Need help on Dog Heads mission

[tora_tora_tora]

So, I just finished normal level, both celts and roman campaign.
There are several maps, and direction or which side you occupy change, and this makes really difference.
Some maps are hard to get s many EXPs as you want. More than certain kills is in most case relatively easy, and
before I send cavs to their camp's direction, enemy collapsed and cannot order units any more.

[spedius01]

So, I just finished normal level, both celts and roman campaign.
There are several maps, and direction or which side you occupy change, and this makes really difference.
Some maps are hard to get s many EXPs as you want. More than certain kills is in most case relatively easy, and
before I send cavs to their camp's direction, enemy collapsed and cannot order units any more.

Ave tora_tora_tora,

I was so pleased to read that you've finally got your hands on the full version of the game. You're really "burning the midnight oil" so to speak. You've only had it a day or so and already been through both campaigns, outstanding!

Welcome to the ranks of those of us who have completed both campaigns. We ought to get a tee-shirt made up, "I've survived Legion Arena" or something a bit snappier than that. A tee-shirt caption competition, perhaps??

You're right about the maps! Slitherine have cleverly reused certain maps but changed the direction from which you attack. You probably recognise some of them from your many excursions through the demo game.

Yes, I've noticed that too, once the target is reached you can no longer issue orders to your troops. If you click your mouse you're returned to the army camp.

That's two, eight more to go!

Vale

M. Spedius Corbulo

[quezcatol]

Played the battle for the first time today on normal.

http://img494.imageshack.us/img494/7574/dog5sr.jpg

No,im not bragging,but should i change difficulty now?
Cause i win every fight to easy :S

[sum1won]

Id try playing at max diffficulty. If there is one you cant get through (with a dozen tries), try the next lowest a dozen or so times. Etc.

[quezcatol]

What is the diffrence in difficulties?
More units?
Lesser time?

in RTW and its expansion,the very hard difficulty is quite boring cause,its not "very hard" on that way,its more that the trops lose moral to easy,the best unit should not have to be around 2 other units to fight the weakest tier 1...
Thats just not fun even if beatable.

[honvedseg]

The actual combat abilities of the opposing units are greater, they get a percentage bonus or penalty, or something of that nature. I can mop the floor with a Level 2 unit, using a similar Level 1 unit in "Normal", while it seems to be an even fight between units of the same level in "Hard". "Very Hard" is nasty, where you can get two units hammered up by a single opposing one of similar type and level. The Fame bonus is WAY higher, though.

I was almost ready to give up and switch back to "Hard" on a few of the early/intermediate battles (one against "Men in Black" still makes me shudder), but kept at it until I got through. It gets easier once you have a good core of hardened veterans to work with, and now I'm wrapping up the Roman campaign and unleashing havoc like I did on the easier settings.

[quezcatol]

I got a preatorian army now that i upgrade non stop in purple and named XIII,damn they are strong

[lcjr]

On Normal(easy in disguise) enemies hit chance and health are reduced to 75%.

Hard is even money.

Very Hard enemy hit chance is doubled and health increased by 50%.

[sum1won]

Men in Black wasnt too too bad, but I found the early ones where there are opposing cav units very tough, and the current one (I beleive its the one with 4 units of fanatics, 6 units of heavy infantry... etc) near impossible.

[tora_tora_tora]

I guess there are no common way to build army, so just in case, somekind of opinion.

Good light infantries with good equipments in boggy terrain or woods always work in my case.
So in roman campaign, I tend to give Auxilia well equiped. And go though maps without promotion as possible so as to test
some variation in their skills in case there are some really hard map.

Men in black's map is tutorial campaign's first map. So there are rather huge gap in the center of the map.
And there are no rough terrain on player's side. Enemy light infantry units form wedge, tip point is level 17 light infantry.
And there are some javelin-throwers among enemy ranks.

So heavy infantry in front with missile troops in back is preferrable. That is the hard point for light infantry ehthusiast.
I tend to recurite as little units as possible, around 12 or so, so as to participate every units in almost every map(some of them troop limit is 8 including
legate), but maybe I should do rather like american-football, having both heavy-infantry-heavy teams and light-infantry-heavy teams, missile troops in common. Obvious short point is not nough denari for equiping troops.

[anguille]

Muahh....i've lost that scenario about 10 times yesterday...always very close.

My light infantery wins in the center, my specialised anti-cavalery heavy infantery eliminates the cavalery on the left without problems but my main problem is that level 17 Heavy infantery squad Philip keeps for the end...tough guys.

Guess i'll have to buy some archers before i try again

[anguille]

Gaaah almost did it yesterday...the leader survived against my entire army for more than 30 seconds....gee those guys are tough.

Just a question, never used it before but yesterday i wanted to save my deployment but the button is not available?

