SGFNP -->Strategos & Magistratus. May 15, 2009

[Kjertesvein]

Devious Strategies for experienced players



TABLE OF CONTENTS
Part 7. SGFNP--->Devious Strategies for experienced players, jet another chapter.

7.1... Strategos-section to cover battle tactics
7.1.1... The Bouncer
7.1.2... Quick siege
7.1.3... Mongol siege
7.1.4... Low projectile-formation
7.1.5... Fishing (for cavalry)
7.1.6... Focus
7.1.7... Treb-wall
7.1.8... Delusion
7.1.9... Hell-fire
7.2.1... Advance Focus
7.4... Strategos tips
7.5... Magistratus-section to cover Campaign tactics (late era)
7.5.1... Central Intelligence Agency
7.5.2... How to use Papal state
7.5.3... Advantages of Vassals
7.5.4... Raiding in DLV
7.5.5... CAI, aka. Campaign A.I
7.7... Magistraus tips


Changelog:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

May 15. 2009
Ivanhoex: Mongol siege info
Ivanhoex: Advance Focus
eggthief: changed the Low projectile image
-ArmoredSergeant: How to not be a bad looser

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Part 7.1... Strategos

7.11... The Bouncer:

Spears hold the intruder, while ballista beats them up.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

• Spearmen will greet lock enemy units from both sides. Stakes will stop any cavalry units and the ballista will rout the enemy army.
• Minimum req:
  
  • Peasant Stakes at the gate/road to the Town Center.
    
    • These cheap Units are available in every Castle.
    • You can also send out this unit to intercept, and imobilice their tower and/or ladder.
    
    
  • 2 Heavy Spearmen on either side of the Gates, Templar Sergeants are an ideal choice, as these are fairly common, but any grim looking Spears will do. Except for Britney.
    
    • Make sure you use your deadliest general-killers on your right side of the gate. To quickly welcome the General.
    
    
  • Artillery is going to do the real damage. 1 Ballista or Catapult.
    
    • Ballista is extremely accurate & also available early on.
    • Catapults can rout many units alot quicker at the same time, but you can also hit your own units, leading to some akward questions for your General after the battle .
    • Flaming arrows may also give a hand at the routing.
    
    
  • Any A.I units comming from a ladders will move towads your spearmen. Repell this with your artillery, while running [/s] behind [s]them with peasents(or other units you may have in surplus. Catapults can also shoot over wooden walls and destroy their towers.
  
  
• The higher the Enemy's morale, the longer they stand. Catching the General with a Spike or two helps here. Don't move your Spearmen. Their objective is to hold back the Intruders. Enable Guard Mode. If you have Reserves, you can substitute the defensive Stoppers before they get weary over shedding too much blood.
• Use your Artillery to sally out the round before. Take out anydangerous infantry: D-Fuedal-K, D-Frankish-K, D-Imperial-K. etc.
• I assure you that no army will get into this club.

7.12... Quick siege:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

• Sometimes you may send a small army to attack a lightly defended City and often the Enemy will sally forth. When and if they do that, split your army up and press them in the middle. This is a pretty straightforward and simple strategy that can help you to ensure victory during small skirmishes.
• I am sure you have used this before: just send in all you spearmen, infantry, cavalry, X-bowmen, even peasants. You might want to keep your archers with flaming arrows out of the frontline, so that they can aid you against the A.I moral.
• Watchs out for high level spearmen. They are quite stubborn, and leave a nasty sting at your horses ass.
• For unknown reasons, you will sometimes starts miles away from the gate. This means you got use your brain.

7.13... Mongol siege:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

• Minimum req:
  
  • 1-2 Horses. The faster, the better. Horse-archers, anyone?
  • Enemy force: consisting only of infantry. Otherwise you need to kill their cavalry first.
  
  
• The [larger] A.I army will sally forth and charge your horse men, leaving their city-gate open.
• Lure them to the edge of the map with one Unit, as far away from the gate as possible.
• The whole enemy army will try to follow you.
• Now charge their Town-center with the other Horseunit, and stay there for 3 minutes to end battle.
• The A.I. will turn around and head to city-square with all units.
• If the enemy is too close for you to hold it the 3 minutes, you can charge some of their troops with the former bait-horses.
• Rinse and repeat if necessary.
• This tactic does not work with DLV 6.2, because the town-center count-down is disabled.

