Screenshot

[Redpossum]

Yes, it's that time again.

Clickie

[kyle]

Is that a scenario you made?

[kyle]

I haven't noticed this before. The archers seem to look back at you for some reason why is this, shouldn't they face the enemy the entire time?

[tora_tora_tora]

there are two archers units in units list under the screen.

so, ordering one archers to go overlap with another archers, perhaps.
Though this cannot explain, why only one of the archers reacts against approaching enemy general, and begin to shoot,
while other is going backward.

[Redpossum]

Oh, I can explain that.

No, the two units of archers were not overlapping.

The unit of archers in the screen started way out front of my army, so they could engage the elephants with fire earlier. Once the elephants got close, I ordered the archers back to their place in the ranks.

When the screen was taken, the archers had just arrived at their destination. Most of the formation then turned to fire, while the last few guys were still moving into their places.

[tora_tora_tora]

so employing archers as real skirmishers, soften up elephants before melee fight starts.

See, I have lots more way to go. Humm, those jumbo elephant's secret, for exsample.
I see that jumbo in one of gamesite articles, I'M sure I did see, but I miss judged, and thought that is test version's unit deployment screen.
So, the unit activated turns into large one and animated, I thought at that moment.

[kyle]

If archers could be used as skirmishers

[Redpossum]

Ehhh, I don't usually commit my fire units to melee combat, if I can possibly avoid it.

But what Tora is referring to is the way I had my archers out in front, rather than safely behind the line.

In many scenarios, archers can be very useful to "pull" enemy units.

This works well in the Cisalpine Gaul scenario in the stock Roman Campaign. The Gallic force is very strong, but they're all on Long Hold orders, except one cavalry unit. So, after that cavalry unit is dead, I'll use an archer unit to run out and fire on one of their units. That one unit I fired on, or sometimes an adjacent unit, will start moving forward with a Seek Enemy order.

This allows me to deal with the Gallic units one or two at a time. If I'm brisk and lucky, I can weed out 1/4 to 1/3 of their total strength before the timer on the Long Hold order runs out, and the main body starts moving forward.

[honvedseg]

I've used the same tactic, probably even in the same battle, with 4 units of archers, paired up against 2 targets at a time. Most of the opposing units are pretty well shot to **** before they reach my lines, and I took out roughly 3/4 of the Gallic line before they advanced.

[Redpossum]

That's a good tactic, Hound!

I would just be afraid to try to work 4 archers at once, for fear I wouldn't be able to get one (or more) out of the way in time.

I hate getting my delicate, sensitive little archers chopped into catfood by some smelly illiterate with a sword =)

[honvedseg]

You only need to send one out ahead to suck in the victim. The other of the pair can nestle safely behind a mob of big boys with sharp objects, who incidentally get to pick off any stragglers for some cheap XP. If your first archer hits more than one unit with its volleys, you may draw in a few more bad guys than you bargained for, so using only one lessens the odds of biting off too much at a time. With a few promotions to the Legate, I find I can send one archer unit out, send out a second on the other side of the field, pull the first back, and then pull the second, waiting a little between orders, and meanwhile regenerate enough command points in plenty of time to stop any unwanted pursuit of the broken enemy units. Alternating between left and right sides of the map, I was able to demolish about 2/3 to 3/4 of the Gallic army with only trivial losses, before facing the remainder in a stiffer, but still one-sided, fight.

[magobarca]

I usually but not always hold my archers back behind my lines, and sometimes my javelineers, and let them fire away. Sometimes, depending upon the enemy's quality, type and dispositions as well as the quality of my javelineers, I will put the javelineers a bit forward and let them go into melle, and then move in heavy infantry to deliver the squish/crunch, or I will put the javelineers in the frontline side by side with the heavy/close order/melee infantry. Usually workd for me. I also do this in the Legion and Spartan and CoW and other games.

I even get worried sometimes, and beat. Darn it. Dastardly 'the enemy', whomever or whatever they may be.

Chris

[honvedseg]

Likewise, I usually keep the missle troops safely behind the lines, but there are times where it pays to put one or all of them out front. Sometimes the reason is to start pummeling the enemy ranks as early as possible, while the rest of your line eventually passes the archers and engages the enemy in melee. Other times, you can get a single enemy unit to charge your archers, then draw the archers back behind your melee troops. This can be an effective way to pull the enemy melee units out from behind their protective screen of skirmishers, ideally timed so your legionaires' pilum barrages hit while the enemy melee unit is thoroughly enmeshed in its own skirmishers, so your barrage catches both. By ordering the archers to specifically target the heavy units, they don't waste ammo on the widely spaced skirmishers.

I seldom use javelinmen or Velites, except as a temporary unit to field while saving up Denarii for some better unit, or on Normal setting as a "handicap".

[magobarca]

I usually but not always hold my archers back behind my lines, and sometimes my javelineers, and let them fire away. Sometimes, depending upon the enemy's quality, type and dispositions as well as the quality of my javelineers, I will put the javelineers a bit forward and let them go into melle, and then move in heavy infantry to deliver the squish/crunch, or I will put the javelineers in the frontline side by side with the heavy/close order/melee infantry. Usually workd for me. I also do this in the Legion and Spartan and CoW and other games.

However, I use the Republican TO&E and represent the Roman Allies with a Spear unit, a Peasant unit, Auxilia Inf. units, Auxilia and Light Cav.. units. Not correct for late Marian and latter times but it makes the game competitive, and I like the Republican era. Upgraded Velites, Javelineers, and Peasants can be effective in a number of roles.

[tora_tora_tora]

well, the fact this screennshot tells me is even in the same unit, each individual troop does different things.

One group starts to shoot, an others contiune to retreat.
So the other day, some guy on the net say LA is more chaotic than RTW series. And I now say it really is.
But the point I cannot agree with that critic is it is much more realistic and hard to control, so much more interesting.

And about tactics, archers with strong bows and miracle bow is really devastating enemy battle lines.
So theoretically, ghost archers in CoM could be ideal archers if they could get miracle bows. This means raising them to lv.25.

[iandude]

I can't exactly follow you T_T_T but are you saying that LA is a place of chaos? i know you met some guy who said that (on the net) but did you agree with him or not?...NVM...


Sure, it's a place that gambles alittle... Maybe allot but it's a beautiful place


Your friend, Ian


Cheers