How to Defend a Town in a seige

[humvee2800]

Ive played the total war series for... a long.. long time...

however, I have yet to find a particularly perfect tactic to defend walled citys.

my two general tactics are..


If The enemy army has alot of towers and my infantry is low level I retreat to around the town sqaure and block the roads in... this tactic is.... very... very.. costly.. and will likely not work if the enemy has archers... but in such a situation it can be less costly then defending the walls.

If the enemy has 1 to 3 seige towers/ ladder and one battering ram I set heavy infantry on the walls and one to two units in front of the gates and fire at the ram with fire arrows from my archers( however im finding it very hard to set the ram on fire with med 2...

Two things I have particular interest in if anyone has advice

what is a good garrison setup for settlements?

Additional or added tips on defence strategy for towns?


Note: The reason im asking this is because of a tendency for the AI to spam huge amounts of full stacks I find that after 1 or 2 battles any of my armys are destroyed and for some reason even with empires 5 times larger then my enemy I can not produce armys as fast and thus I need to make mine last longer. As such I tend to enjoy rapidly grabbing enemy settlements preferably at low cost and then massacreing enemys that try to retake it.

[OTZ]

sword units + archers on the walls are a great combo. There's no point having your archers try to set the siege equipment on fire - they're better off killing!

The other option is to defend the town square - your troops won't break.

Try to use a concave formation - this will allow the enemy to be sucked into the centre of the square that exposes their flanks. Using 1 unit to block the road doesn't always work...in theory it should, but I find in practice it doesn't.

Cavalry and spearmen work best for town square defences. Use the mounted troops to attack archers...

I find that as soon as their general/captain is killed, it's usually game over for the attackers.

[Војвода Драгутин Кесеровић]

I don't have much expirience, only been a player for a year, but I figured out that the crusader units (spearmen, surgents, knights- infantry) are for some reason the most indurable ones when it comes to protecting walls and gates.
In my present campaign, Moores attacked my Jerusalem (HRE) with a full stack of their best infantry for this period (1144) backed up with 4 gen-cavalry units - 128heavy cav. I had 10units crusader-spearman; 2units crusader-seargent; 1unit crusader-knights and the rest was crusader cavalery, I had no general inside at the time. My average unit had about 60%!! of the original unit count - Moores were on 100%!!
I put three weakest units on the walls, the rest infront of a gate. They had 3 towers, my weakest units pushd off three of their full stack ones!!!!! and the crusaders at the gate held out the entire army WITHOUT ALMOST ANY CAVALRY BACKUP! Only at the end, when the push came to shove, did I send ONE cavalery unit to fight off their remaining cavalery. Everything hapenned at the gaits, though I did send the remaining troops from the walls outside the city to attack Moor cavalery from behind, and they killed off at least one cav. unit and were destroyed themselves.
So I was outnumbered 2-1 at the start, but seeing how I used only infantry and just one smaller cavalry unit at the end, I practicaly was outnumbered 3-1 and kicked their but!

One of the reasons for such outstanding performance was probably the expirience of my crusaders, it was pretty big.
I still have this entire army in Jerusalem, now it's on about 30% of unit count but I will keap it intact and try to push off another siege thet will soon come from the Turks (the jihaad is on).
If I manage to do that, I'll report it here.

[foolfromhell]

I don't have much expirience, only been a player for a year, but I figured out that the crusader units (spearmen, surgents, knights- infantry) are for some reason the most indurable ones when it comes to protecting walls and gates.

Crusaders cant fight Catholic non-excommunicated factions...

[TWoxy]

Two words: cannon towers. They will tear apart an approaching enemy army; I had a game on Reniassance Total War 3.0 the other day, and I annihilated a French army by holding them just outside the gate and waiting for the cannon towers to do their work.

[Azog 150]

I find lower level wooden walled settlements the easiest to defend. The enemy dont ever seem to batter down walls, just the gate, so they only have one way in.

From there its simple, spear units surrounding the gate, enemy come in, get killed, then send in your general or other cavelry when the ememy are demoralised and then youve basically won.

Occasionally the enemy break through, in which case you send your cavelry charging to plug the gap.


I have used this tactic, often against armies out numbering me 3-1, in my Sicilian campaign while defending Sardinia. Italian Spear Militia work perfectly.

Also pike units also work great.

