Bow/XBow luring in a siege

[zachattack]

I love using this tactic and I'm sure many of you know it, but some might not.

Note that this doesn't always work perfectly, but does work a lot (for me, at least).


Basically, get an army. Have at least 2-4 bow units and 4-8 xbow units, depending on the size of the enemies army. I had Muslim Archers and Pasive Xbowman.

Also, have a luring cavalry (Light cavalry is fine).

Pretty much, break down the gate with an artillery. This is basic.

Then, use your bowmen to clear out any men near the front. Try to have them focus on one unit at a time. I was able to clear a unit and a half using this. Then, they fled to the town center.
Now, simply, get your cavalry inside and line up all your bow/xbow just outside the town. For some reason, the enemy AI will not surge out of the town 9/10 times in any game (I've only had them do it once).

Now, when all the enemy is at the center, bring your light cavalry and approach them. As they are coming, run so your cavalry don't get hurt and let them follow you a bit. Make sure your x/bows are on fire at will and let them rain hell while the enemy is following your cavalry. When they get too close, flee your cavalry outside the town and they'll return to the center. Not sure why, but they do. Keep repeating until no more enemies want to follow you. Usually, I find, the cavalry enemies will keep following you until you completely decimate them, while pikes will tend to stop following you and start playing defensively. At this point, take your xbows and attack their men in the center. As they approach you, run out of the town again. They will return back to the center. Repeatrepeatrepeatrepeat until they are all gone.

I killed an army of 1800 and only took 2 casualites from this (stupid javelin throwers), it was freakin funny. Good luck! +Rep me if you thought it was a good idea.

[Theseus1234]

i do that sort of in an "execution" style thing.

if theres only a few units guarding the city, i easily breach, line up the archers and xbows, and then fire away!
it's fun to watch them be helpless or incredibly stupid

[Surgeon]

Especially when the AI is being dumb and leaves a single general guarding their citadel. Once you scale the third wall just shoot him up from above and bingo: zero men lost, a brand new citadel and one dead enemy general.

[Owain Glyndŵr]

One of my favorite tricks as England is to hold the area around the gatehouse with solid defenders, then put my longbowmen on the walls and have my mortars fire into the center. Either they'll be drawn into narrow streets against my Armoured Swordsmen(almost always ends in slaughter) or they'll be cut down by arrows and mortar fire.