Enemy javelins are fairly OP in this mod IMHO. This has the effect of making leading crazy charges quite dangerous to you personally. But this is only true when, first, the enemy is not already engaged, second, they haven't exhausted their ammo, and third, they are not routing.

My typical engagements look like this. I ride ahead to scout, backing off as soon as I'm getting into missile engagement range and start taking fire. If possible, bait their cavalry into separating from their main force and leading them toward my main force to get messed up. If not, wait until the armies close and position with my cav on the flank, incur into their rear. Once the infantry lines join, give it a bit of time until you start winning the infantry fight, then charge from behind to cause a rout. If infantry fight is hard, may charge earlier, but that will cost a lot of expensive-to-replace cav. The most interesting thing starts when the enemy routs. This is where you have a limited time to inflict massive casualties risk-free and when personal performance shines, as you ride down and spear dozens of fleeing enemies who are not resisting. The trick is not to overdo it and end up engaging with their next reinforcements while your own troops are scattered all over the field. You have to break off in time and form a new line and get your cav behind it or they will get picked off by the organized enemy reinforcements.

So, it's phases, which you have carefully control. First, careful and disciplined moving and positioning, joining of formations and the classical line-v-line grinding. This phase is all about cold logic and control, no heroics. Then - a crushing charge and pursuit, which is an epic spike of unmitigated berserker violence, hopefully a massive bloodbath. And finally, disengaging and regrouping, going back to the cold logic and control mode needed to engage a fresh new line coming to reinforce.

As for which legion, I honestly don't find much difference. Sure, some differ in equipment, but in the grand scheme of things, heavy infantry is heavy infantry, so: "meh".

You are underestimating the archers, though. On the field, yes, they are not too much use (though helps against annoying enemy skirmish riders who think speed is omnipotence). But on either side of a siege, you need missile troops, IMHO. Shields only protect from one side, and they can't be used when engaging. If you are the defender, archers deployed to the right hand side (or even behind, and often even above, or to both sides, as some fortifications allow) will absolutely slaughter melee enemies when they can get a shot at unprotected sides of enemy troops. And if you are attacking then the same applies to you, and there's only one way to counter I know: suppressive fire from your own archers.

As for what I personally go for, that's a different question with different answers depending on game stage, because there are more issues than just what's best.

While money is an issue, a mix of cost-effective medium-heavy infantry and archers seems best to me, and the cavalry role is (just barely) filled by the player and companions, who can't be killed, thus avoiding cavalry's massive replacement costs.

After the "Aureii on the table, Denarii on the floor" stage, I do a very cavalry-heavy personal retinue-style army for myself. This has the advantage of massive strategic mobility, lets me catch enemy mixed armies weaker than me and evade those stronger than me. This is perfect for skirmishing and raiding, or helping out in a war other commanders are leading and I'm just tagging along for fun and the glory of Rome. :)

My other armies and garrisons, in the meantime, will have heavy infantry and archers, and from them, similarly to how modern military operates, I'd assemble a task force depending on the anticipated mission to augment my core cavalry. If the war is against a near-peer opponent and we haven't destroyed their armies yet, then the task force will have a lot of heavy infantry for grinding in a field battle. If the field is already dominated by Rome, and we're talking about a big siege, then more archers than normal are needed.

To be fair, a lot of that is for RP purposes. I'm sure you can win in other ways, possibly more efficiently than I do.

Originally posted by BanDHMO:

Enemy javelins are fairly OP in this mod IMHO. This has the effect of making leading crazy charges quite dangerous to you personally. But this is only true when, first, the enemy is not already engaged, second, they haven't exhausted their ammo, and third, they are not routing.

My typical engagements look like this. I ride ahead to scout, backing off as soon as I'm getting into missile engagement range and start taking fire. If possible, bait their cavalry into separating from their main force and leading them toward my main force to get messed up. If not, wait until the armies close and position with my cav on the flank, incur into their rear. Once the infantry lines join, give it a bit of time until you start winning the infantry fight, then charge from behind to cause a rout. If infantry fight is hard, may charge earlier, but that will cost a lot of expensive-to-replace cav. The most interesting thing starts when the enemy routs. This is where you have a limited time to inflict massive casualties risk-free and when personal performance shines, as you ride down and spear dozens of fleeing enemies who are not resisting. The trick is not to overdo it and end up engaging with their next reinforcements while your own troops are scattered all over the field. You have to break off in time and form a new line and get your cav behind it or they will get picked off by the organized enemy reinforcements.

