Rome Total War- Battle strategies

[M. Demetrius]

Do you use the "group units" function? Click on two or three units and then the group button on the battle screen. Then these units will be controlled as if they were one unit. Also, of course, you will probably want to use the "single line" formation so they don't go back to whatever relative positions they started from. Nothing like having three units of cavalry you've grouped and positioned together separate into a wide spread when you wanted them to surgically slaughter a unit of archers...two of them colliding head on with spearmen.

Discovered but not in the manual that came with the game:
You can regroup units of the same kind in an army group. Suppose you have two damaged units of Hastati, one 10 remaining, the other 20. You can click and drag one onto the other, and make one unit of 30. That helps a lot when you are trying to blend two army groups, by reducing the numbers of units in the groups.

When you have a list of units queued up to make (or buildings to build) you can change their order by dragging the one you want further up or down the list.

When ship groups will not combine in the "join forces" screen, sometimes you can combine them by having one come out of port. Don't know why, might be a bug. Two admirals won't get along with each other, though, so the flagships can't be combined.

Misbehaving towns that refuse to keep the peace? Just step all the troops outside, wait for the rebels to take over, then retake the town and exterminate the varmints. Usually, they are lightly armed defenders. Yes, your town pop will decline, but your loyalty will go way up, and you can free up some garrison troops and put them where they do more good: killing enemies.

Got a town that's definitely going to fall to the enemy, and reinforcements are too far away (or the attackers are overwhelming, even for reinforcements?) Tear down every building that you can. The occupiers won't be able to retrain their troops, and you'll get the money into your treasury. Sometimes I scorch towns of the enemy by taking the town, razing the buildings, upping the taxes to max, and leaving. Then the enemy has to rebuild at his own expense. After a few turns, retake the town, and there will be military buildings rebuilt by somebody else. Tough on the villagers, but oh, well.

[marvises]

yeah i dont really group the units togeather idk why it just seem s boring hahahahaha

[Decimus_Vitus]

One tactic that seems to work for me in most cases is simply having my Cav on either side of footsoldiers. When the battle begins I send out the cav flanking the enemy on both sides but keep them far enough away so that they do not get into battle quite yet. Now sometimes the enemy will tear off and go for for the cav making their main force a bit weaker. That's when I might attack. Otherwise I may send the cav out and them bring them back in behind the enemy. Its an awesome game, one of the best in my book.

[MARCVS PETRONIVS MAIVS]

One tactic that seems to work for me in most cases is simply having my Cav on either side of footsoldiers. When the battle begins I send out the cav flanking the enemy on both sides but keep them far enough away so that they do not get into battle quite yet. Now sometimes the enemy will tear off and go for for the cav making their main force a bit weaker. That's when I might attack. Otherwise I may send the cav out and them bring them back in behind the enemy. Its an awesome game, one of the best in my book.

Have you tried playing Rome Total Realism? Its even better.

My usual tactic is quite brutal and blunt really. Heavy infantry in the front, archers behind, skirmirshes and cavalry at the sides. I hate javelins throwers because they usually run before they even have time to throw their spears at the enemy, so I keep them on the sides waiting for the enemy to engage my heavy infantry in the middle. When they are pinned, I get them to flank and pepper the now immobile enemy with all their javellins from the back and sides. Meanwhile my heavy cavalry is doing two things, one, if I have a lot of them, some go straight for the general unit of the enemy - decapitation. The rest go for a full charge into the rear of the enemy infantry, now being peppered by my skirmishers and pinned in place by the infantry. It usually always results in a win.

Variations usually involve dispensing with the skirmishers or archers (if I don't have any), luring the enemy general into fighting my heavy infantry or lancers (with faints and suicidal cavalry strikes to get him to follow the 'routing' cavalry) or if they have vastly superior vacalry in quality and numbers, dispersing them through the map with the same feint and suicide tactics, while my infantry engages key targets such as generals and so on without having to worry about being charged by enemy cavalry.

[marvises]

One tactic that seems to work for me in most cases is simply having my Cav on either side of footsoldiers. When the battle begins I send out the cav flanking the enemy on both sides but keep them far enough away so that they do not get into battle quite yet. Now sometimes the enemy will tear off and go for for the cav making their main force a bit weaker. That's when I might attack. Otherwise I may send the cav out and them bring them back in behind the enemy. Its an awesome game, one of the best in my book.

Have you tried playing Rome Total Realism? Its even better.

My usual tactic is quite brutal and blunt really. Heavy infantry in the front, archers behind, skirmirshes and cavalry at the sides. I hate javelins throwers because they usually run before they even have time to throw their spears at the enemy, so I keep them on the sides waiting for the enemy to engage my heavy infantry in the middle. When they are pinned, I get them to flank and pepper the now immobile enemy with all their javellins from the back and sides. Meanwhile my heavy cavalry is doing two things, one, if I have a lot of them, some go straight for the general unit of the enemy - decapitation. The rest go for a full charge into the rear of the enemy infantry, now being peppered by my skirmishers and pinned in place by the infantry. It usually always results in a win.

