Summer 2013 Scriptorium Writing Competition - Themed Category Voting Thread
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Noob’s guide for M2TW - Entry #1
Noob’s guide for M2TWThis is my first TW guide. I said to myself: “Why make a pro’s one when you can make a noob’s one?” Well this guide is mainly for M2TW but it will include references from both RTW and MTW. So welcome to the “Noob’s guide for M2TW”
STARTING:
Starting the M2TW you’ll be first tempted to play the Prologue, DON’T! You are a gamer for God’s sake! You can play a game without a tutorial and it looks like RTW anyways ,what can go wrong? Well if you played MTW and then RTW and didn’t play the tutorial you would be pretty much dead. Why? Because the game-mechanics changed. But from RTW to M2TW there is the same engine and the same controls, shortcuts and ….cheats. There are only additions to gameplay and graphics.
This is what can we say about M2TW comparing it to RTW but let’s get started!
Deciding not to play the tutorial like a boss you will go to the single-player campaign. There you will see 5 factions. First you’ll say WTF! Why? Because like a true gamer, you opened the nice descr_strat in Rome and added all the factions to playable after a nice searching in google . If you don’t know how to do this then GET OUT OF TWC! AND COME BACK WHEN YOU KNOW HOW TO MAKE ALL FACTIONS PLAYABLE!
Here we have a guide on RTW heaven about how do you do this:
http://rtw.heavengames.com/cgi-bin/f...f=9,7259,0,all
Fortunately the process is identical in M2TW.
But why do I want you to edit the text-files? Because like a true-gamer you won’t want to unlock the other factions by playing and even WINNING the game.
After reading all this useless block of text you will want to actually play the game.
Choosing a faction and Gameplay:
You have like 1,2,3…. 2+1+2+2+2+2+1=12 catholic factions, 2 orthodox factions and the three muslim ones.
There also the Papal states , Aztecs , Mongols and Timurids. But we’ll talk about them later.
Catholic factions:
Spain: We’ll first talk about Spain .Why? Because it ‘s nice to start from the left. Even if Portugal was more to the left… Eh doesn’t matter now… Spain is a nice yellow and red faction. At the beginning your only strength will be the only skirmisher cavalry in the game : Jinetes.
If you spam this guys enough . You should take the Iberian Peninsula pretty quick. You also have more javelinmen on foot which should be pretty good at throwing javelins at other javelinmen.
Later they get nice ships and knights, and even Conquistadores. Got your attention ? Good. Because now we’ll have boring stuff.
Portugal: Portugal is a Spain with white and blue, I am pretty sure they have the exact same units , except maybe some knights. The AI of Portugal is strange, the white and blue javelinmen preferring to fight Welsh bandits more than their Spanish neighbours.
If you wanted Aragon from MTW then I am sorry to disappoint you. You can always check the Stainless Steel mod but I don’t recommend it to you until you know M2TW pretty average.
France: France seems to be unique and it is. With BLOODY cavalry-archers. Our historical department is pretty sure that the 100 Years War wasn’t fought with Cavalry-archers or how they are called in-game Mounted Archers . Here in TWC we call every kind of mounted archers a HA (horse archer) so if you plainly decide to join our ranks be aware of this! It also gets some mounted crossbowmen as well. I don’t know what to believe anymore.
France won’t fight England as it should, instead it will search for war with its southern friends described above. But if you decide to play France use your HAs wisely.
Holy Roman Empire :Or how do we call it here in TWC , HRE. The HRE it’s a all around strong faction. That’s what the
faction-screen at the beginning tells you. It’s true that HRE has spearmen, swordsmen and knights but they are all a bunch of good-looking weak units. The generic ones that everyone has are far superior to your Imperial Knights (which sounds so awesome but they are so disappointing) .Their only badass unit are the Teutonic Knights. Your only hope is to blitz some guy below (Milan or Venice, preferable Milan because…well you’ll see now). Blitz is the abbreviation of Blitzkrieg (the name of Nazi Germany’s attack against UK) and it’s a popular verb in TWC. It consists of attacking a faction at an early stage of the game and it’s sometimes very useful. But be aware that a Blitz’s failure will more likely destroy your faction too.
Milan: Milan is an Italian faction which gets an actually strong historical unit :Genoese Crossbow Militia. I don’t know if they are them or other hardcoded stuff but Milan is a steamrolling train when controlled by AI. Later you’ll more likely see them crushing France, Venice and HRE in the same time. They like to sit there, in their nice and comfy little 2 cities AND THE BRUTALLY BACKSTAB YOU !
Venice: The queen of the Mediteraneean doesn’t like sea very much. Instead they like Vienna, Hungary, Poland. Venice will more likely take the Balkans if let to and they are a terrible enemy when playing as the Bizantines. They have the most powerful Heavy Infantry in game, and the best name they could give them was Venetian Heavy Infantry. Playing as Venice isn’t hard nor easy, it’s a good choice for beginning your experience and they were my first faction too.
Sicily: They have Sicily and Naples and will more likely rule North Africa. Except the Moors they don’t often get in wars with other factions so they are pretty loved by Pope.
Denmark: VIKINGS FTW! Do I need to say more?
Poland and Hungary :Although different I chose to describe them together- nice horse archers, weak infantry compared with others, and pretty much likely to get at war with each other.
England: Nice bowmen and Sherwood Archers. Yes. Sherwood Archers. The AI’s behavior is different every game. It can be destroyed by France and Scotland or kill them both in other scenarios.
Scotland: Highlanders and later they get some badass mailed noble pikemen and swordsmen.
