I suck at this game

[jaguar8311]

I seem to have trouble with the macroing/micro management aspect of the battles, Battles that the game predicts as a close encounter I ussually win, but at VERY HIGH casualties. I seem to have trouble managing all these units on the battlefield once the enemy reaches my line.

How do I maximise my firing line's damage? seems to like most of them do not fire and I end up maybe killing only 10 soldiers once I enter melee with them.

How do you use artilerry effectively? I can only get 3 or 4 kills with them, if I bring them up closer, they always end up dying and I have been reading on the forums of how big Artillery is to your army's sucess and maybe that's why I am doing so poorly.

Lastly, I am struggling with the movement of my soldiers overall, I find it very fustrating, any tips? basically my strategy has just been to keep the default deployment session, wait for the opposing army to reach me then I switch to melee and the whole battle becomes a huge melee fight with me winning in Pyrrhic fashion.

Thank you very much

[awisler]

If you are on defense, FIND WALLS. Trust me, lifesavers. You can take on armies twice your size without much difficulty if you can fortify behind some walls.

In a straight up skirmish, flanking is key. I typically have mostly line infantry, with 3 or 4 cavalry units and an artillery unit. I micromanage most of my line infantry to face the enemy at all times. I keep one line infantry on each side of this formation, out of combat, to protect against flanks. If the enemy does not try to flank, I use them to flank.

Any leftover line infantry, I put all on either the left or right side and use them to flank. I keep 2 of 4 cavalry units with the main formation to plug any holes. Then I send the rest around with the flanking infantry to guard them or charge in themselves.

In my experience, enemies seem to rout the quickest if they have been flanked.

[Flavius Silvanus]

I would divide my Army up into 3, 4, or 5 groups and command them as such.

For example:

Group 1: 6x Line Infantry + General (To hold the center)
Group 2: 3x Cannon
Group 3: 4x Cavalry (Harass, Flank, and Chase Routers)
Group 4: 3x Grenadiers (As reserves on the Right Flank)
Group 5: 3x Grenadiers (As reserves on the Left Flank)


Now you just really have to worry about 5 units as opposed to 20.

I do think the camera makes the "dragging and dropping" of units a little tougher. But also, in past games the battlefields were wide open. In Empire I've noticed you have a lot more choke points, and clearly defined avenues of approach on the battlefield.

[Sgt.Valenzuela]

If you are on defense, FIND WALLS. Trust me, lifesavers. You can take on armies twice your size without much difficulty if you can fortify behind some walls.

In a straight up skirmish, flanking is key. I typically have mostly line infantry, with 3 or 4 cavalry units and an artillery unit. I micromanage most of my line infantry to face the enemy at all times. I keep one line infantry on each side of this formation, out of combat, to protect against flanks. If the enemy does not try to flank, I use them to flank.

Any leftover line infantry, I put all on either the left or right side and use them to flank. I keep 2 of 4 cavalry units with the main formation to plug any holes. Then I send the rest around with the flanking infantry to guard them or charge in themselves.

In my experience, enemies seem to rout the quickest if they have been flanked.

you know for me! even walls dont do much! I'd say 60-70% of my battles enter melee asap and if my guys are behind walls it % increases! I think overall this game enters melee way to much. I wish I could army my soldiers with swords and shields in some battles!!

[Grislok]

I suck so badly that last night in my VH/VH british campaign I lost all my armies and navies as well as every region that was not an island. Indians stomping my ass. In 40 turns I have made the great british empire a weak and sucky one.

[Fratyinside]

Yeah, pretty much try the above and you should be fine as you get better at flanking.

I suck, too.

[driecken]

I usually use a few different tactics for deployment/battle every new encounter, but generally I attempt to get as many infantry firing on the enemy as possible, and use cavalry to support units that are seeing the most action.

I have noticed the native american tribes really like to charge right away, and enter melee, this has given me some trouble as I would prefer a line battle, but I usually fix bayonets with a few units and draw the natives into the fray and then use other infantry to line up and fire on the vulnerable enemy units.

