Basic Battle Tactics
As people keep asking about tactics, this is a copy of my "Tactics" post over at TW ModSquad... I hope this helps!
Unless you are a history buff, most people do not know much of anything about battle tactics of this era. While about anything works as long as you follow the simple rule of cya (cover your a$$), there are a few very basic principles you really need to know. The A.I., if you watch your enemies, only follows them maybe a quarter of the time.
Rule number 1) Anchor your flank! Always do your very best to keep the enemy from having easy access to your flanks. A calvary unit hitting you from the side will roll right over you and break your morale faster than standing under cannon fire! There are actually several ways to do this. The easiest is simply to but one end of your line up against a building, especially if it is a garrisonable building where you can put any cheap firearms unit. Unfortunately, you will not usually find a building in your deployment area. A unit of pikemen will do the trick though as cavalry are very weak against pikes. Do not just put them there, place then butted against your front line and at a 45 degree angle away from the approaching enemy.
\_______ B (B being the building) Thats the best I can do on here as I cannot not draw. LOL Pretend the bottom of the page is the approaching enemy! Cavalry will avoid that side if it is pikemen.
\________/ Notice two units of pikemen do a much better job with one on either side. Now enemy cavalry units must skirt wide to get at your rear which gives you time to wheel any reserve units to cover you.
Rule number 2) Reserves. Unless you have overwhelming odds against an inferior force, keep some reserves! A unit of cavalry is the best and I generally use my general for this. If I have enough troops, I also usually keep a line unit held back to fill any holes.
Before I go any further, there are a couple of things which need pointing out. First and foremost, numbers do not win a battle! I have won many battles at 4,5,6,7 and even once 10:1 odds against me! If you thik it is B.S., pay attention to the rules and learn for yourself! Besides, I know I am not the only one who fights even if I know I am going to lose if for no other reason than to weaken the enemy in preparation of my next army. Resetting the turn through autosave is a child's ploy. Losing is part of life and winning is about overcoming losses. Granted, I have reset the turn more often than you might imagine, but it wasnt to get out of the battle or out of simply losing, but to fight it over and over until I figured out how to win it or at least cause as much damage as was possible. One of the things I do not like about Empires is you cannot rout and chase down your enemy to utterly destroy them. Hence my justification of getting to fight over and over! ~hee hee!~
Enough of the honourable pep talk... The next thing you need to know is each type of unit performs a specific job. In the end, they can all fight hand to hand, but as a last resort. When you recruit units, do not recruit cause they look good or seem cool in some way. I am not saying dont recruit those units, but recruit them in proportion for a winning combination for an army. If you recruit some type of skirmisher and try placing them on the line, you will only end up with a lot of scared running skirmishers. They will not stand up under a volly from line troops, hence the name skirmisher. Skirmishers are meant for hit and run or attacking from the rear. Supposedly, they lack in discipline but make up for it in ferocity. They are your special forces. Line units are meant for the front line. They are trained cannon fodder. Try using them as a skirmisher and they will break as soon as they turn their backs upon the enemy forces. Thier only job is to shoot and be shoot. When one falls, the one behind steps up into his place. They lack in everything but discipline. In reality, their officer is in the back rank and they know if they turn to run they will be shot. The only officers who lead a charge are cavalry. As a side note, infantry troops get shot from front to rear, hence the offier in the back. Cavalry units are very mobile and troops faced with a charge will fire into the mass rather than one individual out front as it is easier and has a better chance of hitting someone, hence the officer out front. I really didnt mean for this to turn into an actual history lesson! LOL But before I get to cannon and cavalry, let me state, there have been exceptions to the rule, but usually an exception is either very lucky or very dead!
Rule number 3) Cannons, come in different sizes with different ranges, shot and purpose. In reality, cannon units only had a couple of extra men whose only jobs were as replacement gunners and to shoot any stray enemy individual heading their way. They cannot protect themselves against even a quarter of a unit. This is one of the jobs of that reserve cavalry unit I mentioned before. Many of you will try and then forego the use of cannons as they are not needed for seige anymore. Personally, I suggest you learn to use them as with the right technology and the knowledge of how to use them effectively, they are devastating. Trying to use a long range motor or bombard in Empires past the open moments of the battle doesnt work well against the A.I. though in long drawn out battles against your friends that do not throw everything at you at once they are very useful. Personally, I prefer short range cannon. A battle of line unit against line unit is at distance, shot for shot. Here is where technology and numbers begin to matter. Better technology not only fires faster, but more accurate. You better know your math. Now, add a single cannon unit with exploding shells positioned behind your line troops and your line can be the worst grade of line troops with the worst weapons against the best line troops with the best weapons and the cannon will change the outcome.
