Army Makeup

**Navajo Joe** · January 14, 2009, 10:57 AM

I have just started a Kwarmezian campaign on 6.2, now I will have to fight the Mongol hordes. What sort of units and numbers would you use to beat this Steppes scum!
I was thinking using predominately Persian Spearmen, about 6-8 units as my infantry with a General. It seems to make sense to use Turkomans to match their missile fire and keep their mounted archers at bay. I don't know about the rest, what do you think?

**nostradamouse** · January 14, 2009, 11:01 AM

Spam archers to kill their mounted archers.

Once their mounted archers are dead, they are definately weaker.

**django333** · January 14, 2009, 11:28 AM

You will also need 3-4 units of cavalry for running down their horse archers. Let their horse archer get into postion and start firing on your front line infantry and then flank them with your cavalry. You should also start thinking about choke points as early on as possible. From what I've heard about 6.2 the Mongols are not to be taken lightly. Setting up choke points and exploiting them will be key to pushing back the stack hell you will most definately feel the full brunt of.

**Gorrrrrn** · January 15, 2009, 07:42 AM

not played khwarezm in 6.2 (not played 6.2 yet!)
NJ - early or late era camapign?

however from what i read you're in for a torrid time - with stack after stack of mongols.

I'm thinking maybe train up lots of assassins to kill mongol generals / FMs.
Also expand asap into rebel territory and build defences
make as many alliances as you can.
Might be worth trying to get "behind" mongol armies after they have taken cities and try and recapture them?

I suspect though you're going to have to write the book on this one!!

**Sargon_of_Akkad** · January 15, 2009, 07:56 AM

Don't get caught in the open. Stay in your cities and castles, loading up on anti-cavalry units and archers, and prepare to weather a few mighty sieges. Once they are broken, take mainly cavalry forces out and mop up the remnants of their armies.

**Faramir D'Andunie** · January 15, 2009, 09:37 AM

You might want to use peasant and low quality militia types soak up mongol arrows as well if you decide to fight in the open.

Although to be honest, by seeing how many Mongol armies eventually appear you might want to send a family member with a small force to conquer some Moorish castle/Sicily or something far far away...

**Gogolometro** · January 15, 2009, 01:59 PM

I used toggle fow in my Venice campaign at turn 60.No need to tell I numbered 30 stacks of mongols only in Cumania.Dont bet on city defence or spamming militia.Dont imagine killing general mean something, troops are silver chevrons so will get a new leader in 1 heroic battle.Is the faith om muslim world who need to migrate west.

**Faramir D'Andunie** · January 15, 2009, 05:24 PM

Prepare a migration west just in case, but be sure to give those mongols a fight like one they have never seen before.

Dont imagine killing general mean something, troops are silver chevrons so will get a new leader in 1 heroic battle.Is the faith om muslim world who need to migrate west.

Can be extremely usefull in the end, removing that general just before he storms the castle or before you attack his army.

Argg this almost makes me wanna drop my late era Roman campaign to try the Kwazermian one, such a challenge. How often one plays a campaign where you are most likely to loose?:hmmm:

**Navajo Joe** · January 16, 2009, 04:32 AM

Thanks everybody for your advice, so the advice seems to be fortify your cities and establish choke points with forts. Entertain their Horse archers with Horse archers and use cavarly to ride them from the field.
Henry 707, I have the high end units as using 6.2 RC3, so there is no recruitment limitations. However I do not ever fill my armies with elites, as presently I cannot afford it and it is unrealistic. I use a house rule as one might say.
Rozanov, I am playing early campaign, I like the late idea of getting in behind their front and retaking cities, therefore I will not commit my all my stacks, nice one.
Here is an interesting situation, the Pope has called his First Crusade against Baghdad!
I don't know whether to befriend the Crusaders or kill them. If I allow them to take Baghdad, then take it, getting my timing right, he may declare a 2nd Crusade that could co-incide with the Mongol Invasion, circa about 1200ad? With Mongols fighting the Crusaders they will be seriously overcommitted and absolute carnage!

**Henry707** · January 16, 2009, 06:30 AM

Heavy units - nice.

On the crusade, that is a bit of a nightmare, depends how long the crusades take & stack composition. I know you take a hit but it may be worth withdrawing from the city or putting up some reisistance to the first stack. Letting them take it, then take it back.

My advice is get it sorted ASAP - no-on likes a war on 2 fronts!

Henri

**frontier-auxilia** · January 16, 2009, 06:47 AM

Your heavy horse archers with turcoman comes in handy during this fight. In a sense you can keep your flank secure from mongol horse archers for they can hold their own against them in a fire fight. Just be sure to keep a contingent of heavy cavalry next to your heavy horse archers just incase the mongols decide to charge them with their melee cavalry.

For earlier approaches i recommend the persian tag team (spear/ archers) as a cheap reliable defense against the mongols. Your archers can absorb enough damage and deal death in a fire fight while your spearman can repel any incoming mongol heavy cavalry assualts. When the moment is ripe, move a few unit of your reserve cavalry to their flanks and hit those horse archers hard from both sides.

Also be sure to avoid open plains, watch the flank and stay on defensive as the mongol wave break upon you. Now send these filthy pagan infidels running back to the steppe!!.