Der totale Krieg (Total War)

[Maiden_Ante]

Playing as Silvan Elves, I'm at round 320-ish. I have just managed to destroy Mordor and only need 7 more regions to win the campaign. HOWEVER, Harad took advantage of Mordor's initial ownage of pretty much everything and the other struggles to take power. Harad now covers all areas south of Mordor, the entire Gondor area and Ithilien.

I decided that a "what the hell, you only live once"-approach to the concept of a massive war that will cost hundreds of thousands of lives is okay. So now I'm facing off against the most numerable amount of soldiers I've could ever have imagined. Seriously, they have stack after stack after stack, most often with 2-4 units of Mûmakils in each one. Though I have pretty good tactics against taking down the Mûmakils quickly I'm having a hard time placing my troops the right way before battle, since a lot of them risk being stampeded by cavalry. I guess it's a force of habit to place them in 4-5 straight lines after killing Mordor orcs for a couple of weeks now, but I'd gladly accept any tips!

My armies are usually built like this:
6-8 units of spearmen/swordsmen
10 units of archers (including general unit(s))
2-5 units of siege weaponry (works very well against heavy things and the archer manages to clean up the rests).

[mattgoby]

Well if you have 5 seige units you should be able to take down the mumakil, i would advise you to target any cavalry they have with your archers as they are the only thing that poses a threat to you infantry [im surmising that at this point all your infantry is hightier] as there infantry should be fairly weak.

[paradamed]

Try to bring the fight against Mumakils to bridges. It is easy to hit them with ballistas in bridges.

[Lordinquisitor]

Btw; It should read "Der totale Krieg".

[MasterBigAb]

Btw; It should read "Der totale Krieg".

And i have to say i do not like that title, you surely know why.

Oh and I think it would have been better to come up with this in one of the threads like war stories or something like tat, as we do constantly get new threads which pretty simliar topics...

[Maiden_Ante]

Btw; It should read "Der totale Krieg".

AH right, was about five years ago since I studied German.

And i have to say i do not like that title, you surely know why.

Eisch.

Oh and I think it would have been better to come up with this in one of the threads like war stories or something like tat, as we do constantly get new threads which pretty simliar topics...

Yeah, sorry 'bout that, I was a bit hurried when I wrote it. Will think of this in the future!

Try to bring the fight against Mumakils to bridges. It is easy to hit them with ballistas in bridges.

Will do! Thooough I do have trouble with a group of 5-6 armies standing around in a pile giving the locals hell.

Well if you have 5 seige units you should be able to take down the mumakil, i would advise you to target any cavalry they have with your archers as they are the only thing that poses a threat to you infantry [im surmising that at this point all your infantry is hightier] as there infantry should be fairly weak.

Yeah, I will, though the archers are bound up by taking down the one or two last Mûmakils (artillery really have sucky aim) I guess I'll have to try timing taking down the Mûmakils and killing of the cavalry without losing to many of the first spearmen row. Yes, they're heavy spearmen and swordsmen.

[MasterBigAb]

No problem, oh and i only have one advise for now: Do not be tempted to use cheats

[confused german]

Hi there!

What about this?:

Try to get one army to the coast and hire a ship and attack on of their main settlements on the coastline that isn't well-guarded (maybe Dol Amroth or even Umbar). Use many spies to light up his whole coastline.

Conquer it in one turn with your siege works, sack or better devastate the hole place, sell every building you can and immediatly give or sell it to another good faction, let's say rohan.

Move on as quickly as possible and do the same to the next major settlement only give or sell it to another good faction, let's say dwarfs. Then move to any other settlement that is on the coast and not heavyly guarded until you tormented his whole coastline down to south umbar, never staying, always immediatly giving or selling it away to different factions. Bloody pirates, use their own tactics against them!

- this will draw many of his troops away from your front back to his mainland.
- the initial cost of sending one army far way will be paid off quickly.
- many settlements will revolt, still especially in late-game a total loss of all buildings in a major settlement is too heavy a loss. To build it up again will be very expansive and even more time-consuming.
- the giving away to different factions will hinder his reconquest especially if he's not at_war with everyone.
- the only major problem for you will be to sneak through his fleet. I suggest sailing slowly, step-by-step to not "run" in his ships and always land your troops before turn-end on some coastal spot (best hide in woods). Try to even hide your ships in a distant corner he might not find. If the ship"s destroyed or chased away try to get another one or if not possible make your guys heros by hurting him in his backside, maybe try to conquer one place and hold it for as long as you can. Don't send your heir on that mission btw.
[- maybe u can even exchange settlements with the high elves to get a good port-city that has built-up armoury and high elven population.]

If you want total war ask a german.
(In reference to the fact that you need only 7 settlemets to win the game the quicker solution might be just fight him down at the front like you've always done and conquer this dmn last places. BUT, anyways, this idea might be worth a try.)

c ya,

cg

[Maiden_Ante]

If you want total war ask a german.

Lmao.

Yeah I might be able to manage with a regular front war, but if things start to go out of hand I'll try it, thanks!

[Miroslav Klose]

This title gives me certain associations

You should be able to manage their stacks at the bridges of Ithilien, try to build fleets (dunno if the Silvans can) to take Umbar etcetera. Multilple fronts can help you if you have the forces for it.

And, when Gondor is still around, they can be useful as well

[Diglytron]

Willen ihr totalen krieg? willen ihr eine krieg blahblahblah?.
Goebels 1943?
anyways, you can get total war ive you destroy all schools etc in all settlents and use it for your total war... Verry high tax rate etc.

[MasterBigAb]

This leads to nowehre, move such off topic drifts elsewehere or i'll have to close this topic.

[Maiden_Ante]

This title gives me certain associations

Whaaat? Noooooo, it doeees...?

Willen ihr totalen krieg? willen ihr eine krieg blahblahblah?.
Goebels 1943?

I'm starting to think I've opened a door straight to hell.

Did you say hell?

You should be able to manage their stacks at the bridges of Ithilien, try to build fleets (dunno if the Silvans can) to take Umbar etcetera. Multilple fronts can help you if you have the forces for it.

And, when Gondor is still around, they can be useful as well

I'll certainly try! Unfortunately, Rohan and Gondor got destroyed, but I'm lucky enough to have the High Elves, now pretty strong, in war with Harad on another front.

anyways, you can get total war ive you destroy all schools etc in all settlents and use it for your total war... Verry high tax rate etc.

You mean I should destroy their schools...?

[Maiden_Ante]

You can close it, I don't have any more use for it! Thanks for the response everyone.

[Túrin_Turambar]

[MasterBigAb]

Not yet, noooo
But Now!