A Guide to Mercia

[CountMRVHS]

This guide assumes default unit sizes and Medium/Medium difficulty settings. It's also written in reference to the 1.6 version of the mod, but most if not all advice should still be helpful.

So you want to play the Mercians. Good for you! It shows that you have an independent mind and little regard for popular opinion (the Mercians tied with the Men of Alba for the least favorite faction on a current poll).

Actually, though, there are many reasons one might want to play as Mercia during the Viking age. As a Saxon faction, the Mercians boast a strong infantry roster. Their centralized location means expansion can occur in any direction, and gives them access to some potentially wealthy lands. And the Mercian unique unit -- Marcher Horsemen -- helps to make up for a weakness experienced by the other Saxon factions.

But if you think the Mercians in Viking Invasion 2 are going to offer as easy a campaign as they did in Viking Invasion's MTW incarnation, you're in for a surprise. This time around, Offa's heirs start out in debt, with -2000 shillings to their name, zero standing army, and practically no infrastructure. This is actually pretty historically accurate; during the 9th century, Mercia was a shadow of its former self and went through kings and puppet-kings like ... like ... well, substitute your own witty simile. So how can you grow your kingdom from a footnote in history to the undisputed power in the British Isles? I've outlined a strategy for Mercia in three broad stages below, but first, we'll look at the men a Mercian king can expect to lead into battle.

Infantry
As a Saxon faction, infantry will be the mail-clad core of your army. The basic units will do most of the heavy lifting, but as you get bigger and richer, feel free to experiment with the more expensive units.
Spearmen - Learn to love these guys, as you'll be using them throughout the campaign. Default unit size is 45 -- smaller than the comparable unit available to the Celtic factions, but quite serviceable. Their relatively low cost and sturdy stats make them good garrison troops as well as the major component of your force well into the late game.

Fyrdmen - You'll be in the mid-game before you can field these units, as your starting settlements will simply take too long to grow (and you'll be training and taxing those settlements just to stay alive). But when you get them, they make your job much easier. Used defensively, their hail of throwing spears will tangle the charge of most enemy lines. I like to have some Fyrdmen interspersed with Spearmen through both the front and secondary line of battle, just to vary the distance at which the darts start to fly. Remember to set them to Fire At Will!

Armoured Spearmen - Though a great unit, these guys are so high in the tech tree and so expensive that it's unlikely they'll see much use in your campaign. On higher difficulties they may be a requirement; for my money, I found a line of regular Spearmen and Fyrdmen, mixed with some other goodies, got the job done well enough. A couple of Armoured Spearmen on the flanks of a line, or as a reserve to counter flanking horsemen, is about as involved as you're likely to get with this unit.

Thegns - It's always nice to have a unit of Thegns in your big army. Their inspirational presence makes them a good anchor for the end of a line of Spearmen. Though they're very expensive, and take 2 turns to train, don't be shy about using your Thegns in battle -- their armor and skill will see them through the day with minimal losses. They're an absolutely solid, reliable unit. Keep an eye on the upkeep, though -- a couple of units goes a long way!

Royal Hirth - The standard Saxon bodyguard unit, equipped with sword, shield, javelins, and badass helmets. Of course you'll want your army to be led by a family member, so you'll have at least one of these units in most of your battles, but don't underestimate the damage 2 or even 3 Royal Hirth units can do to your enemy. I like to have a spare unit (not the general) at the end of a battle-line, set to Fire At Will. During the early game these units will be your lifesavers, and they'll earn their keep until the end.

