Battle of Orchonenus - suggestions as Romans vs Human Opp

[RyanDG]

So, I've played at this scenario a couple of times from both sides and I feel like I'm getting closer and closer to pulling out a victory as the Romans vs a human Pontus, but each time in the end my best laid plains sort of fall a part. I've found that the massed medium foot are best to cause chain routs once combat is engaged on the sides - but other than that I find myself holing up behind the ditch and hoping that the Pontus player charges his pikes head long into my Roman foot. Has anyone had any success with this scenario from the Roman side against a human (I can win against the computer simply because of his likelihood to simply keep moving forward until his Pikes have become disordered from the ditch and easy pickings for my core infantry)? Flank envelopment seems to occur from both sides though if the Pontus player keeps the pressure on, leading to a situation where just the destruction of your left or right flanks is enough to break the Romans.


I refuse to believe that this scenario is unwinnable from the Roman's side, and would like some suggestions for those who have seen some mild success in it on how they did it.

[TheGrayMouser]

Well I hope no-one responds here for at least another day or so since I am currently playing as the Romans, I doudt my opponent needs any more help!

However I think the key for the Romans is the flanks as you suggested and maybe chain routing those medium foot guys, although they only account for maybe 30% of all the ttl break points the pontics have....
I'll post how I did once the battle is complete

[RyanDG]

Thanks for moving this - wasn't quite sure what forum this sort of thing belong to the most so just randomly picked! ;P

[petergarnett]

Intriguing - I might play this one then.

[omarquatar]

I refuse to believe that this scenario is unwinnable from the Roman's side, and would like some suggestions for those who have seen some mild success in it on how they did it.

i played the romans once (lost) and the pontic 3 times (obviously won); i don't think the romans can win given a normail brain opponent; if they can, i'd be glad to know how

[TheGrayMouser]

Well, was just defeated as the Romans, as I expected....Of course near the end I had an idea that was too late to implement but I kind of doudt that would work either..
I am not saying its impossible to win as the Romans but..... I think that perhaps the issue is the trenches themslves, I keep wanting to replay and just igonore them as though it were an open field battle, but there are so many of those Pontics...

[petergarnett]

See if you can persuade RBS or pantherboy to take the romans

[TheGrayMouser]

That is a good idea, the problem though is i dont think many players would think the Pontics are fun play, as my opponent so humourously put it " Im sick of moving this creepy army forward" LOL

[SRW1962]

I've played this game as the Romans twice now, both games were last night actually. First was against a human opponent, in a hotseat game (he is avery experienced wargamer and FOG TT & PC gamer, so no fool really) and I told him that this game has been viewed as almost impossible to win against a human opponent.

He played his heart out and beat me, but having said that we both came to the conclusion that my tactics were not far off and the game was genuinely in the balance at one stage with his army losing 57 break points by the finish. My plan was to discard any notion of defending the ditch and I went about dividing the army in two and combat the flanks of the Pontic army, the only thing I didn't do (which is unusual for me) was attack the pontic flanks in an aggressive manner, I held back too long and this was a big mistake.

I played it again against the AI when he had left and tried the same thing but being far more aggressive by taking the fight to the Pontic flanks, it worked bigtime and I destroyed the Pontics for only a 21 break point loss in the Roman army, and further to this I outkilled them by approx 2.5 to 1 in casualties. Now I do know that the AI isn't so good, so next week I will play the game against my mate again and see if my revised plan works against him. I will keep you posted on the result.