Part 7.1... Strategos
7.11... The Bouncer:
Spears hold the intruder, while ballista beats them up.
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
- Spearmen will greet lock enemy units from both sides. Stakes will stop any cavalry units and the ballista will rout the enemy army.
- Minimum req:
- Peasant Stakes at the gate/road to the Town Center.
- These cheap Units are available in every Castle.
- You can also send out this unit to intercept, and imobilice their tower and/or ladder.
- 2 Heavy Spearmen on either side of the Gates, Templar Sergeants are an ideal choice, as these are fairly common, but any grim looking Spears will do. Except for Britney.
- Make sure you use your deadliest general-killers on your right side of the gate. To quickly welcome the General.
- Artillery is going to do the real damage. 1 Ballista or Catapult.
- Ballista is extremely accurate & also available early on.
- Catapults can rout many units alot quicker at the same time, but you can also hit your own units, leading to some akward questions for your General after the battle .
- Flaming arrows may also give a hand at the routing.
- Any A.I units comming from a ladders will move towads your spearmen. Repell this with your artillery, while running [/s] behind [s]them with peasents(or other units you may have in surplus. Catapults can also shoot over wooden walls and destroy their towers.
- The higher the Enemy's morale, the longer they stand. Catching the General with a Spike or two helps here. Don't move your Spearmen. Their objective is to hold back the Intruders. Enable Guard Mode. If you have Reserves, you can substitute the defensive Stoppers before they get weary over shedding too much blood.
- Use your Artillery to sally out the round before. Take out anydangerous infantry: D-Fuedal-K, D-Frankish-K, D-Imperial-K. etc.
- I assure you that no army will get into this club.
7.12... Quick siege:
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
7.13... Mongol siege:
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
- Minimum req:
- 1-2 Horses. The faster, the better. Horse-archers, anyone?
- Enemy force: consisting only of infantry. Otherwise you need to kill their cavalry first.
- The [larger] A.I army will sally forth and charge your horse men, leaving their city-gate open.
- Lure them to the edge of the map with one Unit, as far away from the gate as possible.
- The whole enemy army will try to follow you.
- Now charge their Town-center with the other Horseunit, and stay there for 3 minutes to end battle.
- The A.I. will turn around and head to city-square with all units.
- If the enemy is too close for you to hold it the 3 minutes, you can charge some of their troops with the former bait-horses.
- Rinse and repeat if necessary.
- This tactic does not work with DLV 6.2, because the town-center count-down is disabled.
- Quote:
Originally Posted by LlamaD
You should take 2 units of horses, siege a city or castle and then try to take it ingame when they sally out.
- Quote:
Originally Posted by LlamaD
It is possible, but not easy. You need to draw their army into a corner of the map. However, most of the time their troops are stretched, making it hard to hold for 3 minutes before they are back home. So you'd probably need to tire them out a little before chasing the centersquare. But really, try it ingame first. - Quote:
Originally Posted by ivanhoex
you should also note, that the mongol siege doesnt work against fortresses/citadels, because you need something to open up the inner gates, and horses cant climb nor break walls/doors
7.14... Low projectile-formation:
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
7.15... Fishing (for horses) :
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
7.16... Focus:
Spoiler Alert, click show to read: Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
- When I'm forced into a melee with a larger army, i will isolate one part of the enemy army and destroy it bit by bit while using my second string troops as a screen. Here is a visualization, blue is the friendly army, red is the enemy.
- Use your best infantry and any cavalry to engage the infantry on the flank. Everything else you have to use as a delaying force. And i mean everything: Archers, Crossbowmen, Religious Fanatics, Artillery Crews, or anything else with a pulse. They're job is to delay the rest of the enemy army long enough for you to rout the flank. As soon as that happens move down the line and do the same thing. Every unit you rout will free up more and more of your own troops to reinforce your delaying troops. You need to be quick though because if you don't rout that first unit quickly all is lost.
- * This tactic workes best with Shield wall-ability(see 7.2... Strategos tips), because you don't need to worry about A.I cavalry hitting your flank.
