Through the Breach

[Bringer Of Storms]

In a siege defense, whenever the enemy batters down the gates and charges through the breach, is it more effective to meet them with a charge? Or have Pikes or Spears in sort of a half circle to box them in? I've always wondered, if after walking through hails of arrows and oil, if a charge would be more effective at routing them, or if it was better to have a crescent moon of defensive troops to box in and surround them. There's so many factors, such as rushing in shock troops, they'd charge hard, but begin to be cut down in a long fight. Where as defensive troops standing still wouldn't get the bonus of the charge, but they can handle the elongated battle.

Any ideas on which is more effective in fighting back the enemy at the breach?

[Savoyard]

Some people say to only block the path that goes straight from the gate to the square. If leave the sides of the gate entrance open you can use your archers to fire on their flanks.

[Silent Assassin]

Bottle neck them in the gate, this gives them a moral decrease and helps a lot but you need to put your units in a way where all your units are actually fighting

[ Gate ]

Unit 1, unit 2, unit 3, unit 4

That way they will think they are facine a big army and there chances are less then just having one unit behind another.

Is this clear?

[Aymer de Valence]

What i usually do is set a sort of box or semi-circle formation of spear units at the breach (like you), and try to hold them there. Mean while, i send any cavalry i have out of a side gate, and crush them from behind in the breach. Result is a pure massacre

[Bringer Of Storms]

I've always gone with the semi-circle as well, but wasn't sure if charging produced better results. So far sounds like no one tries that tactic.

[Silverheart]

I usually place Spearmen right at the gate, and rush them into the gateway when the enemy charge.
Since the gateway is so narrow, they usually die very fast.
Setting up a crescent perimeter gives the enemy some space inside the gate from the start, which is a risk if you ask me - all they have to do is focus their advance in either direction, and they will almost definitely break through.
It sounds better to me, to simply clog the gateway and not give them any direction to advance but forward through the thick of infantry.

[Huskerjuan]

I have always used a wedge formation instead of a semicircle, with a unit at the point of the V. I find the wedge more preferential than the semi-circle because it minimizes the amount of area to cover by my units while still forcing the enemy into a position where they are being attacked on three sides.

[G] <== gate
\ / <== "V" units
'''''' <== unit at the point

I layer my units, preferably spearmen, over one another as to create very dense lines. The sides of the V have equal number of units, while there are usually fewer units "at the point". They are still important though, for if the enemy breaks this formation, it will be at the point where the two sides of my formation meet. I will also keep a unit of heavy infantry behind each side of the line to provide support along the walls (a significantly lesser weak point of the formation) or to charge into the fray to produce a rout.

As the enemy rushes into the wedge and engages the walls of the wedge, your units (who are densely packed due to layering) will begin to spread out as to effectively engage the attackers. The once thin and unassuming lines will become a thick cloud of defenders, surrounding the enemy and striking from both flanks. As the enemy advances further into your formation, they will become more and more enveloped. An added benefit to this layering is that since the units will spread out more or less equally, no one unit will take the bulk of the casualties (as the head unit/subsequent units will suffer if they charged straight into the gatehouse to meet the attackers). This lengthens the amount of time each unit is effective and delays/prevents individual units from routing, which lowers the morale of the surrounding units. Also, it is important to keep guard mode OFF. If guard mode is on, your units will not spread out, and their compactness will prevent them from effectively fighting, enabling your enemy to slice and dice through the formation.

Spearmen are preferred over swordsmen in the main lines because of their ability to make quick work of cavalry. Reserves behind main lines tend to be heavy infantry, as to deliver a killer blow or to plug a wavering portion of the formation with a stalwart unit.

Using this formation I have been able to defend against full stack sieges with as little as 7 cheap units; 5 spear units and some archers to man the walls.

