ShieldWall
Legionary
posted 28 May 2008 05:23
EDT (US)
2 / 22
A good phalanx handled well can beat pretty much anything. Most infantry units fighting close quarters with swords will suffer inevitable losses in doing so, but there's no reason why a well protected phalanx can't kill hundreds without losing a man. Certainly as far as I'm concerned they're the best units in the game. Phalanx Pikemen and, less so, Royal Pikemen are a bit vulnerable to missiles, Greek hoplites are much stronger in that regard, but those long pikes certainly count for something when the clash happens. But as General Zav points out, if you were another faction fighting Macedon then you'd not find them so very hard to beat. Concentrate archer fire and those pikemen will suffer, and horse archers eat slow-moving phalanxes alive. But in your hands vs the AI, your pikemen have very little to fear.
Andalus
Legionary
posted 28 May 2008 10:37
EDT (US)
8 / 22
General Zavier is right, horse archers are the best unit type in the game. This is why Parthia are able to walk all over their neighbours: Egypt, Selecids, Pontus, Greek Cities, Carthage... their HAs can tear apart the phalanges. When they're played by the AI, they always train so much infantry though, so they get slaughtered. Any unit can be powerful, as long as it is used well. This is why online battles are harder, because both players are choosing and using their units properly.
Andalus
Legionary
posted 31 May 2008 15:25
EDT (US)
11 / 22
I think that question was 'how to get them to train more HAs.'
I'm not entirely sure, but if you change the faction type in descr_strat (caesar, napoleon, smith etc) then you could make them more cavalry and missile focused factions. I'm not sure which they should be, but there's a guide to descr_strat in the tutorials section I'm sure that would say.
Oolon Colluphid
Legionary
posted 31 May 2008 17:02
EDT (US)
15 / 22
There's no such thing as the best unit in the game, it all depends who they're fighting.
jimUK
Legionary
posted 02 June 2008 14:41
EDT (US)
18 / 22
That is assuming that they can kill/rout/make them run amok before the elephants turn their skulls to dust!
:P
SrJamesTyrrel
Legionary
posted 02 June 2008 15:45
EDT (US)
20 / 22
pikes are GROSS in vanilla - wayy to powerful militia hoplites >3x warband/town guard (with INFINITE KILLS if you put them in a doorway barring cataphracts or other pikes).
I tend to switch all regular hoplites to short-spear and all pikes to regular spear.
Archers are also overpowered.
jimUK
Legionary
posted 02 June 2008 16:24
EDT (US)
21 / 22
how do you switch to short spear?!?! :O