Blast those Milanese

**Comte Regnault de Blois** · February 03, 2013, 09:16 AM

Seriously, they can't take a chill pill. They get excommunicated, I create a Crusade AGAINST THEIR CAPITAL!
Denmark, Poland, and France(me) attacking them, they have about 2-3 cities left... And they still won't accept a ceasefire?

I'm getting tired of never COMPLETELY eradicating them. There's always one sneaky little regiment of troops that escapes the siege and then takes one of MY regions.

**totalwar_legend** · February 03, 2013, 09:38 AM

I wiped out the entire milanese force in 1 turn with tiny armies. They're not that tough.

**Comrade Roboto** · February 03, 2013, 10:59 AM

Originally Posted by totalwar_legend

I wiped out the entire milanese force in 1 turn with tiny armies. They're not that tough.

Haha lol. But we're not all mutated super-gamers

.

To answer the question, you could try a mod with a different AI.

**napoleonic** · February 03, 2013, 10:21 AM

I wonder though, what made milan perceived as the master of backstabbing in vanilla game? what was different in the AI code?

**Aeratus** · February 03, 2013, 11:12 AM

Originally Posted by napoleonic

I wonder though, what made milan perceived as the master of backstabbing in vanilla game? what was different in the AI code?

That's a good question. Milan's AI setting is not unique. There are other aggressive catholic factions. My theory is a combination of the following:

1. Italian stereotyping, such as in American gangster films
2. Lack of historical significance (compared to Venice or Sicily)
3. Milan running rampant is a common trend in the game due to how the map is set up (lots of city west of Milan are easy targets)

**shikaka** · February 04, 2013, 03:10 AM

Originally Posted by Aeratus

That's a good question. Milan's AI setting is not unique. There are other aggressive catholic factions. My theory is a combination of the following:

1. Italian stereotyping, such as in American gangster films
2. Lack of historical significance (compared to Venice or Sicily)
3. Milan running rampant is a common trend in the game due to how the map is set up (lots of city west of Milan are easy targets)

Also, they want rebel regions which, when taken by the player, will force a war. (Bern is a good example)
It's the same everywhere btw: if you take Zagreb, Venice will attack you. If you take Sofia, Hungary will attack you. I guess western european nations are more popular, so a Milanese backstab is experienced more then backstabbing Hungary or Poland (but they are the same I think).

**Kaiser Nonsense** · February 04, 2013, 05:46 AM

Originally Posted by Aeratus

That's a good question. Milan's AI setting is not unique. There are other aggressive catholic factions. My theory is a combination of the following:

1. Italian stereotyping, such as in American gangster films
2. Lack of historical significance (compared to Venice or Sicily)
3. Milan running rampant is a common trend in the game due to how the map is set up (lots of city west of Milan are easy targets)

I think you are wrong, there is no stereotyping there.

**Chromium** · February 03, 2013, 11:04 AM

Vanilla Milan AI is notoriously aggressive. It's best to face them in open battle as their units rock at sieges. Set up plenty of spies & watchtowers too.

I'm a bit confused over how anyone can lose a siege against a small force- no matter how good the enemy infantry is. Sieges in Total War games( save Empire) are ridiculously easy. Keep 3 spears & 2 Xbows in every vulnerable city & you can hold off everything save the Mongols & the Timurrids.

**Edward Stark** · February 03, 2013, 02:25 PM

Originally Posted by Chromium

Vanilla Milan AI is notoriously aggressive. It's best to face them in open battle as their units rock at sieges. Set up plenty of spies & watchtowers too.

I'm a bit confused over how anyone can lose a siege against a small force- no matter how good the enemy infantry is. Sieges in Total War games( save Empire) are ridiculously easy. Keep 3 spears & 2 Xbows in every vulnerable city & you can hold off everything save the Mongols & the Timurrids.

Could you eleborate?
How can you hold of an siege with 5 units please explain.
I am new so i am searching for al kind of information.

**Vampiresbane** · February 04, 2013, 01:42 PM

Originally Posted by Edward Stark

Could you eleborate?
How can you hold of an siege with 5 units please explain.
I am new so i am searching for al kind of information.

Assuming he defends the same as me, I tend to put a single melee unit (or a really good hybrid unit) where each ladder/siege tower is coming. Then put as many crossbow/archers on my left flank so they shoot into the weapon side of the enemy, killing as many as possible.

Any leftover melee, I put directly behind the gate to kill anyone that gets through -or- if you're severely outnumbered at the gate, sally a single unit to stop the ram.

Result: you should win every battle at the walls as long as your missiles wear down the attacking numbers (definitely make sure to bring down the numbers of heavy infantry, they'll give your spearmen a hard time), the gate fight can be a toss up, but if you can kill their general or route the attacks on the walls (which then allows you to bring those units to reinforce the gates), the fight should be yours.

Granted I wouldn't recommend using JUST 5 units against a full stack of 20, but you can win outnumbered battles fairly well this way.

**Maklodes** · February 06, 2013, 01:54 AM

From accounts I've read, when humans plays Milan, they often find that everyone else is backstabbing them, and generally acting like Milan does in non-Milan games. Maybe it's in the nature of the borders.

**Comte Regnault de Blois** · February 03, 2013, 11:59 AM

Hmph, now they have allied with Denmark.

both are attacking me

**Eugene of Savoy** · February 03, 2013, 03:28 PM

Early Milan will be aggressive, but after their surge of power their enemies wear them down a lot and they become weaker so I would keep fighting and wait until they collapse

**Kaiser Nonsense** · February 03, 2013, 06:24 PM

Like I told you, don't be noob, keep recruiting, how can you let them take your settlement in the first place, you were supposed to have a garrison, keep recruiting, don't stop ever!

**Vampiresbane** · February 06, 2013, 11:03 AM

For one thing, Milan has a LOT of rebel settlements that nearby factions will fight over. It's probably why Milan gets into so many wars both as the AI and as the human player. (Compare, for instance, Milan to Venice where Venice really only has 2 or 3 - Zagreb, Durazzo, Rhodes)

Metz- both France and HRE want it
Dijon- France wants it
Bern - HRE wants it
Florence - HRE, Venice, Papacy all want it
Ajaccio - Moors, Spanish, Sicily, Papacy all want it
Cagliari - Moors, Spanish, Sicily, Papacy all want it

So you can see, it's extraordinally easy to get into wars with HRE, France, Venice, Moors, Spain, Sicily, and possibly even the Papacy as Milan without even really trying. In fact, there's really no rebel territory Milan can take without pissing someone off unless you're pretty good with setting up alliances ahead of time before you take controversial settlements.