I take massive casualties

[Frenchy789]

I've been playing TW games since Rome and I've read this forum for years but just recently joined.

Whenever I see other members post their battle results, they always take tiny casualties or win while extremly outnumbered. I just read someone who won outnumbered 1600 to 300, I could never do this.

I play on H/H but I always take horrible casualties at every battle. What am I doing wrong? I still win battles and wars but I have to move slowly because my units are rendered useless for a good amount of turns while they recuperate.

My tactics usually boil down to lining up my line units, artillery on the side with cavalry next to the artillery for protection and flanking, I keep my skirmishers on the sides as well, usually separated from the whole line. I'l put any additional elite infantry on my flanks and keep one unit in the back for a shock charge/reinforcement. I also keep 2 units of grenadiers behind my lines which I use to slam into mellee.

What can I do to avoid these brutal losses?

Thanks in advance for any input!

[Dileos]

Try Maneuvering your men about the battlefield in small groups instead of standing them in a "death line".
2 - 4 units of line infantry (depending on the size of the battle) with 1-2 units of skirmisher and 1 unit of cavalry supporting. Split your army into at least 2 groups of this makeup and force the enemy break up his line in order to engage your units.

Or use terrain to your advantage. If the enemy has artillery then hide your men behind a hill or in some woods. If hes heavy on cavalry then find an open field and form squares. If hes heavy on infantry break up his line and flank him, even the old guard has morale issues if attacked from all sides.

[Red Hue]

Also forming your infantry in two lines gives you more fire power when you are shooting. They will usually make hash out of a cavalry charge.

Skirmishers and Grenadiers are more deadly with their fires when deployed in single ranks but need cavalry protection.

For melee assaults switch to columns but do it at the last minute. They take too many casualties if you try marching them around like that.

Again, making the best use of terrain is very important especially if you are defending out numbered.

Reverse slope defense can devastate units before they can fire.

Artillery , skirmishers, and cavalry need close supervision. Try not to have them all engaged at once.

[Frenchy789]

Dileos, I'm in love with your avatar, but thanks guys!

So I should break up my men into 2 main groups and use them to surround my opponent? And use more terrain, thanks again!

[The Gallant Forty-Twa]

Watch out when you split up your army. If you're not careful, the enemy could destroy one portion and your other would become surrounded and outnumbered.

Also, with cavalry pick your fights. Send them against other cavalry, the General, skirmishers or artillery. Rarely send them against infantry unless they're just militia or are already engaged and weakened as infantry in squares will rape your cavalry.

With skirmishers, use them to take out the enemy's elite troops. Micromanage these guys, fire then retreat if the enemy try to go for them. Plant stakes along your battle line to protect it from cavalry. Use them as scouts and flankers. Same with light cavalry.

Artillery require micromanaging. If you leave a unit on Auto Fire with Canister Shot, you may find it firing into your own men. Pick your targets well, as a French Old Guard or even Napoleon himself, goes down exactly the same as a Militiaman would so focus fire on enemy artillery first, then their General, then their elite troops.

You use grenadiers properly, as shock troops to use in melee. Never use them in prolonged firefights as their smaller number works against them.

Always use terrain. Mount artillery on hills, and when possible position your men on them too. You can get range bonuses from them aswell as making the enemy tire by running up them. Also, be mindfull of ledges and walls and buildings which can be used to garrison your men, but watch out because artillery can destroy buildings fairly quickly.

[Bylandt]

My tactics usually boil down to lining up my line units, artillery on the side with cavalry next to the artillery for protection and flanking, I keep my skirmishers on the sides as well, usually separated from the whole line. I'l put any additional elite infantry on my flanks and keep one unit in the back for a shock charge/reinforcement. I also keep 2 units of grenadiers behind my lines which I use to slam into mellee.

Too many units in reserve or to be used "in case of". There is one type of unit that is never silent or inactive: artillery. Do away with the grenadiers and replace them with artillery.

Try always to have the artillery advantage: this forces the enemy to come towards you and not vice versa. The AI understands this: when he is within range of your artillery and at a disadvantage in the artillery duel, he will attack. Don't forget to switch to cannister at close range. Protect the artillery with cavalry (behind) and infanry (next to it, on both sides).

[Dreamw4lk3r]

That's the problem though, an enemy with superior arty could force you out of your defensive position and direct the battle, and if the enemy has superior cav then he can be a serious threat to your own cav & skirmishers.

