11-14-2006, 04:15 PM
Without knowing more than you say here, it's hard to give advice. But unless you have overwhelming force, say 3:1, let a city stay under siege for a couple of turns anyway. This will lower the morale of the defenders, and if you wait long enough, they may stage either a desperation attack, or simply die off.
Phalanxes. Your hastati will throw pila first. Try this: Set two or three groups of hastati to attack a certain unit of hoplites on one end or the other of the line. When they throw, they'll charge. Stop them. Then set them to attack again. They seem to generally have three pila each. Let them expend all of them before you close with the enemy, because it WILL be costly.
Manage to move at least one unit of hastati to the outside flank. When your troops close, order them to attack. They'll throw their pila into the side of the phalanx, and wound them severely. Meanwhile, move your cavalry to the rear, and attack them from the rear while they are engaged with the other units. Obviously, this is harder to do when there are ten hoplite units, but you can generally bait them to move off the line if you attack the sword side.
Don't just run straight in. Maneuver is your most advantageous strategy. Hoplites are slow, lumbering hedgehogs with spines that point only one way at a time. Hit the side with cavalry and kill a few, then withdraw, and under NO circumstances attack hoplites from the front with cavalry. They will disappear before you can order them out. Likewise, you can use a cavalry unit to draw a group of hoplites to follow. Move to just within range, then walk away at an angle, and they will usually follow you. Your cavalry can run around most of the time and hit and run.
But don't ignore all the Senate instructions. If you get low enough in their esteem, your economy will suffer, and ultimately they'll start ordering suicide of your faction leader. If you refuse to do this, you will be outlawed, the other two Romans will immediately attack you and your cities, your fleets, etc, and you will probably become extinct pretty darned fast! Keep the Senate happy if you can.
Phalanxes. Your hastati will throw pila first. Try this: Set two or three groups of hastati to attack a certain unit of hoplites on one end or the other of the line. When they throw, they'll charge. Stop them. Then set them to attack again. They seem to generally have three pila each. Let them expend all of them before you close with the enemy, because it WILL be costly.
Manage to move at least one unit of hastati to the outside flank. When your troops close, order them to attack. They'll throw their pila into the side of the phalanx, and wound them severely. Meanwhile, move your cavalry to the rear, and attack them from the rear while they are engaged with the other units. Obviously, this is harder to do when there are ten hoplite units, but you can generally bait them to move off the line if you attack the sword side.
Don't just run straight in. Maneuver is your most advantageous strategy. Hoplites are slow, lumbering hedgehogs with spines that point only one way at a time. Hit the side with cavalry and kill a few, then withdraw, and under NO circumstances attack hoplites from the front with cavalry. They will disappear before you can order them out. Likewise, you can use a cavalry unit to draw a group of hoplites to follow. Move to just within range, then walk away at an angle, and they will usually follow you. Your cavalry can run around most of the time and hit and run.
But don't ignore all the Senate instructions. If you get low enough in their esteem, your economy will suffer, and ultimately they'll start ordering suicide of your faction leader. If you refuse to do this, you will be outlawed, the other two Romans will immediately attack you and your cities, your fleets, etc, and you will probably become extinct pretty darned fast! Keep the Senate happy if you can.
M. Demetrius Abicio
(David Wills)
Saepe veritas est dura.
(David Wills)
Saepe veritas est dura.
