Cruel Carthaginian Tactic

By Ignoramus

This tactic works for the 15000 denarii budget.

Units

First you will need 4 Elephant units. These will be one of the most important units of this Strategy. Next, 4 units of Sacred Band Infantry, these units are your best infantry and can form the phalanx. Next, get 2 units of Balearic Slingers and 2 units of Skirmishers. These will be your ranged units. Then get 4 units of Sacred Band Cavalry. Then 3 units of Poeni Infantry. And last of all an Onager. Give one unit of Armour to one of your SBI (Sacred Band Infantry).

Deployment

Deploy your SBI in your center in a line in a phalanx with your Poeni Infantry in a phalanx line directly behind you SBI. Then place 2 units of Elephants either side of your infantry center. Place 1 unit of Skirmishers in front of the 2 groups of Elephants. Then place a unit of Balearic Singers in front of the Skirmishers. Place 2 units of SBC (Sacred Band Cavalry) on your flanks. The last unit, the Onager, should go behind your infantry. This is what it should look like:

Key:

E=Elephants
B=Slingers
J=Skirmishers
P=Poeni Infantry
S=SBI
C=SBC
O=Onager

The Battle

There are several different ways to win, but it depends what your enemy has got. If he has mainly Infantry, then use your Elephants to cause havoc among them. Then use your Cavalry to engage his Cavalry. Then his army is so disorganized you can use your Poeni Infantry to engage them while leaving your SBI behind as a defense measure or you can wait for them to come to you and pepper them withe your Slingers and Onager. If he outnumbers you in Cavalry, then Use your Elephants and 3 units of your SBC and engage them while your other unit of Cavalry harasses the enemy Infantry and Archers. If he has Artillery and/or Archers, use your Elephants to charge them while your cavalry engages the enemy’s Cavalry and Infantry. Your Sacred Band Infantry should stay put until them enemy are close, by that time their infantry will be depleted and demoralized by your Elephants, tired because of marching, and getting peppered by your Slingers, Skirmishers, and Onager.

I once crushed a massive Egyptian Army containing: Heavy Chariots, Pharaoh’s Guards Pharaoh’s Bowmen, Slingers, Heavy Cavalry, and Desert Axeman with this strategy. I was outnumbered 15 to 12.