- The main point is to keep your eye on the weakest A.I flank(town militia, peasants) and try to spread the enemy thin, so that they will rout faster.
7.17... Treb-wall:
Brown are trebuchets, red is the Enemy.
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
7.18... Delusion:
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
7.19... Hell-Fire:
[spoiler]
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
7.2.1... Advance Focus:
Spoiler Alert, click show to read: Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
This is a defensive strat and work well against larger A.I armys on the field... as long as you got a decent army your self.
- In the first line you put spears. Make sure you have some space in between, to let the enemy slip. This "slip" will be open for charge.
- Put one spearmen on your left flank. More or less seperated.
- Archers, Ballista must be placed in a curve, so bend it. Make sure they have enuff space to shoot at the left flank and frontline, aswell as defend your right flank.
- Place infantry, cavalry, axe-units, etc. In a diagonal line from the direction of the (left)spearmen, to the (right) range units. This will allow a direct moral damage from many Archer units and 1(left)infantry. The lonely Enemy infantry will quickly rout, and open up for more flanking straight into the heart of the enemy frontline.
- The whole reason with placing all units on (right)side, is to trick the A.I into doing the same. Enemy infantrywill be locked in the frontline. This leaves you the chance to rout their very weak (left)flank.
- Make sure you co-ordinate all your units on the target at the exact time to get the strongest moral punch.
- First, the left flank; Focus all flame projectile at the lonely (left)enemy infantry. Move in your (left)infantry, after the moral drops 1 level,
- Secound, surround the main enemy army; From all availeble units, remember to charge and fire flames at the same time.
- * This tactic workes best with Shield wall-ability(see 7.2... Strategos tips), because you don't need to worry about A.I cavalry hitting your flank.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ivanhoex
- As AI reaches, you leave them alone, a minimun countercharge and wait. Their archers will close in, but keep afar, so you can pick them out with a crossed cav charge behind their lines. if not, just ignore them for now.
- Once time goes by, AI units facing your spears will be less spread, more like surrounding your spears. Then you move your infantry.
- Once they are flanked and their general killed or on the run, massacre starts.
The AI cav will most likely go...
- A: Right to the spears: No problem.
- B: Flank to get the archers: If goes to the archers you will have to intercept with your own cav and send the flank spears to help. (so its allways better to have this side spears be two or even three units, this goes down to how many troops you have).
7.4... Strategos tips:
- Before every offensive battle takes place; Zoom in & check the ground on the (2D) campaign map. Make sure your Commander stand on the high-ground. This will give you the edge in the battle.
- [Ctrl] + double click on a unit = selecting all of the same unittype (only spearmilitia, only DFK etc).
- To quickly create a custom frontline: [Ctrl] + mouse click on the first spearmen -> then some infantry->(...)-> then end with spearman again. The unit you first clicked on will be the one on the flank, then the next building the middle, then end with a flank. Try it.
- Battle-map: Quickest way for your unit retreat from a fight, is to attack another unit. Make sure it is a unit that is not running away, but that can be easily be charged. Once you are free from melee, you can charge go where you want.
- Battle-map: Your heavy knights gets stuck in some annoying mounted sergeants on the battlefield, charge them while you fight in melee. If the other person is the under-dog, then that unit will run, even if it's not routing.
- *Battle-map: Shield wall-ability can be used to split an enemy frontline.
- The best units for that are: Raiders, Huscarls, D-GermanKnight . It's good because it got:
- Armour piercing (like a cavalry-charge).
- And Shield wall -ability
- Put the unit(Raiders) behind your fronline, with the archers, wait. Select Shield wall-ability. Draw a thin formation as you possible can(like a pointed stick) with your Raiders-unit. After you and the enemy frontline clash, charge enemy archers with the pointed stick. Your unit will push like a spear through your and the enemy frontline, followed by demorelising A.I as they would be hit by a cavalry. Useing more units in one "pointed stick" will dobble the effect. This is a raw-tactic, and is not jet fully tested, therefor not in the Tactic section*.