Cavalry can really help a lot, even if in small numbers , if used properly.

[Lex Luthor II]

I have noticed the native american tribes really like to charge right away, and enter melee, this has given me some trouble as I would prefer a line battle, but I usually fix bayonets with a few units and draw the natives into the fray and then use other infantry to line up and fire on the vulnerable enemy units.

Yeah i agree with the native americans, i kill about 15 out of 160 and then they are in my face already fighting my guys... andi JUST got bayonets... hard enemy to defeat without sustaining a lot of casualities at the start i guess

[sambasam]

If i had a choice of being really good at this game or sucking, I would take sucking by a long shot... because it makes the game a challenge, otherwise it would be boring.

[SunofVich]

I have noticed the native american tribes really like to charge right away, and enter melee,

Really? They have been keeping their melee units out of range and trying to draw my forces into the trees where they can ambush them with a bunch of hidden units. And they've been successful a couple of times.

But hey dont feel bad. I got raped on my first battle in the game. Then again it was a quick battle

[jaguar8311]

Thank you for the advice, I will try these after school, in terms of movement however, what is the best method to get the best out of your Firing line(so as many soldiers shoot as possible) shift click does not seem to be working for me in terms of getting them properly lined up.

Little OT, but how long does it take you guys to finish a battle on average, mine are usually less then 7-8 minutes

Thanks for the quick replies

[DeadlyByDesign]

Shift click not working for me either. Nothing worse than forming your line, then having to move it only for you infantry to reset and walk everywhere you dont want them to. Mean while a bunch of pissed of cherokee are bearing down on you

[jaguar8311]

I can't win any battles where the opponent is favoured, seems my only way of winning is if I just overpower them, I try to get my soldiers to widen out(all the soldiers will fire) but nothing is working.

In the RTI, I am struggling against the Americans, at Bunker Hill I got absolutely mauled.

Any tips please?

[Snall]

I use the pause button in the thick of it, reorder and then continue..*shrug* There's a pause button for a reason. Now it can be more fun not to use it sometimes. But with bullets and friendly fire I'm using it WAY more than in any other TW.

[Jayzilla]

yeah, friendly fire is a new one for my. My first game (on the demo) 1 loss out of 3 was from friendly fire (and i had 450 total losses!) :p

don't worry, you'll get used to it. Try moving line formations in groups of three. And always have more cav and cannon than the other guy. ^^

[awisler]

You can always try pausing if you really have to shift some troops. There are also turn left/turn right buttons on the bottom right area of the HUD interface, to change the units facing. And yeah, friendly fire is quite a pain in the ass.

[DanMLee88]

suppress and flank!! I believe that was one of the motto for GIs in WW2...it also applies here! pin down enemy with infantry fire, and flank ASAP with cavalry to minimize losses. Best if done with 3 or more cav units in your army

[Monglor]

It's easy to think that natives are going to be easy because they don't have trousers and they mostly don't have guns. In the early game though their bows are better than your muskets, their tomahawks are better than pikes and plug bayonets and they have numbers and home field advantage on their side to boot. So don't feel too bad if you're getting chopped up a lot in America. Until you've got serious firepower to play with, as well as some melee skills for when things get hairy you are going to get scalped a lot.

I found the most foolproof tactic was to focus on bayonet research and just stab everybody til I learned how to shoot. It's hard to go wrong with that sort of a plan.

[MyKingforahorse]

I found the most foolproof tactic was to focus on bayonet research and just stab everybody til I learned how to shoot. It's hard to go wrong with that sort of a plan.

reminds of that part in Mask of Zorro where Anthony Hopkins asks Antonio Banderas
"Do you even know how that thing works?" (referring to his sword)
"Yeah... pointy end... goes in the man"

[REQUIEM]

I've played the Napoleonic total war 2 mod for rome total war so i'm used to playing with muskets troops, moving them and avoiding friendly fire.