Orthodox factions:
The Bizantine Empire or the Bizzies: In the vanilla M2TW they will most likely get crushed by Hungary and Turks . If controlled by player, they will seem easy because of large treasury and if you blitz the Turks properly you will have time to secure your western border. They have the most powerful early cavalry and it’s recommended to spam it fast.
Russia: Although it sounds powerful, they have woodsmen and "peasant" before every unit type at the beginning. If you survive long enough you will get Dhruzina, which have axes and bows and also look badass. Controlled by AI they won’t expand much and get eaten alive by Mongols later.
Muslim factions:
Turks: Large mix of units but not good enough in the beginning, a reason to blitz them as Egypt or Bizantines. Later they get THE MOST COOL HEAVY CAVALRY! (after the kataphraktoi of course) and INFANTRY !
Egypt: Won’t do much controlled by AI, except repelling crusaders. But they have nice units (later).
Moors: They are maybe the weakest faction in game but they have the largest diversity of units. Camel gunners !
Other factions:
Papal states: You can’t touch them, you can’t do anything to them! Okay only if you are a catholic faction... But they won’t be easy deal for muslims and orthodoxes too.
Aztecs: After a while you’ll get bored of Europe , North Africa and Middle-East and you’ll want to go to AMERICA. After you get the highest level port in a city with the Explorer’s Guild ,build a carrack and go to AMERICA! Out of money ? Invest anything you got on a gunpowder army and a small fleet and go to AMERICA! After you conquer all the Aztec cities, your economy will shine and you’ll be able to steamroll your enemies.
Mongols: At some point in the game, some dudes with bows and horses decide to make their appearance. Of course if you are Scotland you don’t have anything to fear about. But if you are Russia you better run. Even the Turks are in danger with the Mongolian threat!
Timurids: If you thought Mongols are bad , wait for the Timurids. They have bloody ELEPHANTS WITH ROCKET LAUNCHERS! (medieval ones, chill out). Soon the map will get black as the Timurids are destroying everything in their path!
Agents: In addition to RTW, M2TW has added 2 new types of agents : Merchants and Princesses.
Merchants: You put them on a resource on the strategic map and they will make money, you can make enemy merchants dissaspear by using your merchant (or assassin) so you’ll decrease their income.
Princesses: They make a comeback from MTW , you can use them as diplomats or marry important generals for your evil uses.
Battles:The mechanic of battles hasn’t changed much except 2 new formations and the cavalry getting ultra OP. Also the missile units are pretty much nerfed but you’ll still need them. A charge in the back is now deadly but if your cavalry is caught in melee expect a fast death for them. Even if the graphics are better, and there are no more clones, there’s blood and you can see the armor upgrades, the game seems grey because of the look-a-like of all factions (especially the western ones)
Mods: A friend of mine played only S2TW and always laughed when I told him about M2TW. He said the graphics are **** and other stuff. “What does M2TW have and S2TW doesn’t?” And I said: “Mods”
After you get used with the game you may want to try something new.
If you want an enhanced overhaul: Stainless Steel 6.4
There are also many mods covering different scenarios of Medieval times but there are ancient ones too: De Bello Mundi( released) and Europa Barbarorum 2(in progress) also there are mods covering 17th century and later like “1648” and many others.
Also I can’t forget to mention “Third Age Total War” . LOTR fans must buy M2TW just for this mod!
Now some tips:
-Don’t charge with your cavalry in a schiltrom or pikewall . It doesn’t end good.
-Merchant stacks: make a fleet , put 10 merchants on it. And a unit of peasants. Send the fleet to Timbuktu. Take your peasants to a gold resource and order your merchants to join that stack. They will trade the resource without being in danger of other merchants.
P.S.-In Timbuktu , Earthquakes are pretty often.
-Blitz as soon as you can ,if successful you will have a good start.
-Profit as much as you can from the AI’s stupidity
-Spam archers or infantry –no historical armies or balanced ones- just spam the **** out of your enemies
-Join the crusades, but keep your army inland, Pope doesn’t get mad and you get free crusader sergeants and other cheap but good units.
-Don’t put garrison unless the faces are red. Blue it’s just fine.
-Set your taxes as high as possible unless the faces are red. Blue it’s just fine.
-Always recruit something!
-press the button “ ~ ” then write “toggle_fow” and hit enter . Watch the magic! Do it again for reversing the effects.
For the end I would like to say that this is a guide for beginners, the ones used with M2TW already know this stuff. Any step is optional, because it’s a game where you decide what to do! You can always discover something new, and the options are limitless. Wanna leave Scotland and settle in Spain? No problem! Want to reforge the Roman Empire? No problem! What I wrote here is for basically introducing you in the world of TWC and our perception of this game. Enjoy your campaign!
A Guide to the Chiefdom of Dunland for the Fourth Age: Total War - Entry #2 A Guide to the Chiefdom of Dunland for The Fourth Age: Total War
The Fourth Age: Total War is a mod for RTW:BI which takes place in the Fourth Age of Tolkien's Middle-earth – after the One Ring has been destroyed. The current version allows you to play as one of six factions, including such heavy-hitters as the Reunited Kingdom of Gondor and Arnor, which boasts the strongest infantry, best archers, and richest lands on the map, or the Kingdom of Rohan, whose famed horsemen are unstoppable.
But I won't be telling you about those factions. Instead, this guide will focus on the Chiefdom of Dunland.
If you haven't read The Lord of the Rings in a while, the name 'Dunland' may not ring a bell. You might vaguely remember them as the enemies of Rohan who threw in with the traitor Saruman during the War of the Ring. In Peter Jackson's films, Dunland got very little play indeed (they were basically represented by that one dirty guy with bad teeth who cut his hand as a pledge to Saruman).
