How to beat a stakebox?

[Rainbow Dash]

Ok, this might seem VERY nooby, but how in the world can I defeat an English stakebox (that is, a box of stakes formed around an entire English army)? Some points about it:

• I can't defeat it using a regular army, because cavalry can't do anything against a stake box, and they'll never abandon their stakes. My archers will usually be outclassed, unless I brought like 6 Pavise crossbows, or something.
• I can't defeat it using archer spam (believe me I tried this ), since the infantry can still maul my archers, even if I bring Genoese Crossbowmen (which I did).
• I don't really wanna try to just wait until the person comes out, because its no fun waiting 30 minutes.

So yeah, the only way I can think of beating one right now is to bring Dismounted Conquistadore spam. But even then, I'm not sure if that would work, because I've noticed that in Med II, quantity pwns quality online. I had an unupgraded Dismounted Feudal Knights unit fight it out until it had no men left, not surrounded, so it couldn't rout, and not in a city sqaure, either.

[IZob]

Artillery? Spread out your forces and fire at their crowded position. Because they will be bunched up it'll be easy killing for you. They will have to come out to attack and so they will lose their position.

[Rainbow Dash]

Artillery? Spread out your forces and fire at their crowded position. Because they will be bunched up it'll be easy killing for you. They will have to come out to attack and so they will lose their position.

That's a good suggestion, but artillery is usually banned, and you don't know if the person is going to stakebox until the battle actually starts, same with if someone picks the Greeks in RTW, there's no guarantee they will box.

[Mordrorru]

That's a good suggestion, but artillery is usually banned.

Then you are playing a game that is specifically designed to make you lose.

This leaves you only two options:

Don't play by the rules.
Don't play the game.

[{GrailKnight}]

Then you are playing a game that is specifically designed to make you lose.

This leaves you only two options:

Don't play by the rules.
Don't play the game.

He can play by the rules and still win quite easily, he just needs to get the hang of it, if he doesn't play by the rules he is no better than the opponent who ruins a fun game by stake camping. Noob boxes rarely work, and if they ever do it is against new players, until they get more experience in the game. Noob boxes are one of the easiest strategies to beat in MP.

[Rainbow Dash]

Thanks for your advice, and yeah, Grassy Flats, 10k. I never thought of shifting my guys to one side...and even at 10k, you can get around 8-10 archers and still easily have enough for a good infantry force. (Though, no cav.)

[Grislok]

Momma has a stakebox she wears on her chest...you know...she's playing all night...

[IZob]

baned...pffft. The only reason players ban artiliary is because they cant handel their extreme power and awesomeness!

If they turrtle in the corrner with stakes (or pikes) and have excellent range units and expect you to attack, then I say screw the ban, get artiliary and ... yer well get the picture.

Or go as the clone, be the same faction use the same units (or simular).

[Rainbow Dash]

baned...pffft. The only reason players ban artiliary is because they cant handel their extreme power and awesomeness!

If they turrtle in the corrner with stakes (or pikes) and have excellent range units and expect you to attack, then I say screw the ban, get artiliary and ... yer well get the picture.

Or go as the clone, be the same faction use the same units (or simular).

Yeah, but as I said, I don't know if the guy will use a stakebox until after the battle starts. It might just be a regular old England player who thinks I'm a complete jerk/idiot.

[{GrailKnight}]

baned...pffft. The only reason players ban artiliary is because they cant handel their extreme power and awesomeness!

If they turrtle in the corrner with stakes (or pikes) and have excellent range units and expect you to attack, then I say screw the ban, get artiliary and ... yer well get the picture.

Or go as the clone, be the same faction use the same units (or simular).

Actually the reason artillery is banned in field battles, is because it is usually useless, as a simple rush can wipe out an army with artillery and apart from serpentines not many artillery pieces are very accurate. If both of them got arty, then it would just turn into a lame arty war and would further encourage the English player to keep camping.

Also in Med 2, players can't be the same faction unless they are playing a team battle.

