Got a little bored so decided to write this up off the top of my head. What stratgies (basic and universal ones because it does depend on your faction) do you employ against the following armies? I have a some degree of success using these methods but I usually only play with a select few factions. They are the Parthians, Armenians, Germans, Carthaginians and Egyptians. I'll do the Romans later because they are best done based on what faction you are.
Greeks - Take out their cavalry with your cavalry first (if they have militia cavalry it is better to use horse archers especially cataphract archers for Armenia), pepper them with javelins because they have a better effect than archers do against them, then engage their phalanxes with good infantry and hit them in the rear with your cavalry.
Eastern armies (Parthia, Armenia) - Draw their horse archers away from your main army with your own then take out their weak infantry. Do not be intimidated by their cataphracts especially if you have good spearmen. Drawing their horse archers away is your main concern. If you are flanked by the cataphract engage them with your best cavalry units and move spearmen into their rear.
Macedon - Similar to Greece but their cavalry are better and will require more skill to outflank and defeat them. Breaking up and seperating their phalanxes after their cavalry are gone is similar to the Grreks.
Seleucids - Similar to the Greeks except for chariots and cataphracts. Occassionally they'll bring elephants to battle. Early on their armies are weak and easily defeated once you know how to deal with phalanxes. Use horse archers or javelin cavalry to take out or draw away their chariots, hit their cataphracts with horse archers and try to hit them inthe rear with a good cavalry charge. If they have elephants javelin units are useful. Try to make them run amok early before they reach the bulk of your army.
Egyptians - Use missle cavalry to draw their chariots away and use your cavalry to take out their archers. Their archers are their greatest weapon. They won't have decent infantry until later. Their axemen should be targeted by your missle units whilst their phalanx be engaged by your stongest infantry so your cavalry after hopefully taking out their archers can hit them in the rear.
Pontus - Their main cavalry units are javelin throwing ones which can be devastating but their range isn't as good as horse archers. Use horse archers in loose formation against them or as Armenia, cataphract archers are perfect for javelin cavalry. Most of their infantry are weak and easily defeated whilst their chariots and other cavalry are average and usually don't come to them until late.
Barbarians (Gauls, Britons, Germans, Dacians, Spanish, Thracians) - If you have horse archers than these nations are rather easily defeated. Their cavalry are usually better than the Greeks and Spaniards but not superior to others. The Germans get some good units but they are poor at the start and as a result don't usually get their powerful attacking units. On open fields rely on archers and javelins to pepper them and then send in heavy infantry with your cavalry hopefully able to beat of theirs, then charging at their units from behind. The Britons have chariots that require some respect but lack any decent missle infantry except head hurlers who have a poor range. The Gauls have good infantry but poor cavalry and the Germans as I said usually start off too poor but have decent spearmen, cavalry and some powerful axemen. The Dacians are similar to the Gauls but with falxmen but missle infantry can disrupt them. The Spanish too are not unlike the others but have some different infantry types that use javelins. I haven't encountered too many of their bull warriors but they seem good. Their cavalry is the same as Carthage minus the Sacred band. The Thracians have poor cavalry that are similar to the Greeks. Their phalanxes are not up to the Greeks either and other than that their infantry are nothing to worry about if you have decent archers, solid infantry and cavalry.
Scythians - Fortunately they aren't as horse archer heavy as they should be early on and they are in regions that are not as useful as others. Having good horse archers against them is a bonus and heavy cavalry are good also as they have no spearmen to fear. Their infantry are weak but cavalry good, fast and mobile.
Carthaginians - No unlike fighting the Seleucids I found but they don't have as much phalanxes. They may have elephants which should be sent into a frenzy as early as you can using javelin cavalry is a good idea. Theirt cavalry are solid but not indomitable whilst they lack the usefulness of long range missle units. Their slingers can be dealt with using your fastest cavalry while your better cavalry should try to engage theirs. Their sacred band are good but no better than the phalanxes of the Greek empires of the Seleucids, Egyptians, Greek cities and Macedonians.
In war wolves are smarter than men. We Mongols learned from them how to hunt, how to encircle, even how to fight a war. There are no wolf packs where you Chinese live, so you haven't learnt how to fight a war. You can't win a war just because you have lots of land and people. No, it depends on whether you're a wolf or a sheep.