Above: Dunland’s best and brightest, apparently. (Source: https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=...78130383129412)
So why play as possibly the least-known faction in Fourth Age? Put simply, Dunland offers the toughest challenge in the mod, on both the strategic and tactical level. On the campaign map, you will face the difficulties of being a small, poor kingdom surrounded by strong enemies. On the battlefield, you will have to use every trick in your arsenal to see your ragged band of undisciplined troops to victory against foes who are better armed, better paid, and most of the time, better led. In short, if you want to feel like you earned your win, Dunland is the faction for you.
But if you need a little help along the way, look no further. This guide will take you through the steps of turning your third-rate chiefdom of hillmen and hunters into a realm to be feared by the mighty of Middle-earth.
First, let's look at the troops a Dunlending chieftain can expect to lead into battle.
Men of Hill and Wood: Warriors of Dunland
The first thing you'll notice about Dunland's unit roster is that it is foot-bound: even your Chieftain's Bodyguard will walk, not ride, to war (though units of bodyguard horsemen can be trained in Dunfreca). This has implications for the life of your family as well, since if a battle goes badly it's likely that your fleeing general will be cut down by pursuing horsemen.
Your cavalry options are extremely limited. Apart from the Dunlending Horsemen you can train at any stables in your homelands, the only other cav you are likely to train will be the Riders of the Isenmarch, available only in Dunfreca. Both of these units will have a place in your armies, but they will be outclassed by the riders of almost every other faction – especially that of your great enemy, Rohan. Use them as flankers and to charge into the rear of foes who are already fighting your infantry. The Dunlending Horsemen are especially fragile, but at least they carry a few throwing spears. In most cases, even the armored Riders of the Isenmarch will have trouble unless they're supported by your infantry, so don't think these guys can carry the day on their own.
Your infantry is a motley bunch. In the early going (at least on Hard difficulty), your footmen will stall even against Gondor Militia unless you have significant numerical superiority. Low-tier units like the Tribal Spears and Axemen can form the middle of your battle line, fronted by your archers and Hunters (skirmishers), flanked by War Hounds or Hillmen and backed by your general and some Wolfhunters. But apart from a few units available later on, such as Orc Champions and Axes of the Wolf, Dunland doesn't have any troops that can grind away in a prolonged melee against the superior warriors of the Reunited Kingdom that you'll be fighting for much of the game. That means battles need to be ended decisively, and quickly.
Above: A capable battle formation for Dunland.
Morale is a concern for your ragged army – they are hunters, farmers, and brigands, not trained soldiers – but one advantage of Dunland's units is that they can make morale a concern for the enemy as well. War Hounds, Wolfhunters, Hillmen, and the Hillmen Warriors available in the later game all intimidate the enemy. So if your battle line can hold while some of these units flank – accompanied by whatever cav you brought along to the party – you can get the foe running for the White Mountains while your bloodthirsty warriors howl in pursuit.
In your settlements around the Misty Mountains – Dunhold and Dunchrioch – you have the option of building Orc dens to attract the services of these nasty creatures. Don't expect the Fighting Uruk-hai: these are the lesser Orcs, effective enough in large numbers but not war-winners on their own. Orc Raiders and Snaga Hunters may be trained in great numbers (up to 9 units in 1 turn), and can serve as speed bumps or distractions on the campaign map: send forces deep into enemy territory to draw the AI's attention away from your real invading force. But I tend to rely more on the Orc Hunters available at the next tier (decent archers with some respectable armor who carry spears as a backup weapon) and especially the Orc Champions you can eventually train at Orc Fighting Pits. These units can stand in with your regular forces, and the Champions in particular add some much-needed staying power to your lineup.
War Hounds are especially useful on the battlefield. Not only do they cause fear, but there's nothing like a pack of deranged dogs for stopping an enemy charge in its tracks. Release the hounds just as an enemy unit approaches your lines, then flank with whatever scary, blood-daubed giants you have on hand.
Just because your own archers are more suited for taking down beasts and birds than armored men doesn't mean you shouldn't train them. In fact, you'll want to train plenty. Since your own troops lack armor, you need archers to neutralize the enemy's missiles and whittle down his soldiers. In my armies fighting in Gondor, I like to have at least 4 units of archers flinging arrows at the terrifyingly effective King's Longbowmen or relatively unarmored infantry such as militia and swordsmen. Horsemen also make nice targets.
Finally, pikes are a unique type of unit available only to Dunland. The Tribal Pikes you can initially train are rather weak compared to the Elite Pikemen available at a Pikemen Muster Field, but both will help you cut down horsemen if used correctly. Note that these guys aren't Spartans: they can't form a phalanx, and are best kept on the flanks or in the second rank of your battle line, where they can rush out to attack flanking riders.
The composition of your armies will change depending on which enemy you're fighting. In Rohan, pikes are obviously more important. In Gondor, leave the pikes at home – you'll get better results with armor-piercing troops like the berserk Hillmen Warriors, Orc Champions, and Axes of the Wolf. In either case, be sure to bring along a few units of War Hounds, plenty of archers, and around 4 units of cavalry to help flank and speed your victory.
The Wolf's Mark: Dunland on Campaign
Don't be fooled by Dunland's starting position in the northwest corner of the map: you'll still be fighting a 2-front war.
Above: Dunland’s settlements at game start. Build Dunhold, Dunchrioch, and Dunfreca for troop production; the other settlements can build more toward income (especially Sheep Traders in Anghal), but they can also provide Horsemen or archers in a pinch.
You begin play at war with Rohan and the Reunited Kingdom, sharing borders with rebels to the south and Rohan to the east. Northwest of Lond Daer – your only coastal settlement – is the rebel-held Vorn Hollen, a requirement for Dunlendish victory: build a boat and take it now or at your leisure, but be sure to approach with greater numbers –those Gondor Militia are tougher than they look!
