Renaissance Total War: Strategies

**shinryu** · November 26, 2008, 11:56 PM

I've played as the Papal States and The Holy Roman Empire, and I must say I've enjoyed both factions. They have some similar troops, and I did beef up the handguns to do more damage (just to make them more realistic), but overall I've been having a good time. Still, I think there are some clear imbalances in the faction unit compositions, and I thought it would be great if we could have a sort of strategy thread to help out all those underdog-factions. It's probably all just poor strategizing on my part, but maybe there are some tactics besides the pike-to-cavalry cavalry-to-pike ones that the newbies among us (if there are any) can learn to get us going?
Again, if there's already a thread like this, or if it really is just me being a bad general, please feel free to tell me so and shut this one down.

P.S. Like I mentioned before, I tweaked the musket units to do more damage, but I was wondering if there was any way to improve a unit's moving/marching speed? One of the major faults I'm seeing is how slow pikemen march. They can't seem to reform or readjust their position fast enough to react to cavalry movements.

**♔The Lizard King♔** · December 01, 2008, 10:24 AM

Well, I think a lot of the un-balanced faction stuff will be fixed when 3.0 comes out. Believe me, I know, and I think Scotland is the most un-balanced faction out their. They have awesome swordsmen and pikemen, and I'd love to play with them, its just the lack of gun-powder troops makes all the difference.

Do you have any specific faction in mind?

**shinryu** · December 02, 2008, 01:13 AM

My only complaint is really against the French, even if I love to play as them. No matter what faction I seem to pick (Papal States, Milanese, H.R.E.), their heavy cavalry eats up everyone's armies (including my own), and they quickly become the strongest faction on the map. From my limited experience, it seems that you can't defeat the French with any sort of "balanced" army; gunpowder troops are torn to pieces, as are any non-pike heavy infantry. However, even my spear-troops are easily flanked by their highly mobile horsemen. Now, I suppose I could go by the "rock-paper-scissor" method and build spear/cavalry exclusive armies, but that just doesn't seem to go with the spirit of the game (and the time period).

Am I wrong? :hmmm:

P.S. I know there's no set date for 3.0, but is there any news on it's progress? I'm anxiously awaiting the re-balancing of this awesome mod.

**♔The Lizard King♔** · December 03, 2008, 04:14 PM

Ah, the French, incredibly fun to play as, but horrible to fight against. I know what you mean. Yea, their heavy cavalry is a

to say little else.

The only real way to fight em' off is spaming Pikes and such- but heres a good idea I never really attempted before. If for example, you are playing as the HRE, try getting a good mix of pikes, cavalry and arquebuisers (No need for to much heavy infantry- perhaps a unit or so). Set up your Arquibusiers in a giant firing line, with skirmish mode turned off.

Have them set up their pikes (or the spears, whatever you call them) once they are up, then pull your pike men in a line, right behind the arquibuisers, but close enough so that the pikes cover the arqs. but they still can fire without hitting any of their own men.

A double line of pikes. On the side of the pikes, place your cavalry, to stop any possible flanking maneuver. Maybe this will work? Like I said, I have never really tried this, but it should work.

As for 3.0 the news is- their is no news. We've gotten some stuff done (by we, I mean DrIvstann specifically) but nothing too major. Just a few unit and event tweeks, and as far as I know every faction (except the Aztecs) have been given a musket unit- but don't hold me by it.