So, it's phases, which you have carefully control. First, careful and disciplined moving and positioning, joining of formations and the classical line-v-line grinding. This phase is all about cold logic and control, no heroics. Then - a crushing charge and pursuit, which is an epic spike of unmitigated berserker violence, hopefully a massive bloodbath. And finally, disengaging and regrouping, going back to the cold logic and control mode needed to engage a fresh new line coming to reinforce.

As for which legion, I honestly don't find much difference. Sure, some differ in equipment, but in the grand scheme of things, heavy infantry is heavy infantry, so: "meh".

You are underestimating the archers, though. On the field, yes, they are not too much use (though helps against annoying enemy skirmish riders who think speed is omnipotence). But on either side of a siege, you need missile troops, IMHO. Shields only protect from one side, and they can't be used when engaging. If you are the defender, archers deployed to the right hand side (or even behind, and often even above, or to both sides, as some fortifications allow) will absolutely slaughter melee enemies when they can get a shot at unprotected sides of enemy troops. And if you are attacking then the same applies to you, and there's only one way to counter I know: suppressive fire from your own archers.

As for what I personally go for, that's a different question with different answers depending on game stage, because there are more issues than just what's best.

While money is an issue, a mix of cost-effective medium-heavy infantry and archers seems best to me, and the cavalry role is (just barely) filled by the player and companions, who can't be killed, thus avoiding cavalry's massive replacement costs.

After the "Aureii on the table, Denarii on the floor" stage, I do a very cavalry-heavy personal retinue-style army for myself. This has the advantage of massive strategic mobility, lets me catch enemy mixed armies weaker than me and evade those stronger than me. This is perfect for skirmishing and raiding, or helping out in a war other commanders are leading and I'm just tagging along for fun and the glory of Rome. :)

My other armies and garrisons, in the meantime, will have heavy infantry and archers, and from them, similarly to how modern military operates, I'd assemble a task force depending on the anticipated mission to augment my core cavalry. If the war is against a near-peer opponent and we haven't destroyed their armies yet, then the task force will have a lot of heavy infantry for grinding in a field battle. If the field is already dominated by Rome, and we're talking about a big siege, then more archers than normal are needed.

To be fair, a lot of that is for RP purposes. I'm sure you can win in other ways, possibly more efficiently than I do.

Thanks dude, great advice.

Archers? What´s that? I go full out on my own legions (the custom one) and massivly spam Ballistarius. If you give them a sword, shield and the best armor ontop of ther ranged weapons (A ballista) they can hold any line as they are nearly on pair with the most veteran legion soldiers in close quaters. Also ther ranged weapons makes a mockery out of shields and they are quite often oneshoot killing the enemy. Ther biggest dissadvantages is of course they you can only recruit them after you have founded a legion, and even then you can only get them in forts and towns you control. Yes you can recruit the vanilla type in other forts and towns with barracks. But they will be lackluster due to ther poor protection due to ther bad armor and will not have a shield.

Also ther rate of fire is on the slow side. But they makes up for it by as mentioned by not caring what sort of armor or shields the enemy have. A handfull with Ballistarus defending a fort does little in the grand scale of the battle due to the low rate of fire and ther low numbers. But if you have several hundred of them... Now that is a whole other thing.

If you have founded your own auxilia unit aswell you can arm the custom archers in the same way. Now they are not as good as the Ballistarius are, but they are decent enouf with the same weapons and armor to be able to hold a line while hitting them hard at range.

My infantry regardless if it is legion or auxilia will both be armed in the same way, a bundle with five javelins, a long hasta, and a old gladius. In the open this will in theory give them a good protection from mounted attacks while also alowing them to retaliate with ther javelins, and also have a good sword for closer range fighting. In practice however, well they often forget that they can repell the enemy pony riders with spears and instead have only ther swords up. Much to my irritation. If i am defending with them i exchange the spear for another bundle with five more javelins for a total of ten.

My custom cavalry is mostly outfitted the same as the infantry, max improved armor and weapons (aside from the ballistas). Just with shields that is suited to use while on a horse. Also i make sure that they only uses armored horses. Get them either in a city in the east or order them from your own horsebreeder if you have a lantifunda. My mounted archers uses a cut down type of ballista, Gaius Marius , the vendor for all things roman in Rome can set you up with one, at a hefty prize. But they are much better than bows overall so i consider the 200 000 prize worth it. Altho they lack the punch of the infantery version as ther damage is reduced with over 50%.