Clearly your first priority is getting the Rohirrim off your doorstep. You might notice the bridge across the river Isen, just south of Isengard? I know what you're thinking, but avoid the temptation to block your enemy on the bridge. Rohan starts with many units of elite cavalry who can tear through your troops even without the benefit of a charge. Bridge battles can be bad options for Dunland.
Instead, use the mountains to your advantage. Pull together a respectable army of starting troops under a decent leader and position them on the slopes of the Misty Mountains between that bridge and Dunchrioch. The horseboys will obligingly attack, and you'll have the high ground, showering them with spears and arrows as they toil uphill.
After a few victories, you'll be strong enough to invade Rohan itself and threaten Helm's Deep. This is a real prize: take it, and the strawheads will throw army after army against its walls in futile attempts to wrest it back. In fact, merely holding Helm's Deep is often enough to keep Rohan from invading your own lands – which leaves you free to pour your hordes of unkempt warriors south into Gondor.
The key to sieges in The Fourth Age is speed. In most games or RTW mods, you may find that starving out a besieged foe is the path of least resistance. But in Fourth Age, your besieging general will gain demoralizing traits the longer the siege goes on, to represent the men consuming their meager supplies. Given the relatively low morale of the Dunlendish troops, this can be devastating if a large enemy army arrives to relieve their besieged friends. So build that siege equipment and plan to assault (and exterminate) as soon as you can.
While we're on the topic, those supply-related traits affect more than just sieges. It pays to be attentive to the supply level of your army. Your general may be Fully Supplied as he lounges in one of your settlements, but supplies will decrease as he moves around the map, especially in enemy territory. So conserve your men's strength (don't spend all your movement points during a single turn), and try to limit the amount of time spent in hostile lands – or at least, make sure any decisive battles occur before your troops run out of food! I once watched one of my full stacks melt into a rout before a single tepid cavalry charge by a much smaller Reunited Kingdom force. My general was leading an army of starving men, and he paid the price with his life. Fortunately, if you can avoid similar disasters, gaining back positive supply traits (which actually add to the morale of your men) is fairly logical: spend time in friendly territory, especially in towns.
With the Westfold captured and Rohan deterred, turn your energies south. The Reunited Kingdom will send parties to Erindol, the rebel settlement southwest of Dunfreca, and you need to keep them on the defensive. With your new-found wealth from the looting of Helm's Deep, improve your military buildings and train some of that frightening infantry.
You'll find battles against the Reunited Kingdom will require something like 2-to-1 numerical superiority. That means you'll want to send at least 2 stacks, led by reliable (and well-supplied!) chieftains, into Gondor. Keep the armies close enough to support each other in battle (let the AI lead one stack to get more of your men on the field at once), and try to choose advantageous terrain: fairly open, hilly land. True, some of your units benefit from fighting in the woods, but trees also hamper your archers and your (limited) cav. Remember that the Dunlendish army must act as a single unit, so splitting your forces to surprise the foe may backfire.
The invasion of Gondor will likely proceed in waves; a single stack or two simply isn’t enough to defeat the heirs of Elessar. Expect some back and forth as you and the Reunited Kingdom trade blows around Thoronburg and lands to the south. It may take decades before you feel strong enough to push east to threaten Dol Amroth and the smaller settlements near the Stone of Erech, but if you keep training and building – and choosing your battles carefully – the momentum will shift in your favor. Once you take and hold Dol Amroth and settlements like Linhir, most of the fight will be out of the Reunited Kingdom. March your hordes along the coastline toward Minas Anor (formerly Minas Tirith) – and if Dunlendish pride demands that you assault those epic walls, bring plenty of reinforcements, build plenty of siege towers, and expect to take plenty of casualties, even more than your unarmored warriors are used to taking.
While your chieftains are racking up heroic victories in the south, notice when the strength of Rohan begins to flag. Once the assaults on Helm's Deep come fewer and further between, you may be able to snatch some easy settlements in the area: Aglarond and Underharrow make tempting targets. Of course, taking Edoras itself is a devastating blow to the Rohirrim, one from which they may not recover. Give your victorious men some time to celebrate in the Golden Hall, but then press on: the goal of 25 settlements – and vengeance! – often requires that you subdue all of Rohan.
Above: Wolfhunters cutting down the last enemies of the Chiefdom.
The Chiefdom of Dunland is the ultimate underdog faction. At times, you'll feel that your very existence as an independent chiefdom is doomed by the strong enemies who threaten you. Your irregular troops are poorer and less disciplined than their foes. But there's a sly satisfaction in knocking together a working realm with rough materials. With cunning, boldness, and luck, you can make the more 'advanced' factions tremble, and go warily when they hear the call of wolves in the night.
How to Win Rome: Total War and Barbarian Invasion - Entry #3
How to Win Rome: Total War and Barbarian Invasion
Rome: Total War is almost a decade old, making it one of the best computer strategy-games with consideration of its age. Age of Empires II was made in 1997, making it also really good. But, let’s say all three of your Age of Empires II: the Conqueror Expansions went missing, or you got bored of it, and you were down to Rome. Now, despite its age, there are more than a few people who have absolutely no idea how to properly play the game. They don’t even understand vanilla! Despite lacking the finesse and details of Medieval II: Total War, this is no game for the casual or careless. I recall reading a review that guy said he kept going bankrupt and his cities were always revolting, rampant brigands, ranting, etc. I concluded he disliked the game because he didn’t know how to play (probably was leaving no garrisons, built the wrong buildings, and made massive armies for little purpose and all kinds of beginner’s mistakes). I’m writing this for that guy out there, somewhere.
