Sieges.

[Hakomar]

I havn't played M2:TW for a long time, and I decided to download it again. I picked England (I know it is easy), and auto-resolved all my sieges, because I remembered what it was like to do then. After auto-resolving edinburgh, the scoits were defeated, and I sieged inverness, and went into the battle-field, because it looked easy. I had spear militia, which may make up for it, but I could only get my ladders on. After getting my units shot to 50% men on each unit, they were killed 1 by 1 as they got on the wall, meaning all were killed. My towers were burned down, as my ram, also destroying abit of my men, and I was forced to retreatm, get bad traits and a curshing defeat. How do I deal with it, because eveyrthing but ladders get burnt down, and ladders suck to be honest.

[Morkonan]

1) Bring spares? Use more than one tower, one ladder team, one ram. (Well, you have to put the other ram on standby or drop it, but, have one with you in case.) After all, waiting a turn to enter the battle isn't that long in case you need the time to construct them. And, if you don't have enough of them then the battle is wasted anyway, right?

2) I use "bait" units. I'll first advance a unit, typically archers in open formation, to the area to soak up enemy fire. (Often, I'll use two.) That is especially true if there are archers on the walls which is typical. This seems to extend the life of siege equipment - They don't catch fire as rapidly because, perhaps, archers and wall defenses aren't firing as many flaming arrows at them?

3) Do anything you can do to rush completion of catapults/ballistae. With them, you don't need siege equipment. Two catapults/ballistae will eventually take out a gate. (Maybe three ballistae?) And, the more they fire, the more experience they get! Eventually, they'll score direct hits more often and get the gate down quicker.

[Thalassocrat]

6 spies whether or not you auto resolve

[MooseUpNorth]

I dislike using/opening the gates unless the gate is undefended. Between the constriction, the single point of entry, and the arrows, forcing your way in is very hard on your own troops. Although a gate assault with cheap-but-sturdy troops is a useful way to draw defenders.

Instead, I bring artillery and open the walls in multiple places. If I bring trebuchets, I'll open the walls in four or five places, in such a way that I trap (and kill) any defenders still on the walls when I open up. If the enemy is still attempting to defend the walls, I'll take out the towers as well. If you position your catapults right, and use flaming shot, any misses will tend to land on (or near) that magical spot behind the gates where defenders tend to gather before the retreat to the square.

My entry depends on whether or not the enemy is attempting to defend the breaches or has retreated to the town square. If the retreat has happened, I march in like I own the place (and I will.) If the gates are still defended, I will send a sturdy unit (a DFK or two) to keep the enemy busy at the gates while some of my elite troops (venetian infantry, typically) flank the gate defenders. Once the flankers engage, I'll pull the (now tired) DFKs back outside of the gate to let the defenders turn around. Then I'll send in a fresh DFK through the gate. You want to be careful not to rout the enemy at this point. You want them standing at the gates.

While this is happening, my knights are pouring through the gaps to rush the town square from the city's flanks. I'll have italian spears, DFKs and VIs also marching on the square from the flanks. If there is a path through the streets, I'll send DFKs to cut off the gate defenders from any retreat. When my DFKs are in position, I'll send one unit into the back of the gate defenders to cause a chain rout (and mass captures). This goes a long way towards preserving my own forces.

By this time, my unengaged troops are arriving at the town square. If I've timed everything right, there will be only one unit on defense within the square. Half of my troops within the square position themselves to prevent any enemy units from entering the square, the others are positioned to be able to flank the defending unit in case it decides to lash out. Otherwise, I position my troops to set off the mission timer. Three minutes later, the battle is over.