War Wains: A User's Guide
Chariots of Fire!!!
A Guide to War Wains
War Wains are perhaps the Chiefdom of Rhun's signature unit. Without a doubt, they are the most idiosyncratic unit in Dominion of Men: challenging to use – even frustrating at times – but with a barbaric splendor and excess that makes them my favorite special unit in the mod.
I admit the challenge inherent to the Wains' successful use is part of their appeal, to me. But I also recognize that not all players share this perspective. So this guide is intended for anyone who has found the Wains underwhelming, or who just wants to make the best possible use of these saw-toothed fear machines.
First, we'll look at the basics.
Availability
War Wains are recruitable by just a few factions in DoM. The Chiefdom of Rhun gets them at a Warlord's Barracks, the highest level Military Development (MD) building, provided it is built in a province with the 'Horse' resource. (The presence of Horses is also required for training Riders of Rhun, a good unit for the Chiefdom, so it makes sense to establish Military Policies in provinces with, rather than without, Horses.) In practice, you're most likely to see War Wains soonest in Tham, the capital, which begins the campaign with Hosting Halls (third-tier MD), but Amrundor is another likely location, if only because it begins the game with second-tier MD already constructed and isn't especially suitable as a trade province.
Two other factions get access to Wains: The Chiefdom of North Rhun and the Chiefdom of Khand. These factions can train Retainer Wains at the highest-tier MD in Rhun provinces that have the Horse resource. But depending on the course of your campaign, it may be quite some time before you see Wains as one of these factions. Khand begins play allied with Rhun, while North Rhun has troubles of its own with Dale to the west. Retainer Wains are thus likely to be a late-game unit for these factions, but their employment of Wains will be explored below. For the most part, this guide will take the Chiefdom of Rhun to be the assumed faction when considering how to use Wains as part of a battlefield and campaign strategy.
Abilities
Wains bring many useful abilities to the battlefield.
Perhaps most notably, War Wains have a fear effect on infantry units. As with historical chariots, the primary impact of War Wains is psychological. This should not be underestimated. The only other fear-causing regular unit available to the Chiefdom is the Berserkers of Rhun (available at the Fighting Pits Specialization Building), but, as berserkers, they are somewhat unpredictable on the battlefield. (Another fear-causing unit easily available to Rhun is the Dragonshield Rider mercenaries, recruitable in Khand provinces. Unlike Wains and Berserkers, the Dragonshield Riders cause fear to all units – a notable advantage.) Wains can be controlled (with some caveats; see below) to go wherever you need them to start terrifying some enemy units.
The fear effect of Wains is particularly useful in those instances where you attack an enemy, but the foe decides to withdraw from the battlefield before you can come to grips with them. Rushing cavalry toward a retreating (not routing) foe can get some kills, but it can also result in high losses for your cav if a strong infantry unit decides to regroup and fight back. But using Wains alongside your cavalry, pelting spears at the foe from a close distance, allows you to inspire terror in the withdrawing enemy, making them much more likely to rout when your cavalry makes contact.
Above: Wains push withdrawing enemy units into a rout as cavalry cleans up.
Wains are skirmish-capable. In fact, they are the only 'skirmisher cavalry' available to the Chiefdom (at least until you conquer provinces in Khand and begin to train Outriders and, depending on your build choices, other horse archers). But to think of them as skirmisher cavalry is misleading: Wains do not have the speed or maneuverability to act like true mounted skirmishers. To that end, I find it best to keep skirmish turned off at all times. You'll need to micromanage them to some extent, but in practice, this mostly involves establishing a clear line of attack for your Wains and using them in tandem with other units – both infantry and cavalry – rather than rushing them around constantly like other skirmishers. Think of it like this: Your other units block, and your Wains move down the field, sowing fear and expertly-thrown spears among the enemy troops.
The primary attack of War Wains is ranged – the thrown spear, or javelin, with a missile attack value of 18. However, their spears have rather short range: 40 yards, compared to the 60 yards of your Easterling Skirmishers. Still, against mostly- or all-infantry armies, Wains can be very effective at targeting tough, slower foes. And when targeted by enemy cavalry, they can dash away, pelting their pursuers all the while. When the enemy riders catch up, they may find themselves cut to ribbons by the Wains' scythes.