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\________/ Shown are 13 units.
7 Line units bracketed by 2 skirmisher units with one in reserve and followed up with 3 units of cannon. Go up against me with 20 line units and I will slaughter you as long as I have exploding shells. Granted, it will take more than standing still on my part and you are not a tactician expert. If you are a tactician it will be even money.
Rule number 4) Let's add cavalry. Everyone loves a powerful massive charge!!! A battle of cavalry against line units at 2:1 odds and the line units will win hands down if the officer in charge of the infantry knows what he is doing even though he is outnumbers. Once again, do not rely on numbers!!! An optimal force of infantry (line, skirmish, and pike), cannon, and cavalry is the best way you can go. Always walk your cavalry to where they need to charge from except in an emergency unless they are dragoons and you plan on dismounting to fight. Dragoons are great units and very versatile, but do not rely on them against other cavalry unless they are at the very least 3:1 odds in your favor!!! Ranged cavalry are great against infantry as they are so very mobile. Hit the infantry in the back before they can turn and then move again to strike another unit in the rear. Another side note for in game purposes... One of the things I love about playing as Georgia are the cavalry bowmen. Bomen reload and fire faster than musketeers and, even though you have to be closer, they are so much more effective! The most common cavalry are the good old fashioned sword weilding variety. They are great for rolling up the flanks or rear of infantry, but do not charge the front!!! Muskets are very long and fitted with bayonets making them effective spears, a cavalry charge's greatest nightmare! Enough about the units...
c _ c O CCC
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This is more than a cute smilie! LOL 4 Line units, 2 pike units, 2 horse drawn cannon, 1 skirmisher, 3 regular cavalry and the General. If you have been paying attention, I dont have to tell you who is who. This is a battle I fought on open terrain against a full stack of line and cavalry. Georgia against a Russia which had time to develop technology and I was way behind. I routed the entire army with only about 35% losses when they should have finished me easily. The A.I. marched at me in 2 ranks of line units with 7 cavalry units and one general swinging only slightly wide toward my cavalry. They basically all remained abreast though the cavalry was sperated. Once the line troop were at range the firing began. By this time my cannon, using exploding shells I had forced from the Ottomans when I threw them off of the Annotolia, had done maybe 10% damage (this might be a bit high as I really have no way of knowing). The cavalry split into 2 groups with one heading for my cavalry and the other headed toward my flanks. I charged 3 to 3 and let them fight shifting to the pikemen who I order to attack just before the charge it. I used my general to round up the flanks of the cavalry and sent my skirmishers after for good measure. Going back to my cavalry, I pulled one unit and sent it running wide to hit the enemy cavalry in the rear which sent to units running right away. Leaving my cavalry to mop up I went back to the line where I had to pull my skirmishers and use them to hit the flanks of the enemy line units who were pounding the crap out of my line units. Shifting to the right flank I sent my uncommitted defending pikemen into the other flank of the enemy line. Going back to my cavalry who had just sent the last enemy cavalry unit attacking running, I sent one to aid the general and pikemen who were losing and the 2 weakest into the side of the enemy linemen. Thier line gave way and I set everyone to melee and started sttacking unit by unit enmasse and turned the speed to fastest. It only let me massacre about 45 seconds before it ended in a decisive victory. Battle difficulty was in the middle. If I had had it set to hard, the enemy would have been clumped in the middle and it would have been twice as easy. I have actually found the most interesting battle setting is in the middle. During the course of this battle, I knew I was going to lose. There was no doubt in my mind. As in any given battle, luck and timing were on my side this time.
In closing, tactics are even more important than numbers with troop composition coming in at a close second!!! Fight your battles and lose honestly, not because the enemy could deal more damage per second or take more damage per second! To autobattle it is about math only.
EDIT: One last note. The lessons on tactics are from the real world and history. Yes, I know it is overkill against an A.I., but you will win your battles! I wish more than anyhting I could get more than a dialup through a tether to my cell phone so I could battle online...
Last Note: This site is not space bar friendly at the head of a line so understand, cannon and rear guard are centered behind main lines!
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Originally Posted by HawkDreams
