Campaign Battles and Casualties

**Popgun** · March 21, 2011, 06:18 PM

Does anyone else find themselves losing more men than other total war games? I play on normal and hard and I find myself losing a fair amount of men (up to 1000 sometimes). This is a big difference from ETW and NTW where I could massacre the AI at will on these difficulties. I'd like to try out some campaigns on very hard and legendary so I was just wondering if anyone has some for preserving your men?

**Mr. Snrub** · March 22, 2011, 02:02 AM

I can see what you mean, i think because it's back to mostly melee units you are forced heavy casualities, instead of gunners? I wonder if that makes sense.

**kronpas** · March 22, 2011, 03:24 AM

In most battles its my ashigaru unit got annihilated while samurai ones only suffer minor to moderate casualty. Just dont send samurai in first, ashigaru can be quickly bought back but in most cases you have to wait for high lvl samurai ones to regenerate after a battle.

**Rumpletumpskin** · March 22, 2011, 11:06 AM

i had the opposite problem with ETW and NTW, i would almost always take high casualties particularly in naval battles. one of the reason i couldn't really get into the games the way i could with the first four of the series. the most obvious answer would be that your tactics need adjusting, the way mine did, as the periods represent two completely different styles of warfare.

as kronpas said, lead with your cheap units especially when assaulting a castle. send your ashigaru over the walls to open a gate for your samurai. when attacking send either your yari or archer ashigaru in first at loose formation to suck up enemy arrows. once they run out of arrows they will usually come to you and defense is always easier. when your army is strong in cavalry or units with speed abilities you should always be looking to ambush.