Legion Arena completed without a single battle lost

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Aleksandr
Administrative Corporal - SdKfz 251/1
Administrative Corporal - SdKfz  251/1
Posts: 142
Joined: Sun Feb 14, 2010 5:29 pm

Legion Arena completed without a single battle lost

Post by Aleksandr »

As you might noticed, I'm a quite crazy when it comes to Legion Arena. After finishing the campaigns for lots of times with lots of different cores and lots of different tactics/compositions/skills, I decided that I really MUST achieve one last goal - make it through the whole campaign without a single loss, without a single scenario replayed.

This is extremely hard, but if there's soemone who may do that, then it's me.
/shamelessness

This means that my new run (vanilla Legion Arena, Romans, Very Hard) will be a bit distinct from the rest of my tries. I won't careof the Fame and Denarii, the only thing that matters is that it'll be mine army, not the enemy one, who'll win the battle. But as I'm seriously crazy when it comes to Legion Arena, I will also try to get some reasonable score. After all, playing with a good army results in a good score - and I won't win 60+ battles in a row without using a REALLY cood army. :mrgreen:

But I'll give myself some limit, as I'm not willing to die trying. If it isn't possible to win without a bitter taste of defeat, then yeah, I'll capitulate after three unsuccessfull tries.

Wish me good luck! :)
Aleksandr
Administrative Corporal - SdKfz 251/1
Administrative Corporal - SdKfz  251/1
Posts: 142
Joined: Sun Feb 14, 2010 5:29 pm

Re: Legion Arena completed without a single battle lost

Post by Aleksandr »

I won't annoy you with a complete and battle-by-battle AARs, most of the battles are fairly easy and/or unimportant. I'll stop just at the important or tricky scenarios, and I'll also share some ideas, etc.
Imho it'll be enough if I'll post some news after each minicampaign only...

THE FIRST TRY:

1) Latium:

I've started this minicampaign by destroying the previous army, then I disbanded my new one and purchased Auxilia. Those rushed through the first three scenarios without any need for healing, the last battle (Scout the Etruscans) was won with the help of pincushion Militia.

2) The Early Republic
I've bought the second Auxilia and wished for ten Denarii more. (To have some pincushion Peasants for the Aequi Riders.) Those two had won also the Hernici Farmers, and for Coriolanus I bought a Scouts squad, so that I may use my usual "trample the Skirmishers in the open, lure the heavies into the forest". Third Auxilia joined my ranks for the Latin Dispute (and a pincushion Militia was thrown into the javelin fire). And I've won Etruscans at Caere without any pincushions at all. It's quite an easy, just take care to stay in the mud.

3) Gauls and Latins
I've purchased a fire brigade Nobles for the Men in Black and if I'd know how lucky they'd be, I wouldn't equip the first Auxilia with a level 1 swords. I went for the usual tactic: hide the Auxilias in rocky ground in east, trample-disengage-trample the level 17 enemy infantry in the open. Nobles overran some twelve of the men in black and kill a few others. But this is hardly anything else then a good luck, it has nothing to do with tactic. On my previous try, they TDTed three men only. Thus I don't pity the 50 gold wasted on a weapon.
Gallis Scouts were extremely usual, I made a vertical line of infentry supported by Archers, and run them into the rough, where they destroyed the cavalry in a minute.
Normally I buy Peasants and Militia+Velites pincushions for Thirsty Gauls, but this time I lacked the fifty Denarii, so I just purchased double Militia to block the left flank (in scrub) and eat some arrows in the top of my usual vertical infantry line (in the large rough patch on right flank). Second Auxilia was given a level 1 weapon.
I've bought two Scouts and one militia for a Skirmishers hunt (or javelins absorption?) during the Lingering Gauls. The core (three Auxilias and one Archers) stood in the SE corner and waited for the enemy to come. This is very dangerous scenario, and as you may know, it was my undoing during my last run.

A few notes on army development during the initial minicampaigns:
Neighbourly Quarrels is won with a single Auxilia nearly exclusively.
I purchase the second Auxilia at the beginning of The Early Republic and another one mid way through the minicam; pincushion units are also used, of course. (See above.)
Gauls and Latins sport some really dangerous battles. Normally I don't buy weapons this soon, but as I can't lose any scenario, and as there are battles (like MiB) where spending fifty gold on Militia is of no significance, I've bought some swords.

The skill tree development for the first ten levels is:
Auxilia: Swordsman - Anti Infantry Specialist - Feint - Advanced Swordsman - Disciplined Formation - Advanced Feint - Anti Cavalry Specialist - Endurance - Dodge
Aux. Archers: Marksmen - Anti Infantry Specialist - Drill - Advanced Marksman - Skirmish - Weakspot Targeting - Disciplined Formations - Expert Marksman - Anti Cavalry Specialist
I find the anti skills very helpful. I sometimes skip the Adv. Feint and take the Anti Cav. when there is a battle with lots of cavalry and one of my Auxilia can be promoted.