• You should take 2 units of horses, siege a city or castle and then try to take it ingame when they sally out.

• It is possible, but not easy. You need to draw their army into a corner of the map. However, most of the time their troops are stretched, making it hard to hold for 3 minutes before they are back home. So you'd probably need to tire them out a little before chasing the centersquare. But really, try it ingame first.

• you should also note, that the mongol siege doesnt work against fortresses/citadels, because you need something to open up the inner gates, and horses cant climb nor break walls/doors

7.14... Low projectile-formation:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

• This formation is especially designed for Ballista’s, Muskets, Crossbowmen, Bombards and other projectiles who will blow your own unit's legs of.
• Instead of drawing a straight line of heavy infantry, curve it in a Delta or upside U around the general. Put your low projectiles on your flanks (with space behind the Delta).
• Enemy infantry will only charge your infantry and leave any ranged infantry alone, with their sides directly exposed to the players flaming Ballista. The Enemy will soon rout due to heavy losses and fear.
• If facing enemy A.I cavalry
  
  • Normally, your ranged infantry can quickly run behind your curve.
  • If theese range(artillery) units are to far away from the curve, then press the rout button. This will occupy the A.I cavalry long enuff for your own troops to take advantage of the situation. Their A.I cavalry will most likely turn back, when they reach a sertin length from the main battle.
    
    • So keep an close eye on the A.I Cavalry.
    
    
  
  
• The new image shows how close you need to place your range units. Look at the green/red cursor before you start the game.

7.15... Fishing (for horses) :

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

• The objective of this strategy is to funnel the enemy into the "V" formation. Use a "Bait" to lure the enemies into the trap. This tactic is especially effective against cavalry armies and it's preferred if you can hide your cavalry in the woods.
• 1 Unit of Peasants infantry with 2 Lines in loose formation might do the trick called occupying the enemy, while you do your thing.
  
  • If you face heavy cavalry, then you must retreat your peasents the last secound, just like the [Skirimish]-button for archers.
  • Light cavalry don't give the same punch and it's useless to run anyway.
  
  
• It might be best to use Agincourt-formation, since the A.I focuses more on infantry then archers (ranged-infantry).

7.16... Focus:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

• When I'm forced into a melee with a larger army, i will isolate one part of the enemy army and destroy it bit by bit while using my second string troops as a screen. Here is a visualization, blue is the friendly army, red is the enemy.
• Use your best infantry and any cavalry to engage the infantry on the flank. Everything else you have to use as a delaying force. And i mean everything: Archers, Crossbowmen, Religious Fanatics, Artillery Crews, or anything else with a pulse. They're job is to delay the rest of the enemy army long enough for you to rout the flank. As soon as that happens move down the line and do the same thing. Every unit you rout will free up more and more of your own troops to reinforce your delaying troops. You need to be quick though because if you don't rout that first unit quickly all is lost.
• * This tactic workes best with Shield wall-ability(see 7.2... Strategos tips), because you don't need to worry about A.I cavalry hitting your flank.
• The main point is to keep your eye on the weakest A.I flank(town militia, peasants) and try to spread the enemy thin, so that they will rout faster.

7.17... Treb-wall:

Brown are trebuchets, red is the Enemy.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Here's a trebuchet tactic I've used in multiplayer with pretty good success. If you're planning on engaging in a prolonged artillery-battle then it's always best to split your artillery up to make them more difficult targets.

But, if you suspect that you will be charged, trebuchets deployed close together are useful on multiple levels. Trebuchets are giant contraptions which units can't pass through, they have to go around them. So if you deploy a few of them in close order (regular grouping) they will act as a makeshift mobile wall.