Splitting your forces isn't always the solution because it can't always be safely done, positioning and breaking the enemy fast and hard is what wins any battle, also defensive ones... spot the enemy his weakness and exploit it, if he has weak cav, kill it first and then circle around to flank and break the enmy that way, if he has less cannon, charge it & use your own to break his line... stuff like that!

You won't be succesfull if you remain stationary, make the enemy react to your moves, not the other way around

[Lothar135]

Making a line and outflanking an enemy with cavalry has always worked for me. I am not taking many casualities. Just flank in the right moment and use your arti to kill your opponents cav.

[Canuckian]

As other have alluded to: Artillery is King. Whenever I out-range them, I setup my artillery on the flanks on high ground and mostly fires round shot. If I'm grossly out-ranged, I setup my artillery in the middle of my formation dedicated to canister shot with my formation behind a hill (ensuring that the max range of my canister reaches the crest of the hill).

Howitzers are ferocious. Two is good... four is better.

Treat highly experienced artillery like National Treasures.

Even the use of terrain is based largely on artillery distance and line of sight.

[Frenchy789]

Thanks for all the input guys!

I played a battle earlier against France as the Prussians, I was the aggressor so Napoleon was staying put, I divided my army into 3 groups of line infantry and went on both flanks (Perpendicular to his line) and the center group right in front of his line, I used my skirmishers to harrass his artillery and use my dragoons to draw his cavalry out and then blasted it to pieces.

I got my remaing cavalry and positioned them right behind the French's line, they sent 2 units of line infantry which I ripped apart with the skirmishers and the cavalry, then I ordered my 3 groups to attack at once and his line infantry crumbled and routed. The young gaurd put up quite a fight though, I used my grenadiers to engage them in hand-to-hand combat then encircled his guys with the rest of my cavalry (who had slammed into his rear earlier on).

This was on H

I took alot of casualties but alot less then I usually do

[Dreamw4lk3r]

Sounds like a lot more thought has gone into this battle than the previous ones! I'm glad it's going better, and keep at it i'd say ^^ practice makes perfect!

Also, if you send skirmishers at arty, be sure to deploy them in light inf doctrine (spread out) to take less canonfire.
And a question for the lot: You guys always talk about artillery superiority but when you play as G.B. with strongest cannon 9lbs, you'll be outranged by just about any army's cannon! Granted, howitzers are awesome, shooting over hills etc, but their range is sadly the weaker part

So playing as G.B. it's not always evident to be king with artillery, or it could be argued that if you'll become king with artillery if you play it right (as achmed the dead terrorist said: location location location!)

[Lusen]

Why do you want minmum casulties? I think its so much funnier if the results are even.

[Dileos]

Why do you want minmum casulties? I think its so much funnier if the results are even.

DROWN THEM WITH BLOOD!!
BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD!!

[Blackstar]

dont forget though at the start of any battle take a few mins to study the battlefield and try to use the terrain to your advantage

[alpaca]

I say one word to you, just one word: Chainrout.

[Frenchy789]

On another note, are you guys finding that cavalry suck at killing routing units? In Rome and Medieval 1-2, they slaughtered entire units in seconds but now it seems they simply ride alongside the fleeing men but don't actually kill them.

Is this a bug or a balance decision by CA?

[Wolfcp11]

I actually find the chase AI much improved

[Yin]

The cavalry units are horrible at chasing down routing enemies. I chase them through half of the map and my cav only killed 20 out of 100 or so.

For casualties try the firing by rank mod, that reduce my casualties by half. Since now the entire unit is firing instead of the first rank firing and the rest standing still. It helps against cavalry too, since before i usually do a 2 rank line for each units, guards and lancers slice through that like hot knife through butter.

Try to take out their cavalry and artillery once the battle start. I usually march my lancers up at their artillery and they'll usually rush their cavalry at me, then I'd switch my lancers to charge at their cavalry. That usually works for both flanks and then just march the lines forward fire on the front and hit and run with cavalry on the back.

[alpaca]

On another note, are you guys finding that cavalry suck at killing routing units? In Rome and Medieval 1-2, they slaughtered entire units in seconds but now it seems they simply ride alongside the fleeing men but don't actually kill them.

Is this a bug or a balance decision by CA?

Yeah. I like mounted chasseurs for this because they can fire while moving.

[richardsharpe]

get 4/5 units of cannons, put them in the middle of your line, strech your line to either side, and defend the flanks with your specials (cav,grenadiers,etc). the enemy will go heavy on your art, switch to cannister. walla. Using pretty much only cannons I killed a 2000 man army (large unit sizes) and lost 3 men lol.