Trainable Mercenaries - The VI2 system allows for trainable mercenaries. Build one of the tavern/inn buildings, and you can usually train some merc units. They're horrendously expensive, both in terms of initial recruitment and upkeep, but this system allows you to recruit units you couldn't train yourself until much later, and helps fill some holes in your arsenal. For example, the Mercian roster tends to be very defensively-oriented. But with the highest-level of merc building, you can train Mercenary Butescarles, a viking-inspired troop of bearded guys wielding huge 2-handed axes. You can train Mercenary Fyrdmen sooner than you could train your own (cheaper) Fyrd. And in different regions, different units are available at these special buildings: Mercenary Lithsmen in Northumbria, Mercenary Pictish Infantry in Scotland, Mercenary Longbowmen in Wales, etc. Keep an eye out for them as they become available, and don't destroy those inns when you take over a new settlement! Still, these trainable mercs are unlikely to form a major part of your army. I like to throw in a couple of units of Butescarles on the flanks, or a unit or two of the more "exotic" units as my empire expands.

Mercenaries in the field - Of course, you can still grab mercs in the field. These tend to come in 3 types: Mercenary Rabble, Mercenary Archers, and Mercenary Horsemen. Don't be fooled by the name: Mercenary Rabble are actually quite handy, though you'll see best results if you use them on the flanks or behind your front line (with Fire At Will turned on). Their throwing spears help even the playing field, and they're just the kind of scum who like to run around behind already-engaged enemy units and charge into their backs. They add an element of fleet-footedness to your heavy Mercian army -- and they're quite handy as garrison troops, being both cheap and numerous. The archers and horsemen fulfill their respective roles quite effectively as well.

Ranged
Though they doesn't enjoy the diversity or effectiveness in this area shared by factions such as Wales, the Mercians (and the other Saxon factions) boast a couple of handy ranged units.

Archers - don't expect great things, but these guys are at least good for the occasional archery duel that breaks out before the actual battle. Better that they should be taking the arrows than your precious infantry.

Slingers - slightly lower missile attack, but better range. Train these guys when money is tight or when defending walls. It's nice to have a unit with the field army, too. As with the archers, you get best results when shooting at the enemy's flank -- preferably their right (non-shield) side.

Cavalry
For most of the game your cav will not differ from the cav of any other Saxon faction -- but don't let that prevent you from training more of them than your competitors do. Both your cav units are extremely helpful.

Horsemen - the basic Saxon cav unit, Horsemen perform surprisingly well. Their charge has a much more effective "push-back" effect than that of the Mercenary Horsemen you'll hire. Obviously, they really shine when charging into the rear of an engaged unit, but you don't want them to stay in the scrum for too long. I get best results when I pull them out of the fight after they've stopped pushing the enemy back (or if they take heavy losses). Then repeat. Used this way, it's possible to rout or kill even general units. Keep an eye on fatigue levels as well: A charge by fresh Horsemen into very tired Hirdmenn can have spectacular results.

Marcher Horsemen - this is the Mercian unique unit, and probably the last unit you'll unlock from the tech tree. They're only available in Mercia proper -- which, as stated above, is a slow grower. Once you get them, go to town, as you'll probably be well able to afford them. I like 4 units in an army -- 2 on each flank, along with a couple Horsemen. Remember to turn on Fire At Will, and also remember that, unlike Mercenary Horsemen, your Marcher Horsemen will not Skirmish. Proper use will test your micromanaging skills, especially if you don't pause in battle, but the results are great. Charge these guys en masse into the rear or flanks of engaged, exhausted enemy units -- once they've loosed their javelins. Repeat, and then use them to mop up the rout.

Phase I - Local Lord

As stated above, your initial kingdom is far from impressive, consisting of 3 indebted settlements that couldn't hold off a raid if any local rebels had their druthers. Your first job should be to secure a brief initial period of peace -- enough time to build walls and raise a little army before your belligerent neighbors beat you to the punch. Raise taxes, hunker down, and get into the black; then train an emissary and start building.

You start off allied to Wessex, so send your diplomat around to Wales and Northumbria. At this stage your kingdom is such a joke that alliances should come pretty easily, so don't be afraid to ask for something in exchange for alliance and trade rights -- a modest regular tribute is easy to achieve and seems to have the effect of keeping your neighbors from betraying you until they're done paying you off. In due course, get the same deal from Scotland and eventually Ireland. They'll all betray you eventually -- except perhaps Ireland -- but you might as well get some money out of them first.