Quote:
A.I training:
A.I solider: What if he comes at you with a pointed stick?
DLV BAI: POINTED STICK?!? Eww ew ew. You wanne learn how we defend against pointed sticks do we? Getting all high and mighty ehh?! Fresh fruit not good enuff for you ehh?!
Credit:
-Lord Feloric's Ambassador: Quick siege, Fishing.
-Old_Scratch: Focus, Treb-wall.
-Llamad: Mongol siege info, and overall tips.
-Ivanhoex: Mongol siege info
Part 7.5... Magistratus
This section to cover Campaign tactics (late era)
7.5.1... Central Intelligence Agency:
To cover Agents, some hints, some eastern eggs & how to use them with other systems.
- Total War: Agents. I have found that a pure RPG-ish is not more succesful regarding time and brain effort. No matter, it is great fun when you got all the agents with high level and their HQ Guilds. Historical Byzantium is the best faction to go for non-military. B/c of the share size of the settlements and it's income. But remember that Byzantine does not hold the power of Crusade/Jihad.
- Priests can become a powerful tool: Example: You play as the Turks and you fight a desperate war against Georgia, Byzantine, Jerusalem, Hedjaz and a weak, annoying Armenian faction. You can't take their last settlement, because then you would risk Armenia going Horde and ballistic on your settlements. Instead, you can send in your Imams in their last settlement, to convert the population. Soon, their settlement will be 45% muslim and refusing to join in on a Ortodox army.
- Princesses, Assassins and divine intervention can be used to make war between 2 factions. Example: "I want France to make war with Germany". The first thing you should do is make sure you have a very charming Princess or better, an Assassin. Also make sure to get good relations with the pope. Now, call a crusade against Lithuania (or any target on the other side of Germany). Most Catholic factions will join, including France. They will most likely walk straight .. through German land. Now send out your princess/assassin, and follow the French General. When the french Crusaders reaches the other end of the German border, is the time to strike down with your Princesses Charm/Assassin. Result: the french army will stop the crusade, and most likely damage relations. If not even start a war between the two. I hope you get the logic. This works with any other big catholic factions, too.
- Weapons of massdestruction: Quote:
Originally Posted by Rebel6666
- They (Spys) can be used as a weapon, yes they can…. For example: You have a city with the plague in it, here I’m not talking about the big one but from time to time there will be little plagues in your cities, the thing is to bring your Spy in it be sure that he catches the plague and then bring him in your enemies settlements. By doing this you will infect them.
This can cause serious damage if done with the right amout of spys and planing. - Defense against ambushers: Quote:
Originally Posted by Rebel6666
- They (Spys) also so have a defensive role in the game. Having one in your moving army can help you see ambushers so you won’t get caught in one.
This is very useful in the early era, when you have thick forests combined with large rebel stacks. - Remember that Spys can cause small uprising in foreign settlements. Try to combine this with priests of opposite religion.
- Thief & Assassin-training: Easiest way to train is to infiltrate/kill low level, friendly merchants.
- Merchant training: Train them and get the trait Market controller in you own land, where it's free upkeep, then send them out in pair, to monopolize rich resources. It can give you 10 000 florins a turn. For more basic Merchant info, check the SGfNP-->Merchants and resources.
- Diplomat training: It seems that it takes 25 turns until the A.I gets cranky. Therefor, send out your diplomats as fast as possible. Also, end your turn in a faction that you have not talk to before to aquire mission, and then recive Governor points. This can be really hard for undeveloped factions like Norway, who don't start out with a Diplomat.
- Background check: Whenever you face a Faction Leader, with low authority, then don't kill him without taking a closer look. Send in your spy and check his Retinue and Traits. Look for bad traits like: Inspier to civil war, low moral, bad management traits, etc. Then weigh the ups and dows. Take him out, or let him run home with his tail between his legs.
