Russian Army Composition

[surferman 101]

Hi guys, I'm playing as Russia and it it very fun, but I was wondering what kind of army I should field against the Mongols/Timurids. By the way it is like 1125 and poland is gone and I own all of the steppes and old polish regions so I'm making loads of money.

[Sher Khan]

No need to bother with cavalry except for end of battle rout chases.


Invest in a stack of nothing but your heaviest, most well armored, and best shielded spearmen and Dismounted Dvors. About half and half makes a good composition.


Simply form defensive rings or lines, or if on a mountain side, a wall. From behind a defensive wall of shields and spears (its best if you can make sure the Mongol HAs never flank you) you simply have your Dvors have a prolonged shootout with the Mongols.


Let your spears absorb and repulse the Mongol heavy lancers and your archers will make mincemeat of the light HAs.

[antaeus]

yeah the mongols will almost always attack your infantry with their cavalry. Sher Khan is right... lots of spearmen.

i like using a lot of heavy cavalry though as well... to deal with their heavy foot archers after you've fended off their lancers etc.

they seem to have a suicidal urge to simply charge you with everything - including their light horse archers.

[Bluice]

Watch the Mongol arrows, almost every unit carries a bow.

Not sure if this is just Stainless Steel mod but even their standard infantry unit carries a bow, making it hard to engage them without coping a few arrows on the charge towards them.

[loquar]

I almost never face them in the field. Just wait till they siege you and massacre them outside your walls.

I often sally and hit them in the flank putting archers on the walls at the corner, this takes care of the 1 flank of HA's then attack the central mass from the flank

[T-wester]

siges or bridges are preferable with lost of spears and archers no matter the faction imo

[surferman 101]

Hey thanks guys, my campaign is going good. I own scandinavia and going for constantinople. Poland and Denmark are gone and Hungary is almost gone.

[Lord Romanus III]

2 Generals 16 dismounted dvor and 2 heavy cavalry and you should win with ease. That or defend a castle by spamming woodsmen (cheap and effective) and peasant archers.

Cordially, Lord Romanus III

[Kip]

Ah, the Russians. So many beautiful, beautiful combinations.

I would say kit out your eastern-most settlement with Dismounted Dvors and Dismounted Boyar Sons...if it gets sieged, you can win easily. If the mongols bypass you, use the army to attack single stacks of the enemy horde when they become isolated from the pack.