Saul's City-Kingdom of Tharbad Let's Play

[webba84]

There is something the Tharbad roster has over Adunabar, which is numbers. All their units are Dunedanic, which tend to be well trained and equipped (even the militia) but come in smaller sized units. Tharbad has some Dunedanic units but many of them (generally lower tier ones) are either northmen or barbarian, which come in larger sized units.

You'd be surprised how effective Eriador Axemen can be when you can get some of them around the back and side of enemy units.

A couple of other general notes on Tharbad:

Mariner Bows are extremely cost effective.

City Longbowmen are pretty good with their swords, especially on the flank.

[Saul Tyre]

@Saul Tyre VH battles with Tharbad? Scottish people must be very brave. As athanaric said Tharbad roster is difficult to manage vs nations that you have to border with. I can't even imagine battle vs Dunland with their javelins on that difficult.

Bravery 'tis the side effect of the Elixir known as Single Malt

[Saul Tyre]

There is something the Tharbad roster has over Adunabar, which is numbers. All their units are Dunedanic, which tend to be well trained and equipped (even the militia) but come in smaller sized units. Tharbad has some Dunedanic units but many of them (generally lower tier ones) are either northmen or barbarian, which come in larger sized units.

You'd be surprised how effective Eriador Axemen can be when you can get some of them around the back and side of enemy units.

A couple of other general notes on Tharbad:

Mariner Bows are extremely cost effective.

City Longbowmen are pretty good with their swords, especially on the flank.

Army composition change forthcoming, I think I was trying to play safe not knowing the mod well enough and that many of my enemies are stronger, so having less numbers but superior quality troops was the way to go, I just wanted to make a good start. I perhaps should have stuck by my Modus Operandi of fighting battles with a few cheaper armies rather than one or two expensive ones, and ofc knowing how to win when the odds are against me

[Saul Tyre]

I just think that Tharbad is particularly ill-suited to higher-than-recommended difficulty because they have no native heavy cavalry (the closest heavy cavalry you can get is at the Hornburg. It's very good, but that place is far away from your core provinces). They also don't have many AP specialist (unlike Dale or Dwarves), no javelin units (unlike Dunland) and aren't particularly good at psychological warfare (again, unlike Dunland). I find that the FATW AI is quite tough even "only" at Medium battles. As for EB I, the EB team strongly recommends playing on Medium...

I defo agree about Tharbad but winning with the odds against me is what makes it so challenging and fun. In EB 1.2 I lost as the Averni, but reached VC's as Lusotannen & Sweboz(using your guide in part I might add) and was reasonably ok as Koinon Hellenon until a virus ed my PC and I had to give it up. Although I respected the EB teams recommended difficulty, I played all these campaigns on vh/vh, and apart from the Averni campaign I posted them up on the EB fan group website as I played. Yes they were very difficult...but impossible...no

[webba84]

I perhaps should have stuck by my Modus Operandi of fighting battles with a few cheaper armies rather than one or two expensive ones, and ofc knowing how to win when the odds are against me

This is an approach that will generally serve well in this mod, even late game a full elite army is an expensive proposition for most factions and it's really worthwhile knowing how to make use of units that may be lacking in stats but can serve a purpose very cost effectively.

Also, this is a bit meta-gamey, but since you are playing on VH battle difficulty and that buffs enemy damage and moral but not defense, focusing heavily on ranged (especially from high ground or walls) is a good way to go. That way you are causing significant casualties before the battle difficulty has any effect (enemy enters melee, or returns fire).

[Tulkasthevaliant]

And I exclusively use a few elite armies. Guess I know what's tripping me up, then.

[Saul Tyre]

Part 6 of my FATW: Dominion of Men 3.2 Let's Play as The City Kingdom of Tharbad is up. Vorn-hollen is added to our conquests. Go to the first post in this thread for the playlist link if you would like to view it

[Saul Tyre]

Part 7 of my FATW: Dominion of Men 3.2 Let's Play as The City Kingdom of Tharbad is up. Adunabar are not impressed with me as landlord of Threeways and they want it back Go to the first post in this thread for the playlist link if you would like to view it

[Dáin II]

Your LP is really nice to watch! Thanks for the effort! Adunabar is getting quite angry up there. Here are some ideas for your survival strategy.

