Becoming Emperor isn't easy;
sooner or later, you're going to have to go to war. It
pays to know your enemies, so read up.
Find your foe on the
tribe list below:
Carthaginian
Tribe |
Carthaginians |
Home Province |
Carthage |
Troop Types |
Light infantry (spearmen)
and war elephants |
Threat Level |
Moderate. This is a
professional army, and a large one. |
Tactics |
Carthaginians attack in good
order, light infantry in front of
elephants. Roman tactics: Have lots of
slingers concentrate fire on the nearest
elephants, who will balk and eventually
run amok. Then you can cut the light
infantry to pieces. |
|
Greek
Tribe |
Greeks |
Home Province |
Achaea |
Troop Types |
Heavy infantry (pikemen);
light infantry (pikemen); missile troops
(slingers) |
Threat Level |
Dangerous |
Tactics |
Light infantry usually
attacks ahead of the heavy Hoplites, and
those pikes have a long reach. Your
chances of victory are slim unless your
troops are numerically equal or superior. |
Roman Tactics |
If your slingers can disrupt
their light infantry's line, the Greeks
may halt to reorganize before the
Hoplites can engage. A Roman charge,
timed perfectly, may rout them. Try to
hit their slingers, too, if you see an
opening. |
|
Egyptian
Tribe |
Egyptians |
Home Province |
Aegyptus |
Troop Types |
Heavy infantry (spearmen);
light infantry (swordsmen); missile
troops (bowmen) |
Threat Level |
Fairly high; these are big
formations of disciplined regular troops.
Man for man, however, they are mediocre
fighters. |
Tactics |
Egyptians like to try
flanking attacks, formed in columns,
while their bowmen concentrate on the
threatened wing of your army. |
Roman Tactics |
Pre-empt the flanking
maneuver by striking the Egyptians while
they're in motion. Use the largest
columns of heavy infantry and auxiliaries
you can muster. Keep out of range of
their bowmen as long as you can until
their supporting infantry is tired, then
attack the bowmen using the tortoise
formation. |
|
Parthian
Tribes |
Galatians, Armenians,
Parthians |
Home Provinces |
Cappadocia, Armenia,
Mesopotamia |
Troop Types |
Cavalry/missile troops
(horse-archers); light infantry
(swordsmen) |
Threat Level |
Very dangerous. |
Tactics |
Light infantry will attack
first, usually trying to turn one of your
wings. They are clad in mail armor, which
makes them dangerous in close combat. |
Roman Tactics |
Deal with the light infantry
first, even if you must turn your entire
wing against them. The horsemen will
rarely dismount and come to their aid.
Once the light infantry have been
neutralized, attack the cavalry in front
with two units in tortoise formation,
then smite them on the flank with heavy
infantry. (Special note: Unless you're
experienced and have a very large force,
your chances of victory are actually
better if you turn command over to the
computer!) |
|
North
African
Tribes |
Mauri, Blemmyes |
Home Provinces |
Mauretania, Cyrenaica,
Africa Proconsularis |
Troop Types: |
Heavy infantry (spearmen);
Light infantry (swordsmen); Missile
troops (bowmen) |
Threat Level |
Low |
Tactics |
Mass attacks that often
result in confusion. |
Roman Tactics |
Enter tortoise formation and
let them come. Send a column or two after
their bowmen, then turn your columns on
the infantry mass and strike them in the
rear. As soon as the bowmen break and
run, order "pursuit." |
|
Phoenician
Tribes |
Judians,
Phoenicians, Cypriots |
Home
Provinces |
Judea,
Syria, Cyprus |
Troop
Types |
Light
infantry (swordsmen); Missile troops
(bowmen) |
Threat
Level |
Low |
Tactics |
Rudimentary |
Roman
Tactics |
About
the only blunder you can make is a
premature charge at the bowmen, who tend
to be numerous. Cut down as many of the
light infantry as possible to lower
morale, then go all-out for the bowmen.
Victory should be yours. |
|
Mediterranean
Tribes |
Macedonians,
Thracians, Cretans, Seleucids |
Home
Provinces |
Campania,
Macedonia, Creta, Caria, Thracia |
Troop
Types |
Heavy
infantry (pikemen); Light infantry
(pikemen); Missile troops (slingers) |
Threat
Level |
Moderate
to High |
Tactics |
Their
pikemen are very dangerous in defense.
Tie them down with light infantry formed
in tortoise, then strike their flank with
heavy troops. You can usually ignore
their slingers, who are neither numerous
nor very good. If you're outnumbered,
just form all units into tortoise defense
and let the enemy wear himself out.