[D.B. Cooper]

My own little tactic I use if I am outnumbered to keep all my men cutting off a narrow street. Spear units are ideal for this. The enemy will rush themselves at me and will likely lose tons of men trying to get through.

[sumaznguy]

well I found it extremely easy as long as I have a few full units of infantry.

There was one battle where I assumed I would lose. I had a general, 2 armored seargents and one peasant archer. the enemy had lots of crossbowman, knights, and spearmen.

my peasant archers somehow defeated the enemy's mercenary crossbowman on the wall. and my seargent spearmen defeated the enemy infantry on the other wall breach.

I had 1 seargent spearmen and my general guarding the front gate. The rest of the enemy poured in through the gate. basically it became my 2 units vs the enemy's 10 units. But somehow I slaughtered them and they routed. I guess it was because the gate is too narrow for his mass forces to be fully effective.


In short, you need several infantry units(town milita or better, dunno if peasants would work). the more the better. a few to cover wall breaches and the rest to cover the gate. I mean if my peasant archers could fend off the enemy, I would assume Town militia could easily do the same since it has better melee damage and shields.

[humvee2800]

interesting.

[Gorrrrrn]

I'd recommend at least 2 units of cavalry for defensive purposes - otherwise if you're attacked by an army with catapults, trebuchets or bombards etc they'll take take down your wall and the defenders with it. Also for running down routing units. (As Moors I find a combo of desert cav and arab cav very effective if you micro-manage them)

(if you have no cavalry and then enemy has siege weapons then remove troops from walls and area immediately behind them. Have spears ready to plug the gaps.)

Good quality archers are helpful - esp if they have stake ability. Very useful to have long range! (4 for preference) Also can be deadly using fire arrows firing along the wall at attacking infantry.

Stout spearmen to hold the gate when the ram has done it's work (or pikes if they work for you) A minimum of 6 to hold off a determined enemy

An inspirational general is also a good idea (so protect him with spies and assassins)

Heavy sword units for the walls if you can recruit them. (4 should be enough)

(As ever a lot depends on the number and quality of the enemy attacking you)

[sumaznguy]

How often does the Ai use siege weapons? Other than balista I have never seen theAi use anything else. Except Mongols who have trebuchets and rockets.

[Saibot]

The Byzantines usually spam Catapults at my walls.

[guyyug]

I've had venic bring about 5 units of trebuchets at me, never seen the AI use cannons yet.

The only way the AI beats me if he vastly out numbers me or has superior troops, but i usually leave a unit or archers and a infantry unit paired with an archer unit for each peice of scaleing equipment, so if they brought 3 ladders and 2 towers thats 5 infantry and 5 archers whilst the rest of archers spread along that wall and the infantry plugs any breaches or the gate, I rarely need to pull back, and if I do, it usually before I lose to many men. I sometimes place a unit of gunmen behind the gate so the moment the ram is moved a volly comes in, I pull them back after and plug the gap.

I sometimes set up on second wall or third if the AI has spammed catupults or ballistas, they seem to like multiple breaches in the first wall and if you leave a few units you can make them spend ammo on the towers by placeing the archers/infantry on them, when they start advanceing pull back. Obviously this only works for castles.

[Telal]

When a town is small with wooden walls it is almost impossible to defend well against a large well-prepared siege force. At this time in a cities life I tend to keep a large offensive force in the city and simply sally forth against the siege army. To accomplish this I also keep a mobile cavalry force commanded by whatever general I have that has the 10% movement bonus trait, mobile and constantly moving between my cities, therefore ideally when I sally forth I get a large amount of cavalry reinforcement as well.

Later once my cities get to be stone walled and larger my tactics change. First off I concentrate my army to be a trebuchet unit, a catapult unit, spearmen, archers, and heavy cavalry in various amounts with an occasional heavy infantry unit.

If the attacking army has built ram(s) and no real artillery units then I line my front wall with archers and spearmen, place my trebuchet in one of the front corners backed up from the wall against the first row of buildings (allowing it to fire easily over the wall and at an angle), I place my catapult right near the gate supported by a heavy infantry unit, and then place my heavy cavalry behind them. As soon as the battle starts I rush my catapult outside the gate and start firing at the enemy ram(s) while at the same time begin firing my trebuchet over the wall at the center of the enemy formation. Once the ram(s) are taken out there is really nothing to worry about get the catapult unit or crew back inside the gate and fire away with your archers and trebuchet targeting enemy spear and pike units so that a few cavalry charges supported by your heavy infantry later will break them up.