The biggest challenges are income and Adunabar. I think the only way to solve this is to take the war to the enemy and grab all those money makers (Annuminas, Fornost, Taurdal, Bree) in the north for yourself, otherwise you will be overpowered soon. Lastbridge as the main recruitment center is a good target as well. Eriador also has very cheap militias, which are useful for garrison and distraction of AI forces.
Dunland will most likely not attack you as long as they are busy with Rohan, and your borders have wooden walls built up and are easy to defend, so you don't have to worry about them too much for now.
Another nice area that is easily to grab is Hollin, which gives an additional homeland province and some extra income. If the Elves hold Rivendell this corner will never be attacked, as long as you hold Greyholm.

Looking forward to the next episode!

[Saul Tyre]

@Dain ll: Thank you for those kind and encouraging words laddie. This is only my 2nd attempt at a campaign with this mod and I have still a bit to learn strategically, I have discovered I can't gameplay as I do in "Roman centric" type mods, but some guidance like this from yourself, Webba, Wambat & Count is helping me to perhaps turn this situation in my favor eventually. I know I can win battles with the odds stacked against me, but ofc that doesn't necessarily mean winning the war. Appreciation to all of you

[Saul Tyre]

Part 8 of my FATW: Dominion of Men 3.2 Let's Play as The City Kingdom of Tharbad is up. Adunabar and making the right decisions Go to the first post in this thread for the playlist link if you would like to view it

[webba84]

Looking forward to catching up on this now that I'm back home!

[Saul Tyre]

Part 9 of my FATW: Dominion of Men 3.2 Let's Play as The City Kingdom of Tharbad is up Still holding up against Adunabar Go to the first post in this thread for the playlist link if you would like to view it

[Saul Tyre]

Part 10 of my FATW: Dominion of Men 3.2 Let's Play as The City Kingdom of Tharbad is up the irrepressible Adunabar pay us another visit at Threeways Go to the first post in this thread for the playlist link if you would like to view it

[CountMRVHS]

Nice! Hopefully you'll soon be able to put an end to the Adunabar onslaught.

[Saul Tyre]

Nice! Hopefully you'll soon be able to put an end to the Adunabar onslaught.

Thanks mate, I may go along with your idea about the NE, I will have my scout recce the strength of Adunabar in that region, I'm doing well to hold their Dark Swords etc but I don't think my army would survive if they have those Swords of the Shadow units to face, my guess is that Rivendell is already in their hands and possibly the High Pass too, I don't think the Beornings will attack them either but that would help. It looks like RK have been eradicated in the North too, so an alternative may be to hold Threeways and send my "cheaper" army to attack Dunland as they are considerably weakening due to their war with Rohan, it could be an ideal time to strike. I hold 12 provinces and I only need 8 for VC, it's feasible I could do that but would have to leave Erindol till last because that is held by our allies the RK. What do you think?

[webba84]

Good news is that if you've taken out most of their starting SotS units they probably can't produce any more for a while (if you want to make sure they can't, raid Lastbridge and burn everything down).

I'm not sure if taking on Dunland before you've dealt with the northern threat is a particularly good idea - once Dunland is destroyed Rohan will probably declare war on you, and I know from personal experience that you can't fight Rohan and Adunabar at the same time.

[Saul Tyre]

@webba Im not sure about the SotS, most of Adunabars armies attacking me have been Dark Swords, Dark Bows, Uruks ,Orcs, a few Trolls and some Shades cavalry, I don't recall many SotS but I remember some and they were badass & hard to overcome, iirc I used SotB to hold them and Longbows to shoot them from the flank and back. I understand about Rohan but my strategy would be to take low defended provinces of Anghal, Dunfrada, Limfalas & Caew-en-Druin first with a medium force, at the same time have a larger force take Dunhold & Dunchrioch, as most of the Dunlendings forces are at the Rohan gap in Isenmarch I think this is possible. It would have to be swift or at least the minimum script time I would be allowed. I could then hopefully hit Erindol and soon afterwards take out Dunfreca before Rohan defeats Dunland or has time to react. Very ambitious I know, but who dares.......

[Saul Tyre]

Part 11 of my FATW: Dominion of Men 3.2 Let's Play as The City Kingdom of Tharbad is up Adunabar are bloody persistantGo to the first post in this thread for the playlist link if you would like to view it

[Dáin II]

I think if you put your troops from Tharbad and Swanfleet together and leave a sufficient garrison (4 bowmen) in Greyholm, you can send quite a large army towards Rivendell and then hurt Lastbridge from there. Maybe it draws so much attention that you can use your Threeways army for more offensive purposes as well.