Battle Tactics

[Lord Matt]

Well, today I started a new campaign and I need some adivices about tactics.
I prefer to stay on the defensive in both campaign and battle maps and during battles I'm highly dependent of cavalry to charge and break through the enemy lines, but this is hard to do using the "great roman cavalry". So when I attack, most of the battles I manage to win but with heavy losses that are hard to replenish. Then next turn I get attacked by hordes of barbarians or macedonians that crush me.
So I ask you, what should I analyze on both campaign and battle maps to attack the enemy and how can I make a good use of roman legionaries?

[Raglan]

more than anything, i recommend you have a read of this guide by hesus. SPQR Guide : How to survive the first fifteen turns
it should help immensely.

However failing that, my advice is to try and use your triarii in a similar role. Place them on one flank and then make them move around. They should be able to roll up the lines once every one is committed. Its a tactic i use regularly, and rarely fail with.

[Lord Matt]

Thanks for your reply Raglan.
After defeating Hannibal and Theophanes, with only Quintus Julius' army I realized how powerful the Triarii are. My velites killed the carthaginians elephants, the hastatii and principes held the line, the Triarii held the flanks and after some time I envolved the enemy with the Triarii and with the cavalry. I lost 553 men in the first battle and 718 in the second battle.
Then I sent my armies north and retrained them. After a few turns without any battles, I got attacked by 4 Gauls armies. This is the result:



Those Triarii are really saviors of the day.

[Raglan]

that's a pretty impressive result. Hannibal and Theophanes with those casualties are a very good result. I expect that's a battle you'll remember for a long time. And that's the thing i love about this mod. But yeah, keep your velites (and other missiles in general) for the tough nuts, such a elephant units. And roll the flanks with your triarii on one flank, and cavalry on the other, and you'll win a large number of battles. Though don't assume it'll work every time. Cause i've had more than a few where it doesn't, lol.

[Legionary_Pullo]

You can also use your velites against enemy cavalry....they are excellent cavalry killers too...

[Algaman]

Another good tactic -excuse me if I´m obvious- is to use the full javelin manpower of your army. When enemies attack me I use the configuration of "fire at will" of my legionaries, It means 10 cohorts firing javelins, plus velites, plus slingers or archers. I use this tactic early in game, when Hannibal attacked me, just I order not to fire to some velites I kept for elephants, but the rest of the legion had the fire at will command. I waited for the carthaginians and then when they were close enough, my men fired. Yeah, I suffered losses because they had archers, but I hostigate them with my cavalry, and at flanks I use the triarii -excelent warriors- and protect infantry from horse attacks
So at the beginning of battle, my enemies lose 30% of their army. After that let Velites to crush elephants or cavalry, keep slingers safe behind firing horses or enemy skirmishers and reserve triarii and horse for final attacks, keep 4 or 5 legionary cohorts to help the front line and enjoy war.
jajajaja