Wains have a melee attack (of 17; charge bonus 20), but this is most useful against cavalry, not infantry. You might think of Wains as anti-cavalry units – to some degree. Well-armed enemy riders – or simply numerous riders – will cause some damage to your Wain-riders. (Harad's Scarlet Shields, as riders both well-armed and numerous, should be approached with special caution.) But against many riders Wains can be devastating, especially when supported by cavalry of your own. This anti-cavalry ability suggests that War Wains can be used as general-killers; and indeed, when the conditions are right, they can excel in this role. With enemy infantry, however, Wains should rarely become involved in melee. One exception could be to charge engaged foes from the side or rear, in order to push them into a rout. But even in such cases, expect your Wains to take some losses.
Characteristics
Both on and off the battlefield, Wains have some characteristics beyond their base abilities that it is important to consider.
Most obviously, Wains are expensive to train/build and keep in the field. Exact recruitment costs vary depending on the traits of the local governor, but expect to spend close to 2,000 mirian even with a good governor, and almost 4,000 without. (This is, in part, why it's a good idea to keep a decent family member of the 'Plainsman' subculture as a governor in Tham, a settlement where you'll be doing a lot of recruiting: Plainsmen, being used to raising large hosts for war, are able to recruit all troops at lower cost.) Upkeep is unaffected by these variables, and is 1,330 per turn. It's easy to see that you'll need a reliable economy before you think about fielding Wains; and in most cases, you may only have 2 or 3 units at any given time.
Wains are also time-consuming to assemble. At worst, it will take 3 turns to train a unit of War Wains; at best, with some generals, it takes 2 turns. This is often not a major concern, but it could be in the case of a sudden war breaking out on a new front: You may not want your chief military city bogged down with Wain recruitment for several turns when you could use that same time to train several units that may be of more immediate use.
On the campaign map, Wains are considered cavalry, so they can move as part of an all-cav army without slowing it down. It is unlikely that you will have an all-cavalry army as Rhun, however, unless you have expanded into Khand's territory, built Tributary Camps, and are training some versatile riders. In practice, you are most liable to use the Wains' strat-map speed while assembling a larger army, for example by sending Wains along with several units of Riders of Rhun and Eastland Raiders to meet up with a larger host. Units travelling together in this way are somewhat less susceptible to bribery by enemy Emissaries, and are better able to fight their way out of unexpected enemy attacks.
On the battlefield, however, Wains are slow – slower than any cavalry units, in fact. Their sluggish speed must be taken into account when facing strong or numerous enemy riders, all of whom can catch up to your Wains. It is also a factor in pre-battle deployment. There is little sense in placing your cavalry behind your Wains, unless they are there to provide support to the Wains themselves.
A related point, also crucial for deployment, is that Wains are cumbersome. They cannot pass 'through' friendly units easily or quickly; if ordered to do so, they will bunch up and wriggle their way around until they make or find a path. For this reason, you don't usually want your Wains behind any other units, unless those units are fast riders who can quickly move out of the way.
War Wains are also unwieldy when it comes to terrain. Trees are an obvious obstacle that must be avoided, and to that end you must avoid fighting in wooded tiles on the campaign map if you wish your Wains to contribute to the battle. One battlefield feature that is not indicated on the campaign map is rocky terrain. Only when you get to the battle map will you be able to survey the field for those troublesome rocks – rocks which your other troops can simply maneuver around, but which will severely impede your Wains. Note that, due to their javelins and fear-causing effect, Wains may still have an impact on the battle even if the unit is struggling through difficult terrain.
Above: Difficult terrain. The enemy will deploy to the left, in the forest. Even if they advance into the open, the ground here is peppered with rocks large enough to hinder the Wains. There is a path, however - an open lane that curls from my left flank out in front of the line.
Of course, the campaign map does not indicate the location of every single forest or copse, and sometimes you'll have no choice but to fight in a heavily forested or rocky area. In those situations, you may choose to simply keep your Wains out of the range of enemies and win the battle with your other troops. The sometimes unpredictable nature of terrain is one reason (among many) why it is unwise to stack an army with many Wain units, or to hang your hopes for victory solely on your Wains.
