How to counter full strength Egypt?

[AnOriginalName]

So I've been trying to figure this out. Right now I'm playing as Genoa and I've conquered most of Europe. I've made it to Greece and Egypt has expanded into Constantinople and the Balkans. We've naturally gone to war. My problems are with two units specifically; the Tabardiyya and Mamluk Horse Archers. The Tabardiyya destroy everything they get into contact with, have high morale and are armored, which would be manageable by shooting them, but the Mamluk Horse Archers have that covered. They seem to kill units very quickly and even outshoot my own crossbowmen. The horse archers I can recruit die easily and the Mamluks have good melee stats. It's still the mid 1300's, so the only gunpowder I have are handgunners and bombards. The worst part is that Egypt has hordes of armies, we're still even in terms of numbers however.

[Duck of Death]

I like attacking Egypt (especially when they've grown strong) from west Africa.
That way, you don't have to leave much of a garrison behind as you move from 1 territory to the next.

Just keep your eastern European defenses strong as you roll up their entire south western flank.

[Losthief]

Use height for your archers, don't attack mamluk archers up hill even if you have to fight another time. There range is brutal.

Use turkish horse archers (local recruits), there range is okay against mamluks. Muslim Archers are okay too as long as either has a height advantage.

But the quickest is to pin them with light cav in a pincer from the sides/behind, then rack them from the front with crossbows. Micromanage demanding, but crossbows wipe them out quickly.

So genoa (cheap cav to pincer is light cav, or you can use merchant cav). Crossbows should be plentiful. Horse archers run them behind the mamluks. Cav in pincers from flanks. Crossbows rake from front.

The bodyguards are strong, but if you have access to mercenary billman and long spears use that to pin them, then hit the rear/flanks with two-handers/crossbows. Still take forever, but your billman/long spears should hold long enough.

Good Luck!

[Kataphractos]

For the Mamluk archers, foot archers eat cavalry archers. Crossbows are too slow, so get archers proper, whether recruiting them or looking for local units like Turkish or Muslim archers. For the Tabardiyya...mix of archers and heavy cavalry. I almost never take non-spear melee infantry into the field because I never have luck with them, so my infantry typically ends up being an arrow and cav sponge while my archers and cavalry do all the work.. If you're playing Genoa though, you have access to Broken Lances and Feudal Foot Knights, and I think Vouglier have an anti-armor bonus, but I've not played a faction that gets them to where I can recruit them.

[Duck of Death]

Ohh... actual battlefield advice?

Youre Genoa, yes?
Use those shields.

Ive found, even city-level crossbowmen can do pretty well.
Use those crossbowmen to the hilt and make the enemy come to you.

Genoa is a more reflexive army.
Cant charge like the English or French, but can withstand a barrage.

[Duck of Death]

All that being said...

A prayer to the gods is in order.
Mars, Venus?
You've got all the Roman gods on your side.

A little sacrifice never hurt.

[Frotzy]

All good advice in this thread. As for the Tabardiyya, since they are two handed axemen, they are naturally susceptible to arrows. They're one of the strongest infantry units (they wreck Gothic Knights due to AP) so you really don't want to let them touch your infantry. If you have to, i'd say throw some spear milita, since heavily armoured troops won't help that much, and just hit them in the flank until they break with cavalry. But what i'd do is focus them down with crossbowmen, they should fall like flies.

[k/t]

One problem is that the replenishment rates of Late Professionals are way too high. That's the biggest problem, actually.

[Arminius28]

Playing as HRE My battle with Egypt was not intentional. Being surrounded by catholic nations that want you land from the get go I needed to get in good favour of the Pope. So what do I do I call a crusade to somewhat distract the ai from me. I join the crusade and hit them close as I can to Jerusalem so that the crusader states are nearby to assist me also not wanting to deal with the seljuks at the same time.

Then the crusader states hold the north while i move south then west these lands offer me enough cash to come back north and secure the rest of Egypt whilst holding the Turks with the States.

As for actually fighting them Hre has some strong infantry useless against archers and horse archers unless you catch them. I buy a few battalions of fodder sudanese cav usually I make them go after the horse archers on the flanks they get ripped of course but my infantry lines or heavier cav get them. The centre mass archers and spear men are then forced to turn to their flanks which allow my remaining troops to rush down the middle the break sideways getting to the enemy surrounded in two pockets.

Sometimes they will come rushing out if i make contact on the flanks and charge my centre mass, depending on what ive committed to the horse archers I will either stand or move back and delay so the troops that hit the horse archers can move back from behind.

Ive tried hiring local archers and they do well but their ammo depletion is shocking.

Battling with egypt is a ton of micro especially if things get "loose" running after horse archers is pure hell. hahaha. As the hre I cannot outshoot them and the open desert is not ideal for infantry.

As far as i can, I pick my battles on choke points them straight from the ocean into sieges I avoid wondering in their deserts until most ports are under my control.... they cost me much less than open field battles with these guys and their seemingly unlimited ammo.