[|Sith| Max]

That's a good suggestion, but artillery is usually banned, and you don't know if the person is going to stakebox until the battle actually starts, same with if someone picks the Greeks in RTW, there's no guarantee they will box.

If you pick greece against any faction that is not brits or egypt you are going to lose, and if you do a noob box, any major faction will break you mercilessly.

baned...pffft. The only reason players ban artiliary is because they cant handel their extreme power and awesomeness!

If they turrtle in the corrner with stakes (or pikes) and have excellent range units and expect you to attack, then I say screw the ban, get artiliary and ... yer well get the picture.

Or go as the clone, be the same faction use the same units (or simular).

no its actually banned because the rule was carried over from RTW. back in those days arty was a waste o cash in a field battle. Expensive, Innacurate and slow. i guess they traded deep tactical battles and re-playability for good arty and sync kills when they made that one game after rome, eh.

P.S. Vedran, mate, please tell me that people don't do dumb like these stake boxes often. i was hoping to go on mtw2 a bit after the exams. im not looking forward to easy wins.

[Thompson45cal.]

P.S. Vedran, mate, please tell me that people don't do dumb like these stake boxes often. i was hoping to go on mtw2 a bit after the exams. im not looking forward to easy wins.

Lot of new players and yes they do. Unfortunately the lack of clan activity (in the US mainly) has led to a lack of eductaion for the new guys (nobody to train them).

I agree that stakeboxs = deadmeat in some shape,form or fashion..specially in multi-player unless your team plans things well, but even then most the time the stakes will kill more allies then enemy.

[Thompson45cal.]

My suggestion vs a stake fort without artillery would have to be, flank your cavalry forces all the way around behind them, assualt the front with infantry, which in some cases will send the archers skirmishing to the rear, then employ your cavalry. Note: I'd hold your general in reserve behind your infantry forces for moral purposes. Also cavalry units can "WALK" through stakes unharmed.

[Mordrorru]

Stake box. He can't flank his cavalry.

[IZob]

Then always assume the worst.

[Jiub]

A few dfk making a rush would defeat a stakebox anytime ...

[Zerosliver]

Musketeers of course!

[{GrailKnight}]

What period and money level do you usually play on?

I have never had a problem with people stake camping in Med 2, it was useless in Rome and it is useless now. If you're playing late or all period, get musketeers, you won't have a problem taking out his archers.

Remember during deployment you can see where your opponent will place their stakes, so use this to your advantage, if you see he's going to place them in the middle, shift your army on the right, and when you start battle move them near the right side of his army (or left if you prefer, your choice), so then he would be forced to move his army to face yours.

The faction i like to use to take out England is Spain (high period), they have better missiles, better infantry and better cavalry, for late i take Russia. England is one of the worst factions in the game. I can give you an army if you tell me what money level and period you are playing, (i suggest 10k or 15k, that way your opponent won't be able to buy so many archers). I take out about 40% of my opponent's forces from the missile duel alone (high period), since pavise are superior to any archers that England has, by this time my opponent's army would have suffered a lot of morale damage, and he would be usually forced to attack or continue to get shot at, and even if you've run out of ammo, attacking him will also cause his army to rout. Also remember what Thompson said, cavalry can WALK, yes walk through a stake, as long as you order them to walk and not run, otherwise we all know what happens then lol.

I will post a few replays for you soon. Once you get the hang of it, you will never lose to these types of opponents. Also are you playing on Grassy Flats?

[|Sith| Max]

Lack of clans? damn that is fcked up. without clans no one teaches or civilizes the rude players..
Well, a while back i found that with 1.3, some issues in the game had been fixed. I am planning to organize a sith summer offensive into mtw2. if its fun we'd maintain a presence and if there are no clans on US time, it might also be useful to the players in that time.

Concerning the stake box, i highly doubt it could be made to work, but stakes do limit the power of cavalry a bit. problem is it makes your army stationary. dont know bout mtw2, but in RTW a stationary player is a dead man walking.

[{GrailKnight}]

People rarely stake box Max, though when someone chooses England,they probably won't stake box but don't expect them to attack either...