Mercia also starts off at war with both Viking factions, but as you don't initially share any borders with either of them, it's not such a pressing issue for you. Still, a ceasefire/alliance with the Danes might theoretically spare you from their rapaciousness and encourage them to carve into Wessex (don't kid yourself -- Wessex is your biggest foe at this stage). In practice, however, this rarely seems to work. More likely, the Danes will fiddle around Canterbury while Wessex grows stronger. Oh well. They'll get theirs.

After around 10 turns you may have enough of an army to feel like you can begin to branch out. Mercia begins play with several tempting rebel targets in sight -- Pec Saetan to the north, Guent to the west, and several settlements to the east. You might think that Middel Engle would make a good target, as its settlement will make you the King of Mercia; more likely, though, one of your neighbors will have already begun knocking at your door. In my recent Mercia campaign, I had just besieged Lindissi's town when Wessex betrayed me. I had no option but to lift the siege and rush back to halt the invasion.

Given the inevitability of the betrayal, you may wish to take the bull by the horns and start throwing your weight around first. Whether you try to play it nice or nasty, however, the fact is that you'll most likely be surrounded by enemies before turn 20. You'll find it difficult to both defend your own lands and expand. Your income will dip into the red again as you train armies to support your needs.

Still, there are some tricks to be aware of. First, Northumbria is more of a nuisance than a real threat. Their army is so similar to yours that the deciding factors in any battle with them will be numbers or tactics, and as long as you keep cranking out Spearmen, you'll easily be able to hold them off. The same is generally true of Wales. The army that holds off Northumbria can also be the army that holds off Wales, at least initially; your towns are close enough together that you can rush back and forth between them to relieve any sieges as they occur.

Second, some river crossings provide you with excellent opportunities. Just north of the settlement in Wrocen Saetan is a crossing; park your army on it and wait for the Welsh or Northumbrians to try to force the issue.

However, all this defensive action is simply a way to allow you to get the real important work done: killing the West Saxons.

Phase II - King of Mercia

The next stage in the game is likely to be the war with Wessex. Much depends on the actions of the Viking factions here, and your mileage may vary, but in my experience it seems that Wessex tends to come out on top if you're Mercia. AI Wessex is also a fast grower, which means that if you wait too long, you'll see your red friends training Thegns and Armoured Spears before you can make Fyrdmen.

But beyond the threat posed by Wessex, expanding south is also a desirable option for geographical reasons. Wessex is home to a series of closely-positioned, rich, well built-up settlements, meaning you can operate close to your supply lines. It's a relatively short distance from Bilmiga to Dorcic to the English Channel, so it's possible to take one settlement and quickly "leapfrog" to the next one in line. Contrast this situation with what faces you if you choose to take on Northumbria: If you head north, you'll face long distances between settlements and much smaller, weaker towns. A quick move on Wales might get you some access to sea trade, but with steep culture penalties and unrest. What's worse, you'll be spending time and money building new training centers just to refit your army.

So, head south. When choosing a target settlement for your attack, take the type of wall into consideration. A stockade (the large wooden walls) is preferable. If you can take it, you can most likely hold it, given some slingers and enough spearmen to man the gate. And the easiest way to take a town is on the defensive: besiege the place and wait for an enemy relieving army to attack you. Make sure you kill the general leading the besieged army and catch as many routers as possible; the settlement will fall to you with far fewer casualties than if you had assaulted.

During this expansionist phase, don't hesitate to attack the enemy wherever they gather -- even if only an insignificant 3 units of enemy Spearmen are hanging out on your border. You want to prevent them from joining a much bigger enemy army. When attacking small, isolated stacks like this, be sure not to bring too many men to the fight or they'll simply retreat. Your goal is to eliminate them, not just to escort them off your property.

