Multiple Front Wars?

[Diamond]

So, I've been wondering if it's actually possible to gain land during multiple front wars if you're bad at battles, like me, and tend to rely on autoresolve (I like the campaign best about this game). As France, I have the HRE to the east, Castile to the south, and Genoa from the southeast coming at me. I've been trying to be passive-aggressive but it seems like all fronts have ended in a stalemate because I can't breakthrough without having to retreat. Difficulty is VH/E (yes, easy...)

What do I do??

[╬Ritterbruder╬]

So, I've been wondering if it's actually possible to gain land during multiple front wars if you're bad at battles, like me, and tend to rely on autoresolve (I like the campaign best about this game). As France, I have the HRE to the east, Castile to the south, and Genoa from the southeast coming at me. I've been trying to be passive-aggressive but it seems like all fronts have ended in a stalemate because I can't breakthrough without having to retreat. Difficulty is VH/E (yes, easy...)

What do I do??

buy CoD...

[Savoyard]

buy CoD...

If he likes the strat map better than the tactical map, he'd like something infinitely better than CoD, aka Crusader Kings 2.

[Sitalkes]

If he likes the strat map better than the tactical map, he'd like something infinitely better than CoD, aka Crusader Kings 2.

Or Hearts of Iron (my favourite - current version too complex though!) or Europa Universalis or similar Paradox games

[Diamond]

If he likes the strat map better than the tactical map, he'd like something infinitely better than CoD, aka Crusader Kings 2.

Or Hearts of Iron (my favourite - current version too complex though!) or Europa Universalis or similar Paradox games

I love Paradox games - namely, Victoria 2, Hearts of Iron 3, and Europa Universalis 3. Unfortunately, I'm just as bad at them as I am at this. This is my first TW campaign after discovering Paradox

I suppose he's playing Stainless Steel, considering that it has both factions and Genoa especially likes to expand into France there, and SS is probably one of the most popular mods anyway. Or he's just a newbie and got this wrong

Anyway @ Diamond I'd recommend pretty much the same as the other users here, just concentrate on one front first while defending the others by recruiting a full stack and then using every unit you have to attack and conquer settlements there- attack is always the best defense
Or just don't play the French

SS 6.3 and yes, I'll do that.

Castille? Genoa? I suppose you´re talking about Spain and Milan (or similar factions), but what mod are you playing?
Anyway, I´d say maintain your stalemate at the eastern frontlines while mustering a campaign army to go aggressively at the iberians.
Once you cleared the Iberian peninsula of enemies, you will have more land and money to use for new campaign armies to attack the others with.
Another good example is, as Christonikos said, to send an army to conquer the British isles.

Or maybe try an easier faction?
Like England or Spain, since they´re well positioned and has both obvious choices of expansion and easily defendable borders.

No, j'aime le francais, it's just that I think I'd normally do well besides getting pushed on three fronts.

Have you tried custom battles? You could experiment by recreating the enemy stacks, with the outcome of the battle not affecting anything.

My first Total War game was Rome, which I first played in April last year. I struggled alot at first, but once you find what type of tactics you prefer, you'll soon get the hang of things. I play battles in M2TW at VH now, and have no trouble at all.

Could you provide screenshots of the forces you'll be going up against? We may be able to provide much more detailed help. What units do you currently have access to?

For the HRE, I'd go with the classic "Hammer & Anvil". Hold the HRE forces with line troops (units that fight in a holding position on the frontline, with the main aim of defence, not attack), while you send heavy and light cavalry around to their rear. Then charge the heavy cavalry into the backs of the HRE forces over and over until they break, where the light cavalry then chases them down as they rout to prevent them from reforming. You'll want extra heavy cavalry and spears to deal with the HRE cavalry.

If you're looking to siege Genoa, and you don't have plenty of heavy infantry to attack with, I'd starve them out with a cavalry intensive force, then crush them outside their own walls.

The javelins at Castile (are you playing Kingdoms?) will probably be squishy, so heavy cavalry with light cavalry support will probably do.

Thanks, you've been a big help. All of you have (besides that guy that says buy CoD). I managed to retake all of my regions, and now am fighting defensive wars with HRE and Genoa, and I pushed Spain back into Iberia pretty far.

[Christonikos]

Take England

[yellowfrogleap]

auto resolve only seems like it could be a challenge.

in my experience auto resolve has some advantage when:
1. when assaulting castles/cites
2. huge stacks of peasants attacking small stacks of elites (even cavalry)
3. attacking small enemy stacks, when the enemy will reinforce with a larger stack
4. reinforce your attacks with full peasant stacks

create a sacking stack (1 cavalry, 1-4 infantry, 2-3 good spear infantry)
leave it on one ship in a port
scout enemy settlements (spies, fleets, peasants) for weak garrisons with distant reinforcements
sack them from behind

note: use cavalry to initiate siege, then move infantry into siege stack. This
will give slight extra range for raiding.

[_Elysium_]

if you're bad at battles, like me

If you don't practice, you won't get better.

[Old Geezer]

Use high star generals in the attacks. On auto resolve the units seem to engage starting on the left so put some units there that you don't mind taking losses from. Keep the "artillery" way to the bottom right and they will take fewer losses. Use a lot of armored sergeants, dismounted knights, and some heavy cavalry. The auto resolve will often, it seems to me, work better for you if you have a mix of troops. I have lost badly in auto resolves when I have a huge force of powerful cavalry against puny spearmen! Taking out England first is a good strategy because it is programmed to seek your extermination and when it is gone your "back will be covered". Do some experimenting with the auto resolve battles with different mixes against the opponent. Save and reload to re- fight and see what differences. Also, sometimes the auto resolve depends on the randomly generated number and you will get unusual results. I use auto resolve mostly when attacking in the hated mountains where infantry is exhausted before it even reaches the enemy line. Where did they get these mountains? I have climbed many 14k foot mountains that are not so steep.

