Multiplayer Spike Trap

**severdhope** · January 01, 2007, 08:19 PM

I began using a new tactic against cavalry heavy armies involving the archer stakes. For this I use the Turk, as most players overlook the fact that Janissary archers can deploy stakes and don't watch for them. For this to work you also have to hide them and convince the enemy that a frontal charge will be successful, to keep him from outflanking instead. What you do is postition you Janissary archers behind a vulnerable unit, such as light infantry or my favorite is the Ottoman infantry. Deploy the stakes after both units are lined up (you will get a weird shape if you try to deploy the 'bait' after the stakes). Simply retreat when the cavalry comes close and enjoy!

This battle, I had to go on offensive anyway and won by routing the Portuguese. I didn't get to play with the trap, but don't expect to get to use it everytime. It is still a good visual for how to hide them.

This is the aftermath of 4 units of heavy cavalry. I had only the archers and a whole bunch of my own heavy cavalry in this one. I had my cavalry go far off to the side to 'expose' my archers, which led to this little massacre. Unfortunately I didn't pack any infantry, and he had a lot of heavy spears.

This works best against heavy-cavalry based armies. However, don't forget to pack enough tropps to take out the rest of his army too! I will have to experiment to find the right balance of 'appearing' vulnerable and 'being' vulnerable.

**Serious Spamurai** · January 02, 2007, 08:44 AM

LOL, neccesity is the mother of invention. The need to see cavalry killed due to the players lack of observation leads to this

. If only they introduced a webcam into multiplyer so you could see your opponents face when his line of heavy cav got skewered. Against some players it might not work, but if they aren't paying attention and are expecting to sweep you away this could prove a game winner. With english they might get more overconfident thinking you are a noob for not deploying stakes. Truly one of the best uses i've seen for stakes.

**Shaio** · January 02, 2007, 07:41 PM

talk about winning via your enemies mistakes, have you won with this? and if so how many times and how well?

**severdhope** · January 06, 2007, 05:15 AM

I have 3 wins out of 4 while using it. However, only two of those times, did the enemy come to me and meet the spikes and I lost the first one. The time I won and impaled the enemy, and packed up on more missile cav and heavy infantry and routed him fairly successfully.