How to Take a Bridge

**romanfool** · June 03, 2007, 11:52 AM

You all know those times, a bridge seperates you and your enemies and they wont budge off their side. Well I have discovered an excellent bridge taking technique.

So what you need are a few archers or crossbowmen and 2-3 units of spearmen able of the schiltrom formation. Put the spearmen in the schiltrom formation and leap frog them accross the bridge. So you send them a quarter of the way accross, block the bridge entirely, and bring your archers in behind them. Then move them halfway across the bridge, then 3/4 or until your archers can open fire.

At that point you just let your archers thin out the enemy a bit. With luck they will begin to attack you and your schiltrom will hold against quite a large number of them. Then you can probably bring some of your heavy infantry into the mix.

Just as a side note, if your archers run of out arrows and the enemy still hasn't attacked, move you schiltrom units into a cluster at the head of the bridge. They form a sort of beach head and you can usually move the remainder of your units across. After the battle use your horsemen to chase down routers.

That is my strategy for bridge battles and so far it hasnt failed me yet.

**Lumberjack** · June 03, 2007, 04:15 PM

dont even bother with putting melee infantry infront, all it will do is force your archers to shoot over them and reduce their accuracy. If you dont have artillery bring 1 missile unit up at a time, the closer the better, set the game to 6x, dump their ammo and repeat until youre out of missiles.

The AI in this game is so :wub:, you may as well just auto_win attacker + autoresolve any bridge assaults. It'll give you the same result with out the annoyance.

**Lord Rahl** · June 04, 2007, 04:36 PM

pinko, perhaps when attacking but I much rather like to defend bridge assaults in person because no matter what the enemy has I always totally obliterate them. When I auto-resolve the defense it costs me much more men.

**UhOhIt'sAnArrow** · June 04, 2007, 04:50 PM

Bridge battles are my favorite battles of all time, but i have a different strategy.

I send in like 2 infantry units, and then the enemy chases them and they all fight it out on the bridge. Now normally this should tire the enemy out to at least winded, and then they'll chase my routing units back across the bridge and out. Now I have archers widely flanked on either side of the bridge, and cavalry facing the direct path of the bridge a good distance.

When the enemy clears the bridge, my Cavalry charge and the entire enemy routes. It's pretty damn fun I suggest trying it

**P014K** · June 09, 2007, 02:03 AM

Originally Posted by romanfool

You all know those times, a bridge seperates you and your enemies and they wont budge off their side. Well I have discovered an excellent bridge taking technique.

So what you need are a few archers or crossbowmen and 2-3 units of spearmen able of the schiltrom formation. Put the spearmen in the schiltrom formation and leap frog them accross the bridge. So you send them a quarter of the way accross, block the bridge entirely, and bring your archers in behind them. Then move them halfway across the bridge, then 3/4 or until your archers can open fire.

At that point you just let your archers thin out the enemy a bit. With luck they will begin to attack you and your schiltrom will hold against quite a large number of them. Then you can probably bring some of your heavy infantry into the mix.

Just as a side note, if your archers run of out arrows and the enemy still hasn't attacked, move you schiltrom units into a cluster at the head of the bridge. They form a sort of beach head and you can usually move the remainder of your units across. After the battle use your horsemen to chase down routers.

That is my strategy for bridge battles and so far it hasnt failed me yet.

Great Great Strategy. I really like this one. It has worked a couple times for me and I love it. Thank You!

**Kalos** · June 09, 2007, 02:29 AM

I just get the enemy to crowd onto the bridge then pound them with ballistae and catapults.

**morse** · June 10, 2007, 02:18 AM

Sounds like a good plan. I am just slightly worried about the schiltrons weakness to missile units. In schiltron units take a lot more damage from arrows i find and if you had several all bunched together shorely they are going to get mullerd.

Havant tried it tho so can't say with any certainty.