Simple tactics to help those in need.

[Kewpur]

Alright this thread is for tactics for people who are having a hard time winning battles in ETW.

I made a really simple strategy picture. Basically if you outnumber the enemy and either you want minimal casualties and/or they have stronger units you should do this.

Have your strongest units in the center where the enemy will start firing on you. Move your remaining riflemen around behind them. Also have some meet the enemy on their sides.

To my experience, 95% of the time, the enemy will start routing in less than a minute. If they don't, then move your troops in closer and focus fire on their strongest men.

If you have spare cavalry, use them to attack any extra enemies that are trying to stop you from flanking their main force.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

This is an extremely simple and common strategy that many people will find out on their own. But it is very effective and is better than just simply sitting still and firing.


So if you have any, post them to help out new players!

[Jayzilla]

thanks for the thought, but the mods are asking people not to make new threads. there's a 'land battle tactics' thread a page or two back that is active.

my tips: the computer tends to ignore cannon in favor of line infantry. cannon > line, line > horses, horses > cannon.

i've attacked 4 horse units on a single line unit and lost. So don't do it unless they are in combat with one of your line or grenadiers.

[Kewpur]

Oh oops. Haha.

[Jayzilla]

meh, no biggie. i'm just going to start posting that in these new threads so maybe people will catch on ^^

anyways, so what is your preferred setup for a single stack western army?

I was reading about this in a different thread, thought it was interesting. Mine is 3 dragoons, 4 foot cannon, 3 grenadiers, 6 line. If i don't have time to make a full stack I'll drop 2 line and a grenadier first.

[Kewpur]

I like having 10 line infantry using rank fire. I just line them up and stall the enemy.

Then I have my general, of course, maybe 2 groups of dragoons. I will have maybe 4 groups of grenadiers/skirmishers and the rest will be artillery/skirmishers.

Line infantry are so good with firing drills. I can take out a full stack army of weaker units with like 4 groups of line infantry using rank fire.

[Jayzilla]

I like having 10 line infantry using rank fire. I just line them up and stall the enemy.

Then I have my general, of course, maybe 2 groups of dragoons. I will have maybe 4 groups of grenadiers/skirmishers and the rest will be artillery/skirmishers.

Line infantry are so good with firing drills. I can take out a full stack army of weaker units with like 4 groups of line infantry using rank fire.

no cannon?

[Heinz Guderian]

Alright this thread is for tactics for people who are having a hard time winning battles in ETW.

I made a really simple strategy picture. Basically if you outnumber the enemy and either you want minimal casualties and/or they have stronger units you should do this.

Have your strongest units in the center where the enemy will start firing on you. Move your remaining riflemen around behind them. Also have some meet the enemy on their sides.

To my experience, 95% of the time, the enemy will start routing in less than a minute. If they don't, then move your troops in closer and focus fire on their strongest men.

If you have spare cavalry, use them to attack any extra enemies that are trying to stop you from flanking their main force.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

This is an extremely simple and common strategy that many people will find out on their own. But it is very effective and is better than just simply sitting still and firing.


So if you have any, post them to help out new players!

so you mean encircle the enemy? sounds a bit far out, but i'll try this new tactic. I was thinking about marching my men very slowly towards the enemy.

[naro]

I prefer to not do the full encirclement, as if theres any re-enforcements hiding i just get visions of my line infantry being attacked from behind and slaughtered before they can reform on the new heading whereas with flanking forces a small wheel of the formation brings the enemy into the firing arcs of the unit.

I've been going for 5 units of arty (1 howitzer, 2 foot arty, 1 cavelry arty and a rocket/puckle gun (i've just started experimenting with this last bit of arty tho) 4 units of cavelry (2 dragoon 2 heavy cav) and the rest infantry (7 european line (rather then colonial units) 2 lights and 2 Grenadiers)

[Kewpur]

Yeah the full encirclement isn't always the best. At least attack them from the sides though. That almost always makes them rout.

