How does one go about beating Spartans

[Gyrion]

Just as the title says I seem to be unable to beat Spartan infantry almost always, (I tend to play Seleucids, Romans or either of the Celtic Factions) what do I do or how do I beat them?

[sphyrth]

Any specifics? There are those typical cav-rushers even with Spartans. There are Skiritai Commando Rushers, and those who just want to pump out their chamions: The Spartan Hoplites.

If I remember correctly, the Spartans have a population penalty. So you can might want to plan against that.

[Alekusu]

Yes Spartans have a pop cap at 270 so you might have the edge on late game.

[Gyrion]

Well with who I play there tends to be a trend in their elite Hoplites and their Commandos. I had no way to beat them with the Seleucids and really struggled as Rome. Would the rule of thumb be you need to have your own troops heavily upgraded, no cavalry and utilise ranged units to wittle down their health whilst your melee infantry fight them? Something like that maybe?

[sphyrth]

Vanilla
The Skiritai Commando Rush heavily depends on metal. If you can find a way to starve your opponent from having them, then you're good to go.... Just in case, destroy his Market as well.
No metal, no Commandos, no Phase 3, no Hard-hitting Hoplites.
On your end, if you can find a way to distract the main army so that your Siege Elephants can destroy his base, do it.

Delenda Est
Search and Destroy as many Mess Halls as you can. Keep those Hoplite population to a minimum.

I think I'm going to present my answers in this format from now on.

 

[Gyrion]

Thanks so much guys gotta say the 0 AD community is so good. Is there anywhere I can make like a 0 AD blog i guess where I can ask all my relentless questions in one post?

[sphyrth]

You can ask all in here, or you can make a separate thread for some things you want to be specific about. However you want I guess.

[Alekusu]

To be fair, you take two players with same level, one with Spartan, one with Seleucids... well spartans wins 9 out of 10 imo.

On phase 2, mass cavalry archers won't stop mass Skiriitai imo. 

 

[Lion.Kanzen]

I think we have a wikia.( not official)

http://0ad.wikia.com/

[causative]

If you're talking about PvP:  with Seleucids in the late game, you can mass 100+ Dahae Horse Archers.  Get the cavalry hero that gives +2 armor and research the technology at the fortress that gives +20% HP.  (also don't forget walk speed upgrades in the corral, and regular upgrades at the blacksmith.)  Shoot their slow moving infantry with arrows, retreat the horse archers when their infantry gets too close.  Garrison injured horse archers in temples to heal.  If the game goes on very long you can gradually switch over to chariot champions, or alternatively get melee cavalry champs to raid their women/traders.

If the Spartan does a proper Skiritai rush, you basically can't stop it once it gets going.  Instead you have to rush them first in age 1.

Also, general advice for any civ:

 

[Grugnas]

imho you can't really counter skiritai rush.

Your only hope would be to use Roman or Macedonian spear cavalry and wipe out women max at minute 5, otherwise it is GG already.

If you mean "how do i counter spartan champions", you should be sure to have taken a civ with spearmen champions and citizen soldiers skirmishers/slingers or mercenary champion skirmishers like Macedonians / Athenians / Persia / Britons (they have really good champion skirmish cavalry, spearmen citizen soldiers or swordmen champion who can tank damage).