I’m not writing how to play, but how to win. I expect you to know what sewers and farms for your city, and how they are different. I expect you to know the buildings, how to upgrade your cities, when to recruit mercenaries, what command stars, management scrolls, influence laurels, and subterfuge eyes mean and do. This particular guide fits my style of play, which is a careful, defensive economist. If you are a blitzing rusher who wins in two hours or not at all, just move on to the next entry and save us all some time.
The Basics of Total War
While these all these tips are something you should follow, the key to success is adaptability. The point of this guide is to learn to win, but if one of these tips is not working for you, throw it out. It’s not helping you win, which is the point of the guide here.
Economy
“War is a matter not so much of arms as of money.” –Thucydides. Your economy is crucial to every aspect of the game, since the poor cannot afford an army, usually opting instead for a mindless rabble. Since merchants were introduced in Medieval II, you have to use buildings and armies for a better income. These points should help you not have to conquer settlements to break even, but that’s not to be confused with being against expanding your empire to secure a higher income, since doing that is the point of the game. With more denarii, you can build better buildings and better armies, in effect having every edge you need over your enemies. An endless flow of income creates the ability of endless war. Here are some tips for your economy, other than the obvious use of the highest tax setting you can do without issuing riots, which you should be doing anyway.
1. Build roads. Roads connect cities to other cities and are vital to any lord worth his salt. Simple dirt trails are quite cheap (1 turn and 400 denarii) and can be built by some of the smallest of towns, but better roads get more expensive, causing more helpful rewards. Roads have three purposes: to speed military travel, increase trade, and direct you other faction’s cities. Building humble roads can generate nearly a hundred denarii per turn as well as shortening army and agent travel, making profit in five turns, but paved roads generate several hundred denarii per turn. You should reach at least paved roads in practically any situation.
2. Get ocean-front property. This seems counter intuitive, with the price of a good view being upwards of $20,000 these days. But remember, you are god-emperor of vast tracts of land and can afford it, so get always ports (dockyards can be less rewarding, so sticking with ports and only a few dockyards for better ships will do). Historically, the sea, rather than land, never stopped exploration. Look at the Micronesians, the Greeks, the Vikings, and Arabs were all great seafarers, most by necessity, since land travel was more difficult to them. Owning ocean-front property means you can build ports, arguably the greatest money-maker in the game. Why do the Germans and Dacians face bankruptcy when the Greeks, Brutii, and Carthage bathe in denarii? Ocean-front property!
3. Minimal military. If you are outrageously rich (+50,000 denarii) you don’t really need to follow this. But the rule is to conserve soldiers and ships. Have minimal garrisons on non-border cities. Half a stack of troops, other than peasants, can cost upwards of 1000 denarii per turn, with good troops bumping it up to 2000. If seven units are all you need, then you saved 300-600 denarii per turn. In two turns you could buy a port, or two dirt roads. In four turns you could buy mines (getting simple mines are also always worth it, by the way). Being a better commander gets you more money, getting you better troops. Large, decentralized navies are also unnecessary. Building two navies the A.I. can’t beat is more effective and efficient than a dozen little biremes being sunk every other turn by pirates with your diplomat on board will only cause rage. Rage doesn’t conquer the settlements.
Battle
As I said earlier, being a better general pays off (which is kind of a given considering we’re playing Rome: Total War). The point off a good economy is to afford an awesome military, since when it’s all said and done, Praetorians, Spartans, Berserkers, Cataphracts, and Elephants are what win the game (and Urban Cohorts, but one does not simply spam Urban Cohorts). A careless economist will find an entire city being necessary for upkeep of just one unit in that list.
There are no guarantees of any outcome on very hard battle difficulty, but you can win even if you are outnumbered on medium with these tips.
1. Flanking is the most important aspect of battle, and the Total War series is no exception to that. It is a well established medical fact that being stabbed in the side whilst confronting someone head-on is most unhealthy, physically and mentally. The Total War series is no exception to that and you should take full advantage of it. Attacking from the side brings success, attacking from the behind causes rout (and they are cut down no matter what direction they flee). And those with exposed backs fall the easiest.
2. Primarily quality, not quantity ultimately wins the day. Any newbie’s first instinct will be churn out town watch/spear warband/eastern infantry/militia hoplites. Though these are good units for garrisons and early game jumpstart; that is what they are good for. They do not make effective anchors or hold a line very well (much to my horror once when my cavalry charge from behind caused the enemy and my men to bend in a u-shape!). A bit more morale, an attack and two defense point bonus, or higher charge damage, it can be the difference between routing and being routed. And those with exposed backs fall the easiest.
3. Know your units’ strengths and advantages as well as your enemies’. There are few errors more fatal than a Battle of Pelennor Fields-style charge straight into elite hoplite spears. Although most people do not do things that rash, the idea persists of using your units for what they are best for. Hoplites are for forming a battle line and stopping frontal advancements. Archers are for free kills within the safety of defensive infantry, not charging into oncoming light cavalry. Falxmen, berserkers, and melee infantry are for hacking a hole in the enemy’s line. Knowing and utilizing your units’ best advantages and ruining your enemy’s advantages are among the most important aspects of battle.
4. Realize your goals. There is a huge difference between attacking and defending, no matter how large either army is. If you are on defense, you are attempting to fight back the enemy advance. A good strategy is finding the high ground; wait for the enemy to come, then counter-charge, enjoying the morale boosts of being fresh and on a hill. Another strategy is to have hidden units ambush the oncoming army. In other words, take every advantage of the fact the enemy is coming to you. When attacking you are attempting to inflict maximum casualties, usually total elimination, whilst minimizing your own. This will usually involve heavy cavalry charges, archer volleys, and flanking. As an attacker, it is better to have a better army than the defender, since they have all the advantages as a defender i.e. high ground, freshness, tricks and traps, or even walls.