My tactics varies depending on what i have. If i have enouf with cav i will use the infantery as the anvil and then have the cav slam into ther rears while they are fighting my infantery. In all cases i hold myself as the last reserve along with a small bodyguard force. But i will not hesitate to throw myself into the fight once all the reserve is commited and it is all or nothing.

How to pay for all of this? Start up manufacturies in EVERY city in the mod. And then move on to building up lantifundas when you run out of towns to build in. It will take time, and lots of money, but in the end you will earn hundreds of thousands per month, more than enouf to pay for your whims. So do the starter quests to get the funding you need to get the ball rolling.

Originally posted by BanDHMO:

Enemy javelins are fairly OP in this mod IMHO. This has the effect of making leading crazy charges quite dangerous to you personally. But this is only true when, first, the enemy is not already engaged, second, they haven't exhausted their ammo, and third, they are not routing.

My typical engagements look like this. I ride ahead to scout, backing off as soon as I'm getting into missile engagement range and start taking fire. If possible, bait their cavalry into separating from their main force and leading them toward my main force to get messed up. If not, wait until the armies close and position with my cav on the flank, incur into their rear. Once the infantry lines join, give it a bit of time until you start winning the infantry fight, then charge from behind to cause a rout. If infantry fight is hard, may charge earlier, but that will cost a lot of expensive-to-replace cav. The most interesting thing starts when the enemy routs. This is where you have a limited time to inflict massive casualties risk-free and when personal performance shines, as you ride down and spear dozens of fleeing enemies who are not resisting. The trick is not to overdo it and end up engaging with their next reinforcements while your own troops are scattered all over the field. You have to break off in time and form a new line and get your cav behind it or they will get picked off by the organized enemy reinforcements.

So, it's phases, which you have carefully control. First, careful and disciplined moving and positioning, joining of formations and the classical line-v-line grinding. This phase is all about cold logic and control, no heroics. Then - a crushing charge and pursuit, which is an epic spike of unmitigated berserker violence, hopefully a massive bloodbath. And finally, disengaging and regrouping, going back to the cold logic and control mode needed to engage a fresh new line coming to reinforce.

As for which legion, I honestly don't find much difference. Sure, some differ in equipment, but in the grand scheme of things, heavy infantry is heavy infantry, so: "meh".

You are underestimating the archers, though. On the field, yes, they are not too much use (though helps against annoying enemy skirmish riders who think speed is omnipotence). But on either side of a siege, you need missile troops, IMHO. Shields only protect from one side, and they can't be used when engaging. If you are the defender, archers deployed to the right hand side (or even behind, and often even above, or to both sides, as some fortifications allow) will absolutely slaughter melee enemies when they can get a shot at unprotected sides of enemy troops. And if you are attacking then the same applies to you, and there's only one way to counter I know: suppressive fire from your own archers.

As for what I personally go for, that's a different question with different answers depending on game stage, because there are more issues than just what's best.

While money is an issue, a mix of cost-effective medium-heavy infantry and archers seems best to me, and the cavalry role is (just barely) filled by the player and companions, who can't be killed, thus avoiding cavalry's massive replacement costs.

After the "Aureii on the table, Denarii on the floor" stage, I do a very cavalry-heavy personal retinue-style army for myself. This has the advantage of massive strategic mobility, lets me catch enemy mixed armies weaker than me and evade those stronger than me. This is perfect for skirmishing and raiding, or helping out in a war other commanders are leading and I'm just tagging along for fun and the glory of Rome. :)

My other armies and garrisons, in the meantime, will have heavy infantry and archers, and from them, similarly to how modern military operates, I'd assemble a task force depending on the anticipated mission to augment my core cavalry. If the war is against a near-peer opponent and we haven't destroyed their armies yet, then the task force will have a lot of heavy infantry for grinding in a field battle. If the field is already dominated by Rome, and we're talking about a big siege, then more archers than normal are needed.

To be fair, a lot of that is for RP purposes. I'm sure you can win in other ways, possibly more efficiently than I do.

This is quite literally how I play the game. Wish we were co emperors of the east and the west in a 5th century ad mod lol

Originally posted by barissaaydinn:

This is quite literally how I play the game. Wish we were co emperors of the east and the west in a 5th century ad mod lol

:) For the glory of Rome!

(Also something-something about absolute personal power and divinity.)