4) The First Samnite War:
I'm entering this minicampaign with three Auxilias (level 10, 7, 5) and two Aux. Archers (level 4 and 1). Legate is on level 14.
I've purchased a pincushion Peasants for the Conscript Revolt, because there are two Javelinmen on the enemy side and put my squads into a defensive cluster in a forest.
There's an immense number of enemy Skrimishers present in the Campanian Allies, so I got myself Scouts and Militia to make things easier for the core army.
Conclude the War is a limited casualties battle, so I just bought an Auxilia squad to eat some missiles on the right flank.
I've decided to purchase a Militia for the Annexation of Etruria, although I've had exactly 150 Denarii for a Scouts after I bought my third core Archers. However, Scouts won't withstand the triple Skirmishers fire, so instead of hunt for the javelimen, I just put a pincushion in their way. I didn't need to heal anyone, after this battle was over.

5) The Second Samnite War:
Leg (15), Aux (11, 8, 7), Arch (6, 4, 2)
I've bought a pincushion Militia to hold the left flank during the Relieve of Neapolis. They'll just stand in the forest and absorb some javelins. And I also purchased Nobles to TDT the enemy heavies and to help on the left flank, once it collapses. Core held the SE, with the best Archers hidden in the very right corner. Not counting the tempo troops, I've lost just four men.
Battle of Claudine Forks is another fairly hard scenario. If you fail to hold your Auxies in the harsh terrain, you're in trouble, as the heavies will destroy you in the open. After I bought the fourth Archers, I had exactly the 100 gold for double Militia bait. I've built a defensive perimeter in SW corner... and hoped for a good result. (And as always - at least one of the Auxilias was unable to remain in the bog and ran forward into the open.)
Battle of Lautulae used a usual plan - run down the Skirms with Scouts, run down the next Skirms of ammo, hold the forest.
Another usual bottleneck ahead: Etruscan Treachery. I've bought Hastati and Militia and hoped that I'll be fast enough. I need to provoke the enemy to come for my arrows... (Ufff: victorious with only 17 seconds left!)
I've bought pincushion Auxilia and Hastati for the Final Battle. The latter attacked head on the light infantry, so that AI has less jaeger units and less javelins for the core, Auxilia held the easternmost edge of the forest to abosrb missiles. Core was deeper in the woods.

6) The Third Samnite War:
Leg (17), Aux (12, 12, 11), Arch (9, 8, 7, 6)
I've bought just Principe pincushions for the Etruscans scenario, as there are four enemy Javelinmen. Other than that nothing special, "hold the forest" type of battle.
One more core squad! Battle of Sentium seen my Praetorians... and a pincushion Militia.
Another "hold the forest" battle, Samnites. This time without pincushions, I just need to shot the Skirms. (Two men lost... yawn. :-D )

Core is built. I'll enter the next minicampaign with this:
Leg (18), Aux (13, 13, 12), Arch (11, 10, 10, 9), Praet (3), Aux Cav (1)

7) Gauls and Pyrrhos:
Three bottlenecks in a row, wish me luck.
For Siege of Arretium I hid my guys in forest and bought a pincushion Peasants. Seriously, I'd use a little bit more gold, at least one hundred more for a double Militia. Aux Cav were ordered to move upwards, so that they may kill the general, seive the routed, destroy the stragglers and rush around the map like crazy until the time limits run out... (Unbelievable. My Aux Cav attacked the enemy leader and he singlehandedly routed them...)
I've won the previou battle but it cost me 800 fame. Lets see how I'll fare during the Vadimo Lake. Auxilias should be able to hold the scrubby ground...

No, they weren't.

End of first try.
Aleksandr
Administrative Corporal - SdKfz 251/1
Administrative Corporal - SdKfz  251/1
Posts: 142
Joined: Sun Feb 14, 2010 5:29 pm

Re: Legion Arena completed without a single battle lost

Post by Aleksandr »

I've made it through Messana, but I'm a little bit fed up with the campaign, namely because I can't use the army that I'd like to, and also because I bleed fame like there's no tomorrow. I'm not sure what to do. I may finish the cam, but it's too painful.
Aleksandr
Administrative Corporal - SdKfz 251/1
Administrative Corporal - SdKfz  251/1
Posts: 142
Joined: Sun Feb 14, 2010 5:29 pm

Re: Legion Arena completed without a single battle lost

Post by Aleksandr »

So, I restarted the campaign, because I disliked my build. With my new and improved army I've made it through all the scenarios until the Battle of Sambre River, where I was soundly defeated for several times.
The enemy is extremely numerous here, and AI has lots of archers and skirmishers, who go through the central forest and thus are save from my cavalry... namely in their numbers that are able to shot any approaching squad before it hits. But I haven't lost any other battle, not a single one. therefore I think that...

...to win the whole Roman campaign without a single loss is definitely a doable thing.
There are several tricky battles, but most of what the enemy may throw against us during the 64 or so battles, could be defeated. My main concern were the usual chokepoints like Siege of Arretium and Vadimo Lake (also Lingering Gauls to some extent, and of course some of the less notorious battles against heavies-heavy armies in open terrain), and there are few very tight time limit battles (like Etruscan Treachery) that are always hard to win no matter what, namely when the scenario is bugged (Aquae Sixtae anyone?) or when either a player or some squad make any nonsense: e.g. disengagement bug happens, or something like that.

Army.

More on this actual army in the usual "End of Game Army Composition" thread.
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