How Do you win in Hard diffculty in total war

[hocha1]

In the hard diffculty on campign, how do you avoid rebellion and make your settlement profit with having big troop? also how do you win wars on hard diffculty? is there like a stratgey?

[General Nuisance esq]

i always play battles at hard difficulty and one thing you notice is that ai very rarely has balanced armies
if you play as the romans its very simple archer them to death if possible, use pila and engage infrantry hit from behind with cav
march to the high ground or defend up a hill if poss and keep your cav ready for when the ai does something stupid IE leaves velites undefended
If being attacked by 2 armies divide and conquer, set up close to where the weakest army should be and smash them first
But most of all READ the campaign map and attack where the terrain best suits you or if expecting an attack stand by a mountain

[Guy]

In the hard diffculty on campign, how do you avoid rebellion and make your settlement profit with having big troop? also how do you win wars on hard diffculty? is there like a stratgey?

Building Shrines, Temples and so on helps increase public order in a city. This is one way which will help against rebellion in that city. Also don't forget to build the most important buildings such as Governers Villa's and Palaces.

It's all about technique. I would recommend playing the Prolouge first on Hard Difficulty. This will guide you through all the strategic info you will need to be an awesome emporer.

[Kratos]

Hard battle difficulty gives the enemy troops a morale bonus, not sure if yours get a penalty.

Hard campaign difficulty makes it more difficult for you to earn money and gives the AI more (I think).

Others may fill in what I missed.

The battles are just like before but it will be harder to route the enemy. Thus, avoid mass melees if possible and focus on killing them with ranged troops.

In the campaign you must remember to be more careful with what little money you have. Don't garrison cities with elite troops unless under threat. Build up your economy before you start conquering the world.

[Xavier Dragnesi]

To put it very simply, concentrate more than you would on medium

[Kratos]

To put it very simply, concentrate more than you would on medium

An easy way of putting it

[NobleNick]

To put it very simply, concentrate less than you would on Very Hard.

Heh, heh, heh... I play on VH/VH, and just felt like I had to do that.

Seriously...

To make money on settlements: Do NOT build all the farm upgrades; DO exterminate enemy settlements upon capture, especially in mid-to-late game; DO build highest temple upgrades, specializing in the ones giving highes PO bonuses; build other PO bonus buildings; consider moving your capital to a more central location, closer to newly captured settlements; build racetracks/ampitheaters as necessary; DO upgrade markets, roads, mines, and ports; have trade rights with everyone with whom you are not at war; and move in a governor with high number of wreaths (if needed for PO).

Battles on Hard: The biggest thing to realize is that it is harder to go toe-to-toe with your opponent, because the enemy gets a net morale bonus over your troops, and (all other things being equal) your guys are going to rout before the enemy. So-o-o-o-o....

Fight dirty:

1.) Pick bridge battles (and know how to fight them).

2.) Pick favorable terrain (and know how to use it).

3.) Pick stack compositions that are tailored to counter the enemy (e.g. all-cav half-stacks).... and know how to use them.

4.) Get attacked (rather than attacking yourself) as oft as possible.

5.) Divide and conquer: If you see two half stacks, about to merge, to come after you, engage before they can merge.

6.) Use choke points on the map.

7.) As much as possible, use counter production targeting, instead of counter force (go for their cities, not their armies).

EXAMPLES:

1.) Your enemy is coming after you with a stack of 4 skirmishers, 2 heavy cav, 2 light cav, 2 archers, 4 light infantry, 2 spears, and 2 heavy infantry. You could try meeting them on th eopen plain with a full stack, but there are cheaper ways. An excellent tactic would be to stand on a bridge, in their path, with 4 archers, 4 heavy infantry and 4 spears, and a general; and get attacked. Another tactic would be to stand on hilly ground on the campaign map, with the same force, such that the enemy could only attack from downhill, and get attacked.(Hint: setup with your archers at the top of a steep hill, with your melee troops blocking the enemy's access to them.) Yet another dirty tactic is to park an all-cav half stack, consisting of genrals and heavy cav, in the enemy' way, on open hilly ground, and get attacked. (Hint: let the enemy chase until they are exhausted, while your horses run the outside of the map, resting in the corners. Pick off weary stragglers using 3 cav per enemy unit. This technique is the mother of countless heroic victories. It works so well, it should be considered cheating.)