In actual combat, Wains are vulnerable to both ranged and melee attacks. While their defense (23) and Hit Points (6) are not insignificant, Wains are simply a big target for arrows or enemy mobs. This means you must take steps to protect them before and during a general infantry clash.
Now that we've seen what Wains can and can't do, it's time to see how to use them to best advantage.
Preparing for War
The Chiefdom of Rhun has several development options that can help shore up this unit's weaknesses and augment its strengths.
Advanced Tanneries and Woolmakers (in the Animal Husbandry line of Industry buildings) increase the armour of all units trained or retrained in the province by +1. This requires the Livestock resource and the highest city level to build, making Tham the most likely early location.
Hunting Lodges are a Specialization Building unique to Rhun. They increase the experience of missile and cavalry units – including War Wains – by +1. Hunting Lodges also boost the trade income of the province. These factors make them another good build option for Tham.
Trials of Blood are a cultural conversion building that reinforces the Ways of Darkness in the province. They also add to provincial income and, significantly, add +3 experience to units trained there. You'll want to build this line of buildings in every settlement, including Tham.
(Note: Rhun is one of a few factions that can choose which alignment to pursue; in this case, the Ways of Darkness or the Ways of the Shadow Cult. If you want to use Wains, you'll need to remain true to the Ways of Darkness, as turning to the Cult (by building more Cultic conversion buildings in your chiefdom than Ways of Darkness conversion buildings) will replace Wains with other Cultic units.)
With all the above developments, we are adding a total of 7 experience and 1 armour to our Wains – a significant improvement!
Army Composition
More than any other unit, War Wains require coordination with all elements in a host: missile, melee, and cavalry.
Precise army composition will vary depending on many considerations, including access to unit production, enemy units, and terrain. But overall, an army of Rhun that intends to make best use of Wains will include the following elements:
Long-range units, such as Easterling Archers and/or slingers. If I have a good infantry force and don't expect a lot of enemy archers, around 4 archers/slingers are a good amount. These units' job is to disrupt enemy missile units, essentially 'screening' my infantry, cavalry, and Wains.
Skirmishers – 2 units, one for each flank. Send these troops forward so they can occupy or harass enemy infantry, though they often become a target for enemy riders. That's ok: if the positioning works out, a 'feint' advance of skirmishers can draw enemy cavalry out of position, giving you time to rush your Wains (and other cavalry) forward and take out these riders by thrown spear or charge.
Dependable infantry – say 6 units of Easterling Axemen or better. Eastland Darkhelms, Spearmen of Rhun, Great Axes of Rhun, Variag Mercenaries, and Blackland Mercenaries all qualify for this role. These soldiers will come to grips with the enemy infantry while your Wains and cavalry flank.
Support infantry – around 3 units of second-rank fighters such as the Easterling Warband, any local levies that qualify as melee infantry, or Berserkers of Rhun. The Berserkers should be held in reserve due to their lack of protection against arrows; they and the weaker troops can flank or deal with threats that have broken through the line.
Riders – ideally 2 or more Riders of Rhun, along with 1 or 2 units of spear-armed cavalry like Eastland Raiders or mercenary Rhovanion Riders. Extra family members can also act in this capacity. You need enough strong riders to accompany your Wains and fight off stubborn enemy riders or infantry, drive off enemy archers hanging around in the back, and join your Wains on charges against the enemy general.
A good general. Ideally a Competent Commander or better, but other traits can often compensate for a general of Poor or lower quality. Look for traits that increase the chances of casualties recovering from their wounds or that increase your troops' morale. And ensure your generals are Well Supplied by moving carefully when in enemy territory (not using all movement points; ending turns in fertile ground; winning battles). As for subculture, a Highlander or Borderlander general (offering command bonuses when leading infantry or fighting Northmen, respectively) can bring an edge to the right kind of fight; Southerners (command bonus when leading riders) are less likely to see an advantage, given the predominance of infantry.
That leaves room for 1 unit of War Wains, which I find to be plenty. Managing Wains is harder than managing horse archers; two or more units may require more attention than you like.
Regional Considerations
Now that you can build the most effective War Wains and combine them with a fearsome army, you'll want to know where they can be put to best use.
Broadly speaking, Rhun is adjacent to 4 theatres of war: Khand and the deserts to the south; Mordor; Rhovanion to the west; and North Rhun.
