Viking Prince's Short Campaign Strategy Guide

**Viking Prince** · March 16, 2009, 01:41 AM

Viking Prince’s
Short Campaign Faction Strategy Guide to Medieval II Total War

Version 2.0
Date 3.15.2009
By Viking Prince

Unit Cards from the game and unpacked by Honga(http://totalwar.honga.net)
Banners created by: Guy, Giovi

Special thanks to Unspoken Knight and the entire team that has created and updated the Retrofit Mod (Custom Campaign/Retrofit mod).

Special thanks for inspiration by Rebel6666 and his incredible threads such as The Great M2TW Information Thread

Contribute to the next version and your name can be here!

_________________________________________________________________

Introduction

This is a guide as I would approach the single player Short Campaigns in Medieval II Total War (M2TW). The observant reader will notice that each guide presents a primary method to complete the campaign as well as some interesting tidbits related to the faction and the play of the game. This is not meant to be the sole or even best means to play the particular faction in a Short Campaign. All of the factions should be read. The ideas from one part are applicable to other factions.

There are many ways to approach these campaigns and I would certainly suggest reading a bit from the other fine authors posting to this site. Many of the fine articles are archived in TWC’s very one library, The Scriptorium. Players are often unable to complete the Long Campaigns due to time and other interests. New players will use the Short Campaigns to simply open up the locked factions and then never look back on these shorter games again. I like the idea of a couple short term goals to complete the game in an evening or two. I tend to take my time and a typical short campaign will last about 50 – 75 turns. This seems to be a good length of a campaign to have some fun and get the feel for the factions. Even though this is a guide to the short campaign, the play is with the thought of the faction thriving well beyond the end of the campaign and not meant as the quickest means to victory within the game simulation

Each player will develop a style to play the game. For me the style will vary for faction to faction and from day to day. For the purposes of this guide, my style of play will be a more or less chivalric campaign with religion used as an important facet of role playing. I do not tend to use the body guards of several generals in a single army stack, but I tend to treat such units as they were meant to be, personal body guards for a great military leader leading an army into battle. This does not mean the general does not fight, but rather additional cavalry must be recruited if to be used. Occupation is the normal resolution to a successful conquest of a region. I use a more or less vanilla version of M2TW with the Retrofit Mod patched to 1.05. Regions are only acquired through conquest or as a resolution of a war. No purchasing or trading of regions with factions is considered.

These caveats are always subject to the dear reader’s own decisions and style of play as well as an author’s whim. No claims are made to a definitive method or style. Not only are the opinions only those of the author, they may not even be claimed by Viking Prince as time passes.

This is a follow up to Viking Prince’s Faction Strategy Guide for Newbies to Medieval II Total War: England (Thread link; Scriptorium link). I would also modestly recommend a quick read of Viking Prince’s Strategic Guide for Newbies to Medieval II Total War (Thread Link ;Scriptorium Link)for an insight into my ideas however incomplete or flawed they may be.

The guides are broken into regional parts with each region holding several faction guides. This is partially to bring a sense of order to the guide, but there are some interests that are specific to each region.

I will update links as each section is posted as a new thread. This is a work in progress! Do not let this stop you from comments and discussion.

If you want to discuss M2TW short campaigns in general add your own post to the thread!

I have also opened a moderated social group -- M2TW Short Campaign for those interested in some general chat outside of the threaded posts.

Index to the Guide

(Insert Northern Europe Banner)

Part I Northern Europe

1.0 Northern Europe Introduction (go here first)
1.1 England
1.2 France
1.3 Holy Roman Empire
1.4 Denmark
1.5 Scotland

Part II Iberian Peninsula

2.0 Introduction to the Iberian Peninsula (link needed)
2.1 Spain
2.2 Portugal
2.3 Moors

(Insert Italian Peninsula Banner)

Part III Italian Peninsula

3.0 Introduction to the Italian Peninsula (go here first)
3.1 Milan
3.2 Venice
3.3 Sicily

(Insert Eastern Europe Banner)

Part IV Eastern Europe

4.0 Introduction to the Eastern Europe (go here first)
4.1 Russia
4.2 Poland
4.3 Hungary

(Insert Eastern Mediterranean Banner)

Part V Eastern Mediterranean

5.0 Introduction to the Eastern Mediterranean (link needed)
5.1 Byzantium
5.2 Turks
5.3 Egypt

**Viking Prince** · March 16, 2009, 01:43 AM

Check List

Color Code:
Needs an incredible amount of work
Needs quite a bit of work
Needs a bit of buff and polish, nothing is ever really done

Done Introduction to the Short Campaigns of M2TW
Nothing Short Campaign Banner

Part I Northern Europe

Nothing Northern Europe Banner theme: mailed knights, archers
Done 1.0 Introduction to Northern Europe
Done 1.1 England featured units: Longbows, Billmen
Done 1.2 France featured units: Mailed Knights, Peasants
Done 1.3 Holy Roman Empire featured units: Peasant Archers, Armoured Spearmen
Done 1.4 Denmark featured units: Norse Archers, Dismounted Huscarls
Done 1.5 Scotland featured units: Highland Nobles, Noble Highland Archers

Part II Iberian Peninsula

Nothing Iberian Peninsula Banner theme: Javelin throwing Almughavars and Jinetes
Done 2.0 Introduction to the Iberian Peninsula
Started 2.1 Spain featured units: Almughavars, Jinetes
Done 2.2 Portugal featured units: Almughavars, Jinetes
Started 2.3 Moors featured units: desert cavalry, desert archers

Part III Italian Peninsula

Nothing Italian Peninsula Banner theme: Crossbow Militia and Italian Spear Militia
Done 3.0 Introduction to the Italian Peninsula
Started 3.1 Milan featured units: Genoese Crossbow Militia, Carrocio Standard
Started 3.2 Venice featured units: Pavise Crossbow Militia, Italian Spear Militia
Started 3.3 Sicily featured units: Muslim Archer, Galley

Part IV Eastern Europe

Nothing Eastern Europe Banner theme: Cavalry
Done 4.0 Introduction to Eastern Europe
Done 4.1 Russia featured units: Boyar Sons, Kazaks
Done 4.2 Poland featured units: Dismounted Polish Nobles, Lithuanian Archers
Done 4.3 Hungary featured units: Croat Axemen, Pavise Crossbow Militia

Part V Eastern Mediterranean

Nothing Eastern Mediterranean Banner theme: Mamluk Archers, Byzantine Infantry
Done 5.0 Introduction to the Eastern Mediterranean
Started 5.1 Byzantine Empire featured units: Vardariotai, Byzantine Infantry
Done 5.2 Turks featured units: Saracen Militia, Sipahis
Done 5.3 Egypt featured units: Saracen Militia, Mamluk Archers