Once you've conquered your way to the Channel, you've crested the hump. You still have a long fight ahead of you, but the West Saxons are either bisected, shoved to the east, or destroyed. As you expand, however, beware of boundaries. In my last campaign, the Danes remained a neutral trading partner until I conquered a province that bordered the Danish-owned Cantware. As soon as we shared a border, the Danes sent an army my way. The lesson? Avoid sharing borders with a new faction unless you're ready to fight that faction. Even though I was able to destroy their full-stack army at the gates of Sumorsaete's town, it was a long time before I was actually able to get the Danes off my back. (Interestingly, when I took their only British settlement of Cantwaraburgh, I destroyed their faction -- either I had killed all their family members, or they had lost Jutland somehow. At least I didn't need to worry about a naval invasion from the Danes.)

As you slowly grind down the West Saxons, you're likely to capture some important buildings for your army: It was in the recently-captured Dorcic that I was first able to train Thegns and Armoured Spearmen; it was Bilmiga that first allowed me to train Fyrdmen. Take care not to put yourself into debt hiring the cream of the crop, though -- you still need an army near your capital to handle invasions from Northumbria and Wales.

Eventually the logic of your expansion will require an additional army. You'll need to hold off attacks from the Welsh of Cornwall, and you'll need a full stack in the east to mop up Wessex and the Danes. Thankfully, your revenue should be increasing accordingly at this stage. Take time every few years to invest in some economic buildings; the bulk of your money will usually be spent on training and retraining.

Once you finally eliminate Wessex (usually the cowards are holed up in East Anglia), you'll find yourself in possession of a nice corner of the map. It's time to turn your attention to your on-again, off-again enemies. It's time to start flexing your military muscle.

Phase III - Bretwalda

With most of southern England under your control, and some sizeable, experienced, well-outfitted armies at your disposal, you can begin asserting your imperium. The most obvious target is your ancient foe, the Welsh. You share the longest border with them, and they've been harassing you long enough. Send a stack along the coast to Tintagel, and then loop around to the north into Wales proper. If you think you can afford it, sending some of your defensive troops from near your capital to take Pouis can be a good move. Remember, though, that the Celts hate you with the orange intensity of little flaming icons on your settlement details sheet. If you want to take and hold Wales, you'll need a lot of troops.

On the battlefield, the Welsh shouldn't be too much trouble for your large and experienced army. You'll want to close quickly to avoid the javelins that practically every Welsh unit carries. Their cavalry can be a nuisance, but even Teulu can't hold out for long surrounded by spears.

The single biggest thing you can do to improve your odds is to fight defensively on well-chosen terrain. During your Saxon war, you mostly fight on flat ground with few trees. Wales is a different world, and fatigue is a much bigger issue in VI2 than in BI. If you attack a Welsh army on a hillside on the campaign map, you deserve the losses you get. Instead, park your army on a hill in their territory, close to a settlement; wait for them to come to you.

If you've been doing your job holding off the Welsh while you fought the West Saxons, the conquest of Wales will be a brief affair. One possibility is that the Welsh have managed to grab Pec Saetan before Northumbria and expand to the north, but if that's not the case you'll be fighting mostly Spearmen and Archers. And since the Welsh settlements are located closely together, you should be able to eliminate their faction in 10 turns or so, reducing your borders with hostile factions to a single direction: north.

After Wales is under your control, you will truly be able to assert your dominance over Britain. You'll be the undisputed master of roughly half of the island -- the rich half -- and you will be able to focus your efforts in a single direction, likely against a single foe: Northumbria. If you haven't already, make sure to organize your diplomacy to ease your path. Get at least ceasefire and trade rights with the Men of Alba, the Norwegians, and the Irish. Alliances are theoretically nice, but by this point in the game I was only able to coax an alliance out of the Irish, who were driving the Norwegians off their island and pursing them to the Isle of Man. Trade rights with the Irish become increasingly important after your conquest of Wales and access to sea trade in the Irish Sea.