2.) Your enemy has lots of archers and little cav ---> pick an all-cav force to meet them. Choose open, hilly terrain.

3.) Your enemy has lots of archers or lots of cav ---> pick forested battle sites.

4.) Most of your troops get combat bonus in forest or snow (e.g. barbarian factions) ---> choose winter battles and/or forest.

5.) ALWAYS choose the highest, most remote point on the battle field to set up, unless you have an excellent reason to do otherwise (e.g., taking advantage of chokepoints)

6.) Realize that, when you are the attacker, the enemy will almost always choose the highest terrain within their starting territory. Use that info.

7.) Your half stack of (1 general + 1 hvy cav. + 4 spears + 2 hvy inf. + 2 archers) is attacked by a full stack (1 general + 1 hvy cav + 1 light cav + 4 light inf.; 4 hvy inf.; 4 skirmishers; 3 spears + 2 archers. You were smart enough to set up in mostly open, hilly terrain, with some trees, with the enemy downhill.

You hide all of your force except general and heavy cav, in the trees near an uphill corner, and DISABLE archers' fire-at-will option. Your general and heavy cav are out in the open. The enemy goes for the general. You wait until most of the enemy have climbed the hill, then run away from your hidden force, wait until enemy follows, and then downhill. The enemy follows. You run to the next down hill corner. Enemy follows. You run uphill again to your starting posiiton, and the enemy follows.

Repeat this cycle again. The enemy cav should stay with their main force. If enemy light cav or hvy cav breaks ranks to chase you, crucify them with your hvy cav and general.

Repeat a third time; but this time, as your general/cav are going uphill for the last time, enable archers' fire-at-at will. The exhausted enemy army, fighting uphill, should be a cinch to rout: concentrate archer fire on the most inferior units, to get them to rout first. Then move to higher value units.

[hocha1]

What do you mean the enemy has better morale, what does that do?

[Kratos]

What do you mean the enemy has better morale, what does that do?

It takes more to make them route off the battlefield. This makes melees more costly for you so try to avoid them.

[Strattios]

If you want to avoid a large garrison you will in all likelyhood have to throw tons of cash at the problem. Or drop the tax which increases growth which makes things worth. After a while, dedicate an army to go around slaughtering rebellious provences.

[Kylan271]

I play on H/VH in TE Gold,and yep they have better morale so they will not rout as quick,instead they will keep attacking you until wiped out nearly. Very difficult in straight melee fights,you have to gang up on units or pick them off from a distance with missile weapons. Use terrain and settlement defences wisely(siege battles-have fast units lure enemy around the settlement so the towers can wear them down..I use horse archers...for this).

Rebellion..hmm I think same on each difficulty? Profits depends on Settlement development,Capital distance(and corruption) and your traits and ancillaries of Governing general. Don't be confused by denarii per settlement as your unit fees are taken from settlements,so seems less(check Settlement details to understand). Many many things to check on..tax rate,ancilliaries,traits,rebels in the area...etc etc..

[Prince_of_Macedon]

Going by the title of the thread, I'll move this to Battle Planning.

[Toorima]

Playing on hard or even very hard requires skills on the strategic level in the first place. Of course you can't win the campaign if being a complete tactical fool, but it's the strategy that determines your chances to win before first blood is drawn. Here is some strategical advise that used to work with me playing on "very hard".

1. Money and more money are the sinews of war as we all know. Concentrate on developing your economy, trade is the key to wealthiness.

2. When considerering which building to construct next in a settlement always visit the "settlement details" menu. If the citizens are disaffected, check the reasons for unhappiness instead of simply constructing any building that increases their happiness.

3. Instead of having many medium-sized armies in the field have only a few, but well composed armies, lead by a experienced general with a clear operational aim. Wage war only with specific aims.

4. Before engaging the enemy let strategy do their work. Determine the ideal battlefield, spy on the enemy to find out about his weak points.

5. Be aware of your war objectives. Are you defending yourself, attacking an enemy or even trying to annihilate your opponent?

6. Don't overstretch your military ambitions. The less enemies you have to fight, the less war theatres you have to keep in mind the more concentrated your power will strike!

[duda]

To make my game fun, I take the julii, take a full-stack, send it to egypt....and 10 turns later, the egyptians lose their army (i beat like, 14 fullstacks), and i end up being the new master of egypt....RTW is getting too easy....I think I'm gonna try shogun TW again

[draas]

Ive been playing since 2004, and Ive never played anything else then Very hard/very hard campaign.

