deploying forces smartly is key to victory! i started this thread because i was curious how yall deployed your forces, here is mine:
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Tiro
how do you deploy your forces?
deploying forces smartly is key to victory! i started this thread because i was curious how yall deployed your forces, here is mine:
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Last edited by adecoy95; June 01, 2010 at 10:59 PM.
Praefectus
Re: how do you deploy your forces?
First thoughts:
I always deploy my cavalry seperatly (either to the left and to the right, or further behind, or all to one site) but not so centered and integrated.
Archers and missile troops in general are deployed in the front of the infantry and only withdrawn once the enemy infantry or cavalry is getting to close.
With optimal timing my infantry countercharges the oncoming infantry before they can reach my missile units so they don't have to move at all.
Once this starts the missile units get new targets in the back of the enemy line and cavalry circles arount to play hammer on the infantry anvil.
Re: how do you deploy your forces?
So many wasted crossbowmen shots since they're all together so close
It also depends on how much caverly the enemy has. If it has none then I deplot my troops further back so I can give my archers more shots, and if they start runing towards the archers, then they've got a long way to run and ruin their fatigue. However if there's lots of cav then I tend to put my caverly close to the archers so they can counter-charge their caverly.
Do it now.
Re: how do you deploy your forces?
adecoy95...
Question...Do you actually get to use your crossbowmen or are they strictly window dressing? In the early going I can see using three units of peasant archers for flame arrows but the opposition comes so quickly that for me crossbowmen would be useless?
How many kills do you get with peasant crowbowman? {ballpark}
Tiro
Re: how do you deploy your forces?
hmm, i have mainly been using them on a trial basis because i want to make them work, sofar i have been somewhat sucessful with them, i havent checked the kills tho, i will check next battle and let you knowOriginally Posted by Mega Tortas de Bodemloze
i found some rebels near one of my garrisons and i decided to test out some crossbowing, the results are not bad, here are the pics
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
not shure what you mean, they are on a slight hill, all the crossbowmen fired over the spearmen quite well. what do you do with your crossbowmen?So many wasted crossbowmen shots since they're all together so close
Last edited by adecoy95; June 02, 2010 at 12:37 AM.
Campidoctor
Re: how do you deploy your forces?
This is how I deploy my army during non-siege battles. The strategy it to outflank using cavalry/royal guards and a few archer units while the bulk of my army waits for the BAI to come forward. If possible I prefer to deploy stakes also. *note: I prefer quality over quantity, as a smaller quality army is easier to manoeuvre than a larger army of the same strength of poorer quality. I also make sure my strength is at about 4/5 of the BAI for heroic victories.
p.s My armies tend to be cavalry/archer heavy to minimise looses.
Last edited by Stario; June 02, 2010 at 12:42 AM.
Tiro
Re: how do you deploy your forces?
@ Kungfool
very nice, i never thought about deploying cavalry that far away from the main field, do you ever have them get isolated by enemy cavalry attacking them?
Campidoctor
Re: how do you deploy your forces?
No the BAI seems too stupid to do so if you keep the right distance. With that said, sometimes cavalry can also be used in this way to pull enemy units in order to split them form the main bulk of the BAI army (hence why i always use atleast x2 units of cavalry working together so if i choose to let my self get isolated by enemy cavalry one unit will charge head on while the second flanks). This severely weakens the BAI. Furthermore, if you pull a few BAI units with cavalry then retreat, the non-cavalry enemy units (since they are slower) eventually turn back for your main army once you get enough distance between you and them again. The "pulled" enemy units are now well behind the main BAI army. So by the time they get to where they should be the "first half" of the BAI army is usually decimated and routing etc. One can really disorientate the BAI with ones cavalry using feint tactics in this way, while ones archers do their job.
Last edited by Stario; June 02, 2010 at 02:06 AM.
Re: how do you deploy your forces?
This is pretty much how I fight every battle.
This is how I deploy my army during non-siege battles. The strategy it to outflank using cavalry/royal guards and a few archer units while the bulk of my army waits for the BAI to come forward. If possible I prefer to deploy stakes also. *note: I prefer quality over quantity, as a smaller quality army is easier to manoeuvre than a larger army of the same strength of poorer quality. I also make sure my strength is at about 4/5 of the BAI for heroic victories.
p.s My armies tend to be cavalry/archer heavy to minimise looses.
Re: how do you deploy your forces?
I just select the entire army, group them, then pick the formation that puts infantry in front-archers in back-cav on the sides
Most of the time the other army is nowhere near where I expect them to be based on the campaign map, unless it's a seige, so I dont waste time on that initial deployment anymore.
Tiro
Re: how do you deploy your forces?
well, how do you "redeploy"?
Libertus
Re: how do you deploy your forces?
how do you handle enemy bodyguard units anyway? I've seen so many AARs in which enemy generals, faction leaders or family members just get destroyed at the start of battle.
I usually try to lure them into a spear formation, but it takes quite a long time for them to die and usually they just pull out and charge somewhere else.
Re: how do you deploy your forces?
Huh? Don't understand the question...
Praefectus
Re: how do you deploy your forces?