Mediterranean armies rarely try flanking
maneuvers, so you can extend light units
out from your flanks, in effect boxing
them in. |
|
Turkish
Tribes |
Cilicians;
Bithynians |
Home
Provinces |
Lycia
Et Pamphylia, Bithynia Et Pontus |
Troop
Types |
Heavy
infantry (spearmen); Light infantry
(spearmen); Missile troops (bowmen) |
Threat
Level |
Low to
Moderate |
Tactics |
Their
infantry tend to spread out when
attacking; don't break your line with
flanking maneuvers until the Turks are
heavily engaged -- the very chaotic
nature of their movements makes them
unpredictable, and they will take
advantage of any openings. |
Roman
Tactics |
When
the Turks are committed fully, flank them
with your auxiliaries, then order a
methodical advance with your heavies;
keep your slingers behind them and
advance them in step with the heavies. |
|
Slavic
Tribes |
Dalmatians,
Scordiscans |
Home
Provinces |
Illyricum,
Dacia |
Troop
Types |
Heavy
infantry (swordsmen); Light infantry
(spearmen); Missile troops (axemen) |
Threat
Level |
Pushovers |
Tactics |
Disorganized
attacks, often aimed at slinger units. |
Roman
Tactics |
Just
remember to protect your slingers with an
infantry screen, and they'll wreak havoc
at close range. |
|
Tribes |
Celtiberians;
Sicilians |
Home
Provinces |
Hispania
Tarraconensis, Baetica, Lusitania, Sicila |
Troop
Types |
Heavy
infantry (swordsmen); Light infantry
(spearmen); Missile troops (bowmen) |
Threat
Level |
Low |
Tactics |
They'll
attempt to outflank you, but usually get
disorganized in the process. They tend to
appear in large numbers, however, so
don't get lazy. |
|
Roman
Tactics |
As
soon as the Iberian flanking movement
loses cohesion (their troops will more or
less mill around aimlessly), smash them
with columns of heavy infantry. Station a
century of infantry behind your slingers,
and move them to intercept any
threatening Iberians. |
Gaulish
Tribe |
Gauls |
Home
Provinces |
Gallia
Narbonensis, Gallia Lugudunensis,
Aquitania |
Troop
Types |
Heavy
infantry (swordsmen); light infantry
(spearmen); Missile troops (bowmen) |
Threat
Level |
Generally
low, but their ferocity can make them
dangerous |
Tactics |
Reckless,
precipitate attacks. Flanking attempts
quickly become disorganized, but their
numerous heavy infantry can go berserk
and do lots of damage. |
Roman
Tactics |
Keep
your wings strong and you should be all
right. You might also consider a
"sucker play" -- withdraw just
before the Gauls make contact -- the
farther they have to advance, the more
confused they become. |
|
Germanic
Tribes |
Pannoniae,
Chatti, Frisians |
Home
Provinces |
Pannonia,
Germania Superior, Germania Inferior |
Troop
Types |
Heavy
infantry (swordsmen); Light infantry
(spearmen); Missile troops (axemen) |
Threat
Level |
Moderately
dangerous |
Tactics |
They
will close quickly and charge with their
axemen. |
Roman
Tactics |
Form
your men with a couple of columns on each
wing -- light infantry will do, if you
can't spare any heavies. Move one column
out to intercept flankers, use the other
to hit the enemy center when it's still
two-three squares away from contact;
hopefully, this will take the steam out
of the axemens' assault. If you're
greatly outnumbered, form all units into
a tortoise and move the whole cohort
off-center, throwing the Germans
off-balance. |
|
Briton
Tribe |
Britons |
Home
Province |
Britannia |
Troop
Types |
Heavy
infantry (swordsmen); light infantry
(swordsmen); Missile troops (bowmen) |
Threat
Level |
Extremely
high |
Tactics |
British
armies are disciplined and skilled
tacticians, and are quite adept at
flanking maneuvers. Their bowmen are both
numerous and lethal and tend to appear in
large numbers. |
Roman
Tactics |
Brave
as they are, they're still barbarians,
and they tend to become disorganized.
