Rome Total War- Battle strategies

[Mythos_Ruler]

So basically you need numerical superiority? And how do you "expand" a phalanx?

The first thing I did when I started is to make nice with the Romans. One turn after I made an alliace with the Scipii and Brutti they attacked in Sicily. :roll: They kept pumping more and more armies into Sicily and Greece so I literally peppered both shores of Italy with fleets so it is impossible to sail without running into my ships. And they are still popping up. How do they get out of a port when you have it blockaded? :evil: It's so frustrating, like trying to catch a greased pig. They are constantly slipping through my grasp.

Can't they cross into Sicily via the "toe" of Italy, or is that just in RTR?

I've played as Greeks before... I expanded the Phalanx (so they're not as deep as they are across) and have enough of them that I can sweep a few around the edges. I basically frontline their troops and flank with more troops. I hit them from behind and it tightens the noose. They seem to lose morale that way. I've done that with a few factions and it's worked out.

Cavalry generally is crap (I've noticed on RS and the same on RTR) and use mostly infantry for the tasks. Cavalry for me is a good quick push to move their skirmishers back, or run down fleeing troops. Now that I got my Imperial Reforms on my Roman saved game, I can have the heavier mounted troops. But I don't hit any spear lines with them even if from behind.

Hmm... Me I keep my phalanx fairly deep. Their one purpose is to fix the enemy soldiers in place for my cavalry to strike. Cavalry aren't "crap" IMHO. A well placed hammer n' anvil strike and the whole enemy line can collapse. Put the cavalry into wedge formation for a hammer strike, but keep them in box formation otherwise. Online it seems like everybody starts the battle with an archer duel. what I like to do is don't even bother with archers and rush the enemy line quickly with my troops so I can cause their archers to scatter and to also fix their enemy infantry ASAP. That way they can't use their archers on me without at least causing some friendly fire casualties in their own ranks. I can then use my cavalry to win the wings, slaughter their archers with impunity, then turn on the rear of their main battle line, causing their entire force to rout.