If the attacking army has built trebuchet and catapults any ai of reasonable level is going to knock out your walls if the attacking army is large there is just no sense trying to hold your walls or even defending them. Find the large straight street that leads from the gate to your city square and funnel the enemy there using the same defensive army place your trebuchet in the same area to open up as soon as the battle starts firing on the center of the enemy battle formation. Place your catapult unit on the narrow street before mentioned as far back as possible with a straight line of site down the street, place a unit of spearmen directly behind you catapult unit and two units of archers behind them, place a second unit of spearmen behind your archer units, and place your cavalry and heavy infantry in the square for a later counter attack. The enemy will bust your walls up and then divide their army some units will go play with themselves on your walls while others start to come down the before mentioned street it is the most direct route to your square so it is the one the ai will always use. When they start moving down the road open up with your catapult and archers as soon as they come into a straight line of fire any enemy infantry unit will be decimated and wont reach your catapults (make sure your speed once they get into your city is set at one). If a heavy cavalry unit charges down the road they may or may not reach your catapults this is when you rush that line of spearmen forward in front of your catapult, and fall them back once you repel the attack repeating step one and replacing the spearmen unit with a fresh one if needed. If the enemy sets up archers off the road out of the line of site of your catapult they will be firing over buildings and will not be very accurate, but you can send your cavalry down one of the side roads to flank them if you want. After repelling a few attacks this way you should be able to counter attack with your cavalry and heavy infantry with great success.

Later in the game replace your catapult with straight fire cannon and replace your spearmen with musket troops and this tactic will be even more devastating against the enemy. If you switch your tactics from Medieval to Napoleonic after the event of gunpowder you should never have an excuse for loosing a battle. At this point when you attack a enemy city using the streets of a town to employ straight fire cannon supported by musket troops at range there is no excuse for failure or high casualties. City streets after the event of gunpowder are your best friend on offence or defense.

[jsgx3]

I've found that having 2 or more heavy cavalry (expensive of course) in my cities can be a life saver. When the AI siege engines creak up to position I sally the cav and attack the engines. One things to watch for, the doors are open (its annoying that I cannot close them though you can go out a different door if you want). I've also found that if you attack a seiging army, even if it is vastly superior and has built/has seige weapons, the computer will usually withdraw from their engines at least initially vice going ahead with the seige, allowing you an opportunity to use your cav.

[Sher Khan]

Sounds like a thread for Battle Planning...

Moved.

[Khassaki]

Spears for blocking and blades/naffutun for countercharging. Lots of good archers on the wall.

A shiltron in front of the main gate and draw the enemy into range of my towers/archers and stop the ram - its especially effective if the enemy have a lot of achery as they tend to shoot up their own troops attacking the shiltron very badly.

Any leftover small units go on the walls to activate the towers.

Preferably let enemy in towers onto the wall and then charge them from both sides while ladders are best dealt with as they come over the wall.

Cavalryt are sent out another gate to pick of crosses, hqs, artillery and archers mostly, or shoot into the enemy bfrom behind as they come though the gate, if they are horse archrs.

[delra]

If they have artillery, just wait on the city square. If they don't, swords on walls, spears to defend the gate, press 6x and go make a sandwich. When you come back, the battle is won. :-)

[sumaznguy]

I was playing a battle where the enemy had a siege tower and ladders. I only had 4 spear militia and one peasant. so I decided to just mass them around the gate. I send my general out. I attacked the enemy guarding the ladder and ran back inside. The enemy then dropped all their siege weapons and chased my general into my city. Then they all just ran into my funnel of spearmen and they got destroyed.


I wonder if that can be used in all defending siege battles(as in send a unit out to lure enemy then let them pour in and get flanked all 3 sides).

[homefry]

I recruit infantry first, calvalry next, and then archers next.

Archers are poor defenders. If you put them on the wall and they fire missiles, at best, 10% of the enemy will get killed. But when the enemy makes its way inside, the archers are very poor. Best bet is to get infantry. The cavalry is a bonus because you can sneak them around the back door to kill charge the enemy from behind or get any archers.

Also, never try to defend from the square. You have to get them right at the gate. That way you cause them to bottleneck while the towers pepper the guys standing outside. Before deployment, I put as many units in the same spot right in side of the gate.

Most of the time though, the enemy backs off from their equipment and I have to come out to get them.