Even if they are destroyed they will still provide both an obstacle and cover from arrow fire. If the enemy tries to attack through your trebuchets, you will be able to hold the position with a minimal amount of forces. Useful if you're outnumbered. Their army will get all bunched up and squeeze through the gaps piecemeal and disorganized. Just picture the gaps between the trebuchets like city gates. If you have more troops available you can easily flank and trap the enemy army. Also, don't forget to fling cow as they charge.
You can get pretty creative with trebuchets and form then into any defensive structure really.

They saved me once in multiplayer when my opponent had several longbowmen left and all i had were several dismounted knights. I knew i'd never be able to catch him and he'd just shoot me to death.

So I ran up to his trebuchets, which were abandoned in a jumbled circle and took cover from his arrows. He couldn't hit me and I just waited until he ran out of arrows and then charged them for the win.

Try to use trebuchets in the middle of your frontline. It will do the same as the picture, but a Treb-wall with flanks will give you the advantages of the Bouncer-tactic.

7.18... Delusion:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

This is a simple tactic against massive armys. It basically is custom ambushing, but i will go deeper into what to focus on. I will use the picture as example:

• This works well vs any large army. You will easly crush 1:2 matches.
• Place your Players army at the back of the map, on left or right side of the map. High ground is always a good defensive move. Make sure you have a forest or high grass next to the red strip.
• Place your attack-infantry(heavy axe-, sword units etc) in the woods so that the enemy under no circumstances crosses your hidden units. Watch out for large cavalry-armys, b/c cavalry live their own life. Exact distance from Players army is not a big issue.

The Battle:

1. Enemy army will slowly march against your Players line. Be prepared to have your archers ready to fire. Focus on the units on your right side.
2. Send out your 2 attack infantry away from the forest, once the enemy army is about "75-100 men"-length away from your Players army.
3. This will present a split in the whole enemy army. The units who are closer to the forest will charge the two attacking infantry. This leave you with a reasonable oppertunity. Nr. 3: -Timing is crucial.
4. Storm the remaining right wing, the wing that is already been trimmed from your archers. The trimmed unit will rout very quickly. This will spread and eat the enemy with fear. One by one. Players army (Nr. 4) doesn't need expensive infantry, just lots of units.
5. The Attacking infantry is a sacrifice well woth the cost.
6. Run down the last peasants dogs.

7.19... Hell-Fire:
[spoiler]

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Yes, all the units are (in a loose and packed line) under that blankets of smoke.

• Place your Gunpowder units in loose formation, make sure you have steep elevation in the rear.
• You can use as many lines you want, as all gunners will fire.
• It's a dangerous tactic, and it can shred and rout an A.I unit in 2 wolleys.
• This is a defensive tactic, as all gunpowder battles. Hell-Fire is also fairly obvious to those who play alot with Gunpowder, but I posted it any way.

Some Tactics might not work Example: the Mongol siege. SGfNP-editors can not be responible for your safety on the field of battle.

7.2.1... Advance Focus:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

This is a defensive strat and work well against larger A.I armys on the field... as long as you got a decent army your self.

• In the first line you put spears. Make sure you have some space in between, to let the enemy slip. This "slip" will be open for charge.
  
  • Put one spearmen on your left flank. More or less seperated.
  
  
• Archers, Ballista must be placed in a curve, so bend it. Make sure they have enuff space to shoot at the left flank and frontline, aswell as defend your right flank.
• Place infantry, cavalry, axe-units, etc. In a diagonal line from the direction of the (left)spearmen, to the (right) range units. This will allow a direct moral damage from many Archer units and 1(left)infantry. The lonely Enemy infantry will quickly rout, and open up for more flanking straight into the heart of the enemy frontline.

• The whole reason with placing all units on (right)side, is to trick the A.I into doing the same. Enemy infantrywill be locked in the frontline. This leaves you the chance to rout their very weak (left)flank.
• Make sure you co-ordinate all your units on the target at the exact time to get the strongest moral punch.
  
  1. First, the left flank; Focus all flame projectile at the lonely (left)enemy infantry. Move in your (left)infantry, after the moral drops 1 level,
  2. Secound, surround the main enemy army; From all availeble units, remember to charge and fire flames at the same time.
  
