Struggling with the TO

[Joul Ironhand]

Morning all.

I tried playing the Teutonic Order again last night. No wonder its set to "very hard"! Kept getting overwhelmed by the Lithuanians, even though they offered peace for 7000 gold (twice!).

Does anyone have any tips or pointers to help use this faction more effectively? My current plan to try tonight is making more use of the light cavalry that the TO has, to counter the archers that Lithuania use.

Plus exterminating populations to get rid of heathens...

My current plan started to work, using spies to open the gates of places, blitzing the Lithuanians (instead of waiting around for them to starve out). Never had to do that before in a game of total war so it shows how awesome the mod is!

Help is very much appreciated

[Soul Firez]

Hmm well its a little cheaty but i usually let the mongols start kicking hell out of russia and while there busy i move troops up and around and take novgorod a major city of great value sacking that place will net you between 20 and 35 thousand florins and with the money behind you and teutonics supperior troops the rest is a new history

[Joul Ironhand]

I might resort to such tactics if i struggle with my cavalry/spy idea tonight

[Dave Scarface]

Hi Joul Ironhand, and welcome to the forum!

Kingdoms Grand Campaign Mod is a tough mod for most new comers and the TO campaign (despite their badass units) is one of the hardest factions to win as. If you want some help then look no further than Rufats Strategy Guide LINK Although its not up to date with version 4.2 of KGCM, there is still a lot of good tips in their which will help you in your struggle. Good luck!

[Joul Ironhand]

Thats a darn useful guide! I may print this out and use it tonight!

I think my problem was focusing directly on farms from the word go, rather than building military buildings and upgrading troops etc and charging at Lithuania

Help very much appreciated. I'm determined to play as the TO!

[Soul Firez]

Trust me its very doable if you can get pastthe 50 to 80 turn struggle at the start its plainsailing and domination after that if you do it right otherwise it will be a constant battle for survival but hey either way is fun always good for a challenge and you have bitten a big one there ..

Oh may i suggest an england campaign after you finish the teutonics i know england normally easy but i think you will find it a very hard campaign now a little sleeper camapign that will bite and bite HARD

[y2day]

In the last few days SoulFirez your the second to recommend an English campaign. I may have to start one up myself. Although I always enjoyed a TO campaign, but I think I will stick with Wales for now. Haven't had time to play this week, but look forward to the weekend when I will lay waste to the big island.

[Soul Firez]

i know wales is a small starting faction and england a large one but trust me you will find england much harder you have to tip toe gentle with the diplomacy any wrong moves and you will end at war with scotland ireland wales and france and even sometimes norway to boot which will have you fighting and fighting hard for your life but its nice to play some of the small factions and beat up england

[pwf224]

When I play the TO, I try not to build too many units from the start. The upkeep of the TO units is very large in most cases so it will kill your treasury if your economy cannot support it. What I do is send a few units from Marienburg to Konisgberg and build a few sword bretheren in konigsberg. I slowly build up a decent economy, while fending off Lithuania at konigsberg at the same time. a 3/4 stack should hold easily. once I start getting a decent income, I start building another, medium sized army at marienburg. This is my assault force. depending on the situation and placement of armies, I will attack either Danzig, Visby, or Palagna. I then sack the city for the cash. Be careful here though, that step is risky and could get you killed. The new city will start getting you a nice income. hold on and build up slowly, increasing the garrisons here and there and fending off more attacks. When you think you are ready, move to the next target, rinse, repeat. A classic "clear, hold, build" strategy. I find its suicide and not at fun to blitz Lithuania. If you succeed, then the game is easy from there on out. If you fail, then game over. Take your time, wait for the opportunity, sack/raid/ransom your way out of the red. Once you get established, it will be standard stuff again.

[Koljan]

Also another tip is, make use of river crossings.
Holding these with a tight grip will allow you to hold a defensive line further out from your settlements and have a buffer zone at the same time.

[Joul Ironhand]

Had a bit of success last night. Castle taken and Riga about to be sieged (plus random village taken)

Playing it slowly, and its more fun actually! ^^

[Soul Firez]

As they say the greatest rewards are those hard fought for mate keep reporting looks like we have a TO thread now

[Dave Scarface]

Great tips guys!

On another note the fact that no one has yet chosen to play as the TO in hotseat, tells you that the campaign is feared.

[Soul Firez]

Ìt is a mean campaign one that is doable against AI but against human Hmmmm it would be a true master to survive that one

[Spartan262]

I'll have to try a TO Campaign If it's really that hard.

[Dave Scarface]

I'll have to try a TO Campaign If it's really that hard.