The far north of Britain is one region over which you have no control for most of the campaign. The initially rebel settlement of Hwiterhe in Reget becomes a focus for the AI Northumbrians and Albans, while the rebel settlements of Scotland are contested by the Albans and Norwegians. It's worthwhile to get a spy into Scotland just to get an idea of the political realities in the area, and to determine who you'll be fighting after the Northumbrians are gone. Remember, borders are important: before taking a Northumbrian settlement, make sure it won't put you adjacent to a faction you'd rather not be fighting yet.

Odds are, by the time you head north the Scotland issue will be nearly decided, with either the Albans or Norwegians controlling most of the region. In my campaign, the Men of Alba were actually eliminated by Norway before I made the push north of Hadrian's Wall. Whoever wins in Scotland, you'll eventually be fighting a single large enemy rather than multiple weaker ones. There's not much you can do about this except to prepare. As soon as the Northumbrians are dead, you'll need to be ready to keep pushing north.

To that end, I like to use a 2-pronged strategy with Northumbria. I send one full stack north along the east coast toward York, and another full stack along the west coast toward Pec Saetan and Cumbri. In the meantime, your victorious armies in Wales and southern England should head north with the intention of leapfrogging over your Northumbrian conquests. The long distances between settlements in this region will make the war longer than the Welsh conquest, but you'll be out-training and out-spending your enemies at this stage and the outcome should be inevitable. Make use of the many river crossings around York and your advantage of numbers to destroy and overwhelm your enemy.

Destroying the Northumbrians should get you up above Hadrian's Wall and earn you enough provinces to gain the title "King of England". Keep training and sending your armies north -- at this point you're within spitting distance of the 34 settlement requirement for victory. No matter who is in possession of Scotland, your overall strategy should be the same: continue the pattern of simultaneous dual invasion along the coasts. One army besieges Edinburgh while the other threatens Hwiterhe; once those settlements are taken, your relief armies will push beyond them while you build up the loyalty and training facilities in your newly-conquered towns, then send the armies out to leapfrog over the next towns you've taken, and so on.

The old Roman roads that crisscross England are a great help to you at this stage, but even so you'll want to focus on building up some training infrastructure closer to your area of operations. Spearmen are nice, but you'll need some stronger units at this stage, especially if you face a strong Norway. Maelmin and Lindisfarne are usually quite advanced at this point in the game, but you may need to take some time and build the highest-level barracks in order to train Thegns and Armoured Spearmen. You can train Horsemen here as well, but your Marcher Horsemen will need to be supplied from your Mercian settlements, so train 4 units at a time and send them north as needed.

To grab enough settlements for the win, you'll need to conquer as far as the province of Sci. As you approach the endgame, the loyalty of your settlements will become an increasing irritant, forcing you to either slow down your invasion and build/train in newly conquered towns or risk outright rebellion. Once you begin the invasion of Scotland, experiment with relocating your Royal Residence (capital). Don't take your southern settlements for granted -- the people of Cantwaraburgh may get some uppity thoughts if you move your administrative center too far north. I found that a capital around York was a good compromise at this stage, but it was a close thing, and I still lost a recently-conquered settlement in Scotland to rebellion before I could clinch victory.

Given the unrest penalties, you may contemplate invading Ireland instead for the win. This could be a viable option, but it has several points against it: 1) You can't transport horsemen by boat, so your fancy Marcher Horsemen and Horsemen would have to stay in Britain, while your invading infantry would be subject to the Irish cavalry; 2) Because they don't share a border with you, the Irish are likely to remain a strong trading partner if not ally; 3) While you're fighting in Ireland, you can be certain you'll be attacked from the north, which will mean you're back to fighting a 2-front war.