[Diamond]

Use high star generals in the attacks. On auto resolve the units seem to engage starting on the left so put some units there that you don't mind taking losses from. Keep the "artillery" way to the bottom right and they will take fewer losses. Use a lot of armored sergeants, dismounted knights, and some heavy cavalry. The auto resolve will often, it seems to me, work better for you if you have a mix of troops. I have lost badly in auto resolves when I have a huge force of powerful cavalry against puny spearmen! Taking out England first is a good strategy because it is programmed to seek your extermination and when it is gone your "back will be covered". Do some experimenting with the auto resolve battles with different mixes against the opponent. Save and reload to re- fight and see what differences. Also, sometimes the auto resolve depends on the randomly generated number and you will get unusual results. I use auto resolve mostly when attacking in the hated mountains where infantry is exhausted before it even reaches the enemy line. Where did they get these mountains? I have climbed many 14k foot mountains that are not so steep.

Thanks for your advice on the left->right thing, I've never even heard of that! And the thing about England is that I have no troops to spare without endangering my inner provinces.

auto resolve only seems like it could be a challenge.

in my experience auto resolve has some advantage when:
1. when assaulting castles/cites
2. huge stacks of peasants attacking small stacks of elites (even cavalry)
3. attacking small enemy stacks, when the enemy will reinforce with a larger stack
4. reinforce your attacks with full peasant stacks

create a sacking stack (1 cavalry, 1-4 infantry, 2-3 good spear infantry)
leave it on one ship in a port
scout enemy settlements (spies, fleets, peasants) for weak garrisons with distant reinforcements
sack them from behind

note: use cavalry to initiate siege, then move infantry into siege stack. This
will give slight extra range for raiding.

Good idea, I'll be using these ideas. They're very helpful, thank you!

If you don't practice, you won't get better.

You know, you're right... I'll need specialist stacks, however, as the three different faction types I'm fighting are very different. The HRE is heavy-infantry intensive, with strong cavalry to supplement that. Genoa has a good diversity of ranged units and infantry. Castile has a lot of strong cavalry and good javelin infantry. What do I do?

[_Elysium_]

You know, you're right... I'll need specialist stacks, however, as the three different faction types I'm fighting are very different. The HRE is heavy-infantry intensive, with strong cavalry to supplement that. Genoa has a good diversity of ranged units and infantry. Castile has a lot of strong cavalry and good javelin infantry. What do I do?

Have you tried custom battles? You could experiment by recreating the enemy stacks, with the outcome of the battle not affecting anything.

My first Total War game was Rome, which I first played in April last year. I struggled alot at first, but once you find what type of tactics you prefer, you'll soon get the hang of things. I play battles in M2TW at VH now, and have no trouble at all.

Could you provide screenshots of the forces you'll be going up against? We may be able to provide much more detailed help. What units do you currently have access to?

For the HRE, I'd go with the classic "Hammer & Anvil". Hold the HRE forces with line troops (units that fight in a holding position on the frontline, with the main aim of defence, not attack), while you send heavy and light cavalry around to their rear. Then charge the heavy cavalry into the backs of the HRE forces over and over until they break, where the light cavalry then chases them down as they rout to prevent them from reforming. You'll want extra heavy cavalry and spears to deal with the HRE cavalry.

If you're looking to siege Genoa, and you don't have plenty of heavy infantry to attack with, I'd starve them out with a cavalry intensive force, then crush them outside their own walls.

The javelins at Castile (are you playing Kingdoms?) will probably be squishy, so heavy cavalry with light cavalry support will probably do.

[Silverheart]

Castille? Genoa? I suppose you´re talking about Spain and Milan (or similar factions), but what mod are you playing?
Anyway, I´d say maintain your stalemate at the eastern frontlines while mustering a campaign army to go aggressively at the iberians.
Once you cleared the Iberian peninsula of enemies, you will have more land and money to use for new campaign armies to attack the others with.
Another good example is, as Christonikos said, to send an army to conquer the British isles.

Or maybe try an easier faction?
Like England or Spain, since they´re well positioned and has both obvious choices of expansion and easily defendable borders.

[Mausolos of Caria]

Castille? Genoa? I suppose you´re talking about Spain and Milan (or similar factions), but what mod are you playing?

I suppose he's playing Stainless Steel, considering that it has both factions and Genoa especially likes to expand into France there, and SS is probably one of the most popular mods anyway. Or he's just a newbie and got this wrong

Anyway @ Diamond I'd recommend pretty much the same as the other users here, just concentrate on one front first while defending the others by recruiting a full stack and then using every unit you have to attack and conquer settlements there- attack is always the best defense
Or just don't play the French

[Silent Assassin]

So, I've been wondering if it's actually possible to gain land during multiple front wars if you're bad at battles, like me, and tend to rely on autoresolve (I like the campaign best about this game). As France, I have the HRE to the east, Castile to the south, and Genoa from the southeast coming at me. I've been trying to be passive-aggressive but it seems like all fronts have ended in a stalemate because I can't breakthrough without having to retreat. Difficulty is VH/E (yes, easy...)

What do I do??

Only one thing I can say, while starting off a campaign you need to play in a way to keep a good reputation, having a good reputation will help you not gettting in the middle of front wars like you have described.

You also need right off the bat to decide which way you want to expand your empire that way you will make allainces with the right factions to do so and kill off the others but always be on the look-out for your enemies may try to ally themsleves with yours this could change your game drasticly.

Remember reputation in M2TW is the key that you need to control diplomacy.