Tactical post

[mitra]

I propose to discute in this post about the tactical tips and test made in the game, and the differences we find respect MTW2.

[mitra]

Skirmishing phase:

- distance: respect to TW series, the missile have little or nothing effect to long distanc; they can only cause wounded to no-armoured units. They start to cause dead to no armoured units at medium distance, and to heavy units only at short distance and not frontally (i suppose for the shield presence). Also the unit density change the missile effect. So respect the TW games here the skirmish has to be made very close.

- Take the higher ground permit to defend better or attacker better against/with the missiles units.

- run to hit the archers: the classical TW tactics against the archers, launch a light cavalry to attack them, is not a good idea. The moral of no-knight cavalry can collapse very rapidly if run without support, and under short distance missile fire. Better use it in more intelligent modality.

- cavalry archers: the cavalry archers can be very useful to hit the heavy cavalry charge on the flank, and to destroy the army cohesion. If pursued she caused much damage. But to hit with efficiency she must go very close (or over a high terrain), and so she can be hit be foot archers or can be taked by a counter-charge. That because in the game the cavalry in movement changes direction with a U movement of all the unit (very realistic and correct thing), not with a turn of the front of the single man, so the time to run is shorter respect to TW.

[Tomisama]

My most immediate noted difference was that the default speed of the cavalry is set to run. This is very different from all TW games, and very annoying. All other units appropriately walk first and only run when commanded, the cavalry should too.

[mitra]

Me too is see this, it is very annoying for walk in formation, but in battle I found useful. Many times at MTW2, I click two times for make to run a cavalry, but after i see she walk because i click for error one or three times.

Anyway if you give a ctrl+A at the start of battle and press "walk", all the cavarly will continue to walk just to first run command you set for each unit.

[mitra]

- Against the pikemen, the swordmen are more useful that other pikemen. They inflict to these more losses in minor time.

- I prefer to use the pikemen against the cav. in deep formations and compact. So it is more probable to block in fixed position the horsemen.

[MARIAN]

In the game not all so simply as can seem. And by a cavalry it is possible to win over pikemen, and there are the cases when knights lose to swordsmen. ;)
P.S.
Pikemen from Kyivan Rus' and arabic pikemen are more powerful than other.

[mitra]

Sure the exceptions to rule exist. But in general resist to a cavalry charge with swordmen isn't a very good idea I saw. Too many losses. Better attack when the cavalry is fixed or in coordination with other cavalry.

The pike of not-western are better (like many others units type). but they are also high-priced :grin:

[MARIAN]

The pike of not-western are better (like many others units type). but they are also high-priced :grin:
They cost that ;) IMHO.

[mitra]

I saw this possibility, which use the enemy self control: i launch a cavalry unit (better no irregular, sergeants if possible but also mounted archers) in a frontal or lateral attack. At last moment i turn back the unit (one or more time this movement). This movement can stimulate the enemy with high self control to leave the formation to try to attack; with the AI is more easy, but also vs human, this cause problems to maintain a coherent line when many units start to attack. If your army is not far, you can a rapid attack when the adversary try to reorganize his line.

It is better change the cavalry unit used for this work, because the fatigue grow rapidly, and it is necessary make attention to enemy shooters.

[MARIAN]

Enemy shooters, yes it is a serious problem ;)
Horse archers can become a large problem for any player. But also they are not omnipotent.

[mitra]

True, the important thing it is not run back them with the cavalry, block the flanks against obstacles and cover the army with the foot archers.

[mitra]

When a enemy units start to wavering (white flag pulsing), attack or simulate a charge before they return to normal; this can permit to cause the collapse of unit before the contact.

[MARIAN]

Yep ! :)

[mitra]

If with only cavalry units you must attack a big group of infantry units, make them run in different directions, splitting your cavalry in all sides. Don't charge where the mass is deep but where is thin so your cavalry can crack and continue to move without stop. So the tactic is "move move move charge get away move move charge...".

[MARIAN]

You are right.
Rudely speaking principle of game: battle is nonsense, main it is manoeuvres

[mitra]

When the enemy lancers try to hit you in cuneus formation, intercept them charging over the flank in line formation: this cause big losse specially if the mass is big.

[mitra]

When start the battle subdivide the army in two blocks and march with them at some distance one from other (not to far). The blocks must be autonomous, so they must have inf,arch. and cav.. They can fight separatly and support one with other without risk to create a big mass unmanouvrable by the merging of all army.

If the composition of your army permit this: you can separate from these two groups somes cavalry units and create a third reserve group to launch to attack in the best moment.

Use group separate also for the horse archers.

[mitra]

The strong point of mongol faction are two:

- very big horse archers units
- cavalry without self control (very disciplined)

The weak points:

- no infantry units as support
- to parity of money, you will have a weaker army in number (also if of big quality).

The best strategy is to try to divide the enemy cavalry from the infantry, and destroy them in different moment.

[MARIAN]

mongols very interesting faction and look not like on other factions