  
• * This tactic workes best with Shield wall-ability(see 7.2... Strategos tips), because you don't need to worry about A.I cavalry hitting your flank.

1. As AI reaches, you leave them alone, a minimun countercharge and wait. Their archers will close in, but keep afar, so you can pick them out with a crossed cav charge behind their lines. if not, just ignore them for now.
2. Once time goes by, AI units facing your spears will be less spread, more like surrounding your spears. Then you move your infantry.
3. Once they are flanked and their general killed or on the run, massacre starts.

The AI cav will most likely go...

• A: Right to the spears: No problem.
• B: Flank to get the archers: If goes to the archers you will have to intercept with your own cav and send the flank spears to help. (so its allways better to have this side spears be two or even three units, this goes down to how many troops you have).

7.4... Strategos tips:

• Before every offensive battle takes place; Zoom in & check the ground on the (2D) campaign map. Make sure your Commander stand on the high-ground. This will give you the edge in the battle.
• [Ctrl] + double click on a unit = selecting all of the same unittype (only spearmilitia, only DFK etc).
• To quickly create a custom frontline: [Ctrl] + mouse click on the first spearmen -> then some infantry->(...)-> then end with spearman again. The unit you first clicked on will be the one on the flank, then the next building the middle, then end with a flank. Try it.
• Battle-map: Quickest way for your unit retreat from a fight, is to attack another unit. Make sure it is a unit that is not running away, but that can be easily be charged. Once you are free from melee, you can charge go where you want.
• Battle-map: Your heavy knights gets stuck in some annoying mounted sergeants on the battlefield, charge them while you fight in melee. If the other person is the under-dog, then that unit will run, even if it's not routing.
• *Battle-map: Shield wall-ability can be used to split an enemy frontline.
  
  • The best units for that are: Raiders, Huscarls, D-GermanKnight . It's good because it got:
    
    • Armour piercing (like a cavalry-charge).
    • And Shield wall -ability
    
    
  • Put the unit(Raiders) behind your fronline, with the archers, wait. Select Shield wall-ability. Draw a thin formation as you possible can(like a pointed stick) with your Raiders-unit. After you and the enemy frontline clash, charge enemy archers with the pointed stick. Your unit will push like a spear through your and the enemy frontline, followed by demorelising A.I as they would be hit by a cavalry. Useing more units in one "pointed stick" will dobble the effect. This is a raw-tactic, and is not jet fully tested, therefor not in the Tactic section*.
  
  

A.I training:

A.I solider: What if he comes at you with a pointed stick?
DLV BAI: POINTED STICK?!? Eww ew ew. You wanne learn how we defend against pointed sticks do we? Getting all high and mighty ehh?! Fresh fruit not good enuff for you ehh?!

Credit:

-Lord Feloric's Ambassador: Quick siege, Fishing.
-Old_Scratch: Focus, Treb-wall.
-Llamad: Mongol siege info, and overall tips.
-Ivanhoex: Mongol siege info






Part 7.5... Magistratus

This section to cover Campaign tactics (late era)


7.5.1... Central Intelligence Agency:




To cover Agents, some hints, some eastern eggs & how to use them with other systems.

• Total War: Agents. I have found that a pure RPG-ish is not more succesful regarding time and brain effort. No matter, it is great fun when you got all the agents with high level and their HQ Guilds. Historical Byzantium is the best faction to go for non-military. B/c of the share size of the settlements and it's income. But remember that Byzantine does not hold the power of Crusade/Jihad.
• Priests can become a powerful tool: Example: You play as the Turks and you fight a desperate war against Georgia, Byzantine, Jerusalem, Hedjaz and a weak, annoying Armenian faction. You can't take their last settlement, because then you would risk Armenia going Horde and ballistic on your settlements. Instead, you can send in your Imams in their last settlement, to convert the population. Soon, their settlement will be 45% muslim and refusing to join in on a Ortodox army.
• Princesses, Assassins and divine intervention can be used to make war between 2 factions. Example: "I want France to make war with Germany". The first thing you should do is make sure you have a very charming Princess or better, an Assassin. Also make sure to get good relations with the pope. Now, call a crusade against Lithuania (or any target on the other side of Germany). Most Catholic factions will join, including France. They will most likely walk straight .. through German land. Now send out your princess/assassin, and follow the French General. When the french Crusaders reaches the other end of the German border, is the time to strike down with your Princesses Charm/Assassin. Result: the french army will stop the crusade, and most likely damage relations. If not even start a war between the two. I hope you get the logic. This works with any other big catholic factions, too.
• Weapons of massdestruction:

  - They (Spys) can be used as a weapon, yes they can…. For example: You have a city with the plague in it, here I’m not talking about the big one but from time to time there will be little plagues in your cities, the thing is to bring your Spy in it be sure that he catches the plague and then bring him in your enemies settlements. By doing this you will infect them.

  This can cause serious damage if done with the right amout of spys and planing.
• Defense against ambushers:

  - They (Spys) also so have a defensive role in the game. Having one in your moving army can help you see ambushers so you won’t get caught in one.

  This is very useful in the early era, when you have thick forests combined with large rebel stacks.
• Remember that Spys can cause small uprising in foreign settlements. Try to combine this with priests of opposite religion.
• Thief & Assassin-training: Easiest way to train is to infiltrate/kill low level, friendly merchants.
• Merchant training: Train them and get the trait Market controller in you own land, where it's free upkeep, then send them out in pair, to monopolize rich resources. It can give you 10 000 florins a turn. For more basic Merchant info, check the SGfNP-->Merchants and resources.
• Diplomat training: It seems that it takes 25 turns until the A.I gets cranky. Therefor, send out your diplomats as fast as possible. Also, end your turn in a faction that you have not talk to before to aquire mission, and then recive Governor points. This can be really hard for undeveloped factions like Norway, who don't start out with a Diplomat.
• Background check: Whenever you face a Faction Leader, with low authority, then don't kill him without taking a closer look. Send in your spy and check his Retinue and Traits. Look for bad traits like: Inspier to civil war, low moral, bad management traits, etc. Then weigh the ups and dows. Take him out, or let him run home with his tail between his legs.

7.5.2... How to use Papal state




How to use the Papal state to your advantage:

• Allways have an ass-kisser Diplomat in Roma. Keep on giving the Pope your surplus. This will, in the end, ensure a solid relationship (and a puppet-state.) Pope will aid you with ca$h-gifts, religious favour, cardinal favour, protection from other Catholic rulers, etc. All in all, your best investment.
• The papal states act as a UN-peace keeping force. Give the pope settlements between 2 nations, and they will have no way be able to fight their wars, without pissing off the pope. Example: You play as Milan, and you don't want France to move into Iberia. Send out a raiding party, and capture the settlements between the two. Kingdom of Navarre and Aragon. Occupy the Citys and don't destroy the buildings. Give these settlements to the Pope. France and Span will in no shape or form be able to attack each other. Hopefully.
• How to get other factions in trouble with Pope

  First you need an alliance with the pope (works too without being allied with him only slower). All you need to do then is move multiple 1 unit armies into the territory of the enemy nation the pope favours too much. They will be attacked multiple times within one turn, you choose to withdraw as much as possible. Every time the enemy nation attacks your armies their relations with the pope will go down. Three turns should be enough to get any faction down to 1 cross favour if not excommunication. If you gave a border province to the pope and the enemy armies chase you into papal territory his holyness will not be amused either.

• If you play an Italien faction, and you worry that the old man will go ballistic during the dark ages:

  During the Dark ages; you are doomed to wage war on the Papal state and surly get excommunicated. So, before the Dark ages begins: Take Tunis, south west of Italy, and give it to the pope. Send in your bravest Brutes to exterminate the Italian Papal state. You will surely get exommunicated, but not during the Dark ages. Remember to save up alot of cash. Then give him all you money and beg the new (African) Pope for forgiveness

  If you ever get tired of the old man running the show in central-europe... Then don't hesitate to station him on Greenland, Mekka, Florida or Riga.