Greeks - Take out their cavalry with your cavalry first (if they have militia cavalry it is better to use horse archers especially cataphract archers for Armenia), pepper them with javelins because they have a better effect than archers do against them, then engage their phalanxes with good infantry and hit them in the rear with your cavalry.
Eastern armies (Parthia, Armenia) - Draw their horse archers away from your main army with your own then take out their weak infantry. Do not be intimidated by their cataphracts especially if you have good spearmen. Drawing their horse archers away is your main concern. If you are flanked by the cataphract engage them with your best cavalry units and move spearmen into their rear.
Macedon - Similar to Greece but their cavalry are better and will require more skill to outflank and defeat them. Breaking up and seperating their phalanxes after their cavalry are gone is similar to the Grreks.
Seleucids - Similar to the Greeks except for chariots and cataphracts. Occassionally they'll bring elephants to battle. Early on their armies are weak and easily defeated once you know how to deal with phalanxes. Use horse archers or javelin cavalry to take out or draw away their chariots, hit their cataphracts with horse archers and try to hit them inthe rear with a good cavalry charge. If they have elephants javelin units are useful. Try to make them run amok early before they reach the bulk of your army.
Egyptians - Use missle cavalry to draw their chariots away and use your cavalry to take out their archers. Their archers are their greatest weapon. They won't have decent infantry until later. Their axemen should be targeted by your missle units whilst their phalanx be engaged by your stongest infantry so your cavalry after hopefully taking out their archers can hit them in the rear.
Pontus - Their main cavalry units are javelin throwing ones which can be devastating but their range isn't as good as horse archers. Use horse archers in loose formation against them or as Armenia, cataphract archers are perfect for javelin cavalry. Most of their infantry are weak and easily defeated whilst their chariots and other cavalry are average and usually don't come to them until late.
Barbarians (Gauls, Britons, Germans, Dacians, Spanish, Thracians) - If you have horse archers than these nations are rather easily defeated. Their cavalry are usually better than the Greeks and Spaniards but not superior to others. The Germans get some good units but they are poor at the start and as a result don't usually get their powerful attacking units. On open fields rely on archers and javelins to pepper them and then send in heavy infantry with your cavalry hopefully able to beat of theirs, then charging at their units from behind. The Britons have chariots that require some respect but lack any decent missle infantry except head hurlers who have a poor range. The Gauls have good infantry but poor cavalry and the Germans as I said usually start off too poor but have decent spearmen, cavalry and some powerful axemen. The Dacians are similar to the Gauls but with falxmen but missle infantry can disrupt them. The Spanish too are not unlike the others but have some different infantry types that use javelins. I haven't encountered too many of their bull warriors but they seem good. Their cavalry is the same as Carthage minus the Sacred band. The Thracians have poor cavalry that are similar to the Greeks. Their phalanxes are not up to the Greeks either and other than that their infantry are nothing to worry about if you have decent archers, solid infantry and cavalry.
Scythians - Fortunately they aren't as horse archer heavy as they should be early on and they are in regions that are not as useful as others. Having good horse archers against them is a bonus and heavy cavalry are good also as they have no spearmen to fear. Their infantry are weak but cavalry good, fast and mobile.
Carthaginians - No unlike fighting the Seleucids I found but they don't have as much phalanxes. They may have elephants which should be sent into a frenzy as early as you can using javelin cavalry is a good idea. Theirt cavalry are solid but not indomitable whilst they lack the usefulness of long range missle units. Their slingers can be dealt with using your fastest cavalry while your better cavalry should try to engage theirs. Their sacred band are good but no better than the phalanxes of the Greek empires of the Seleucids, Egyptians, Greek cities and Macedonians.
In war wolves are smarter than men. We Mongols learned from them how to hunt, how to encircle, even how to fight a war. There are no wolf packs where you Chinese live, so you haven't learnt how to fight a war. You can't win a war just because you have lots of land and people. No, it depends on whether you're a wolf or a sheep.
[This message has been edited by bloodswan (edited 06-03-2007 @ 03:42 AM).]