How to reduce turns to surrender in sieges?

[themoob]

In a technical way, hopefully this isn't hardcoded.

I'm just sick of waiting 8 entire years to flush the enemy out of a single city/castle, which is often the only choice for cavalry reliant factions (which I love), unless they want to suffer so many casualties they need 2 stacks to defeat half of one.

[MarquisWu]

if you dont know how to get a settlement with cavalry then you shouldnt play such faction ;p sometimes smaller numbers are more effective then larger ones ;p

[gulsenas]

if you dont know how to get a settlement with cavalry then you shouldnt play such faction ;p sometimes smaller numbers are more effective then larger ones ;p

Well, maybe you could share your tactics?

[RJA]

Just besiege the city/castle with a smaller army then inside. If they feel the odds are in their favor they will break out. If you play your battles yourself then you will easily beat them. Certainly if they have no cavalry.

[burninglegionx]

Send in 1 general to beseige an enemy settlement w/o cavalry.

Recruit a couple of cheap mercenaries and end turn.

Enemy will sally out, just start / retreat to far end of the map and run around making enemies exhausted.

Charge enemy weak unit (archers), they'll rout almost immediately.

Your mercenaries will distract the enemy troops while your general 'follows' the routing unit into the town square and sits there for 3 minutes while the enemy's exhausted units try to run back but never make it.

[MarquisWu]

Well, maybe you could share your tactics?

well you need to siege city/castle with 3-4 units one of them must be fast moving cavalry, if you are attacking with weak army AI will try to break the siege so they will leave city/castle and rush on your army with all they got ;] now just lure them away from walls and use your fast cav to get to city center wait 3 minutes and you got city ^^ (yes gates will be open)

well this is my tactic for city/castles with 90% infantry, when they got cavalry you need to harrass them with horse archers or block gate with yours heavy cavalry ;]

im sure that true cavalry commanders know this

[Gorrrrrn]

time to recruit some grunts to do the dirty work methinks.

[Quixote]

If I don't want to wait the full turns I will build 4 ladders, 2 siege towers and a ram. Then when you enter the battle place the ladders around on the sides and this will cause the enemy to have to place valuable troops on those walls. If they do not then you can capture a gate (towns) and your cavalry will be able to beat them to the open gate. Send the ram and siege towers on a frontal attack but this will require some foot soldiers, spearmen work well...

[cpldrake]

I often use the same tactic as Quixote, it creates less resistance at the location you send in your cavalry, making it easier to set up charges on city streets.