7.5.2... How to use Papal state
How to use the Papal state to your advantage:
- Allways have an ass-kisser Diplomat in Roma. Keep on giving the Pope your surplus. This will, in the end, ensure a solid relationship (and a puppet-state.) Pope will aid you with ca$h-gifts, religious favour, cardinal favour, protection from other Catholic rulers, etc. All in all, your best investment.
- The papal states act as a UN-peace keeping force. Give the pope settlements between 2 nations, and they will have no way be able to fight their wars, without pissing off the pope. Example: You play as Milan, and you don't want France to move into Iberia. Send out a raiding party, and capture the settlements between the two. Kingdom of Navarre and Aragon. Occupy the Citys and don't destroy the buildings. Give these settlements to the Pope. France and Span will in no shape or form be able to attack each other. Hopefully.
- How to get other factions in trouble with Pope Quote:
Originally Posted by Furin
First you need an alliance with the pope (works too without being allied with him only slower). All you need to do then is move multiple 1 unit armies into the territory of the enemy nation the pope favours too much. They will be attacked multiple times within one turn, you choose to withdraw as much as possible. Every time the enemy nation attacks your armies their relations with the pope will go down. Three turns should be enough to get any faction down to 1 cross favour if not excommunication. If you gave a border province to the pope and the enemy armies chase you into papal territory his holyness will not be amused either. - If you play an Italien faction, and you worry that the old man will go ballistic during the dark ages: Quote:
During the Dark ages; you are doomed to wage war on the Papal state and surly get excommunicated. So, before the Dark ages begins: Take Tunis, south west of Italy, and give it to the pope. Send in your bravest Brutes to exterminate the Italian Papal state. You will surely get exommunicated, but not during the Dark ages. Remember to save up alot of cash. Then give him all you money and beg the new (African) Pope for forgiveness
If you ever get tired of the old man running the show in central-europe... Then don't hesitate to station him on Greenland, Mekka, Florida or Riga.
7.5.3... Advantages of Vassals
Spoiler Alert, click show to read: Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Short version of Rebel6666s Info on Vassals, profit, etc.
- Make sure the victim (faction soon to become Vassal) only has 1 settlement left.
- The victim needs to be economically weak, as well as military weak. So block their port, take out their last patrolling military, (If it's another religion, send in priests). Don't release this pressure until they are under your wing.
- Send in your diplomat, and ask them over and over to become your vassal. Keep doing this as you continually block them. This might take 5-10 turns, but be patient, the reward is worth it.
- Reputation and relation are the vital factors to a quick succesful agreement.
- Now, as they are your vassal, you want it stays that way:
- Station strong elite units in the forts, to scare them off and keep them under supervision. Remember that you got military access, so free upkeep. Dont let WW2 happend again.
- You might even give them lands far away. If you recently have captured a Crusade-/Jihad target far away, and you don't need it, just give it to your vassal. They will surely loose it, but it keeps them happy.
- If you have an opposite religious force as Vassal, send in your priests to block of their recruitement ability. This will stop them from expanding, military wise, after 40% conversion.
- A.I Economy is not regulated: Play as England. Storm the Scottish lands and surrond their capital. Force Vassal on them. A.I Economy is not regulated, the way the Players economy is. Result is 25 000 fl. profit from Edinburgh a turn.
- Think about what you can get from Milan, Venice or Rome... combined. For this I would use an opposite a religious faction, to control their recruting ability.
7.5.4... Raiding in DLV
- "Here are some raiding tips I have learned through the years":
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Starting a career as Raider is not a quick; sail-land-away.
"Experience and Planning is everything" :
- Send out a smuggler boat around the coast within a reasonable range to scout ahead. Look for large citys w/low garrison (2->3 militias). Make sure your targets go at ease with the will of the holy father. Dumfries, Aberdeen, Southhampton, Luebeck are all easy targets.
- Make sure you leave some of your sea trading partners alone, to support your investment. Have a couple of 1000's of fl. on book, before you head out on the open sea.
- Create an elite task-force of spys: Trained in the art of... door-opener.