[fredtrotter]

What I like to do is have a semicircle of troops surrounding the gates but then one side is left open so Shock troops can charge in. like so

----------------------------------------|Gate|-------------
Cav-------------------------------> [Enemy] Spears
................................................. Spears

The spears hold them and almost surround the enemy then the Cav strike in the side and usually the enemy rout.

[SturmChurro]

I usually make a nice bottleneck at the gate and put everybody in guard mode. With several reserves right behind them. If they are too hard to handle at the gate block up the streets and have crossbows or archers (with fire) and a catapult rain hell on the enemy. That is what I do. (Depending on the layout)

[mansch]

I am still experimenting what tactic works best for me. Last night tried the following tactic and it worked quite well.

---------------Gate--------------
spear Cav---------- Cav spear
-------------- spear

One spear unit in guard mode to take the charge. After the enemy broke the gate they charged, after engaging with the spears (which took the brunt of the charge)charge in the cavalry from both sides. This caused an instant rout. I proceeded with putting the cavalry outside to mop up fleeing units and used the spears to kill what was left hanging around the gate.

[♘Top Hat Zebra]

Pikes, guys.

I mean, three units of pikes at the gate will destroy most of an enemy army. Completely.

I tend to have some archers too, just to make sure.

[Silent Assassin]

Or put one or two Bysantine flamethrowers. this is a sure shot I can tell you

[Aymer de Valence]

Or put one or two Bysantine flamethrowers. this is a sure shot I can tell you

I can picture this, i dare say this is the most effective form of gate defence, as long as you have stakes in front of the flamethrowers

[SturmChurro]

Speaking of this I just played a defensive siege. I was quite happy to see them wavering right when they ran through the gate surrounded by Spear Militia. I also had some levy archers shooting fire arrows at them as well, when they were outside.

[Blood Raven]

I use the prepared position strategy, 3 tercios at the gate in a v of death, with the rest of my tercios blocking the streets either side and up the road to the square, with musketeers for support.

[TheDarkKnight]

Whatever you do, don't let them get through.

But if they do, what I always do is sacrifice a unit and hold the enemy back as long as I can while I get the archers and whatever other units on the walls to fall back. This works really well in castles and citadels. I fought a battle where the enemy kept getting through and finally I stopped them at the third level and pushed them back.

[Nazgûl Killer]

Everything that could have been said, has been said.

I can only add: Mind your archers. Place them strategically and dynamically, change their locations and formations often to fit specific situations. Make them optimal, allow them to fire directly at the furball in the middle of the courtyard and kill the enemy, instead of being forced to aim upward and accidentally hit your own troops.

[Mr. Battle]

I prefer to place spearmen in a defensive formation at the breach. I don't like charging because if you don't time it perfectly, you can either get caught on the wrong side of the breach, attacked from 3 sides, or you could charge too late and allow the enemy to get most of their unit on your side of the gate. I think it's ideal to hold the line at the breach, so the enemy's unit has to fight his way through while your archers on the wall have an optimal angle to fire on the troops just outside of the wall.

[TheDarkKnight]

I prefer to place spearmen in a defensive formation at the breach. I don't like charging because if you don't time it perfectly, you can either get caught on the wrong side of the breach, attacked from 3 sides, or you could charge too late and allow the enemy to get most of their unit on your side of the gate. I think it's ideal to hold the line at the breach, so the enemy's unit has to fight his way through while your archers on the wall have an optimal angle to fire on the troops just outside of the wall.

That's what I do too. Plus if you don't forget to put on guard mode the unit will try to charge after retreating units and dozens of men could get stranded in the middle of hundreds of enemy soldiers. Good way to lose a unit really quick.

[Ferdiad]

That's what I do too. Plus if you don't forget to put on guard mode the unit will try to charge after retreating units and dozens of men could get stranded in the middle of hundreds of enemy soldiers. Good way to lose a unit really quick.

The first line I have is always on guard while the reinforcements always have it turned off. Means the enemy is helf off while they get killed far faster than my own men.