Your best bet is to hit them in the
flanks before they can hit you in the
center. Despite the rain of arrows you
must endure, avoid direct attacks on
their archers until you've broken their
infantry. |
|
Pict
Tribe |
Picts |
Home
Provinces |
Caledonia,
Hibernia |
Troop
Types |
Heavy
infantry (swordsmen); light infantry
(swordsmen); Missile troops (bowmen) |
Threat
Level |
Deadly |
Tactics |
The
Picts are bad news; they can outflank,
they like to mount quick sorties against
your missile units, and they fight like
demons. |
Roman
Tactics |
If
you're in Brittania, hire lots of Mauri
bowmen and try to thin out the Pictish
ranks as they advance. Use light infantry
in tortoise to break up their charge,
then deliver short, sharp ripostes with
your heavy formations. Always protect
your slingers -- Picts are drawn to them
like iron filings to a magnet. And don't
even think about attacking their archers
until you settle the hash of their heavy
infantry. Your only real advantage
against this valorous foe is the fact
that they can't maintain a tight
formation. Capitalize on that in any way
you can, but be ready for a brutal
engagement. |
|
Alamanni
Tribe |
Alamanni |
Home
Province |
Noricum
Exterior |
Troop
Types |
Heavy
infantry (swordsmen); Light infantry
(spearmen); Missile troops (axemen) |
Threat
Level |
Moderate |
Tactics |
They'll
try to close with their axemen, and if
you let them, there will be great
slaughter and loss of morale. |
Roman
Tactics |
Try
shallow flanking attacks to slow them
down, but put the center of your line in
tortoise formation. If you can avoid the
full impact of their axemen, and can
inflict even moderate losses, the
Alamanni tend to loose heart very
quickly. When their morale declines,
deliver another flank attack. |
|
Arab
Tribe |
Arabs |
Home
Province |
None
-- they appear along the silk trade
routes in many areas. |
Troop
Types |
Heavy
infantry (spearmen); Light infantry
(spearmen) Missile troops (bowmen) |
Threat
Level |
Very
Dangerous |
Tactics |
Arab
armies tend to have huge contingents of
archers. Very dangerous at a distance,
the bowmen are also impetuous and tend to
break formation. |
Roman
Tactics |
Of
course, when the archers are moving, they
aren't shooting. Keep your men out of
range and wait for that moment. Without
their bowmens' support, Arab infantry can
be crushed. |
|
Numidian
Tribes |
Numidians |
Home
Province |
The
sea; they are pirates |
Troop
Types |
heavy
infantry (spearmen); Light infantry
(swordsmen) |
Threat
Level |
Variable,
but usually high |
Tactics |
The
large number of heavy infantry and high
level of zeal makes the Numidians
formidable raiders. |
Roman
Tactics |
Unless
you have absolute numerical superiority,
let the computer handle these battles. |
|
Vandal
Tribe |
Vandals |
Troop
Types |
Cavalry/missile
troops (horse-archers); Heavy infantry
(swordsmen) |
Threat
Level |
Variable |
Tactics |
Their
swordsmen usually attack first, but tend
to retreat when counterattacked by heavy
infantry. |
Roman
Tactics |
Tortoise
formations will blunt their attacks. Once
you've broken their infantry, try to
surround the horse-archers from all
sides, advancing your units in tortoise
formation. |
|
Visigoth
Tribe |
Visigoths |
Home
Provinces |
Dacia
Exterior, Asia Exterior |
Troop
Types |
Cavalry/missile
troops (horse-archers); Heavy infantry
(swordsmen) |
Threat
Level |
High |
Tactics |
Visigoth
tactics are basically similar to those of
the Parthian regulars. Any maneuver a
regular army can perform, they can
perform, so expect anything. |
Roman
Tactics |
Fortunately,
you won't encounter them often until
you're promoted to Emperor; if you choose
to invade one of their home provinces,
expect a long, arduous campaign. Since
their own tactics are so flexible, and
their fighting proficiency so great, your
best option is simple numerical
superiority. |
|
Hun
Tribe |
Huns |
Home
Province |
None
-- they can appear anywhere along the
silk trade routes. |
Troop
Types |
Cavalry/missile
troops (horse-archers); Heavy infantry
(swordsmen) |
Threat
Level |
Murderous |
Tactics |
The
Huns are very skilled at combined-arms
operations, mixing archers and infantry,
keeping formations, timing their moves
with uncanny skill. |
Roman
Tactics |
Better
let the computer handle these encounters.
If your ego demands personal control,
however, form a line and a column to deal
with their swordsmen, form the rest of
your men into a compact mass, in tortoise
formation, and try to cut through to
their horse-archers just as soon as they
start firing. |
|
Saxon
Tribe |
Saxons |
Home
Province |
Germania
Exterior |
Troop
Types |
Heavy
infantry (swordsmen); Light infantry
(swordsmen); Missile troops (bowmen) |
Threat
Level |
Extremely
Dangerous |
Tactics |
Saxon
armiefs combine the ferocity of a
barbarian army with the discipline of
seasoned regulars. |
Roman
Tactics |
Bring
along as many archers/slingers as you
can. Saxon missile formations tend to be
small and can be smothered with Roman
firepower. Meet their infantry attack
with strong formations on both wings, and
extend them early in the fight. If you
can distract them with these flanking
attacks, your heavy infantry, in the
center, may -- and I emphasize
"may" -- be able to push them
back. Once again, numerical superiority
is highly desirable, but a fight with the
Saxons is always going to be a desperate
and dicey enterprise. |
|
|