Recruitment- There are two kinds of raiders. Those who travel light with heavy horses. Then there are the Vikings:
- 1 big fleet(1 Dragon boat) to protect the crew.
- 1 High dread general is a requirement. Or as Aneximanes said, " ...command of a brute. Great fun".
- Raiders, Theigns are all-time favorites. Just make it simple and easy to retrain in captured castles.
- Flooding the enemy with cavalry is quite easy. Getting tired of it, is rather easy too.
- Many spys will give you fast travel. Make sure you have enuff.
- Spys are no insurance for several raids. Artillery is a good 2nd option. Because they (almost) never get hurt.
- Demanding bounty for your work is also needed. Make sure you have atleast 1 diplomat for each client/Island. As always, the insurance company aka. the Papal State demands his taxes too for attacking fellow christians.
- 2-3 boats to scout and to ship resources; new crew, spys, diplomats etc from your safe haven.
Fate of the people- Nagasaki? or continue your raid-career? ...it's up to you.
- Sack the city, leave the buildings
- ...If you like to visit them later.
- Occupy the city, leave the buildings
- ...If you like to give it to an ally (and recive military access).
- Exterminate the city, destroy the buildings
- ...If you like to leave a clear and final message to the owner.
- ...If you like to end your raid-career, b/c of no future jobs.
- Occupy the city, destroy the buildings
- ...If you like it to make it go rebel and a burden for the new owner.
Raiding tips: Givng a settlement to a rich faction will make it grow faster, and let you raid it faster again.
"In the end, when you experience it all, you don't need to run home to your momy at all".
7.5.5... CAI, aka. Campaign A.I
The brain of the DLV engine. CAI section is for you to know when the campaign attacks
- Signs-of-the future:
- A.I-agents(diplomats & spys) station them self in your border settlements, bribing you.
- A.I-stacks appear on the other side of the border. This normally happends around turn 30-40.
- Passive defense: After the signal, Recruite alot of units in the region to scare of the enemy.
- Agressive defense: Send alot of units to the A.I settlement, after the-signal and/or after huge amount of A.I stacks invade you. This will cause the A.I to retreat their "invasion"-forces, back to defend their orginal border.
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
7.7... Magistratus tips
- Buildings never show the exact number under the pictures. Precise health, economy, adm, growth -number should be checked in the Settlement Details.
- I recomend you to read the Great information thread by Rebel6666. It gives you the basics of M2TW aswell as tips on Repuation.
- I also recomend you to read A Guide for Guilds, by Dark Knight. It's the Guild-bible of M2TW and it shows you how to aquire guilds.
- A collection of DLV strategies and hints, from Strategos Furin.
- Faction Overviews/Difficulty Levels, from SGFNP.
- Merchants and resources, from SGFNP
- How to not be a bad looser: Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Quote:
Originally Posted by ArmoredSergeant
I played a whole game in the 'non-loader' style. It was in Rome: Total War and it was the most enjoyable campaign I had ever played. The reason I did not bother reloading after losing any battle, large or small, was because I was a tyrant. If my soldiers failed to win a battle that I was counting on them for, then they DESERVED to die. In fact, if I could see that they were failing I would retreat my general and archers but charge all infantry and cavalry.
And when you know you are going to lose the battle, your goal is to make the enemy's victory very costly. When I looked at it in this perspective, losing a battle began to seem more and more acceptable.
Stop being such a perfectionist! You should build an army with a general and throw him on a suicide run and deliberately save the game after you've lost.
Don't be weak! Your soldiers have nothing better to do than to die for you. They are small, they are beneath you, and you are the boss of them.
If you are afraid that you will lose ground because of defeat at a large battle, don't worry. After all, you were expecting this and have been assembling another army to destroy what was left of the enemy.
Credit
-Furin: ...make other factions in trouble with pope.
-Rebel6666: "Defence against ambushers", "Weapons of massdestruction" & "Vassal info".
-ArmoredSergeant: How to not be a bad looser |