The most logical and natural option is to keep driving north. Extermination of settlements is your best bet -- it injects some much-needed cash into your strongboxes, and does a bit to counter insurrection.
If Norway is in charge in the region, expect to have your most difficult fight since the Saxon war. Their Hirdmenn are very tough units, and Berserkers can be a serious problem for your spear-oriented battle line. Fortunately, the Norse rely on Spearmen just as much as you do; bring some Thegns and Fyrdmen in sufficient numbers. Your ace card against the Norse, however, is your cavalry. The terrain of Scotland allows you another chance to see the detrimental effects of fatigue on your enemies: let them come to you in defensive battles on the many mountainsides in the highlands. Berserkers tend not to rout, but repeated cav charges against the topless loons (a MTW modding reference for you there) are your best bet. Meanwhile, let your Thegns and Royal Hirth do their thing, and focus on flanking with your second line of infantry.

If Alba is still around to give you trouble, you should have an easier time. Their Mormaers and Nobles are the units to watch out for, but even they will have a hard time against your battle-tested Fyrdmen and Thegns. While you're in the region, remember to make use of available mercs, such as Mercenary Ostmen and Mercenary Pictish Infantry -- both adept flankers.

Despite the occasional frustrating setback, your superiority in numbers and technology (not to mention tactics and strategy) will see you to victory. From impoverished, desperate beginnings, the Mercians must initially fight defensively for their very survival, then to reassert their dominance in the Midlands, and finally to secure a stable, prosperous empire. Once you crest the highlands and set up the blue banner of the Mercian royal house in the furthest reaches of Alba, your mastery over the British Isles will be undisputed.

[MasterOfNone]

Excellent write-up. I learned some things!

I wonder if it plays ou exactly the same in 1.7


Thx Count. We look forward to the next one!

[Aradan]

Very great guide, Count, as always!

[CountMRVHS]

Heh, with my luck I'll get another guide out just as version 1.8 is ready for download.

Thanks for reading. Any thoughts on a faction for the next write-up? I'm between campaigns at the moment.

[MasterOfNone]

There will NOT be a 1.8

We're pretty sure about that.

Oh, and Aradan would like a Welsh Guide for 1.7

[Herr Lindstrom]

Please do a guide write up for denmark would be my suggestion.. I would greatly like to see how I can get my ass out of constant debt and war through war and plunder

[Alex-ander]

Very intresting nice report. I found out a few things i did not know before. And i am very tempted now to give Mercia a go when i finish my campaign as Wessex.

[Aradan]

I'd go with a Danes guide, and then a Wales guide.

[Halvar von Flake]

Great, gorgeous guide!
+rep

[CountMRVHS]

Thanks for reading, everyone! Even Mercians need some love now and then.

I'm giving the Danes a shot right now, but will probably restart when I install 1.7 sometime (hopefully) this week. I'm definitely saving Wales for when I can train that new unit of unarmored swordsmen.

Of course, I also have a perverse defiant urge to write a guide for Alba, the other least-favorite faction.

[Aradan]

Any guide you write will be great, so help yourself to any faction.

[leonn]

very nice guide,good to see someone who writes well doing this.many thanks

[Tanaquil]

in DoB, Mercia's western settlements are much more exposed to Welsh attacks. they are only small towns and therefore walls cannot be built. if you are engaged with the Danes and Maybe Wessex, they are indefensible. maybe next time i do a quick start up i'll ignore them: they are only worth taking for the extra population for your other settlements from enslaving, as a welsh onslaught is inevitable.
you begin the game with one church. by turning up all the taxes, and demolishing this, training peasants for garrisons, it may be possible to start conquering on turn 3 or 4.
in order to get a start , Mercia must do,Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might. afterwards it can become a strong faction & easily face down the opposition.

[CountMRVHS]

It's been a long time since I've played Mercia - maybe even before DoM. Still, I generally prefer to build up in a "realistic" way (even if that exposes me to risks in the long run). "Realistic" for me means avoiding peasant garrisons, building up before I invade (unless playing a particularly belligerent faction), and generally behaving in a somewhat historical manner.

All that said, I hear you about the danger of Welsh attack. On the other hand, the addition of East Anglia may make things easier for you in terms of keeping balance between the other AS factions.

[KingMehmet]

My favorite faction but fairly hard