Highly advanced tactics?

[gummz]

So I'm a sort of a mediocre fan of M2:TW series and I'm just wondering what are some advanced tactics you could teach me?

All I do in battles is fighting infantry vs infantry, cavalry charge vs infantry/bows etc. etc. so my battles always depend on numbers.

Anyone?

[Ascarona]

This is the tactic i use alot:

X = Crossbow
A = Archers
P = Spearmen
I = Infantry (preferbly heavy)
C = Heavy Cavalry
L = Archer CavalryG = General
W = Artillery
----- W XX W
---- P I I I I P
----- A A A A
C C C --- G --- L L

Once the enemy get close enough I put my Xbows and Artillery behind the line of melee, together with the archers. I keep the enemy infantry busy while my archer cavalry shoots the enemy line from behind, and the heavy cavalry takes enemy artillery and archers etc.

So in short, I just keep the enemy infantry busy and hit their more important units with cavalry.
Thats the tactic I use in open field.

[Viking Prince]

A recent thread (started by Conquistatore ) to read would be : Pin and flank, a classic medieval strategy.

[AnthoniusII]

You can read this....if you are planing to play with byzantines(and not only with them)!
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=219392

[gummz]

A recent thread (started by Conquistatore ) to read would be : Pin and flank, a classic medieval strategy.

Yea that is an OK strategy but there are no opposing cavalry there. If I attempt this with them around, they'll charge my cavalry in the back and eliminate/rout them.

[Nazgûl Killer]

I speak from PERSONAL experience here...
All-right, so, basically the smartest idea would be to counter their spearmen with your infantry, spearmen for support of the infantry (Covering their rear from enemy cavalry), the archers should be behind that line of spearmen and infantry, with 2 units or so of spearmen protecting them from cavalry charges, I like to place my cavalry to the far side of my formation (Right or left), and position them ahead and to the side, in order to be able to flank the enemy easily, once the enemy engages my troops in battle I send my general(s) to charge at his cavalry if he has some, and the rest of my cavalry to mow down his archers if he has some, if I have ranged cavalry I send them to kill the fighting infantry and spearmen, helping my troops.
(IMPORTANT NOTE: Ranged cavalry should attack from the SIDE of the battle line, if you attack from behind his troops, it is FAR more likely that you'll hit your troops, and if you attack from the front it's just useless because the front is the most armored part of the soldier), now, the best cavalry to fight other cavalry is the bodyguards, this applies to enemy bodyguards too, if you have skirmishers (Javlinmen) or something like that, you should send them in FRONT of your line of defense to hit the enemy troops as hard as they can before they reach your defense line, after that, retreat them in front of the archers (Protecting from penetration) but behind your defense line, as they are good against armor, it really doesn't matter if they attack from the front, side or back.

[Muagan_ra]

Local superiority is important. You could be out-numbered, but still bring superior numbers to bear on one particular part of the enemy line. Your other troops may have to be badly mauled in order for your superior force to start causing routs.

[St Naffatun]

I love cheap fast crappy expendable light cavalry, their speed is key to their tactical flexibility.

-I hide them in trees on the battle map and spring a nice surprises

-in an archer vs archer preliminary skirmish I use light cav not to kill enemy archers, just to run near them to keep them from shooting back effectively

-hide them for ages while I manouver with main force then spring them on enemy artillery once their main force has charged my lines and their artillery is isolated

-send them quickly out in a seige if one of the ladder/siege tower units is quite isolated

-when attacking a settlement i try to squeeze them inside the settlement, once inside they do all sorts of helpful things like capture other gates, or jump on the town square to force some defenders away from the walls then running off again, and when appropriate hitting bottlenecked defenders from the back to cause a rout.

-pinning annoying horse archers so the heavy cav can smash them

-expendable unit to buy time for various things like withdrawing effectively

-drawing off part of the enemy when outnumbered (usually their heavy cav get taken on a tour of the local countryside, if they turn their backs to return to the battle it's time to charge them from behind and break off quickly)

I now play in general cam and I miss a lot of these cheeky light cav tactics, many are virtually impossible from "ground zero". I wish you could have 2 generals views on a slitscreen with a shortcut or something.

Maybe Rome 3 TW will have this

[Nazgûl Killer]

Missile cavalry is hilarious in a siege battle, they are so effective I sometimes want to cry

[Nanachuck]

Always position your archers on the left side of your line. When they fire it is into the weaponside of oncoming enemy soldiers.

The shield bonus only applies to the front and left of a soldier.

When defending a gate or wall breach in a siege battle line up spearmen on the right of the breach or open gate at an angle. Then position heavy infantry or spearmen (depending on mix of enemy units) to charge straight into the non-shield side of incoming troops.

Works like clockwork.