[SSblitzkrieg]

Well, if I do it in a Line vs. Line Situation, I let the enemy have the first volley and since I was fighting against the Poles and the Austrians playing as Prussia, they aren't as skilled as them and I close the gap by 50 percent and open fire. I killed more than 30 men in contrast to the 3 man kill from the enemy.

[NightFire]

i mostly use this tactic,if i have cavalry units i make them attack the enemy in the back,do a good charge and mostly they will p*ss their pants and route!

[medieval elephant]

This fails massively if the enemy has melee units. They just charge your guys and you have no choice but to shoot at your own meleeing units, as well as the enemy.

Btw, why are melee units so powerful? I'm only at turn 12, so there might be some awesome technology I haven't researched yet, but I happened to fight four units of Pirate melee units, which had extremely good morale, and only took about one volley before they closed in on my 5 riflemen and hacked them to pieces. Is there a good way to counter this?

[naro]

you need to get to ring/socket bayonets as before you get them your units are using their muskets like clubs or with the plug bayonets as soon as they are fixed you cant fire the guns again.

The tactic works quite well against troops in a melee as long as your troops arnt in between the enemy and your flanking troops. maybe a few friendly casualties but the morale sapping effect of attacking from the side/behind causes the enemy to rout much quicker so your loosing less in the hand to hand stage overall

[twisted]

I use 3 infantry units in a row. I make sure the middle one will be cut down in line. to make it less big. I let 2 infatry units cover its flanks. And on the back there are again 3 infantry units in a row. Inside is my calvary&general. Behind it on higher ground is my Artillery. Works like a charm.


Btw the french are anoying. They just keep on comming and comming and comming...

[Admiral-Thrawn]

Well the tactic I use in field battle's is overly simple. Let's say I have seven Line Infantry unit's. The tactic I use is split them into two group's, one numbering four unit's and the other three. The smaller battalion move's off, far to the right. Now the enemy can either divert their forces to hit the smaller group or they can ignore it and march into hell's embrace. If it is the first option then you simply have to do a little math and calculate where your Cavalry and Artillery need's to direct their focus. Then again, if it's a battle against Militia I usually duke it out, as there is no need to leave yourself vulnerable by flanking them. Also, in a pure Infantry battle it all boil's down to where your General is. Keep him around the Centre, so he can move about the formation quickly. However, do not keep him to close to the front line, or you risk his retinue being assailed by the enemies shot.

However, the biggest tactical input is terrain. You need to take in the map before pressing the "End Deployment" button. One obvious bit of advice is don't run your unit's unless you absolutely have to. Walking and Firing does nothing to their stamina, so if you keep about these two phases you should be in prime condition. Whenever a unit is tired or low in morale, move your General in to give them a quick boost. If thing's are too hectic, pull them back and let them rest.

Terrain, Morale, Stamina, Ammo, Formation's. These are the factor's you need to focus on, as each one can be a blessing and a bane. As they say in Prussia;

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

"Sieg findet Sie nicht, Sie muss es finden!"

[kittens]

hmm. usually its the ai thats trying to surround me. im usually the one with less troops so i cant stretch them out like that to go around their sides.
my main way of winning outnumbered battles is using the terrain. i study it and find the best places to park my troops. hills. forests. in between buildings and houses. places where they will have a hard time flanking me, or where i can use two formations to guard my front and back without worrying about the sides. square formation at a ready against horses. i dont use pikemen or milita often. i play defensively. i only attack offensively when i beleive i can sustain minimum casualtys or when their troops dont move for several minutes. even then i approach with extreme caution and from whatever side i think offers the best terrain or obsticles for my men. im pretty much always moving or adjusting my mens angle of attack too, i dont leave it alone much.

i dont play against other plaers, so turning on pause or down to slow-mo i do fairly often, especially when im hitting them on a flank manuver so i have time to start getting the heck out of their when they try to turn around and charge my guys.




*edited for some more typos.