[miki]

Hi Anguille

There's no save deployment button at all. Seems that it didn't passed the final cut.

BTW, are you playing Dog's Head at hard or at very hard level?

[anguille]

I play it on hard...

[honvedseg]

I beat the full Roman campaign on Very Hard, and Cynocephalae didn't seem all that much harder on VH than on H.

Time was not the biggest issue in this encounter, so I formulated my battle plan for minimum casualties. I charged two Auxilia up through the rough, engaging the opposing light in the broken terrain, and had a third Aux follow at a steady march to come into the fray with a supporting volley and charge, once all the enemy units were bunched up. By charging with the first two, they lured in both the second light unit and a heavy infantry squad, which gave all three squads from each side more than enough to keep them busy for a while. A group of my archers softened up the hostile light units.

My best cav unit sat on the extreme left, flanked by a relatively new heavy infantry squad for added muscle (and to milk some easy experience points from the approaching victim). These marched up the side of the map and made horsemeat out of the lone cav unit opposite them.
Both units were then sent across the map against the back rank of the main enemy formation.

Meanwhile, I started the main thrust, four cohorts of Principes with heavy missle support, against the main enemy threat at a walk, letting the archers and Velites "prep" the targets for easier demolition. My best unit of heavies, along with a second cav, began from well behind the line, in reserve. As the first ranks of friendly and opposing infantry began to break into clusters and knots of struggling soldiers, I sent the fresh foot troops through the gaps against the Level 17 guards, and switched my archers to direct all available fire on them as well. The cav unit was set upon the lighter missle troops and general. By the time they arrived, my units from the left side of the map were also closing fast, and the auxilia in the middle had finished hacking and butchering the last resistance there.

The enemy guards put a fair amount of damage on my best cohort, and any less able unit would have fled, but I soon had a few more units freed up by the collapse of their targeted units, and these were sent to assist. Squeezed between the hammer and anvil, infantry and cavalry, the remaining enemy units fled the field with just under 50 minutes (seconds) showing on the timer. My "butcher's bill" was frighteningly high, but well under the limit, with over 40 casualties to spare.

[anguille]

Just did it!


1. First wave (Charge):
Far left: specialised infantery in anti-cavelery.
Center: 3 units of light infantery
Far right: 2 Cavalery units.

2. Second Wave (short hold) all on the rights side.

2 Skirmishers units in front
Various Heavy infantery units, 2 units of Elefants and the leader.
2 units of archers

3. Wave (long hold):

Heavy infantery of level 17 to deal with the bodyguards (you see them on this screenshot about to help the other units.)

Result: 54 seconds with 54 units left to lose.

[perry]

My solution was:

Left flank (put on long hold)
1xAuxCav
1xLegionary
1xScout (held back in reserve, behind other 2 units)

Aim of left flank is to kill enemy Cav, then the AuxCav & the Scout, rides around the main enemy army, and clears the enemy Archers ASAP

Center: (Advance)
3xAuxInf
3xSkirm/Velites

Aim of center is to advance slowly, clear enemy LightInf, then await the attack of the enemy HeavyInfs. In the rough, the AuxInf has the advantage. Yes, they will take casualties, but it is acceptable losses.

Right flank (Advance)
4xLegionary
4xArchers

Aim of Right Flank, is to clear the inital charge from the one enemy HeavyCav, then kill off any enemy HeavyInf that doesn't get drawn into the rough. It's important to monitor your Archers, so that they fire at enemy HeavyInf at all the time -> not making them waste arrows on HeavyCav or LightInf targets!

[kongming]

My strategy in battles like this one is to make sure the scrum happens on the ground of my choosing. Given Philip's strength in heavies, that means clearing the heights and turning his battle line up onto the ridge.

I would deploy my troops in 4 columns. The big picture is clear the ridge line, then form up new lines at 90 degrees to Phillip's. Force him to turn his line up the slope and into the rough where your light troops have an advantage.

Column #1, left of the center line of the battlefield, aligned slightly to the left of the center-most ridgeline. (you want to leave plenty of room between your troops and the open ground, so they don't to anything silly like charging down into the open). This first column would be composed of my light troops. Given your troop composition I would lead that column with my militia. Their job would be to clear the ridge of the two light infantry. They would be followed by the auxillaries who I would look to keep out of the fray and fresh to be the first line to face Philip's heavies.

#2 my heavies (legions and triari). In this case they would be supporting the front line aux and helping clear up the ridgeline.

#3 archers and missile troops to keep them effective and protected.

#4 cavalry. Charge the left flank cav, clear them out, then take up a position on top of the field. Once Philipp's troops start to move, his archers will be exposed and you can send your cavalry after them. And once the archers are cleaned up, then the cav can charge the rear of Philip's lines.