In my opinion, its not something you can read on a thread that will make it or break it on a long run campaign. but heres a few tips anyways

My strategy stays the same, even tough not a single battle looks the same.

My strategy ? Hammer and Anvil

When I engage the ennemy line(the anvil) I Will outflank the ennemy mostly with cavalry(the hammer).

I know its very general, but if you keep that in mind, eventually, you will feel when the moment is right to take action.

Ive won major campaign (rome and medieval 2, and on seveval MOD as well, tough one !!!) on very hard/very hard using that strategy, and it will mostly lead you to victory.

Terrain advantages, is also something you want to check in every battle. Spot the high ground, ALWAYS. In a battle map, and on the campaing map.

[Toorima]

In my opinion, its not something you can read on a thread that will make it or break it on a long run campaign. but heres a few tips anyways

Besides my own strategical advise, I would totally agree with this statement. Although you could express everything in the game in plain numbers, true mastery depends on your own experience. Most decisions, strategical ones as tactical ones too, base on mere instinct on how to handle the current situation right. It's wise to know about the data of your troops, but after playing for a while, you will instinctively know, wether you troops will be victorious or not.

[Entropy Judge]

My strategy stays the same, even tough not a single battle looks the same.

My strategy ? Hammer and Anvil

Semi-Nitpick: That's a tactic, not a strategy. The strategy involved in correctly using the "Hammer and Anvil" tactic, of course, dictates the use of heavy/spear infantry and cavalry, as well as proper use of the terrain to allow the tactic to work. It's not something you would normally do in a Bridge Battle, for instance.

Question on the Campaign Map: How can you tell what the battle terrain is going to be like? I keep trying to fight in open areas (I'm tactically inclined, but playing on Med Battle Difficulty means I don't need to unless I'm facing equal or superior numbers), but a lot of the time when I enter the Battle Map it'll be lightly-to-heavily forested. Is there something I'm missing? The CM makes it look like there aren't many trees around ....

[MooseUpNorth]

Semi-Nitpick: That's a tactic, not a strategy. The strategy involved in correctly using the "Hammer and Anvil" tactic, of course, dictates the use of heavy/spear infantry and cavalry, as well as proper use of the terrain to allow the tactic to work. It's not something you would normally do in a Bridge Battle, for instance.

Semi-Nitpick to your semi-nitpick:

The decision to use "Hammer and Anvil" based on a hill is indeed a tactical decision as you point out.

The decisions that lead to having troops on that hill in time to matter, in sufficient numbers and of appropriate composition, falls more properly in the realm of logistics.

The decision to invade that particular region (because of its location, access to troops or treasure, or to deny those things to the enemy), fall under strategic planning.

[draas]

Semi-Nitpick: That's a tactic, not a strategy.

hahhaha

sorry your right, I really did mean tactic

as for bridge battle advise .. I agree with them, However .. don't try to go for bridge battle on every occasion .. why ? because you will be adopt a defensive style on the campaign .. everyone uses their army differently ... but remember what Napoleon said ... "attack, attack.... always attack"

I will use bridge if I have advanced far in ennemy territory, and i see full stacks coming my way that my spys diden't spot previous to my envasion ...

if you use bridge and high ground to your advantage, that mean your on the defensive, don't adopt this tactic on every occasion.

[draas]

Question on the Campaign Map: How can you tell what the battle terrain is going to be like? I keep trying to fight in open areas (I'm tactically inclined, but playing on Med Battle Difficulty means I don't need to unless I'm facing equal or superior numbers), but a lot of the time when I enter the Battle Map it'll be lightly-to-heavily forested. Is there something I'm missing? The CM makes it look like there aren't many trees around ....

First if you zoom as much as you can, you can see the elevation, and by right clicking, it will tell you if its a "hill" terrain ... or whatever other type of terrain it is, however, sometimes you can get in the battle and the ground is really not what you tough it was gonna be.

heres what I do ... and I will do that ONLY when a major battle is about to be fought .. the kind of battle and that will make or break a campaign ...

I take 1 unit ... and I attack .. simple as that. I exit the battle right away, of course that will flag me a defeat (again ... I use it in very rare occasion ...) but you know the exact terrain your going in. then if your OK with the ground you will attack, you take your army and attack. if it gives high ground to your ennemy and you judge you will loose or win with to many dead ... plan something else.