Mongols Strategy

[Teutonic_Order]

Hello everyone, currently I have had the game for 3 weeks, and have been play Mongols the whole time, but for some reason, i cannot beat anyone in multiplayer, and the custom game is nigh impossible! Currently, i have an all cavalry army with light cavalry to flank, heavy cavalry for the frontal charge, and ranged cavalry to harass the enemy. What am i doing wrong?







EDIT: quick question what is stainless steel?

[Sher Khan]

Stainless Steel is one of many hosted mods you may find here on TWC. You may enjoy it, so I recommend at least trying out a few mods, if not Stainless Steel.

That said, this kind of question deserves the special treatment from our armchair generals at the Battle Planning forum. Moving!

[Hookah Smoking Caterpiller]

the Mongolians won by using vast amounts of archer cavalry.

so imitate real life and use the superb archers at your disposal, also use your light cavalry feign retreats to get your enemies to follow them into a trap with your heavy cavalry and horse archers

be fluid, don't hold a line.

[Crimson Scythe]

I also use all cavalry armies, though albeit as the Turks. But the tactics are the same.

Basically, put your light horse-archers in the centre, heavy horse archers on their flanks, and then your melee cavalry on the wings as flankers. Move towards the enemy in a long line. Having your weakest cavalry in the center will often prompt the enemy to charge through the centre, where you can hit them on the flanks with your heavy horse archers (which usually have higher missile and melee combat stats). Rinse and repeat. If in a prolonged melee, you can run your heavy melee cavalry (which you put on the wings) around the enemy for a charge in the flanks or the rear. You can also use them to take out the enemy general, if you so desire. Use your light and medium cavalry to clear out any enemy archers or crossbowmen who tend to hang back while the infantry advance. Your formation should start out in a line but turn into a big 'U' shaped formation, with the open end facing the enemy, and your heavy cavalry at the tips of the 'U'.

It takes a little practice to get the timing right though. But if you do, you'll often get a total encirclement. Just remember to leave the enemy a way out, otherwise they'll fight to the death instead of routing, depriving you of your ransom money.

Hope that helps.

[Khassaki]

I use an L rather than U with most of the lighter mounted going down their right flank to avoid their shields then sweeping around back.

I would also suggest a campaign or two and more custom battles before you worry too much about MP - if you can't beat the computer you are not going to beat people on line.

Also don't get too set in your ways yet - try Mongol infantry and artillery as well as their mounted and see what combination you find most effective. In China and the early battles for supremacy in central asia they used as much infantry as cavalry, so don't assume they were all mounted, all of the time.

[Kahn]

I use an L rather than U with most of the lighter mounted going down their right flank to avoid their shields then sweeping around back.

Okay, I've been dying to ask:

Seriously,
honestly,
truthfully,

does attacking the shield-less side of infantry really do anything, or are we all just jerking off, here?

I haven't noticed a difference...

[ulrien]

same as above mentioned, try to mix naffatun in, hard to mix in in multi, but if you can shield them, they can do some damage