7.5.3... Advantages of Vassals

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Short version of Rebel6666s Info on Vassals, profit, etc.

• How to aquire Vassals :
  
  • Make sure the victim (faction soon to become Vassal) only has 1 settlement left.
  • The victim needs to be economically weak, as well as military weak. So block their port, take out their last patrolling military, (If it's another religion, send in priests). Don't release this pressure until they are under your wing.
  • Send in your diplomat, and ask them over and over to become your vassal. Keep doing this as you continually block them. This might take 5-10 turns, but be patient, the reward is worth it.
  • Reputation and relation are the vital factors to a quick succesful agreement.
  • Now, as they are your vassal, you want it stays that way:
    
    • Station strong elite units in the forts, to scare them off and keep them under supervision. Remember that you got military access, so free upkeep. Dont let WW2 happend again.
    • You might even give them lands far away. If you recently have captured a Crusade-/Jihad target far away, and you don't need it, just give it to your vassal. They will surely loose it, but it keeps them happy.
    • If you have an opposite religious force as Vassal, send in your priests to block of their recruitement ability. This will stop them from expanding, military wise, after 40% conversion.
    
    
  
  
• A.I Economy is not regulated: Play as England. Storm the Scottish lands and surrond their capital. Force Vassal on them. A.I Economy is not regulated, the way the Players economy is. Result is 25 000 fl. profit from Edinburgh a turn.
• Think about what you can get from Milan, Venice or Rome... combined. For this I would use an opposite a religious faction, to control their recruting ability.

7.5.4... Raiding in DLV

• "Here are some raiding tips I have learned through the years":

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Starting a career as Raider is not a quick; sail-land-away.


"Experience and Planning is everything" :

• Send out a smuggler boat around the coast within a reasonable range to scout ahead. Look for large citys w/low garrison (2->3 militias). Make sure your targets go at ease with the will of the holy father. Dumfries, Aberdeen, Southhampton, Luebeck are all easy targets.
• Make sure you leave some of your sea trading partners alone, to support your investment. Have a couple of 1000's of fl. on book, before you head out on the open sea.
• Create an elite task-force of spys: Trained in the art of... door-opener.

Recruitment- There are two kinds of raiders. Those who travel light with heavy horses. Then there are the Vikings:

• 1 big fleet(1 Dragon boat) to protect the crew.
• 1 High dread general is a requirement. Or as Aneximanes said, " ...command of a brute. Great fun".
• Raiders, Theigns are all-time favorites. Just make it simple and easy to retrain in captured castles.
• Flooding the enemy with cavalry is quite easy. Getting tired of it, is rather easy too.
• Many spys will give you fast travel. Make sure you have enuff.
• Spys are no insurance for several raids. Artillery is a good 2nd option. Because they (almost) never get hurt.
• Demanding bounty for your work is also needed. Make sure you have atleast 1 diplomat for each client/Island. As always, the insurance company aka. the Papal State demands his taxes too for attacking fellow christians.
• 2-3 boats to scout and to ship resources; new crew, spys, diplomats etc from your safe haven.

Fate of the people- Nagasaki? or continue your raid-career? ...it's up to you.

• Sack the city, leave the buildings
  
  • ...If you like to visit them later.
  
  
• Occupy the city, leave the buildings
  
  • ...If you like to give it to an ally (and recive military access).
  
  
• Exterminate the city, destroy the buildings
  
  • ...If you like to leave a clear and final message to the owner.
  • ...If you like to end your raid-career, b/c of no future jobs.
  
  
• Occupy the city, destroy the buildings
  
  • ...If you like it to make it go rebel and a burden for the new owner.
  
  

Raiding tips: Givng a settlement to a rich faction will make it grow faster, and let you raid it faster again.






"In the end, when you experience it all, you don't need to run home to your momy at all".

7.5.5... CAI, aka. Campaign A.I


The brain of the DLV engine. CAI section is for you to know when the campaign attacks

• Signs-of-the future:
  
  1. A.I-agents(diplomats & spys) station them self in your border settlements, bribing you.
  2. A.I-stacks appear on the other side of the border. This normally happends around turn 30-40.
  