This tactic slightly depends on having superiour cavalry forces either in numbers, local or global and in quality. Neutralizing the cavalry that has left the main body of the enemy army is one of the priorities and can be executed in much the same way as the general army movement depicted - for example one unit charging the enemy unit headon while the other circles around to hit the enemy cavalry in the back. Limited isolation is intended because beyond flanking the enemy they should also intercept any enemy cavalry units attempting the same.
Semisalis
Re: how do you deploy your forces?
I make a wall with my infantry, which defends my missile troops(don't usually have any), the wall will become a semi-circle if the enemy force is large.
Spearmen stand wherever it is most likely for the enemy to charge with their cavalry.
Cavalry are deployed on the extreme flanks.
I use the same deployment for both attacking and defending; either standing my ground, or charging in my infantry.
I engage them in close combat.
And simply use my cavlary as the hammer to my anvil.
This is my most used stratergy, and I do so well with it because I've practiced it so much, and get 100% out of each cavalry charge.
I don't know any stratergy better then it.(Which is annoying, it sometimes gets boring.) (Oh, except pure cavalry/HA armies, but they're an insta-win button.)
Praeses
Re: how do you deploy your forces?
I have no normal deployment. Usually playing 6.2 compilation RR/RC with BGR I never can get enough elite units especially including decent archers so I rely more on cavalry and positioning. When I do get archers I usually leave them in garrison as a garrison with 3-4 archers and 4-5 militia can defeat anything short of a full stack enemy army with some strong heavy infantry.
My basic tactic is to find and kill the enemy general without exposing any of my expensive units. So I'll use some cheap infantry as bait or even a mercenary to draw enemy charge if my cavalry can't pull the enemy general. I don't like paying for expensive HC so usually I have some merchants guild cavalry, 1 or 2 FM, and maybe 1 Knight Order or Mercenary bought just before battle.
Only times I really have to worry in battles is when hugely outnumbered or the enemy cavalry is 2x my own cavalry which actually happens alot. Just fought a battle vs Sicily where they had only Cagliari remaining but 2 full stacks defending the island with 14 HC between the 2 stacks. I was Aragon and 2 FM, 1 Knights of Montessa, a whole bunch Almaughavers, a few spearmen sergeants, and some feudal foot knights.
The AI had 8 HC in the main army and 6 in the other. 4 FM, 5 Sicilio-Norman Knights, 3 Feudal Knights, and 2 mercenary knights. The infantry was not much of a threat but with no stakes and not even half the HC they had.... was a brutal battle. Managed to pull 3 HC away with my FM and all my cavalry and 1 spearmen sergeant killed those 3 HC with light losses but the other 5 HC hit my lines and completely wiped out 2 infantry units. The Almaughavers did about 30% to each HC though and my FM's and especially the Montessa Knights killed or routed 4 of those 5 HC just in time for the next 6 HC to arrive. 3 Almaughavers almost wiped out but the footknights and spearmen charged and trapped 3 of the HC and my cavalry caught the other 2. Unfortunately the 1 of the first 8 HC had routed with only 50% losses and I lost track of it in the battle... it charged my Montessa and took them down to 6 men and the enemy infantry arrived to charge 1 of my FM's before he could withdraw. Ended as close victory with no single unit of mine having more than 12 men left. My commanding general was down to 3 men. Plus a few enemy escaped to garrison Cagliari. Just not enough cavalry to chase the routers down. One of the closest battles I've had and still won. Almaughavers instead of just spear infantry and 2 footknights made the difference. With so many enemy HC and FM's I could not pull the enemy general out and had to fight them all nearly to the death. However the cost in money and time to retrain my army was almost 16 turns. When there are that many enemy HC though it is almost impossible not to take some major losses. Even if you have stake the reinforcing army comes from a different direction and ignores the stakes if the first army even goes thru them.
Last edited by Ichon; June 02, 2010 at 03:27 AM.
Re: how do you deploy your forces?
Not in sieges.
Praeses
Re: how do you deploy your forces?
Still in sieges because you can siege with half a stack on a full stack garrison and the AI will sally. Unfortunately true in every mod I've played.Not in sieges.
Re: how do you deploy your forces?
just out of interest who puts all their HC on one side of the army and who splits it evenly?
i tend to split evenly
Tiro
Re: how do you deploy your forces?
If I have obvious superiority in horse I deploy evenly on each flank if terrain allows it. If not, then I make one flank stronger to gain advantage on it, other one is weaker but has some support like archers and spearmen so it doesn’t get overruned .
For example when I play Germany or France until 1300 I use 8 cav. per stack: General, 1 mounted sergeant and six knights. If enemy has equivalent number of cavalry I deploy on one flank 2 knights supported by spear and archers, in center inf. With general and mounted sergeants in reserve (they pursue, not fight) on other flank 4 of my most experienced knights. Weaker flank has a defensive role, stronger offensive one (some inf. and archer can be added for support depending on situation).
When I play Hungary I almost always deploy 4 horse archers on one flank and 4 knights on other (after they become available), latter (after 1400) I use 2 hussars and 2 heavy cavalry for each flank, as it’s unlikely that opponent will have stronger mounted core than me.
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