Garrison defence - Attila newbie question

[ThorHa]

Some 100 turns into my first Attila campaign as ERE I was recently attacked by a One Province Minor full stack in one level 2 town with a harbour and in one level 2 inland town without a harbour. First battle was 6 garrison units plus 4 marines against 1 1/2 stacks, the other one 6 garrison units against 1 full stack. First battle lost with inflicted losses 1.450 from 3.100 on enemy side, second battle won with may be 250 survivors on enemy side.

So garrisons are really effective, which is hardly a surprise for you veterans out there. But it leaves a question which I have not seen answered yet: Can I count on the following town standard everywhere?

1) Town level 1, no fences, towers at the town entrances

2) Town level 2, fences, towers inside the fences and outside of enemy influence as long as entrance is blocked by own units, walled stone fort in the middle of the settlement with open entrances but the possibility to station troops on the walls

3) Town level 3 would then make which difference???

I try to figure out the minimum of field armies necessary for a given threat in an area. And the survivability of unwalled towns - I have some level 3 at the outskirts of the empire - would be an important factor.

Regards,
Thorsten

[wealthmonger]

1) Town level 1, no fences, towers at the town entrances

2) Town level 2, fences, towers inside the fences and outside of enemy influence as long as entrance is blocked by own units, walled stone fort in the middle of the settlement with open entrances but the possibility to station troops on the walls

3) Town level 3 would then make which difference???

1) For the most part, There's a few maps that might be a little different because of the layout of the city but still close.

2) Again for the most part. Some town centers won't allow you to put units directly on the walls. You can still line them up close to the walls, it's just slightly worse.

3) I'm not sure about the difference. Town level 3 and 4 aren't worth it because of the higher food consumption, I usually keep the cities at level 1. Level 1 and 2 should be adequate to defeat most enemy armies, boosted by a regular army if need be. On the outskirts of your empire you can put higher level cities, downgrade them once their safely behind the front lines.

[ThorHa]

Thanks for the answer but I would still be interested in the layout differences between level 2 and 3 towns. Anyone who could and would answer?

Edit: Question closed. Difference between Level 2 and 3 seems to be that the village now magically is on a kind of hill which has only 3 entrances. All 3 protected by Towers and only accessable on quite narrow pathes uphill. Nice.

Not so nice - a Military Progress for East Rome (Lanciarii Seniores) takes away 1 of the garrison troops. So it´s now 3, 5, 7 for Level 1, 2 and 3 - City as well as Town.

Regards,
Thorsten

[Charbel]

Hi, something is wrong with WRE garrisons, take a look at administration chain, thewre is only one herculani unit, used to be 2 some time ago,

Now look at ERE, same chain have 8(?) units, and several units on lowere levels,

Why? can any attila player comment on that? I tried some other times but no sucess.

[adun12345]

As I understand it, the WRE has to rely on its dedicated "garrison" building chain. These cost food, but if constructed in the right place can give you some very powerful garrisons. The ERE doesn't get a dedicated garrison building chain, but instead receives garrison boosts from several of its other buildings.

[Charbel]

yes and this is terrible. it is unfinished, like ca just started implementing this and forgot it. Attila patches are very lacking so far, dont you feel this way too? and as the time passes it will get even worse till it stops/

[6Bagheera9]

Lvl 4 towns have a complete wall and gate like a mini city, requiring the attacker to invest them or bring onagers. They are very useful for border defense and don't use too much food.

[ThorHa]

Lvl 4 towns have a complete wall and gate like a mini city, requiring the attacker to invest them or bring onagers. They are very useful for border defense and don't use too much food.

Unfortunately no - they are not. The only real dangerous stacks are Hun ones for most of the gamee and for these it´s better they storm immediately, what they do in a Level 3. Even a one turn siege can render some of the arrow towers impotent, but These are the sole reason you can defend a lvl 3 with 8 units against a full stack. Tested - stay away from lvl 4 towns, useless.

Regards,
Thorsten

[6Bagheera9]

That has not been my experience and forcing the attacker to invest the settlement buys you time to send in a couple of stacks to relieve the garrison. I must have chewed through 10 Hunnic armies as the Langobard by baiting them into besieging towns and then mobbing them.

[ThorHa]

Then the AI behaviour is vastly different in your game - as ERE I have never been sieged in a city or a fortified town. If the Huns have catapults they storm immediately anyway (had that happen only once in literally hundreds of encounters), if not, they don´t even lay siege. Might have to do with defence setup though - I had in all cases 1 or more full stacks near (1 turn away).

But I confirm my experience - garrison defence is mostly MORE difficult in a walled town than in a level 3 due to layout reasons. Against large onagers the walls crumble like cakes and are of very little use. I am only talking of later Hun stacks, not of the early ones of course (these are a pushover).

Regards,
Thorsten