Third Age Battles - Post your videos

[Santana86]

Hey guys.

Yesterday I uploaded my first TATW-replay onto YouTube and got the blessing from MBA to start this topic. So if you have a video of a battle you found exciting or just want some feedback on your playstyle, please share it with the community. I'll get the ball rolling by posting this replay:

Siege of Thoronburg.

In this replay, I play as the Silvan Elves. I wanted to turtle a bit in this game, allowing the enemy to build themselves up. Thoronburg acts as a front to Mordor, and Haldir is stationed there with 700 elves when the Witchking visits with 3000 orcs.

Feel free to comment or give criticism, I will probably not cry myself to sleep after harsh words

[Ngugi]

Nom nom nom, I sat waiting for the WK to come in there Wicked Elf For once times sake it was bad there was no 'cinematic' over enemy general dead, that would had been sweet ^^

[Santana86]

Wicked Elf For once times sake it was bad there was no 'cinematic' over enemy general dead, that would had been sweet ^^

Hehe, that was kind of disappointing. I got real lucky that he was one of the few dying on the stakes, you can see 48 men of the bodyguard just strolling past.

This was actually my second go at this battle, after the first try I decided to record it on Fraps. The first time around the Witchking survived the stakes and took some 50 sentinels with him before he died and the enemy routed.

Oh, and in case you're wondering why I fiddle so much with my archers and ballista in the end, it's because of those pesky 30 scouts by the ladder. Hadn't lost any of my own ranged units and didn't want to get a random arrow towards them when the scouts entered. I'm a real cheapskate when it comes to ranged units I can't retrain in the settlement

[Darth_Revan]

that was funny how the witch-king was killed by the stakes lmao

[Teutonic Warlord]

Epic battle. I haven't played as the Elf factions yet. I knew they were good archers, but I didn't know they are THAT good. I can only offer one piece of advice: you can just use one unit of archers to lay stakes in front of the gate. If you get them as close as you can to the front of it, the enemy can't avoid the stakes at all. But, that creates some pathfinding problems for your men. Of course, if you already know that and didn't do that because of the pathfinding issues, ignore this.

[Andor Vex]

Sir, I salute you, you used every unit to maximum effectiveness and made me reconsider quite a few of my own strategies. Most impressive, well done.

PS! Though I might say that it was a little awkward that every video was only 1:40 something.

[Santana86]

Though I might say that it was a little awkward that every video was only 1:40 something.

Yeah, I'm still a noob when it comes to video editing, I forgot to tweek my Fraps before recording. Max videosize for Fraps is 4 GB, and I recorded it with such a high resolution and fps that I got 7 clips of 4 GB, which I then compressed just to be able to upload in this century

and at first i thought u had tweeked the mod a bit to make ur troops super op... but then i realised ur not an idiot like me and u actually use ur troops to the best of their potential...

Nope, no unit tweeks , but I have to say I was quite surprised myself how well the spearmen held their position. I think this was the first time I tested them standing in schiltrom, usually I just have them in a regular formation. This results in them being pushed back and overrun and Haldir's unit need to do more of the melee fighting. So I don't know if it was the schiltrom or the constant arrow/bolt barrage thinning out enemy lines that made my own infantry stand their ground. Guess I have to do more testing on this...

I'm currently preoccupied with reading for exams, so I don't have the time to record more at the moment. If anyone else have some replays out there, please share

[Æsir]

The same as I usually play out such battles. Still, I don't allow the archers shoot from walls at all, because it's waste of ammunition if you compare casualties implicated from there with those you can implicate targeting the chokepoint. And besides that I'm doing a bit more micromanagment of archer fire to get it even more effective and with less collateral damage.

[Rorarii]

This is a great thread but wait until V3.0 is released then we'll get some excellent videos , mostly on new cities!

R

[brasswire]

Well done. You really maximized the use of each unit and the terrain.

It does show how dumb the AI can be, and how OP archers can be when used well. I usually try to create a kill zone just inside the gate but this method is obviously very effective as well.

[Nastrael]

i litterally thought about getting a diaper on half way through this... and at first i thought u had tweeked the mod a bit to make ur troops super op... but then i realised ur not an idiot like me and u actually use ur troops to the best of their potential...when i see my melee dieing in massive ammounts like your spearmen were i typicly just say it and send all my men into the breach to plug it... this ends in massive cassualties for both sidesbut you lose good men.. im sorry silvan heavy archers... i didnt know that you were weak enough to lose to 6000 goblins... watching the two towers clouded my vision... and now i have to write the letters to your families...

[maxi90]

that was freaking brilliant. i have been playing Third Age for four years i think, and MTW2 for a litle longer than that, and you jusdt gave me a lesson or two.

then again, you did exploited the AI by placing the stakes on the front of the gates, and being as dumb as it is, it never crossed it´s mind to send a unit or two through the lateral streets to attack your archers, but still, pretty impressive.

[Rorarii]

yeah, always good tactics to get your enemy concentrated in a narrow street while balisters pound 'em!

Although it isn't realisitc that you have to abandon the walls so early! we need ditches which need filling before towers / rams / ladders move forward!

R

[MasterBigAb]

Nice videos
Good I can cut together a few replays with CinEd, else you guys would see I always loose and have to make another one so it looks like i woudn't

I bet I am like the biggest tactical noob beyond you Especially compared to like you fought there

[Araval]

Thanks for sharing, +rep!

[jinjo]

Santana86,
this is epic, elves are superior faction

[Dwarven Berserker]

I can only say: Wow

I've seen elven archers making a lot of kills, but this is just insane
I also like your ballista usage, they kebabify a more units then i've ever seen balliasta's do.

Are you planning to make more of these vids btw? I'd defenitely watch them

[Santana86]

Are you planning to make more of these vids btw? I'd defenitely watch them

I have my last exam in two days. Then it's home for x-mas and I will probably leave my gaming-rig behind in my apartment.

I will probably take Rorarii's suggestion and create more videos when 3.0 comes out. Just need some time to get familiar with the gamechanges and of course read a Fraps tutorial.

[Rorarii]

I've just worked out how defending archers can defend longer, ie more realistically, .. slow down the speed of siege ladders / towers and rams! This shouldn't be too difficult to mod.

R

[Dwarven Berserker]

I have my last exam in two days. Then it's home for x-mas and I will probably leave my gaming-rig behind in my apartment.

I will probably take Rorarii's suggestion and create more videos when 3.0 comes out. Just need some time to get familiar with the gamechanges and of course read a Fraps tutorial.

Ah ok, good luck with your exams then
And since I assume you won't have a lot of time to make vids while playing 3.0 (at least I think I wouldn't )
it is going to take some time before your next vid But that's ok ofc