  
• Passive defense: After the signal, Recruite alot of units in the region to scare of the enemy.
• Agressive defense: Send alot of units to the A.I settlement, after the-signal and/or after huge amount of A.I stacks invade you. This will cause the A.I to retreat their "invasion"-forces, back to defend their orginal border.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

2nd sign. A.I-stacks appear on the other side of the border.

7.7... Magistratus tips

• Buildings never show the exact number under the pictures. Precise health, economy, adm, growth -number should be checked in the Settlement Details.
• I recomend you to read the Great information thread by Rebel6666. It gives you the basics of M2TW aswell as tips on Repuation.
• I also recomend you to read A Guide for Guilds, by Dark Knight. It's the Guild-bible of M2TW and it shows you how to aquire guilds.
• A collection of DLV strategies and hints, from Strategos Furin.
• Faction Overviews/Difficulty Levels, from SGFNP.
• Merchants and resources, from SGFNP
• How to not be a bad looser:
  Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

  I played a whole game in the 'non-loader' style. It was in Rome: Total War and it was the most enjoyable campaign I had ever played. The reason I did not bother reloading after losing any battle, large or small, was because I was a tyrant. If my soldiers failed to win a battle that I was counting on them for, then they DESERVED to die. In fact, if I could see that they were failing I would retreat my general and archers but charge all infantry and cavalry.
  
  And when you know you are going to lose the battle, your goal is to make the enemy's victory very costly. When I looked at it in this perspective, losing a battle began to seem more and more acceptable.
  
  Stop being such a perfectionist! You should build an army with a general and throw him on a suicide run and deliberately save the game after you've lost.
  
  Don't be weak! Your soldiers have nothing better to do than to die for you. They are small, they are beneath you, and you are the boss of them.
  
  If you are afraid that you will lose ground because of defeat at a large battle, don't worry. After all, you were expecting this and have been assembling another army to destroy what was left of the enemy.
  
  Edit:
  By the way, I have OCD but was able to 'non-load' because deliberately saving after a defeat became a ritual and a reflex. I can't begin to tell you how much more fun Total War battles are when tons of your men die and you can't do anything else but mock their deaths. Once, I had to pause out of battle because it was TOO much fun and I couldn't handle it!

Credit
-Furin: ...make other factions in trouble with pope.
-Rebel6666: "Defence against ambushers", "Weapons of massdestruction" & "Vassal info".
-ArmoredSergeant: How to not be a bad looser


++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Like all other chapters, this is a puppet, and it's allways hungry for more info & feedback.

[Omar Nelson B.]

Fantastic work.

[Lord Feloric's Ambassador]

Excellent, my Lord is glad you found his tactics to be useful.

[baligant]

Excellent work!

[ivanhoex]

you should also note, that the mongol siege doesnt work against fortresses/citadels, because you need something to open up the inner gates, and horses cant climb nor break walls/doors


and even if you have a melee unit, it wont be allowed to climb the stairs and just walk to the inner side of the wall, (it was possible some time ago, but now i think it has been fixed) so you actually need to enter the city with stairs/ram to break a citadel, even if all defenders are on the other side of the map chasing horses




another strat:






this is a defensive strat.

in the first line you put spears, the second have any heavys.

the AI cav will most likely go A: right to the spears or B: flank to get the archers.
if choses spears, no problem.
if goes to the archers you will have to intercept with your own cav and send the flank spears to help. (so its allways better to have this side spears be two or even three units, this goes down to how many troops you have)


as AI reaches, you leave them alone, a minimun countercharge and wait. their archers will close in, but keep afar, so you can pick them out with a crossed cav charge behind their lines. if not, just ignore them for now.


once time goes by, AI units facing your spears will be less spread, more like surrounding your spears. then you move your heavys.
make them in line formation to go through their line and then go after them, by their side or back, both if you can afford it.
(you will normally be chasing his general away or hunting archers with your cav by this time)

all the time, your archers are cross firing. this is the most excellent way to avoid any friendlyfire on the field, since your archers are still behind your own lines, thus are not in constant danger of becoming targets for AI´s cav or melees (we want melees focused on the front spear line!)


once they are flanked and their general killed or on the run, massacre starts.





my drawing is awful, i know. please make it better if you use this ! =)

[Xtiaan72]

Sweet work Willie!!! You combined so many posts together from the whole community, awesome!