Variations usually involve dispensing with the skirmishers or archers (if I don't have any), luring the enemy general into fighting my heavy infantry or lancers (with faints and suicidal cavalry strikes to get him to follow the 'routing' cavalry) or if they have vastly superior vacalry in quality and numbers, dispersing them through the map with the same feint and suicide tactics, while my infantry engages key targets such as generals and so on without having to worry about being charged by enemy cavalry.

What is the difference between RTR and Roma Surrectum?

[M. Demetrius]

I hate javelins throwers because they usually run before they even have time to throw their spears at the enemy

Well, that's what skirmishers do. They also run away and scatter, often leading a cavalry unit on a merry chase waaaay the heck out of the battle. You can't call them back without turning off the "skirmish" mode, but if you do, they usually get slaughtered. After their javelins are gone, you can use them to hold an enemy for a while (if you do turn off that mode) and then hit the unit with something else in flank or rear attack, then withdraw the light infantry. That's often how they're really used, so it is fairly realistic.

[MARCVS PETRONIVS MAIVS]

I hate javelins throwers because they usually run before they even have time to throw their spears at the enemy

Well, that's what skirmishers do. They also run away and scatter, often leading a cavalry unit on a merry chase waaaay the heck out of the battle. You can't call them back without turning off the "skirmish" mode, but if you do, they usually get slaughtered. After their javelins are gone, you can use them to hold an enemy for a while (if you do turn off that mode) and then hit the unit with something else in flank or rear attack, then withdraw the light infantry. That's often how they're really used, so it is fairly realistic.

Yeah, thats not my problem though.

With me its they don't even have time to position themselves near the enemy before firing volleys, as soon as they stop, the enemy moves forward and instead of throwing and running they just run backwards without firing a shot, which is very annoying, which is why I never use them in frontal attacks which is how they were used in antiquity. I simply use them to outflank units already pinned and hit them from behind, or like you said, to scatter enemy cavalry when I don't mind losing cheap units.

[marvises]

I hate javelins throwers because they usually run before they even have time to throw their spears at the enemy

Well, that's what skirmishers do. They also run away and scatter, often leading a cavalry unit on a merry chase waaaay the heck out of the battle. You can't call them back without turning off the "skirmish" mode, but if you do, they usually get slaughtered. After their javelins are gone, you can use them to hold an enemy for a while (if you do turn off that mode) and then hit the unit with something else in flank or rear attack, then withdraw the light infantry. That's often how they're really used, so it is fairly realistic.

Yeah, thats not my problem though.

With me its they don't even have time to position themselves near the enemy before firing volleys, as soon as they stop, the enemy moves forward and instead of throwing and running they just run backwards without firing a shot, which is very annoying, which is why I never use them in frontal attacks which is how they were used in antiquity. I simply use them to outflank units already pinned and hit them from behind, or like you said, to scatter enemy cavalry when I don't mind losing cheap units.

i usually have them behind my first line of infantry so they get cover and the infantry and throw theirs with support of the skrimishers and have the archer behind them knocking of their numbers from far away. I HATE using siege equipment b.c they always do frindley fire and take out alot of my numbers

[MARCVS PETRONIVS MAIVS]

i usually have them behind my first line of infantry so they get cover and the infantry and throw theirs with support of the skrimishers and have the archer behind them knocking of their numbers from far away. I HATE using siege equipment b.c they always do frindley fire and take out alot of my numbers

I feel the same with skirmishers. They usually unleash half their volley on my own troops and the other half over their heads onto the enemy. I think skirmishers need to be tweaked a lot. They don't seem to be able to aim without taking a good 5-10 seconds, and when they do take all the time they want they still end up killing your own infantry.

The only real place I find they are indispensable are defendin city walls or to take down elephant units.

[marvises]

i usually have them behind my first line of infantry so they get cover and the infantry and throw theirs with support of the skrimishers and have the archer behind them knocking of their numbers from far away. I HATE using siege equipment b.c they always do frindley fire and take out alot of my numbers

I feel the same with skirmishers. They usually unleash half their volley on my own troops and the other half over their heads onto the enemy. I think skirmishers need to be tweaked a lot. They don't seem to be able to aim without taking a good 5-10 seconds, and when they do take all the time they want they still end up killing your own infantry.

The only real place I find they are indispensable are defendin city walls or to take down elephant units.

yeah that is a good strategy

[Mythos_Ruler]

Hint: Get Rome:Total Realism Platinum Edition.

[M. Demetrius]

You might get better results by turning off the "fire at will" button. They they just fire. However, if attacked, they will still run away. They are the ones you WANT to get tangled up so your real infantry can move in and kill off the bad guys.

[marvises]

Hint: Get Rome:Total Realism Platinum Edition.

what is the difference between rome total realism and Roma Surrectum?

[Mythos_Ruler]

I believe Total Realism focuses on the Republican era, while Surrectum focuses on the early empire.

[marvises]

I believe Total Realism focuses on the Republican era, while Surrectum focuses on the early empire.

oh im staying with surrectum