Siege
Sieges are arguably the more important than field battle. While field battles are military cancellation, sieges are simultaneously weakening your enemies’ economies and strengthening yours. Siege battles in Rome: Total War has the garrison being completely obliterated if they lose, so it’s a good idea to know how to win sieges. Sometimes it’s best to sally out before some of your men die, but you are on offense and walls aren’t as useful, so sometimes you need to wait it out for the enemy to come. Due to apparent similarities, incorporating battle tips with siege tips would be a good, if obvious, idea.
Defense:
1. Get strong walls, preferable stone. There is a massive difference between wooden walls and stone walls. Stone walls open up the entire siege warfare aspect of the game. Sieges can get even easier when you get gates that usually destroy battering rams, bringing the battle down to ladders, siege towers. As long as your garrison can outmatch their infantry, the settlement will be yours.
2. Decide your walls’ purpose. Are the walls there to buy you time to prepare for street fighting, or will it be the scene of the battle? If the enemy has lots of cavalry, use your (stone) walls as the battle ground and try to destroy rams, making it an infantry vs. infantry battle on walls, a battle you should win as the defenders. Keep in mind that if the battle is at the walls and you have to retreat to the main square, more often than not the battle is already lost. In a town with narrow streets and wood walls, you can choose street fighting instead of filling holes in the wall with your troops. But if you abandon your stone walls, they might kill enough men to make it easier to hold the main square, but I simply don’t abandon my walls.
3. If your battle is at the walls, hold the gates, then towers. Both of those buildings fire arrows upon your enemies, sometimes wiping out entire units camping out before your walls, if not significantly weakening them. Your towers are yet another advantage defenders have, and you should try to protect them. Your gates are even more vital, they allow who gets in or out of the settlement, especially cavalry that cannot operate siege engines.
Attack:
1. Get through the walls with minimal casualties. With wooden walls, usually a battering ram and heavy infantry/cavalry is all you need to capture gates. Stone walls are not much harder. Changing your starting location and attacking a wall segment or two away from the closest is usually enough to fool the A.I. to the point where you can get enough men to the walls to be able to gain the upper hand, especially if you wait for them to come through the towers individually and chop them down there.
2. Capture towers and gates. Every tower you get is a tower that doesn’t kill your men, as well as now shooting at enemies. Capturing gates means you can lead generals and cavalry through the city. Capturing towers and gates strengthens your hold on the hostile city’s garrison.
3. It is not necessary to kill every soldier. To win, you can A) make all enemy units rout, B) capture and hold the town square for three minutes, or C) kill all the enemy troops. For obvious reasons, options A) and B) will probably make you sustain less casualties but still obliterate the enemy army, for that is what happens to garrisons who suffer defeat.
Improved Family Members
I have had my fair share of annoyance of family members with no skills (I found the Franks or Saxons in some Barbarian Invasion campaigns ripe with family members with absolutely no positive attributes.). Poor skills at management, command, or influence can change your entire empire. Command stars give your troops a morale boost. Management increases city profitability, and influence give a public order increase. So here are a few tips on how to have useful family members
1. like father, like son. In the Total War series having, say, a brilliant general makes his son more likely to start with more command stars than normal. I recall in a Carthage campaign having a 7-star general’s son get 4 stars (“Military Genius” trait) as a sixteen-year-old. Remember, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, so it can be best to get rid of family members with no skills so you can have a better line of talented generals and administrators.
2. Build academies. Academies are one of the most useful indirect military or administration buildings in the game. Academies not only give a small public order boost, but they increase the chances of your family member in that city to get good traits and people in his retinue. One time in a Brutii campaign I sent a young general with absolutely no stars, scrolls, or laurels to Athens as a temporary governor to increase public order. In a few years, he had 2 influence laurels and 6 management scrolls, from the abundance of scholars and academies in the city!
3. Win battles, preferably with a chance of failure. Command stars tend to come when you win least even battles, even more so for lopsided battles in their favor. You do not get command stars for wiping 200 bandits with 1,200 men. You do get command stars for beating back a besieging army of 1,000 with a little under 600 men (I once got three command stars for doing that twice in a Seleucid campaign.). Great victories hardly go unrewarded.
Specifics of Rome: Total War Factions
To finish up this guide, I thought I should give some advice for each civilization you can play as without modifications to the original game, eleven for Rome, ten for Barbarian Invasion.
Rome: Total War
The Julii should take Segesta from the Gauls and maybe Caralis from Carthage. Gaining Segesta means you have three cities in Italy to the Gauls two. Eventually you should be able to beat the Gauls there. It’s not difficult since the Gauls are always fighting at least two people (you, Britons, Germans, and Spanish). You usually are the least profitable Romans, so look at the “Economy” section of this guide.
The Scipii are the ones most likely to run out of places to conquer, so you must be aggressive. As the southern-facing Romans, they are usually the ones who get north-west Africa and Spain. Go further than that and try to get some cities in Greece to get an edge over your Brutii competitors.
The Brutii usually have the most money and are infamous for spamming stacks in the late game. The Brutii get the best temples in the game and the most profitable territory. Conquering Asia Minor after Greece will not be a pleasant memory, but it will be possible.
The Germans have four nearby rebel settlements, two to north, two to the south, and maybe Lugdunum in France if you are lucky. Getting at least three of them quickly are essentially to getting a decent economy. The Germans can go bankrupt, so get ocean-front property.
