TheDisguiser191's Definitely Nice Guides: Rome 2 Total War MACEDON Faction Balanced Army Composition and Tips

HELLO! I'm TheDisguiser191, and this is my first guide detailing good composition techniques and tips of Macedonian armies in Total War: Rome 2. Please like, I will release more content later on. :D

Introduction

Hello! I'm TheDisguiser191, and today we'll talk about the most harrowing question of all: What's a good composition for my army in Total War: Rome 2?

For this guide, I've chosen Macedon. (Sorry, could have chosen Rome, but I wanted to start with a Successor Kingdom) MACEDON is the home of the annoying pokers pikes, phalanxes, and EVERYTHING annoying. *poke* They're masters of the annoying pikes, but they still have the same weaknesses as Spartan shouting-THIS-IS-SPARTA pikes, Athenian CULTURED pikes, Seleucid MINDLESS pikes (I despise Seleucids, they're always blind, they have so many Cataphracts (GET IT).), Bactrian ALWAYS-HAVING-THAT-DANK-MEME-HAT-ON pikes, Egyptian SUPER-POINTY pikes (one example of their failure at making pikes was the 3 Pyramids, and boy were they pointy!), and more annoying pikes. Macedon also has good hoplites, and a heck load of cavalry (unlike that Spartan ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ that only has Citizen Cavalry).

So, let start.

(One thing, don't have any treaties with the successor kingdoms. They'll drive you nuts with their tirade of NOs.)

COMPOSITION

This is a screenshot of my model army. (It's best to attach an agent (spy, hero, noble) to your army to help develop it faster.

Pikes (oh so annoying)

Pikemen are a really valuable asset to your army. They have the potential to completely swipe cavalry charges off, and in doing so destroy them. The same goes with all melee and spear infantry. When confronted head-on, it's not the pikemen that are in danger: it's the attacking unit that's in danger. Pikemen have very long sarissas (Not sure if that was a replica of their Richards, but boy are they long), 10 feet (or so I heard), which is enough to keep enemy soldiers away, and kill some in the process. However, they're vulnerable to missile troops and their tight formation makes them vulnerable to flanking attacks by both cavalry and infantry. It's recommended you keep some spear infantry at their flanks if ever the enemy launches a flanking attack. If you ever get flanked, go and look at a picture of Republican Force Pepe the Frog to lift your meme spirits up. :D

Missiles (BURN THE WRETCHES)

Here comes another annoying force: missiles. Now don't worry, they're designed to pepper the enemy with volleys of javelins, arrows, slingshots, ANYTHING, and they're very good at their job. ONLY if the enemy isn't a horde of horses. Best if they're not shock cavalry. Missile infantry fight nearly naked on the battlefield, which means you're gonna look at a rain of bloody ♥♥♥♥♥ around if you charge with Companion Cavalry. (gory) They can use flaming arrows if the battlefield is dry, but it's recommended to use them only when they start charging your pikes head-on, so they get a bad burning (lowers morale too) before they get poked. If you use it while they're getting poked, they're gonna hit their friends poking the enemy, so its best to only use normal arrows during that period.

SPEAR INFANTRY READY AT YOUR COMMAND (Hoplites)

HERE COME THE SPEARS! They're the hoplites, and they're F***ing GREEK! (sorry for the racism) They're your flanks, they're the right fist that punches the enemy when you parry their punch with your left fist (pikes). It's best to keep 2 on either side. It's even better to keep one behind the other. They're great against cavalry, and they don't really get demoralized when they get hit in the back. THAT'S GREAT

CAVALRY CHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGE (Cavalry)

CHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGE! The cavalry charge has been immortalized in movies and TV series, but they portray it wrongly. Cavalry charges are effective if you use them against the appropriate enemy units. Charge a spear unit: prepare for a cavalry rout instead. Charge a pike unit: you're killing your own units. Pikes and spears should ALWAYS BE AVOIDED. Unless you can manouvre behind the pikes and charge them. That will decimate the pike unit. :D Oh yeah, keep a unit of Tarantine Cavalry, they'll be useful when skirmishing heavy units.

Thanks

Thanks for reading. I'll make more guides if I can, so stay tuned (aw no, that's so YouTube-ish)

:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

[Lieuwe21]

How well do pikes perform in sieges?

[Fackeldackel]

I agree, the Thracians are realy annoying. Until you realize that their single village is just that: A coastal village with a single capture point.

1) Build a cheap stack to hold Pulpudeva.
2) Invest into 10 artillery ships + royal Peltast general + 9 archer ships.

Then i always use the fleet to take coastal villages. I don't land my troops, i just line up my artillery ships in firing positions and let them throw rocks on the barbarian heads until they run out of ammo. Then I retreat the artillery ships, line up my archer ships close to the shore and land my admiral. It provokes the remaining AI units to come at them and run straight into my archers. Whatever may be still alive after that is usualy no match for the royal peltasts and the village is mine without casualties.

[AlphaExos]

Freaking Thracians

[Jean-Bernard de Murol]

Had same army, a bit lesser pikes and more shock cav. Got my ass handed to me on a silver platter by full stack of Thracian Skirmishers on legendary difficulty. Rage quit immediately.

[AlphaExos]

And youre correct

[AlphaExos]

Youre welcome Mali :D

[MailZedong]

This is a great guide though, thx so much

[MailZedong]

I don't mean to be rude, but I've heard that the Sarissas could reach up to 22 feet long during the reign of Alexander.

[AlphaExos]

Thanks Bobi and ekenai :D

[ekenai]

really good one