My best battle

konrad · Post by **konrad** » Mon Sep 19, 2005 8:42 am

I just wanted to share this because I was astounded by the result of this battle... Maybe some of you have already seen much more spectacular things, but I haven't....

I still play the Macedonians (first time on 'Hard' setting) and the city of Thassos (I think) on that little island was attacked by a 'very large' force of my enemies, the dreaded Thracian Bessi...

Defenders: 2 Proto-Hoplite units (Garrison), 2 Thracian units and 4 Psiloi Javelinmen units (total : 288 men)

Attackers: 6 Thracian units, 5 Astynomia units, 2 Psiloi Javelinmen units and 1 Prodromoi unit (528 men)

So it was my 288 men versus his 528 men (almost 1-2 odds...)

I put all my units in the upper corner of the battlefield (with flank protection) and started the battle... (with 'charge' and 'rally' used on the right moment)

Result was that I won the battle !!! I had 140 casualties but managed 306 kills !!! (and the destruction of that entire army !!!)

Needless to say that I was very pleased with this battle !!! (gave the commander a promotion and a medal or two...)

Redpossum · Post by **Redpossum** » Sun Oct 02, 2005 10:34 pm

That's the way to do it when you're outnumbered. Choose a corner of the map, and deploy your units in a testudo, with missile units on the inside.

You can chew up far larger opposing armies that way, if you have qualitative superiority.

Just watch out for the day the Thracians hit you with a big army of Psiloi Skirmishers. Those maric??nes will stand off and fill you full of shafts until you look like a porcupine.

konrad · Post by **konrad** » Sun Oct 02, 2005 11:34 pm

Since I wrote that post I succeeded in winning a second battle against greater numbers, though this one was more in my favor...

This time I had 3 Phalangites (garrison), 2 Peltastes, 2 Thracians and 4 Psiloi Skirmishers (408 men)

vs. 16 Thracians (640 men)

I used the samen tactic (upper corner with the heavy spearmen in the corner of my formation) and won a second spectacular victory (already relief forces were on their way because I didn't think I could win this battle...)

But I was worried needlessly because when the dust cleared I killed 455 enemies while having only 99 casualties myself...

(The relief forces then suddenly became an invasion force and I made sure that that enemy won't bother me again

)

sum1won · Post by **sum1won** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 1:28 am

Hehe. I just wait until the enemy is in open ground, then charge with my hard-bitten melee troops- mainly veterans/ mercenary hoplites. 4 to one odds this way, as long as I judged the angle right. level 7 experience, easy. Heavy melee grind light infantry to dust this way without enemy trouble.

You see, if you spread thin with these guys, you still walk all over the enemy. You dont get outflanked, and they still get clobbered.

konrad · Post by **konrad** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 2:34 am

That's my main tactic as well... group my forces together (not too much though) and put them all on 'Long Hold', and when the enemy comes charging (even Light Inf in the open) I hit the charge button and the slaughter can begin...

There has only been 1 battle in which I gave my troops the 'Charge' command from the start... and that was only because I liked the idea and the drama behind it not for any strategic reason... That battle I fought against 600 men Light Infantry in an open field (and scouted really good cause I knew where most of them where)... I positioned my 4 units of Theban Cavalry (quite experienced) supported by a General in 1 line (didn't change the formation though) assisted by some Infantry units in the rear...
I ordered the Cavalry and General to charge and the rest to advance.... Well, it was a joy to see my Cavalry crash into that huge mass of Light Inf., they just cut their way through it and when they were about to be surrounded my Infantry smashed into the fight and that broke the back of the enemy army... It was just like the charge of the heavy brigade...

At this moment (in my Macedonian campaign, 'Hard' setting) I have fought 39 battles... Won all 39 of them and didn't lose a single one (Win - Lose = 39 - 0)... and the Kill Casualty ratio is also unbelievable, in those 39 battles I killed more than 5000 men (+/- 5050 I think) and lost only 950 men (+/-)

!!!!! I think that is an very acceptable Kill-Casualty rate (I calculated it and it is an average of 24.4 casulaties per battle I have fought, which I think is not very much)
(And no I didn't cheat or reloaded battles tens of times to get a good result...)

duncan · Post by **duncan** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 6:27 am

maric??nes

. It's "maricones" without the "??", BTW

. Singular is "maric??n", with the "??". BTW, what's the english word for that???

The hoplites are great!!!! Remember Thermopylas (the real one, I mean). In the game, I always play "long hold" and wait for them with my sharp spears...I usually have some javelin men behind me, just for teasing. And some cavalry in the flanks, they are ordered to charge as soon as the main line engages combat. It's simple, but it works. Wwatch out for the terrain, though...the hoplites get cut to pieces in woods, even against thracians...(if you get Thracians, give the enemy hoplites a good ambush in the nearest forest and you get some incredible numbers too...)