Feel borderline retarded, but...

[Spain's Pain]

Just curious, I play on M/M and I'm still getting destroyed in regard to battles. It's to the point that I find myself auto-resolving everything because I don't trust myself when it comes to battles. What's the best way to improve? Single battles? Multi-player? Bumping up to H/H and grinding it out?

[Blackstar]

play play and play then play play and play more
or in other words load up the single player battles and just fight try all kinds of combinations it really is the best and only way to get a feel for the troops you use . i would not recomend you even think about multiplayer battle till you get the know the basics to a point were you can kick at ai;s arse with ease
because there are some nasty players out there that will roll you up in mins and that would just dishearten you . if your new to the total war series dont worry too much . ppl mostly pick it up very fast .
use these forums for and questions you have regarding certain tactics or anythintg really but scan post already up your question may well have been ansered already . for a tutorial vid i recomend saidzs vids on you tube there is a link on the forums somewere

[Cellus...]

Start with all the links in this thread: http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=346742

[Clodius]

Also fight defensively - even France with its mediocre line infantry can win easily if it masses artillery in the centre and spreads out its infantry in long thin lines to either flank and just waits with autofire turned on.

Your problem is of course that the AI won't always attack - however you can generally coax them out of their position by long range artillery fire (a couple of 12-pounders are particularly good at this).

Light cavalry can also easily take out enemy artillery and light infantry units if you send them on wide flanking movements - lancers while fragile are particularly awesome at this - in my last battle one lancer unit annihilated quarter of the enemy army by launching sudden charges.

The way not to win is by adopting actual Napoleonic tactics - sending your infantry to charge in columns will just get them shot to pieces as musketry is far more effective in the game than it was historically (just compare casualty figures from NTW and real battles).

Of course to be accurate you'd have to hugely reduce both damage and morale so units run away after taking 10% or 20% losses - not having them battling on until almost the last man - and I can't imagine that would be much fun.

Great Britain with its excellent infantry and safe strategic position is the perfect learner faction - if you can't win with them you should probably be playing another game.

[Travisk]

Read on up some tactics.

Don't micro manage, use two-three units at a time.

[Ayleid]

I would say, if your new to the game, play alot of custom battles using the stock units they provide you with. If you have a play around with each of the variants in different scenarios then you're sure to come across something you can use in your campaign.

Multiplayer doesn't seem to be the best way to improve your 'skills' if i'm going to be honest. Most people who play multiplayer, play to win and if your not to their standard they will sweep you away. Also they do tend to use 'cheap' tactics such as using alot of light infantry or howitzers, especially Unicorn guns. Although not everyone does this, and if you specify before the match i'm sure they'd give you a hand.

If you want my advice for your campaign, use this setup; General, 8-9 line infantries including guards and grenadiers, then about 4-5 light infantry, depending on how you like them, and usually about 4 units of cavalry, depending on what you prefer, and 2-3 units of artillery, I would definately recomend Howitzers. Remember to use your light infantry on one flank and your cavalry and artillery together on the other flank with your line infantry in your centre and with your general reasonably behind this. If you follow this hint by using the light infantry and cavalry to flank your enemies line and artillery then you shouldn't go to far wrong. but just remember that your line infantry is usuably expendable, it's sole role is to soak up fire from the enemies army while your light infantry and cavalry flank them. Also prioritise on removing your enemies cavalry early on without over extending your own cavalry, if you let their cavarly get on your flanks set your linbe infantry for square on engage them in melee. Line infantry is very efective at removing light cavalry and lancers, although heavy cavalry should really be removed with small arms fire.

This is not a definitve guide, and i wont be offended if you dislike it in any way, but this setup has won me battles, even when i have been horrifically outnumbered by a superior enemy, and I would highly recommend it.

[Blackstar]

ayleid just hit the nail on the head in his last sentence . ppl have different playing styles , you just need to find yours dont get down about it if your new it doesnt happen overnight but trust me on this and im sure everyone else will agree . Once you get it right the game suddenly gets much more fun to play at that point you can try multiplayer . But just aviod the cheep tactic and camper jerks out there if you say before hand that your new and your looking for pointers or advice you may get someone willing to make a game with you and run you through a few things . there not all jerks

[Frederf]

One small tip is to try to think like the enemy's worst fear. Imagine that you are playing the side that you are up against and ask yourself "What is the action that I would fear the most?"

