Thnx for replying to for the Medieval 2 Guides

[Kidflash555]

Thanx for all the guides i have really learned a lot yet i still have two questions. When you siege a settlement do you attack it or do you wait for the turns to run out and let them attack you. And do any of you know of any stainless steel faction guides. Thnx in advance!

[Furiøùs]

I usually siege it with 3 ladders or 2 siege towers and 1 ram.

I don't let the turns run out because my general's supplies won't last that long. I may wait 2-3 turns until supplies are 50% but that depends.

[KittySN]

I assault as soon as possible, usually with ladders and maybe a ram. Siege towers in my opinion are worthless.

I'm doing a guide on the Teutonic Order. It's about 2/3 done. Link in my signature if curious.

[Furiøùs]

Why do you think Siege Towers are worthless?

I agree they are late in the game vs Ballista towers.. but early on I think they're pretty sweet.

[Furiøùs]

Kitty, I clicked your SPQR7.0 guide and now I have this friggin itch to re-install R:TW and put SPQR in and go to town.

Damnit.

[KittySN]

Why do you think Siege Towers are worthless?

Because they're "expensive" to build, slow, destroyable and by the time they're in position performing their function, the battles I'm concerned about are nearly over. At least they're somewhat fun to use. I liked them more in RTW; they were artillery pieces.

Ladders are "cheap" to build, fast, quickly distribute a unit on the walls, are indestructible (except when used) and you you can deploy them all around a settlement to capture areas before the enemy can get there. In a siege, my priority is negating the enemy's positional bonuses as quickly as possible. You don't benefit from prolonged warfare. Find the weakness, exploit it and crush your enemy before a battle can be balanced.

Kitty, I clicked your SPQR7.0 guide and now I have this friggin itch to re-install R:TW and put SPQR in and go to town.

Damnit.

SPQR is pretty awesome; nostalgic! I'm kind of getting in the mood for it again too.

Please CA, RTW2! I don't care about contemporary warfare!

[sbroadbent]

Thanx for all the guides i have really learned a lot yet i still have two questions. When you siege a settlement do you attack it or do you wait for the turns to run out and let them attack you. And do any of you know of any stainless steel faction guides. Thnx in advance!

The only reason to starve them out is if you don't think you could survive an assault and you instead want to force a field battle.

My preference is some highly skilled spies sent in before hand, and then march the army inside the walls when the spies open the gates

Spies FTW!

[Furiøùs]

I'm satisfying my Roman urge with a Byzantine Early Era campaign.

[KittySN]

I'm satisfying my Roman urge with a Byzantine Early Era campaign.

I opted to just play it. Already installed and ready to go.

Gallic bloodbath anyone? For nostalgia.

[Furiøùs]

Ahhhh.

I miss that "Heroic Victory!" with the white box.

I also don't know how you win like that, you really are one of the best "Armchair" generals I've ever seen on this forum. It's insane when every battle you fight is always Heroic Victory.

I could use some advice. Haha.

[Sokar Rostau]

Aside from Towers being slow and easily destroyed (WTF is with CA? Why bother having a readout of the damage siege equipment takes when it rarely works and usually goes straight from 0% to destroyed after taking 50 flaming arrows? The first 49 arrows did nothing and the 50th did 100% damage? Gaaahhhh... ), they do have a major advantage over Ladders - Morale. A unit that uses Ladders reaches the top three at a time and incurs a huge morale hit (you'd be pissing in your codpiece too if you were one of three people on top of a wall surrounded by 60+ angry bad guys) while those in a Tower reach the parapet en masse. I have had DFKs flee from, and be destroyed by, Peasants while using Ladders (yes, I know Peasants have a faster attack).

Something I've never seen mentioned, but assume most people know, is that Rams can batter down wooden walls as well as gates.

I rarely assault Rebel Bruges. They always have one of the biggest and most advanced garrisons on the map so I just lay siege for the duration, unless someone like Scotland has already weakened them before I can get there. Early or Late, they always outclass you at the beginning of the game. I do the same thing to enemy settlements sometimes, it all depends on the make-up of my army and theirs.

[scarybandit]

I use rams at the start and trebuchets as soon as possible after that.

Early/No trebuchets:
Make a couple of rams and ladders but do *not* use the ladders until you have breached the gate and entered the city/castle. Wait until the enemy have left the walls and then send your own archers up the walls on ladders for elevated firing positions.

Later/With trebuchets:
Make two holes in the walls with your trebuchets - your siege cannot enter or exit the city/castle through the gates even if they are open due to their height. Now you have two entrances and can split their defenders. This tactic will often drive them off the walls which is good (see below).

Note: regarding siege battles: Cavalry are superfluous to a siege battle for various reasons.
Use a few good spearmen to enter the breach (force moving is good), and then superimpose swordsmen (men at arms, DFK, w/e) into their ranks. This way you double the number of infantry in the same space.

Use your high damage shock infantry (anything that uses a two handed weapon) like you would your heavy cavalry in a field battle, attacking the flanks and rear, preferably avoiding the enemy's full focus. They are your killers.

Last point: Try to avoid fighting on the walls at all costs. The defender gets a massive morale bonus when fighting on the walls apparently and you will lose many expensive troops trying to dislodge spear militia. The enemy will leave the walls when you start advancing into the city, so let them come down and see you.