Koshinn
09-23-13, 20:45
Anyone here play Rome II Total War?
I've been playing a lot lately between Squadron Officer School, studying for the CISSP, practicing chess, and sleeping a lot.
After a lot of trial and error, I've decided that my favorite nation is Ptolemaic Egypt, which is fitting since my username is Skhmt. The ability to field the best phalangites, long swordsman, and archers along with the second or third best cav AND war elephants is just too good to pass up. I beat down a Spartan phalanx with hoplite support the other day and slaughtered a Roman praetorian blob whose player thought it was a good idea to charge directly into a thicket of sarissa.
I used to play Macedon, but their lack of good melee infantry and elephants made me sad. They do have good melee cav though... But their main appeal, the phalanx, can be done just as well by Egypt, but with better support. Long swords are vital to my version of the phalanx, able to deal with any skirmishers or units trying to flank my phalangites. Also, war elephants absolutely maul cav and most infantry... Yes they get sad when shot with flaming arrows (who wouldn't?), but that's why I use archers, to beat enemy missile infantry.
So my plan is basically kill their javelins or slingers with my archers, march my phalanx towards them, best their cav with elephants, then roll up their flanks with said elephants and additional cav support. Sort of hammer & anvil in principle, but my phalanx makeup is completely different than what Alexander would have done.
I can beat straight up pike boxes because of my massive arrow/javelin support (elephants and swordsmen have javelins too). Smart Romans give me a little trouble though, since testudo makes them hard to hurt with arrows, they all have pila, and they aren't hurt quite as much by flanking. I end up having to actually out think them.
I've been playing a lot lately between Squadron Officer School, studying for the CISSP, practicing chess, and sleeping a lot.
After a lot of trial and error, I've decided that my favorite nation is Ptolemaic Egypt, which is fitting since my username is Skhmt. The ability to field the best phalangites, long swordsman, and archers along with the second or third best cav AND war elephants is just too good to pass up. I beat down a Spartan phalanx with hoplite support the other day and slaughtered a Roman praetorian blob whose player thought it was a good idea to charge directly into a thicket of sarissa.
I used to play Macedon, but their lack of good melee infantry and elephants made me sad. They do have good melee cav though... But their main appeal, the phalanx, can be done just as well by Egypt, but with better support. Long swords are vital to my version of the phalanx, able to deal with any skirmishers or units trying to flank my phalangites. Also, war elephants absolutely maul cav and most infantry... Yes they get sad when shot with flaming arrows (who wouldn't?), but that's why I use archers, to beat enemy missile infantry.
So my plan is basically kill their javelins or slingers with my archers, march my phalanx towards them, best their cav with elephants, then roll up their flanks with said elephants and additional cav support. Sort of hammer & anvil in principle, but my phalanx makeup is completely different than what Alexander would have done.
I can beat straight up pike boxes because of my massive arrow/javelin support (elephants and swordsmen have javelins too). Smart Romans give me a little trouble though, since testudo makes them hard to hurt with arrows, they all have pila, and they aren't hurt quite as much by flanking. I end up having to actually out think them.