Handing over a siege - start from scratch?

[Tora]

Due to the glaringly obvious ZOC problems in Attila, I've been quicksaving before attempting any manoeuvre near enemy stacks/settlements. While besieging a city using more than one stack, it seems to be impossible to hand over the leading role to another stack without setting the clock back to the beginning, highly annoying when you've sat there for about 10 turns and are on the verge of taking it, and may have to start all over again.

I'd have hoped that it would have been straightforward to just change shifts and give the lead units some R&R, but I'm guessing that this has always been the case in TW games and I've only just noticed it due to having to tread on eggshells, so to speak.

[RGA]

If you have another stack nearby, you can simply swap unit between it and the besieging one. Only general units couldn't be exchanged.

[Tora]

If you have another stack nearby, you can simply swap unit between it and the besieging one. Only general units couldn't be exchanged.

Yes, that was my tactic all the time; encamp one horde to replenish losses and transfer full units to the main besiegers, but unfortunately after 4 winters the general's unit was getting dangerously low in number. I see no reason why the general's unit can't be exchanged and replenished too.

[Slaists]

Yes, that was my tactic all the time; encamp one horde to replenish losses and transfer full units to the main besiegers, but unfortunately after 4 winters the general's unit was getting dangerously low in number. I see no reason why the general's unit can't be exchanged and replenished too.

And why would you lay siege for 4 winters?

[Tora]

And why would you lay siege for 4 winters?

Probably because Anacopia could hold out for 18 turns, was fully staffed and being reinforced by sea, and wouldn't start losing any men to attrition before 16 turns. I didn't fancy my 'green' troops chances either by direct assault or auto resolve until able to create a 3rd army on the 14th turn, by which time 4 winters had passed. It only needs 13 turns to incorporate 4 winters. Could have been worse, could have left it until a 5th winter.

[Slaists]

Probably because Anacopia could hold out for 18 turns, was fully staffed and being reinforced by sea, and wouldn't start losing any men to attrition before 16 turns. I didn't fancy my 'green' troops chances either by direct assault or auto resolve until able to create a 3rd army on the 14th turn, by which time 4 winters had passed. It only needs 13 turns to incorporate 4 winters. Could have been worse, could have left it until a 5th winter.

You run a high risk of a disease eating your army up by staying in a siege that long.

For one, you can gradually destroy the defenders by bombarding the town on each turn (you need at least one onager for this). Assault the town on your turn; do the damage your ammo allows and withdraw (onager first; otherwise it can get captured by the defenders). This will result in a draw. The next turn: come back and damage the town (and garrison) further. Soon the town will be a ruin with severe battle penalties for the defenders. On top of that, there will be no towers.

[Tora]

Sounds too much like hard work but anyway I got there eventually, didn't have much else to do and there wasn't an onager to be had anywhere for love nor money. Mrs Attaces had insisted we stopped wandering and settled down somewhere and had set her heart on a nice little seaside town. The disease came after I'd taken the city, for nearly 3 years. (Why do plagues go on so long now?)

[Slaists]

Sounds too much like hard work but anyway I got there eventually, didn't have much else to do and there wasn't an onager to be had anywhere for love nor money. Mrs Attaces had insisted we stopped wandering and settled down somewhere and had set her heart on a nice little seaside town. The disease came after I'd taken the city, for nearly 3 years. (Why do plagues go on so long now?)

To have an "impact" I guess. Plagues in this time in history used to wipe out whole regions permanently. Byzantine emperors had to invite Slav tribes to re-populate areas cleaned out by plagues in Greece. Some of the clearly Slavic village names in Peloponnese serve as a testimony to this.

Anyway, on 6x forward speed those wall bombardments don't take that long. You don't need to go slow as the enemy does not sally from a walled settlement. Within a few turns you basically can have a field battle instead of an assault as most towers will be killed both by your bombardment and the automatic siege investment.