Well, I still recommend playing on VH and with the garrison script enabled. Otherwise you will not get the same test!

[Joul Ironhand]

Yeah, i'm playing on Normal/Normal as i've never ever completed a total war game in my life. Its still pretty difficult, but I can report

SUCCESS

Against the Lithuanians. Their capital city fell without bloodshed after a 4 year siege, and it contained the remainder of their royal family.

Time to boat over to Denmark/Norway, then England, then the WORLD!!!!

[Rhythalion]

Yeah, i'm playing on Normal/Normal as i've never ever completed a total war game in my life. Its still pretty difficult, but I can report

SUCCESS

Against the Lithuanians. Their capital city fell without bloodshed after a 4 year siege, and it contained the remainder of their royal family.

Time to boat over to Denmark/Norway, then England, then the WORLD!!!!

Now young one............

do that all over again but try out Soul Firez Hordes and faction resurrection submod .... just make sure one of those family members is outside their last city when you take it.... and be really nasty to all your conquered peoples...

[Lone rider]

I just started playing this mod and I started out with TO in VH/VH. In the start Lithauen is just to big and strong to attack. So I decided to take rebbel provinces in sweden. However having lithauen knocking on my door and denmark attacking my advancement in sweden, made me lose Köningsberg! And all my possesions in Sweden. Made me have one of the core settlement, in this dire situation I thought all or nothing and left one unit in the castle and attack with a half stack Köningsberg. After a hard battle i took the city back in my hands and started sending a diplomat Poland for a Alliance. Even with an alliance it was hard to put of a fight with lithuaen. I mannage to take a city but lost it soon after. After 20 turns of stalemate I mannaged with some degre of luck to send a crusade against Lithuan. With all the nations in europe against Lithuaen, the outcome was obvius. After venice tok the capital city, Lithuaen was accepted into to Catholic faith and the pope got me to end with truce. With 50 turns all I had gained was a castle and a more powerfull neighbor Polen. Polen had taken many of the provinces of Lit. and had becomed 3rd strongest faction in the known world.
My war with Denmark had not ended, but Denmarks potition had been change since the start of my expansion. Poland HRE and Norway was at war against Denmark. They wanted to end our war to have less fronts to worrie about, I got a city in exchange of a truce. Now my faction was atleast at peace, the hard war against Lit. was wonn with some terretorial gain and with the war against Denmark. Now I can consentrate on getting my city thriving with trade and getting trade agrement with my neighbors and countryes from afar. As stability had returned to my lands, the time for expansion had come again. As Poland was to big and strong, having just 3-4 stacks around the border while I had merely one and a half stack it wouldnt do. While Lithuaen wasnt that strong but had a high regard with the pope I wouldnt anger the faith. While I was looking for lands to conquer, England got excommunicated. I turned to the pope for sending a crusade against the faithless.
As the call for a crusade went through Europe, every nations sendt armys towards the Island in the north. While some may have religius means I wanted to expand my empire. As my 2 armies landed, England was at war with Scotland, The Franch, Wale and the Ireland. While weakend of constant war england had a good diciplin and well order in its army. with many troops fighting in the borders it had 3 army in the crusade targeted city, London. While Norway as the first to land weakend them abit but perished after the first battle, and then my troops toke the initativ to attack. After some hard fighting I mannaged to take the city. After some hard fighting London became under my controll, soon after the englands troops back away from London and toke a defensiv stand against this new force in the Island.
While my first steep to get the island under controll had started, the other nations in the island became aware of the new power on the island. Wales, Scotland and ireland was first to send diplomate to create an alliance against the hated england (this also suprised me abit to since ingame AI never had really seem very smart nor capable, they send princes and diplomate to get alliance with me when I got London, I was abit shocked and got alittle exccited since the game seemed to have more flavour then). After I toke the castle above London, england decided to make a peace. I who wanted to secure my locations agreed and England could continue its endless war against its rivals.

I have played Total War since shogun I will say this is one of my toughest campgain to date. In the first 50 turns unable to do much. Divas Guard pawnes cavelry so i needed to got infantery to be able warfare against Lit. What I worrie about now is when gunpowder comes, since the order doesnt have much in this new technology. However I want to se the orders banners in the new world. Can jaguar warrior really stand toe to toe against dism. ritterbrüder? only time can tell :p

[Joul Ironhand]

TO on Normal/Normal is tough enough for me! In my current game i'm currently attacking Ireland. I was nearly tempted to send the TO into the Americas to investigate the Aztecs but I stopped at Ireland. Maybe after i conquer the islands i'll go to Aztec lands!