War there moving across the Southern Spain!
Once that is secure and safe trade is under way, I move on taking Southern Gaul and Spain. Now once that is done, my Push East to take the future Byzantium, that is where I expect to face most of my troubles when i turn East, just i expect to get stuck in Greece while as the Romans got to Persia before they met their match.

Thing is once you get your Reformed Legions, then you can start blitzing your enemies, the Romans blitzed their enemies, striking and taking to protect the city Rome, thats why the Empire was made to protect the city Rome. I use Dacia as my evidence, an entire civilization wiped out, and the state where the Goths would begin to migrate into the Empire.

[-|I_L|-Empire]

I just got Rome installed and the Mod + 6.3 patch, will test now!

[Brucha]

In regards to the Gauls in Northern Italy at the start of the game - is it better to hold a defensive line south of the river and wear down the five large gallic army stacks, or cross the frontier with the two starting legions and go after the two northern Italian cities between the Alps and Rome?

[jegui]

In regards to the Gauls in Northern Italy at the start of the game - is it better to hold a defensive line south of the river and wear down the five large gallic army stacks, or cross the frontier with the two starting legions and go after the two northern Italian cities between the Alps and Rome?

I'd say defend the line south of the river wearing down the Gauls... bring your legion/garrison from southern Italy and Sicily respectively