Question : How To Win Battles

**Zipzopdippidybopbop** · March 06, 2009, 08:44 PM

hey guys. just started earlier today. new campaign, vh/vh.

playing as Britain. iv conquered a large plot of Canada (at French expense =P)

im trying to conquer the Cherokee, but im getting slaughtered.

i just learned fire by rank, which slightly evens it out.

however, everytime i get ready to shoot, they rush me! gah!

anyone got any tactics on how to crush the indian tribes?

*part 2 - on firing*

another thing i noticed is that the distance from an enemy does NOT affect the damage you do! i would think that there ould be critical damage on a unit that is shot at point blank range. but theres barely (if even) any difference than from maximum range!

anyone notice this too?

**Grimmy** · March 06, 2009, 10:02 PM

I've been playing as GB, but only on norm/norm since I'm not one of those folk who needs to be whipped by women in black latex and spiked heels to enjoy myself

But, I've found that being more patient than is normal in TW games helps. I set up a firing line and hold still and let the enemy come to me. I've found that when I try to rush in to get close to the enemy before the fight starts, it don't go so well. So, I get to the best advantage spot I can get to and waite.

**Stitch_BR** · March 06, 2009, 10:19 PM

I agree! Best advice I have is take your time and use hold fire to use the full power of your infantary.

Also I love to hide troops, It doesnt work always but I do have fun with it

**Monglor** · March 07, 2009, 01:12 AM

Playing as the French against the Iroquois I went through pretty much the same learning curve as I expect they did. That is to say learning the hard way that orthodox infantry tactics get you scalped.

My tactics revolve around trying to always be on the defensive and forcing the enemy to come to me, even if I'm attacking him I want to force them to be the ones that make the play.

To do this I often use artillery, set some big guns up, start dropping bodies and you will force them to come get you. Then your only problem is staying alive, and frankly this is not easy. You're going to have to tech the hell out of your infantry, try to get the new bayonets in early because no way you're going to be able to stop a native charge with just musketry for a long time, so you may as well factor to just kick the hell out of them in hand to hand when it happens. Cavalry is very important because bowmen will outrange your muskets and will cut you to pieces, horsemen can run them down easy though. Skirmishers and light infantry are very good because they will cut up small units fast but keep them safe because the natives can sometimes come at you with a whole lot of cavalry.

One particular dirty trick that hit me when I was trying to capture a Cherokee settlement was the enemy attacked me with one unit of 160 guys, fair enough I thought, except that he had two massive armies, 3400 men, in reinforcements. This is bad news you see because not only do these guys spawn in later from parts unknown, a huge amount of the native unit roster can hide. So basically I had a thousand troops hunkered down on a hill, outnumbered over three to one by an enemy that I couldn't see until they were closing in all around me. My guys made a good stand but I think I only got about fifty of them home.

You should also consider forts in your territory as native forces move fast on the campaign map, tend to be hard to spot, and will cheerfully take out all of your external buildings if left to roam.

**Dayman** · March 07, 2009, 02:19 AM

I'm always changing up my firing lines, to get maximum coverage.

Keeping a reserve force is crucial in this game, and flanking with a volley of guns is usually enough to get the native units to rout.

It doesnt work always but I do have fun with it

I love it, whenever I have a body of enemies moving through a path between two woods, I hide jaegers there and ambush them...LOVE IT!

**Monglor** · March 07, 2009, 02:59 AM

Originally Posted by Dayman

I'm always changing up my firing lines, to get maximum coverage.

Keeping a reserve force is crucial in this game, and flanking with a volley of guns is usually enough to get the native units to rout.

I love it, whenever I have a body of enemies moving through a path between two woods, I hide jaegers there and ambush them...LOVE IT!

Or in this case, hiding four regiments of light infantry in the long grass on the side of a ford in a river. I thought the British would overwhelm me for sure, but between the murderously accurate fire, the fact they were all bunched up and lastly their own artillery which was hurting them more than me, my troops chopped them up real nice.

This game does a much better job of letting you use the terrain than earlier games. Walls, woods, long grass, buildings. It's there to be used if you keep your eyes open.

**Zipzopdippidybopbop** · March 07, 2009, 10:38 AM

thanks for the tips lads!

**british_general** · March 16, 2010, 01:33 AM

Originally Posted by Grimmy

I've been playing as GB, but only on norm/norm since I'm not one of those folk who needs to be whipped by women in black latex and spiked heels to enjoy myself

But, I've found that being more patient than is normal in TW games helps. I set up a firing line and hold still and let the enemy come to me. I've found that when I try to rush in to get close to the enemy before the fight starts, it don't go so well. So, I get to the best advantage spot I can get to and waite.

I actually play N/N and I fire cannons. They will start to get agitated by you and they will run. My fav trick is to flank them. It helps. There were many times in my campaign when the cavalry destroys lots of guys from flanking

**masterbaker** · March 17, 2010, 02:02 PM

Playing on VH battle difficulty will be hard however skilled you are, it's not like previous games. AI has massive bonuses over you and often there isn't really much you can do if they just melee rush.

**Frederf** · March 26, 2010, 04:50 PM

Yeah, don't play on VH. It just turns it into a farce. Find a good mod like IS, Darth, etc and try N/N or N/H. You won't want to play naval battles on VH even more than land battles! Use a unit size around normal, not huge. The AI sucks with large unit size which just makes the game easier for you. Play a campaign (Rights of Man here, I am getting nervous upgrading farms for 300 GP!) where you don't have it easy, but play it on Normal difficulty so the AI doesn't get a million free troops and your PC slows down by 1750 during end turns.

**Travisk** · March 26, 2010, 04:51 PM

Stay away, bombard with artillery.

**mavortium** · March 26, 2010, 10:09 PM

Pike squares are useful against native melee troops, too.

**Yin** · March 27, 2010, 11:23 PM

move your artillery in position and hold your ground. Get howitzers and bomb them with quicklime. If they stand they die, if they run up to your position, they'll die. Hide some cavalry in the forests at midway if you can. It's VH so heavy casualty is expected.

**MortenJessen** · March 28, 2010, 05:58 AM

Hi there.
Playing on VH/VH is very entertaining. Agreed, a Grand Campaign takes like for ever, because of management and playing all and every battle out manually, and it has other downs too, but in the end, it is a test of your abillities as a Head of State. Can you win against all odds, or will you fail utterly.
BTW, the guide I refer to in my signature is minded towards those who wants to challange the game on VH/VH. Good luck.
Y.S.
M. Jessen