Very nice that Furin is gone but not forgotten!

Nice amendment Ivanhoax!

[Kjertesvein]

Fantastic work.

Excellent, my Lord is glad you found his tactics to be useful.

Excellent work!

Sweet work Willie!!! You combined so many posts together from the whole community, awesome!

Very nice that Furin is gone but not forgotten!

Nice amendment Ivanhoax!

Thanks X 4

you should also note, that the mongol siege doesnt work against fortresses/citadels, because you need something to open up the inner gates, and horses cant climb nor break walls/doors

Good info. I [quote] that.

another strat:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

this is a defensive strat.

in the first line you put spears, the second have any heavys.

the AI cav will most likely go A: right to the spears or B: flank to get the archers.
if choses spears, no problem.
if goes to the archers you will have to intercept with your own cav and send the flank spears to help. (so its allways better to have this side spears be two or even three units, this goes down to how many troops you have)


as AI reaches, you leave them alone, a minimun countercharge and wait. their archers will close in, but keep afar, so you can pick them out with a crossed cav charge behind their lines. if not, just ignore them for now.


once time goes by, AI units facing your spears will be less spread, more like surrounding your spears. then you move your heavys.
make them in line formation to go through their line and then go after them, by their side or back, both if you can afford it.
(you will normally be chasing his general away or hunting archers with your cav by this time)

all the time, your archers are cross firing. this is the most excellent way to avoid any friendlyfire on the field, since your archers are still behind your own lines, thus are not in constant danger of becoming targets for AI´s cav or melees (we want melees focused on the front spear line!)


once they are flanked and their general killed or on the run, massacre starts.


my drawing is awful, i know. please make it better if you use this ! =)

I like the tactic, but I will give it a go and test it for more info; I guess those frontl line spears would work better in Schiltrom formation. Since they are static and going to be flanked. Those archers could also be replaced by devestating ballista's
And yes, your drawing was "outrageous" and only one of them are working.

[Agis Tournas]

A big BRAVO to Blackleaf-Wille.
A post that every player MUST read...
Should be included in the Guide and [maybe] in the new DLV.6.2.pdf

Cheers
Agis

[Silent Assassin]

Good work but it's not only the OP that merits the credit, the one's that has contributed to it also...


Great Work to all who have contributed

[Slon80]

"The Bouncer" works great also in bridge battles. It saved my ass in this one for sure, but with no balistas I had to use horses instead.

[eggthief]

I can't pull off the Low projectile formation. Other than that, I knew most already and I can recommend them as well.

[Swiss Halberdier]

Absolutely fantastic and awesome work again!

A big BRAVO to Blackleaf-Wille.
A post that every player MUST read...
Should be included in the Guide and [maybe] in the new DLV.6.2.pdf
Cheers
Agis

I agree

[Kjertesvein]

A big BRAVO to Blackleaf-Wille.
A post that every player MUST read...
Should be included in the Guide and [maybe] in the new DLV.6.2.pdf

Cheers
Agis

"The Bouncer" works great also in bridge battles. It saved my ass in this one for sure, but with no balistas I had to use horses instead.

Absolutely fantastic and awesome work again!

Good work but it's not only the OP that merits the credit, the one's that has contributed to it also...


Great Work to all who have contributed

Thanks X 4

I can't pull off the Low projectile formation. Other than that, I knew most already and I can recommend them as well.

To bad, you get alot of the frontline when useing ballista. Just let me know where it fails, and I will correct.


@ Ivanhoex
I post your tactic soon

[NLegari]

Great work!

[Kjertesvein]

Updated, May 15, 2009:
7.1.3... Mongol siege
7.1.4... Low projectile-formation
7.2.1... Advance Focus
7.5.1... Central Intelligence Agency
7.7... Magistraus tips