Malventum

[Moltke71]

I'm stuck here. I'm playing on easiest and have beaten the elephants berfore but can't now. Recommendations?

Jim Cobb

[anguille]

Not sure if i remember well...could you post the deployment screen?

[Moltke71]

I'll describe it. River across the middle of the field runnind at a diagonal. Hills om lower right corner; the rest of the ground is flat and I open. There's only enough room for 2 units on the hill. Greeks stretch across the entire map but the elephants are concentrated on the player's right. The Greeks send infantry over first, engage my heavies and then send elephants. I keep my spearthrowers back up at least one engages the Greek infantry before the elephants arrive.

[IainMcNeil]

If you can hit the elephants with light infantry in the river or other rough going they are at big disadvantages.

[Moltke71]

I'll try that but the Greeks are being clever by leading with infantry.

[anguille]

I think you should focus on the elephants. As as i remember, there are a pain in this scenario. Once they're gone it's easier. Try to get them with light infantery in the river or heavy infantery in the open...place your units on defence in the front line and a couple on offensive right behind. It would be nice to know what units you have as well as their experience.

[Moltke71]

I have experiencw light inf. skirmishers, lt. cav. triarii and princepes and inexperiences pricepes. I've been defending on the hill so moving up may be the ticket, Thanks.

[Moltke71]

Fonally beat it yesterday morning. Am moving on successfullly. Feel I should finish the Roman campaign for the review.

[anguille]

Fonally beat it yesterday morning. Am moving on successfullly. Feel I should finish the Roman campaign for the review.

Well done!

Some scenarios are very tricky and only the right use of terrain and units can give the victory

Cheers

[concreteboy2000]

Just try a new game. Play on the hardest level and you earn more money so you can recruit better soldiers. Try to pick anti elephant training. After that it's pretty easy to beat elephant.
c

[Moltke71]

Thanks. So far I'm finding elephants and Greek Royal Guards the toughest opponents. I rolled over the Carthagenians.

[Redpossum]

Just try a new game. Play on the hardest level and you earn more money so you can recruit better soldiers. Try to pick anti elephant training. After that it's pretty easy to beat elephant.
c

Cyrus, I'm sorry but this is total pigeon droppings.

Playing on the hardest setting does not get you any more denarii (money), just more fame.

And anti-elephant is just flat worthless.

The key to killing jumbos is to engage them early with fire units, keep pounding them with missiles, then engage with terrain-appropriate infantry types in large masses, so that they are flanked. If you can't lure them into rough terrain, you have to take them apart with Heavy Infantry.

The key to using elephants effectively is not letting them be flanked! Follow them with a tough unit of heavy infantry and keep them in the open.

[kongming]

In all three of the Pyrrhus scenarios, the enemy overweights on the right flank, leaving his weaker troops on the left. In all three cases, one can push hard against the left flank, and thereby force the Greek mainline troops and the jumbos off of their preferred straight ahead steamroll. The great thing about forcing the enemy to turn its battle line is that instead of a wide swath of spears, their units end up one in back of the other, thus minimizing their numerical advantage. Then if one can engage them in the rough, both the main line troops and the elephants are at a disadvantage, while your highly adept aux can handle them if backed up with a couple good archer units.

In all three scenarios, pack your troops against the left border of the deployment screen. Send your cavalry out chasing down their weakest troops and archers, racking up a good body count, which in the first two campaigns is the key victory condition. The entire 180-200 kills you need are all out there on the left flank just waiting for the easy picking.

Position your heavy troops to either engage the troops on the left flank quickly or as second line supports for your aux. Depends on the victory conditions. Position your auxilaries so that they form up in line perpendicular to the Greek line and in the favorable terrain. Then wait for the Greeks to turn their battle line towards you and take them in the rough. Have your archers target the elephants as soon as possible. 2 medium level archers with heavy missiles and strong bows can send an elephant unit running home with their trunks between their legs given enough time.

In Malventum, I sent my 3 legionaires hard against the weaker Greek reinforcement units. Left my cav back until the enemy cav engaged and my horse had a clear beeline for the first enemy archers. Aux crossed the river and waited on the Greek side of the bank for the main battle line to turn. Once the Greeks begin crossing the river, engage the aux. Home the archers on the elephants and then as the legionaires wipe up the left flank, bring them back into the fray in the water as reinforcements.

The hardest part of all this is keeping your troops from going forward and engaging instead of patiently waiting for the Greeks to come to them, and making sure your aux don't get stupid and go onto the open ground. It is very hard to control the actual point of battle. Often you think you've definitely got them onto your chosen ground only to find out that patch of river qualifies as open ground. Very frustrating.