LloydBrown
Legionary
posted 20 October 2007 22:13 EDT (US)
I've been taking a beating from enemy artillery lately. I've taken Thaspus from the Scipii, and they took Carthage just after (still playing Seleucids here). So I have a nearly-full stack of very experienced troops holding the bridge. I have Levy pikemen fending off arcani!
However, they're sticking it to me with the ballistae. Sure, they're killing some of their own men, but my elite units (snicker) are getting wrecked by those things. They're much more accurate than onagers, but I can't deal with them until I chop up all their infantry units. Any suggestions?
Okay, we've discussed the V formation at the bridge before, but I've had enemy troops break through. Nothing disastrous mind you, but they are pushing my guys back. I'm thinking my V is too sharp and should be much flatter. Also, exactly where do you guys place your units for bridge defense?
LloydBrown
Legionary
posted 20 October 2007 22:54
EDT (US)
2 / 18
It was the Blue Romans. Red is Julii, Green is Brutii, and Blue is Scipii, right?
They're not on the Scipii build list, though. Maybe they were Senate rewards or something. I dunno.
My formations did overlap a little. There shouldn't have been any way out.
Krymzon74
Legionary
posted 21 October 2007 00:24
EDT (US)
3 / 18
The V formation doesn't work too well when using small or normal unit sizes. There's just not enough men to hold back the tide.
The Scipii do get arcani from temples of Saturn. Julii through temples of Jupitor, Brutii from temples of Mars.
General Emu
Legionary
posted 21 October 2007 01:10
EDT (US)
4 / 18
Scipii......Really?@!?!?
So they get not only the upgraded boats, but the arcani as well. Guess even now I am still learning about RTW, and perhaps I will have to play the Scipii when if I play RTW again.
Can someone else please verify that the Scipii do get arcani. Sorry Krymzon74, its' not that I don't believe you, I just would like to hear it from others as well.
Chalupa Batman
Centurion
(id: ccsantos)
posted 22 October 2007 01:22
EDT (US)
7 / 18
I never used a "V" in front of a bridge entrance. I just placed phalanx units overlapping each other to cover the circumfrance of the bridge's entrance. You can slaughter a whole opposing army almost invisibly...
I mean, the enemy runs into my spear wall, but doesn't really. They fall dead before they hit the pikes...its such a good glitch to use on bridge battles.
Smackus Maximus
Legionary
posted 22 October 2007 03:52
EDT (US)
9 / 18
I like using a cresent formation, similar to the moon on the Carthage banner, it allows more of the enemy to pile into the space over the river where they get surrounded and quickly killed off.
Good ranged archers, such as Cretans, are excellent too - a few units behind your spears will be able to reach opposing troops across the river, and torment them into a crossing even if they don't want to.
I like to have a couple of units of skirmishers to for chasing the routers. Skirmishers are faster than all teh other troops and extermely effective at killing routing troops.
Rex Illyrici
Legionary
posted 22 October 2007 04:02
EDT (US)
10 / 18
Put your troops on both sides of the exit from the bridge so you can attack the enemy from both sides.
BastWorshiper
Sensei
posted 22 October 2007 09:27
EDT (US)
11 / 18
I used to use an open-top box formation (the U?) with a pair of phalanxes on top of each other at the bottom of the box. With a phalanx on each side and the doubled phalanx a little ways from the bridge, the enemy would be able to get off of the bridge and be attacked from the front and each side. You can practically defend a bridge with four phalanx units.
Now I leave the top and the left side of the box open. On the left I place my missile units; so they have an unobstructed line of fire. If I don't have phalanx units, this is my standard setup.
LloydBrown
Legionary
posted 22 October 2007 12:07
EDT (US)
13 / 18
I'll experiment with a couple of different formations.
In any case, I apparently killed everything the Scipii could make and finally marched on Carthage. Luckily, they had been so busy they hadn't taken any land from my Numidian puppets, so that was their last possession in Africa.
I sacked Rome for the win a turn or two later, so it's all good.
Chalupa Batman
Centurion
(id: ccsantos)
posted 22 October 2007 14:16
EDT (US)
15 / 18
If you overlap your phalanx units at the end of the bridge enemy archers won't matter as much when the enemy sends its general/captain at you.
ammerghad
Legionary
posted 22 October 2007 17:28
EDT (US)
18 / 18
For bridge battles, I've always just packed about 3/4 of my heavy infantry units into the space of one. The other 1/4 I overlap in an area just behind them....after battle is joined I charge them in for the extra momentum needed. Also, (unless I'm fighting phalanx units) because horses can impact bodies more, I charge my general and any heavy cavalry after sending in the second wave of infantry. Archers are placed to the side of the bridge to knock out any artillery they may have before focusing on the enemy infantry, and I almost always have at least one balista just in case I find myself against a weak-walled city.
Using this methodology I've never lost a bridge battle...towards the end of my campaign I boasted four heroic victories agaisnt the julii as they tried to invade my italian peninsula...without receiving reinforcements. It was great becasue that particular bridge map had the ford on one side that the enemy never used...after battle was joined, I used my barbarian merc and legionary cavs to run around behind the enemy just before they broke, reducing armies of thousands to less than a dozen of the very first who fleed (i.e. the remnant of the general's bodyguard, typically).
Concerning the Scipii...I just beat the game with them, and with an Awesome Temple or higher they can indeed recruit Arcani....though I've found very little use for the unit. Tough fighters, but not enough of them to do much against anything but underlings. And the Scipii also get the mighty Decere, the juggernaut of the Seas, with a Neptune Pantheon.