The Britons are surrounding by civilizations, civilizations they can beat. You are required to be a warmonger because Ireland is the only nearby rebel settlement. Beating the Gauls or the Germans is fairly easy, but avoid doing both. The Britons are the most powerful barbarians under A.I. control.
The Gauls are one of the most difficult factions to play, with war on several fronts. Taking Segesta will help alleviate your problems with the Julii, but they will be a bother until they are destroyed. Putting large garrisons in Spain and northern France is most vital to success.
Carthage is one of the richest factions with one of the worst militaries in comparison. The best units are late-game, and you have to hold out until then. Getting lots of money helps though. You can beat the Scipii out of Sicily with your initial army, keeping them out is a different story, because their last city is supported by the Senate Army.
The Greek City-States also can get rich quickly, but they have some of the best infantry in the game. Churning out phalanxes in Sparta can let you sneak to Athens via ship, or taking Corinth from Macedon. Getting a few more units in Syracuse can be enough to beat back the Romans and go offensive. Having Rhodes (and/or capturing Crete) usually guarantees your survival. Just don’t auto-resolve.
The Seleucids are the best faction for advanced players. They get rich quickly and their awesome units (elephants, pike-men, imitation legionaries, and cataphracts) come late-game. The Seleucids are always at war with Parthia, Armenia, Pontus, and the Ptolemaic Egyptians. Rushing Susa (Parthian city), Ankara (rebels in central Anatolia), and Sidon (Ptolemaic Egyptian city) is vital for survival. Taking Cyprus is a good idea as well. Just don’t auto-resolve and their generals are really bad compared to other factions.
The Egyptians under A.I. is among the last 5 civilizations to live. Under your rule they get rich quickly and can defeat the Seleucids. Capturing Damascus tips the balance of control to your favor in Syria. Lacking other neighbors defeating the Seleucids can be your single-minded effort.
Parthia is in the far east of the map and has little to do. They do get cataphracts though. Capturing Seleucia and the rebel settlement in Armenia should stir enough trouble to have some excitement though.
Barbarian Invasion
The Sassanid Persians have Rebels to the south, and one far to the north. Capturing Antioch of the Eastern Romans and getting their valuable buildings is a great start. Take advantage of the availability of Clibinarii, who have a bow and mace for combat.
The Eastern Roman Empire is one of the easier factions to play. Building ports in all cities will significantly boost income level to “Outrageously Rich”. Use the garrisons of Antioch and Tarsus, along with plenty of mercenaries to fight the Sassanids and capture Hatra. Salona in the west tends to rebel, capturing it is usually worth your time with Manius Flavius and the other Danube army. Building troops in Sirminum can be enough to hold against the hordes.
The Goths will get a beating, no doubt about. They are sandwiched between the mighty Eastern Romans and the hordes of Huns and Vandals. Becoming a horde yourself is recommended and worth your while.
The Sarmatians are also difficult to play as, due to their close proximity to hordes. Again, the best strategy is to become a horde yourself and either combat the other hordes or find a new homeland.
The Alemanni are one of three Germanic barbarians, and the least advanced of them. They do not get roads, for one, and only get two infantry units at the highest level barracks. They do get berserkers, which is enough to burst into Italy after taking at least one of the rebel settlements to the west.
The Franks are perhaps the most advanced barbarians, with paved roads and a large variety of troops. Your main worry is the lack of ocean-front property, because the Franks are no where near the ocean.
The Saxons get ocean-front property as an original settlement, but the next ocean-front settlement has strong rebels and a large Western Roman army nearby. Getting through them is not a simple task. Fortunately your objectives require capturing out-of-the-way England, which no one else particularly cares about (except the Celts).
The Western Roman Empire is by far the most difficult faction to manage, let alone win with. Take the “military minimum” to heart, and bring the most talented generals to the most needed places. Build forts along any access point across the Danube and man them with four Limitanei or Foderati Infantry. Find any settlement that will rebel and destroy all military buildings, take your garrison out and raise taxes to “very high”. Exterminate them once the siege ends. You need the money.
The Vandals are a massive horde of over 6,000 men. If you cannot play as them, retry the tutorial in Rome: Total War and pay attention this time.
The Huns are an unstoppable horde of over 10,000 men. If you cannot play as them after the tutorial, I recommend another game.
Hope you like my guide and that it can help you conquer the world.
Roman Legion Structure/Immersion Guide for the Total War player - Entry #4 Roman Legion Structure/Immersion Guide for the Total War player.
"Semper ubi sub ubi"
- Unknown
Intro:
In the past several months, in eager anticipation of the new joys of Roman era warfare and diplomacy, your humble author had decided to dig through texts to learn a fair bit more about Roman military doctrine in general, and that of Legions, specifically. The goal was little beyond mere curiosity, but it shaped itself into something more - what if I could take some of the information given here and apply it to my game, thereby enriching and adding extra layers of authenticity to the overall experience? With that, I penned myself a small guide to follow as I proceed through the campaign. Essentially, a mod, without any technical involvement - a playthough by rules I've set by myself for myself. This guide could be of use for ANY Total War game touching on the Ancient Roman Era, thus I have decided to share some of my work with the fellow TWC folks, so here we are...
How to use this guide:
I will share some of the key facts that I gathered, I will share some of my thoughts on how to go about certain things in-game, but ultimately it is up to you what you take away. You can read this as a handful of curious factoids, and/or you can apply them to your game. Feel free to modify and expand on the concepts presented therein. Hopefully, I can stimulate your imagination so that you can use the guide as a springboard to make your every game an experience that is truly unique and meaningful to you. Naming suggestions I propose are there for you to come up with characters for your story, and have their trials help shape the story in your campaign. Consequences of a nameless unit fleeing are immaterial and easily forgotten, but consequences of a particular cohort, led by your primi ordines centurio Marcus Vigilus are a fertile ground for a story that could further feed your imagination. The world is your oyster.
