Battle Strategy and Tactics

[AccelExhilar]

I am interested in hearing some of your winning or not so sucessful battle strategies and tactics, Its been to long since I've seen this kind of discussion that can be really helpful to players. So I'll start off then with my go-to a classic roman formation, of 3 lines deep which seems to work well with mostly all the nations. I start my line with heavy spears / pikes depending on faction, then I always have my archer line behind my infantry, I don't know why people / the game puts the ranged units infront of your front line, I find you lose a lot of firing time when you have them infront and they need to retreat a couple times. with the ranged units behind your front line I only ever need to retreat them one time at most. Then I use spear throwing infantry as my second line to volley the enemy as they press against my spears. Third line is always anti-infantry like wolf-warriors or lion-warriors (mod units). That way when the defensive forces have been worn down you send in the killers and they seem to survive longer due to the fatigue penalties upon the enemy units.

Ofcourse you always want some cavalry flanking the ends of your line, this way after the engage you should be able to charge and take out high-priority targets line artillery or stubborn archer squads, then after high-priority targets hit their lines from behind with the classic hammer and anvil. But I don't use these much as an initial tactic more of a back-up plan for extremely strong general units or pikes.

Sometimes also when I have a smaller force than the enemy I will deploy into a stepped pyramid, but you still want atleast 3 ranks thick, preferably 4-5 unit ranks deep at the center. This seems to work best against heavy cavalry armies and other heavy-infranty armies (not pikes). What I like about this formation is it works equally on the offensive or the defensive, while on the offensive you should smash a wedge into the enemies lines, and on the defensive the enemy will have hardly any initiative to outflank your front lines, with fresh squads along the sides going further and further back.

[AkeemQ]

I personally put my range in the front to counter the enemy skirmishers because leaving them at the back minimizes their range and leaves your front rank almost unsupported

[Lt.Colonel Johnny Frost]

One tactic i tried with phalanx armies when i have been outnumbered or they have a lot of flanking units is to deploy or head for the corner of the map and deploy in line. The ai doesnt have room to outflank so his only option is to head straight for you and onto your pikes. While that was happening i used my horse archers to harass and draw some of his units away so it took a lot of pressure off my main line. If he has arty though it wont work i think he will just pulverise you unless you deal with it.

[Emmental]

The online play is all horse archers, elephants and cataphracts. Massively misrepresentative of ancient warfare. Ah well. As much as it's bad, fighting the AI is as near as you will get to massed infantry warfare the way it should be.

[arthurverdin]

The main reason not to have your archers in the second line is because it means the enemy can shot your front line without any fear. What has always worked the best for me is to bloody the front line with skirmishers, run away and then have a massive refused flank and try and sweep up the enemy line (once you break one end you can roll them up very quickly). Just needs to have your best units at the far end, who will have to hang on the longest.

[SuperGorp]

"RIDE TO THE SOUND OF THUNDER"!!!!!!!

[Big Moustache]

Don't retreat ranged! When they turn around, enemy ranged cause mass casualties. I put my army a bit out of range of enemy missiles. Than i put archers in range wich will trigger enemy charge. Than sprint melee line and peltasts in place in front of archers. Mass murder commence. I always keep skirmish off and protect them at all costs. So i start with archers at front, and end with them in the back without giving ground.

[AccelExhilar]

To clarify about why I put archers and skirmishers behind my main line, is because infantry has a much higher defense against ranged fire than archers do... I just move everything up in formation until my archers are also within range of the enemy, it's only like 2-3 seconds of time the enemy gets to fire without taking fire, but now they are all focused on my defensive infantry (which I want). Instead of focused on my archers and already killing a bunch of them, if you have ranged in front of your main army the enemy will always focus fire onto them, taking much more casualties than defensive infantry does (especially defensive tetsudo formations).

I've seen a lot of game play footage and almost all the time when you deploy ranged in front of your infantry the player ends up retreating their ranged over and over, and don't tell me you guys have never seen the surprise cavalry wreck a unit or 2 of your archers because you were microing to slow.

[Sarkin]

Hm..

Depends on the units available to me.

but Usually i put 3 pikes in the center front then a unit of hoplites on each side of them.

Then if i have sword units available. 3 swords behind the pikes. then Cavalry on the flanks.

then I put two units of lighter units behind the hoplites.

thats usually my main formation any left over unit spots are usually more artillery or 'special' units.

If i have skirmshers i usually put them on the sides between the Heavy hoplites an the light hoplites.

I usually put archers in the front ot protect against other archers.

