Victory for Egypt

[Paok]

So two weeks ago I decided to play a muslim faction because i was bored of the pope's irritating missions!I started playing as Egypt and in turn 25 a large byzantine army landed in Alexandria!In that time I had conquered all of the Holy Lands,Baghdad,Aleppo,Edessa,Mosul,Jedda and Dongola and had started a war with the Turks for Anatolia!Despite the war in two fronts I was doing pretty well when the Mongol Hordes arrived!Twelve full stacks in three waves!I managed to wipe out the first wave but the other two remaining plundered and then captured Jerusalem,Acre,Damascus,Gaza and Cairo!After 150 years of war with them i beated them and regained control of all the captured cities!Meanwhile i had destroyed the Turks and keep fighting with Byzantines for Iconium and Venice for the control of Eastern Mediteranean!My economy was flourishing and i had the 3rd biggest army after the Pappal States and Poland!I was preparing a Jihad to destroy the Byzantines when i saw another Horde arriving;Timurids with Elephants!Now what?I am at year 1376 having 18 regions!

So my question is; Is it possible to win in Long Campaign with Egypt(H/VH)?Happy to read your own experience and advice!

ps: I had also two crusades on Antioch!

[FootSoldier]

Yeah, it's possible, and it's a similar situation for the Turks and the Byzantines if they expand that way.

There's lots of info around about fighting the Mongols and Timurids, and everyone has their own method. The one I last used successfully was:
- have cannon towers in your likely to be affected settlements when the Mongols arrive (Antioch)
- don't attack or retaliate as they wander towards Antioch
- screen the front of Antioch with single units, and leave the bridge at the north open
- when the Mongols siege they can only bring one unit in onto the bridge
- counter-attack from within the Antioch on the first round of sieging so they have no equipment (and you don't lose men)
- don't sally, but watch the Mongols draw up within range of cannon towers
- make a cup of tea and watch while their army gets shot to pieces
- have a nearby unit in Adana for when they siege, and stick it on the bridge behind their sieging stack if you can
- place 2 single units in a line east of Antioch next to the walls
- the sieging stack now has nowhere to withdraw to, and you will destroy the complete stack when the Mongols withdraw at around 60% casualties from the cannon towers
- repeat repeat repeat (the battles are boring, coz you don't do anything but watch them fall).
- when they have broken stacks go out and engage them in the field with superior numbers

This takes about 50 turns to get rid of them completely. The same for the Timurids.

Meanwhile, carry on with your other wars as if nothing was happening. You don't need masses of men around Antioch - a couple of stacks at most, but you can do it with less. This allows you to carry on conquering elsewhere.

So, that's my method, but I know others like to fight them on the bridges and approaches to Antioch. There's also plenty of info about battle tactics on the forum .... look at earlier vs Mongols threads

[PrestigeX]

Egypt is one of the better Muslim Factions to play as (in my opinion), but one thing I usually do in order to make them a little more enjoyable is that usually give them a few more units to recruit by altering the unit_export / building files.
Sudanese Warriors - the merc ones that have the sword and shield, but no armor - usually around the same time that I could recruit dismounted Arab Cavalry. And, I allow them to recruit bedouin camel riders... I know in their home territories they can easily get these units as mercenaries and they are available in custom battles, but I think the addition of these two units gives them a bit more options for offensive infantry (that has it's own limits and weakness, no armor etc) and variant on mobile archers.

IT's an interesting combo because the sudanese mercs can form a line behind the saracen infantry/spearmen and then can be used to plug gaps or flank once the enemy infantry engages. The Bedouin camels are great for engaging enemy horse archers, or to attract enemy heavy cavalry (then my own heavy cav engage) meanwhile my mamluk horse archers can focus on the enemy's main lines.

[FootSoldier]

By the way Paok - I think you're doing pretty well anyway :d

[Wojek_Siren]

The Egyptians are my favorite faction to play in the Grand Campaign, because they have the best location in the game. I love how the world call crusades against me and knowing that I have two invasions that I need to prepare for. I know that the Egyptians don't have a lot of heavy armor units, but how you use the Egyptian units is what makes it fun.

[Paok]

Thank you for your replies,especcialy FootSoldier!Has anyone tried to battle the Hordes on an open field?Or is it a suicide?

[Mik528]

Thank you for your replies,especcialy FootSoldier!Has anyone tried to battle the Hordes on an open field?Or is it a suicide?

Not at all sir Fight Cav with Cav and if your good you can pull of a win. Mamluks and Royal Mamluks with the Mamluk Archers. All of which have the Ap Mace which is effective against armour which the hordes have in their heavy cavalry. In every battle however, no matter what way you fight them always make sure the enemy general never makes it off the field alive. Even if you lose the battle consider it a victory, when all their generals are dead they are exterminated which brings up making a horde of assassins in preparation but,,, thats no fun. I would like to see someone fight the Mongols and Timurids on open plains with a full Infantry army, that would be a sight

[painter]

One tactic that works on the Horde in the open field is to plant stakes on a sizeable hill or dune and have a lot of archers on it. Taking on one stack is doable and taking on two at the same time can be a bit too close for comfort as your archers tire out and run out of ammunition.

Do river crossings count as open field in your book?

[FootSoldier]

Yes, I fight them in the open, as do many. (I'd count a river crossing as a different kind of battle from open, but it's a good tactic to use).

I fight an offensive battle against the Mongols, but again, many have success with defensive ones. I think it's down to game style. I've fought them with Byzantines, Turks, and Catholic factions in this way, using where possible strong archer units, e.g. Ottoman Infantry, Byzantine and Venetian Guard etc. The choice of units is as much about the timing of the Mongol's appearance - I'd typically use others against the Timurids. I haven't played Egypt for so long I've forgotten any details about battles - are the Mamluk Archers as good in melee as the Ottomans, the Guards, and Mongol Infantry?.

There was a recent thread here:
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=412638

where people laid out their battle tactics. Someone probably knows a "definitive" thread.

As painter says, it's more difficult fighting 2 stacks, due to running out of ammunition, but you can either have reinforcements yourself (don't let the AI control them!), or hold some archers back. I find that's the benefit of being offensive for me - when the first stack is swept away there's plenty of arrows left for the second.

The second stack isn't properly formed up, so is easier to deal with piecemeal.

However, expect to take casualties in open battle :d

There's a multitude of threads about on the Mongols - they are a favourite topic on the forum. Just browse backwards, or search.