Disclaimer: This work is NOT intended as a be all, end all guide. It is not a Ph.D history dissertation, covering the entire span of Roman military legacy. It is a humble bundle of tools to help some of us who wish to get a bit more out of a vanilla game. Treat is as just that. Gratias tibi ago.
Within the Legion
In Total War we are able to create, maintain, and grow our Legions as entities imbued with persistent history, allowing us to shape our own elaborate stories. Boring, plain stacks have little relevance, meaning and character, and as such, they deserve a special treatment. In this pursuit, I believe I can aid you.
Republican legion was a 6000 men formation, composed of ten cohorts of 600 men each. Auxiliaries could be added to that, but they were not formal legionaries.
With the fall of the Republic, the legion was transformed into a 5248 men formation, composed of nine smaller 480 men cohorts and a 128 men strong cavalry detachment. Special first cohort was created at double strength (800 men), and was tasked to protect senior officer staff and the priceless eagle standard.
Assuming the fact that we can still rename the units, this info can be useful in organizing your legions:
General and 2-3 best infantry formations could be renamed and grouped under the 1st Cohort. Formation should be larger than the rest, as to satisfy the "double strength" requirement, and forming the hard hitting core of your Legion. Legate (Legatus Legionis, one of the most senior members of the staff) could lead one of the elements of this cohort, thus it could bear his name. Another element of the first cohort could be led by the "primi ordines" first rank centurion ("first spear centurion" for all of you Lucius Vorenus fans :] ), which could also bear his name.
Other Roman infantry units could be grouped as the remaining cohorts.
Roman Cavalry would constitute the post-republican squadron. Prefect, a junior tribune and an officer, would normally be in charge of the cavalry, and you could potentially have it bear his name. Ambitious young politicians to be may very well find themselves here. Generally legion would have 5 junior tribunes, who were officers in training, and one senior tribune, "tribunus laticlavius" in it's staff. It is up to you whether you wish to feature any of them.
Other ethnic cavalry would form under auxiliary "alae" (wings) of the legion.
Missile and various exotic units also fall under auxiliary heading, and, like all auxiliaries, could bear some colorful names, indicating tribal identity, chief's name, etc.
"Numeri" (numbers) are another name for foreign troops that could be employed alongside your legion.
Sample Legion:
“Legio II Sabina”
1st cohort:
1xMounted Roman General - Consul Gaius Terentius Graccus
2xVeteran Legionaries - one led by Legatus, one led by primi ordines centurion
2nd through 10th Cohorts:
1xLegionaries each
Cav. Detachment:
2xEquites - led by Prefect Lucinius Casca
Auxiliaries:
4xGallic Cavalry - Warband of the Chief Goterik the Red
2xGreek Slingers - Athenian mercenaries
Assembling the Legions
The numbering of the legions appears to had a definite structure characteristic to it, and the most sensible (to humble moi) theory on the subject is the brainchild of Dr. Lawrence Keppie. Bear in mind, however, as Empire grew this tradition held less sway. For the sake of brevity, I can distill it thus:
Legio I through IV (Roman numerals 1-4) were led only by the current Republican Consuls, and presumably originated from Italy.
Legio V to X (5-10) were raised in Spain.
Legio XI to XIII (11-13) were raised in Cisalpine Gaul.
Legio XIV+ (14+) were raised in the eastern provinces.
As you may notice, Legion numbering starts in Italy, then proceeds from west to east. The name of the legion would often bear the name of it's origins (for example: Legio Gallica, Legio Hispana, Legio Scythica).
Once again, since your campaign can proceed is utterly ahistorical ways, this information is primarily here to show the underlying principle behind how Rome organized itself, which you may imitate or adopt as an example.
On the field
AI tends to leave many TW players wanting more, and here I would like to propose to try playing the very battle according to Roman doctrine:
Pre-Marian Legion would almost always assume the manipular formation – a checkerboard formation of three lines: first line of hastati, followed by the line of principes, and a final line composed of veteran triarii. Wide gaps between units in one line will be covered by the units behind them, who in turn, be covered by the final line.
Hastati would engage after the skirmishers would initiate the battle, after they begin to tire, principes would step into the fray, taking the stress off the hastati. Finally, the triarii may be called in if the battle demanded it.
Spacing between the units allowed elements of the legion to be more flexible than the old Hellensitic phalanx, enveloping and crushing the unwieldy formation. Similar approach could be taken against pikes.
Cavalry was employed primarily as a defensive measure against enemy cavalry, scouts, and to run down broken foe.
Post-Marian Legion was an infinitely more uniform force, yet it retained the old legion mentality of applying overwhelming force of heavy infantry arranged in multiple lines, with one line relieving the one before it, thereby maintaining the steady, crushing pressure the legion was famed for. Cavalry still firmly held a secondary role.
Attempting to play in such a manner, may not be the most effective, after all, if Roman commanders could float over the field giving instant orders to any unit anywhere, their doctrine would look veeeeery different. But give it a shot – it allows the AI to hold his own, and it gives you the satisfaction of winning the battle in the proper, Roman, way. Extra layer of challenge may be just what you need.
In closing…
As I have said in the beginning, do not treat anything in this guide as dogmatic, but merely as a tiny sampling platter from which you can take as much or as little as you fancy. I hope that my efforts here would be a pleasant curiosity or a helpful tool in your first (second… eighth?..) playthrough.