In terms of terrain, the first two theatres are perhaps best suited for your Wains: trees are fewer in Khand and Mordor, and the lands are generally flat. You also may have better luck finding ground that is rock-free than in the northern theatres.
In terms of foes, however, Wains have the greatest impact against low-morale, low-armor infantry and weak cavalry. They should be kept away from archers and horse archers at all costs. Khand, therefore, can be a deadly place for your Wains to fight: The men of Khand train plenty of horse archers that can stay well out of reach of Wains and destroy them from afar. Khand also fields lots of foot archers, which can be just as much of a threat. If you intend to bring Wains against Khand, you'll want to bring along plenty of your own archers and mercenary slingers to counter enemy missiles, and only advance your Wains once the horse archers have been scattered. Of course, by that point, you've likely won the battle already.
Mordor is occupied by Adunabar, a kingdom that favours strong infantry. These soldiers tend to have good morale, and are often accompanied by dangerous foot archers. Wains can be a great help here, as long as you support them with your own riders and keep enemy archers occupied. On the other hand, without strong infantry of your own, the Wains can only do so much.
Perhaps the most dramatic impact of your Wains can be made against the folk of Rhovanion and North Rhun. Both factions field infantry of similar strength and morale to your own, and Rhovanion fields light cavalry that can be ripped to shreds by Wains. The challenge is choosing a battlefield that will allow you to bring your Wains to bear without getting hampered by unfriendly terrain.
That brings us to the next section of this guide:
Deployment Strategies
The Campaign Map
Obviously, use the campaign map to cue you in to the nature of the terrain on which you will fight. Avoid tree-covered lands and aim for relatively open-looking spots to park your army or attack your foe.
Roads are your friend. An army that actually intends to use its Wains consistently will soon learn to follow the roads. The reason is simple: even if the terrain is covered with trees or rocks, roads offer clear paths on the battle map that are wide enough for your Wains to follow. If you've ever been frustrated at having to keep your Wains out of the fight due to difficult terrain (as I have), you'll love the fact that roads offer these units a guaranteed clear route. So, on the campaign map, march your army on the roads (or at least end your turn on a roadway), and build roads in border provinces that are likely to see some fighting.
Above: This dirt road offers the only clear path forward to the enemy for Wains. To either side, the ground is rocky and uneven.
Above: A stone road allows these Wains to meet up with allied reinforcements ahead, while other troops can advance through the rock-strewn high ground to the left. In the distance, Dale's army draws into a defensive position.
The Battle Map
Battle-map deployment is critical for using War Wains effectively. Fail to deploy them correctly, and you may find yourself unable to reposition them in time, thanks to their unwieldy nature.
The first consideration should be terrain. Are there lots of trees or rocks? If you fought on a road, this is less of a concern (depending on the direction of the enemy). Is there a wheat field nearby? Such fields are also open ground for Wains, potentially offering another path.
Second, consider how the rest of your army will deploy. Typically, I put missile troops out front, with skirmishers slightly behind and on the flanks of the longer-range archers and slingers. Infantry forms up at some distance behind them, in 2 ranks, with the stronger troops in the front line and Warband/Berserkers in the rear. The general is often centered behind the second line, with riders on one or both flanks (depending on the presence of enemy cavalry).
Wains should go on the flank. I deploy them slightly behind the infantry lines, with support cavalry nearby – often on the outside of the Wains, but sometimes just behind them. Riders of Rhun can accompany the Wains; lighter riders may take the opposite flank, or follow the Wains at distance.
In Battle
Keep your Wains back until battle has been joined by your melee infantry. At that point you should be able to determine how the battle is going – what enemy units are waiting to engage, where the enemy cavalry is headed, etc. From here you can move your Wains forward, with the support cavalry nearby, driving along the flanks of the enemy and targeting riders who try to outflank.
The goal is to get your Wains into the rear of the battle, where their fear effect can be augmented by charges from your support cavalry. As long as your infantry isn't losing, the combined morale drop – made even greater by the destruction and chaos caused by Berserkers – can lead to a mass rout.
But pictures are better. In the next post, I'll include some images from battles involving Wains. These should give some idea of how I deploy and use these units as part of a full army.
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I shall pass this intelligence on to the High Command in Dale...
Originally Posted by CountMRVHS
