This is a battle replay of a custom battle made for descriptive purposes on how to annihilate people who use all-Spartan armies using Armenian cataphract archers. It's not definitive but it will give an example to newer players how to use the weakness of Spartans against them.
Look for a folder called "replays" in your RTW folder. If it doesn't exist, make it. Move this file in there.
Start up the game and select the "load" option. There will be another option to load a saved battle replay.
I like your tactic, but it isn't the only one. Mine garantees too work as wel: http://rtw.heavengames.com/downloads/showfile.php?fileid=4121
Watch the 2nd game between SPQR and Greece.
Use only urbans and attack 1 unit of the circle phalanx formation. It will soon crumble, and a gap is created. If this occurs, your enemy has 2 options left:
-he does nothing, but then you can send your urbans through the hole in the phalanxes flanks,
-he breaks the circle formation and forms a line, but then you can easily surround him.
Although a phalanx is strong in the front, an attack with many urbans will certainly disrupt their formation within moments. When their close formation is gone, hoplites are just as vulnerable as any other unit.
Have fun crushing those bastards with cathapract archers or urbans!
[Edited on 12/28/07 @ 10:17 PM]
Excelencia
Posted on 12/31/07 @ 06:04 AM
You fight with fully upgraded armenian cataphract archers aganist spartans that not upgraded at all.
This doesnt prove ACA can beat full spartan army..
Note; spartans are also AI controlled, a proper test could only be made while playing aganist human..
Tyrith
Posted on 01/01/08 @ 09:09 AM
You're right, I didn't notice he fought with full upgraded cataphracts. And indeed, it's no human player..
Gaius Colinius File Author
Posted on 01/03/08 @ 05:41 PM
Fair point. I didn't realise that I had forgotten to upgrade the Spartans.
rachadell
Posted on 01/09/08 @ 06:56 PM
poor armenian player :(
rachadell
Posted on 01/10/08 @ 03:20 PM
This is unbelieveable! where are the spartan's upgrade !!!! full archer catas ohh
poor vote!
Gaius Colinius File Author
Posted on 03/27/08 @ 08:04 PM
Finally got back to this. I repeated with neither army upgraded and they are both roughly around the 25k denari mark. It's a comprehensive victory on medium. The same battle gets difficult on hard and impossible on very hard because of the morale penalties which you won't have to deal with online.
For info. The replay is a response to a question in this thread: http://rtw.heavengames.com/cgi-bin/forums/display.cgi?action=ct&f=1,7254,0,all
If the Spartan player makes a noob box, that would make the cata player's job easier. You can shoot individual units to death and make holes in the box. Either the player stands & leaves the holes or moves and plugs them. Either way, they are vulnerable.
If they form more of a compact square, I don't think there's any chance for the cata archers without artillery but who on earth would bother playing against an opponent like that.
General Willon
Posted on 07/04/08 @ 12:41 AM
Ever try Testudo with Guard Mode on a phalanx? Tires em to death if you do it right, even spartans.
Gaius Colinius File Author
Posted on 08/07/08 @ 07:07 PM
That's an interesting idea and I tried it out tonight. See the results here (http://rtw.heavengames.com/downloads/showfile.php?fileid=4357).