[Excalibrrr]

To counter front-line archers, I use cheap infantry units to charge them and keep them on the run. Then I move my archers up to begin attacking.

[lickitysplit]

For singleplayer and multiplayer.

I set a my infantry in a line, with 2 or 3 elite infantry with my general reinforcing the front infantry line. Then I have my Ranged, any ranged, way up front. I keep my cavalry in 2 forces on my flanks. Once the engagements starts with Skirmishing, I continuously charge the enemy ranged with my cavalry. This way my ranged gets to get in a bunch of free shots while the enemy is targeting my cavalry, running away from my cavalry, or is bringing men up through his skirmishers to block my cavalry.

However, you do have to be good with dodging incoming fire for your cav so that they dont get wiped.

Once I win/lose the skirmish battle, I usually use my cav as distraction more than hammer and anvil (usually use light cav for speed and endurance). I use them to force the enemy to bring infantry around to focus it, or have his cav chase mine, while my infantry go to work and my remaining skirmishes move to the flanks for side shots.

[AccelExhilar]

Thank you everyone who has been replying so far, I figured this was a topic us Total War players could really get discussing, It's a shame not even more people have commented and discussed this sort of topic discussion. Lets hear some more tactics and battlefield strategy!

I play a whole lot of SP, and don't much like the MP battles in this game although I have tried them and usually win, so as a SP player I am really interested in hearing more about your guys battles with extra outnumbered forces, or even extra outnumbering the enemy. What do you do to minimize losses in the face of defeat? I have some really awesome battles where I have used a small garrison force + general to absolutely wreck an AI force.

[lickitysplit]

Originally posted by Vlkodlac Whitemane:

Thank you everyone who has been replying so far, I figured this was a topic us Total War players could really get discussing, It's a shame not even more people have commented and discussed this sort of topic discussion. Lets hear some more tactics and battlefield strategy!

I play a whole lot of SP, and don't much like the MP battles in this game although I have tried them and usually win, so as a SP player I am really interested in hearing more about your guys battles with extra outnumbered forces, or even extra outnumbering the enemy. What do you do to minimize losses in the face of defeat? I have some really awesome battles where I have used a small garrison force + general to absolutely wreck an AI force.

When outnumbered and defeat is unavoidable... you can get the most kills by setting up in chokepoints or having your flank/s covered by a cliff or a building. Some people will use the "tactic" of setting up in the corner of the map, where the red border corner is. However, I find that to be real cheesy and an exploit.

A glorious defeat is glorious still :)

[Big Moustache]

Chariots are agro magnets. 2 units can lure a whole army out of formation and on a chase. Once spread open you can drive through them and mass rout. Sandwich enemy cavalry and they die in seconds. Most powerfull units if you know how to use proper.

[Mogross]

I mostly put 2 cheap unit with javelins like Levy Freemen or Thuros Spears at the front to skirmish and absorb the enemy charge. Behind them I have my missile infantry line. If the enemy charges I move them back into the flanks to support infantry. In the center I have my heavy infantry(in multiple lines to have reserves) In the flanks I mostly put cavalry for flanking and spears to deal with enemy cavalry(they go with my cavalry).

[ElPrezCBF]

Originally posted by Vlkodlac Whitemane:

To clarify about why I put archers and skirmishers behind my main line, is because infantry has a much higher defense against ranged fire than archers do... I just move everything up in formation until my archers are also within range of the enemy, it's only like 2-3 seconds of time the enemy gets to fire without taking fire, but now they are all focused on my defensive infantry (which I want). Instead of focused on my archers and already killing a bunch of them, if you have ranged in front of your main army the enemy will always focus fire onto them, taking much more casualties than defensive infantry does (especially defensive tetsudo formations).

I've seen a lot of game play footage and almost all the time when you deploy ranged in front of your infantry the player ends up retreating their ranged over and over, and don't tell me you guys have never seen the surprise cavalry wreck a unit or 2 of your archers because you were microing to slow.

I also use your tactic especially against cav heavy enemy armies. When my men come under missile fire, I just set them to shield formation for extra armor bonus, then change back to normal formation just before the enemy charges my line. Meanwhile, my ballistas are firing relentlessly at the enemy archers while their troops are getting bunched up and annihilated.

Another "tactic" if you can call it one is to cheese a cav heavy enemy army by deploying your men so that your two flanks touch the edge of the map. This guarantees they will never be flanked but wouldn't be as effective if the enemy army has artillery. I mean the AI also cheeses me when their routing troops get past the magical red line, so all is fair I guess.