What Is the Best Way for Urban Cohorts to Face Cataphracts in OG Rome: Total War?

As per your request :)
How Urban Cohorts should face incoming Cataphract charge?
Combatants: 1 x Urban Cohort vs. 1 x Cataphract (5 pairs)
Terrain: Grasslands
Players: Both sides are controlled by human player
Tactics: Not allowed, alt attack and pila can be used
You can make guess about the battle result in the poll that is posted before the video, or in the comment field below. :)
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00:00 No pila
02:33 1 Pila volley
04:02 2 Pila volleys
06:24 Is wedge formation good?
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If you are a fan of Rome: Total War or like to play it, I recommend checking this video out. You can learn about Urban Cohorts, Cataphracts, and how they perform in the game. You also get to enjoy a visually pleasing historical battle.
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[@napoleoncomplex2712]

This is the last time I listen to you lot. :p Also still think my 'town watch as human shields' strategy has merit.

[@qualityoldgames7721]

I concede that the town watch would definitely help :) Thanks for the comment.

[@micalangenburg1706]

5:21
That 1 Lone Centurion having a 1 vs 1 fight to the death, duel with the Cataphract 😙🤌

[@qualityoldgames7721]

Indeed. Centurions are chads :) Thanks for the comment.

[@infantilepillock1687]

We can see another way the AI cheats in the game: None of the Urbans got to throw their Pila, because they were engaged in melee. But when I as the player engage AI units in melee, they often manage to throw/fire a full volley...

[@rorschach1985ify]

I found the best way to get your troops to fire even in melee is to order them to halt then order them to fire, this will have them all to stop and then start loading to fire even after they clash in melee.

[@qualityoldgames7721]

Thanks for the comment. Imo it can be done as player as well but as this battle shows, it can be rather difficult :)

[@qualityoldgames7721]

@@rorschach1985ify Yea, that is the trick :) Thanks for the comment.

[@infantilepillock1687]

@@rorschach1985ify thanks, I will try that!

[@SnorriTheLlama]

Wedge formation = I want to look cool as I suicide my general into troops I could probably break with a normal formation charge. If he survives, this one star general will become the heir.

[@ert8968]

Wedge formation= Only useful with alot of micro and even then the difference is minimal

[@CommanderNissan]

The Alexander test

[@qualityoldgames7721]

Thanks for the comment. I have seen a vid where several of them charge after each other with great efficiency but at least when I use it, the results are dubious at best :)

[@squishymusic9723]

This surprised me, I was convinced that when units melee'd into throwing javelins they were cancelled and the unit suffered heavily for it

[@qualityoldgames7721]

Thanks for the comment. In this case, imo the AP quality of the pila was really useful :)

[@Morgowitch]

I think that was my guess in the vote; when watching the video I however thought that just Melee would be better because I thought it would bug out like in the double throw from the start. Didn't think the pila would have any impact at all when being pushed around.

[@qualityoldgames7721]

Thanks for the comment. Imo the pila ap is really important, so 1st volley is very important :)

[@kianbakker3691]

in test 1 the urbans managed to route 1 of the catatphracts didn't they?

[@qualityoldgames7721]

Ah, you are absolutely right. My bad (I was even focusing on that particular battle in the end... :D) Thanks for the comment.

[@hammer3721]

Based Cataphracts.

[@qualityoldgames7721]

:) Thanks for the comment.

[@Warmaker01]

I remember with even the original Rome Total Realism mod for this game in the mid-2000s, facing a bunch of Cataphracts was even harder as the Romans. Urban Cohorts were ahistorical, so they were gone from the Roman rosters. You had to get around this with other ways, i.e. getting some spearmen or something to absorb the initial charge.
But this was rare to see on RTR campaigns. Factions with Cataphracts were in the east and had an unenviable strategic position. The Seleucids have a bad time with so many strategic problems in multiple directions + unrest that they get grinded down and die. So you typically don't see a powerful Seleucid army with many if at all late game units. Anyone that conquers the Seleucids inherit the same strategic and internal unrest problems they faced. Parthia, Armenia could take over Seleucid lands but if any, Parthia was the one most likely to do it. But as long as there was continued chaos in the Near East, this benefit the Roman as they slowly made their way in that direction.

[@qualityoldgames7721]

Agreed on that. Urbans just seem to make any Roman Spear unit rather obsolete :) Thanks for the comment.