[Hounddog]

Some of us have been playing since shogun, so a bit of practise may be in order

Try out some of the early napoleon campaigns, and force yourself to play out each battle. Sure, anyone can win with a superior force on defence, set up your foces in a sensible manor and press fast forward, but there is no point in practising that, those battle would be won by autoresolve anyways.

What you need to learn is each unit types strength and weakness, when to deploy them and how, especially in the northern italy campaign a lot of your forces are given to you, so you will have to adopt your tactics to what youve got.

Things to aviod:
Canister shots from your arty to the back of your own trops, friendly fire really isnt, the wrong move by some of your own arty can rout your entire army.

Leaving yourself open to enemy cavalry, if allowed to, the enemy cavalry will rape your arty and any units left without support, you can sometimes turn this to an advantage by setting up an ambush for them.

Things that work extremely well:
Tactical ambushes, where you have units hiding so you can hit an advancing unit in both the front and side at the same time.

Superior mobility, using cavalry in any form to make sure you dominate any given part of the battlefield.

The general goal of any engagement is to cause a rout, as soon as that happens, the battle is won more or less, you are fighting the morale of the enemy, as soon as they turn their back and run, none of them are dangerous, use your cavalry to make sure they die/keep running, and do not regroup to fight another day.

You can generally cause the rout by dominating some part of the battlefield, be it a flanking cavalry/light infantry, or by a mass assult/bombardment on a single point, when you see some part of the enemies line crumble, your focus should be on causing the rout to spread from that point to the rest of his army.

[Jollefjoll]

This might work for you.
I wrote this on the thread about using the chasseur a cheval.


"I use them in the following situations:



The rectangles presented with an X are cavalry and with one diagonal line is infantry, the X without a rectangle is artillery. Me being the black player, I didn't bother portraying a good opponent setup...
Bear with the paint image xD




The first row of artillery are cannon-type, pound with round-shot and switch to canister when in range.

The second row, behind the Chassuer a Cheval are howizter, make sure to put them a sufficient distance behind the Chassuers. Infantry make up the "line" and flanks, light infantry (if I have any with my army) are placed further out in the flanks, providing stakes for eventual flanking cavalry. Not to mention a good salvo.

I started with this tactic as a defensive player (I am ALWAYS defending, don't blame me, its just the way I am!) but without the usage of the Chasseurs. Problem was, the cannons couldn't keep the infantry away with the canister shots, and the infantry would either shoot them down or charge them, neither tipping the battle into my favour.

But then came the Chasseurs, and I placed them behind the cannons, and since they are taller, they will not shoot their comrades, and they providing that extra salvo needed for the enemy infantry to break if, if only for a short period of time.


Finally, yes I'm kinda rookie when it comes to battles, and I haven't tried many VH battles. But let this be a rookie guide then ! "



L8er & GL!

[[BsA]Dave]

If you cant beat the AI on med/med you should probably play a different game. There is no hope for you.

[Prince of Darkness]

If you cant beat the AI on med/med you should probably play a different game. There is no hope for you.

When you start playing TW games at the first time I doubt you can handle a full stack.

[RangerGxi]

When you start playing TW games at the first time I doubt you can handle a full stack.

In my first Total war campaign I marched on Klagenfurt, in the Italian campaign

[antred]

Also fight defensively - even France with its mediocre line infantry

Errr ... what? How exactly is France's infantry mediocre? Their Fusiliers are a pretty solid unit, and then they have tons of Dutch Grenadiers, Old Guards, Young Guards and Guard Seamen!

[Prince of Darkness]

Errr ... what? How exactly is France's infantry mediocre? Their Fusiliers are a pretty solid unit, and then they have tons of Dutch Grenadiers, Old Guards, Young Guards and Guard Seamen!

The fusiliers are ''average'' line infantry unit. They have the same stats with minor factions' line infantry.
They are superior to Spanish, Russian, and Ottoman line, though.
But in campaign the French are arguably the best. With super-cheap cost (710 is pretty low plus the effects of your awesome minister Berthier) and super-high morale (15, with Napoleon it will be greater at 19, higher than most Guard infantry), they can pretty much pwn anything.