Ambush Tactics

[Ticu]

I recently ambushed an invading Danish Army. It had slightly more troops than my army, but they could not form up and they were restricted to their marching positions. I on the other hand was able to move my troops anywhere I wished (including behind them). Since this was the first time I really ambushed in M2TW, I decided to try placing all the archers in the back with a couple of infantry units and all my cavalry while the rest of my force charged from the front. I hoped that while the enemy was in combat with my main force, my archers would shoot their backs and my cavalry could charge into the rear. The plan failed horribly, to my embarrassment, for the entire enemy force just charged my archers and destroyed them before I could render assistance.

Anyway, I was wondering what the ideal plan could be when ambushing. What tactic will finish off the enemy quickly and professionally, without having too many troops lost?

[Douchebag]

I use cannons. I usually have like...5 units of Basilisk(however you spell it), and bomb **** out of them. Then I make a direct charge with my cavalry.

EDIT: by that time, your enemies will probably feel 'scared' and start running away; reducing casualties.

[Faust Gottes]

You need to remember that an ambush battle will usually be fought in the forest. Your archers are not nearly as effective in the woods, so you can't rely too heavily on them. The nice thing about an ambush is that the enemy forces are in disarray, so hit them fast and hard. I usually line my forces up as close to the enemy's position as possible and then put all of my cavalry behind them in hiding. Charge the front lines forward, as soon as contact is made, charge them from the rear with my cavalry. But of course this strategy is contingent upon the composition of the opposing army...

[Zhou]

I like what Faust said. Line up your infantry to one side and hit them while charging their rear with cavalry. If you don't have enough cavalry, just use infantry on both sides. The only problem is that you better have good quality troops and not ones that will route easily or you will probably lose against a more elite enemy army.

[Serious Spamurai]

Ambushes in this game are so much better than in rome, I haven't had an ambush yet in which my men couldn't feasably hide, In rome i had so many ambushes in open plains with about 3 trees for cover it was rediculous. As for tactics I place my cavalry on one side and my infantry on the other, either way they get caught from behind and destroyed.

[coreally]

I place my infantry in the centre with my archers & general as bait. They can see him anyway, so he might aswell be of some use. Then I split my cavalry into two forces, and have them close to the edge of the forest. The enemy moves against my centre group, and my cavalry can attack from the flanks or rear, depending on their army makeup. Generally my cavalry is there to deal as much damage to their heavy cavalry units, and to take out their general while my infantry holds the enemy spear/infantry units.

[Habelo]

I just simple charge them from 2 sides, works for me.(Well remember having the your strongest units on their front and back)

[Mooncabbage]

Trying to ambush is such a waste of time, your dudes trigger an ambush so rarely its not worth the effort.

Solution: Smaller, more civ like campaign map (reversing the trend for larger maps, which rarely actually feature any MORE, and tend to make movement of armies even less strategic.) I mean, how often do you actually pay attention to where your troops are moving?

[Faust Gottes]

I mean, how often do you actually pay attention to where your troops are moving?

Never. I hit the spacebar key and let my troops run where ever they want. That has come back to bite me a couple of times, but then who has the time to watch as your armies plod along at a snail's pace...

[{***}Gen.ALW{***}]

While on the topic of ambush tactics, its also handy to keep in mind defence against being ambushed. How do you counter being ambushed?

For me I usuially like to have a box-like formation. Pike units on the flanks, heavies in the rear, weakies up front, artilery units in the middle, and strength allowing ill hide a cav unit or two out as far as i can from the main formation on the strongest side. I like the pikes on the side because you can almost always count on a cav charge from the flanks or rear in an ambush situation. The heavies in the rear for the same reason, and also incase the main assult hits the weaker units hard you can send them right across the box to help out as needs be. i also like to keep the cav units out of the formation for obvious menuvering advantages, as cav units are ment for. But keeping them on the strong side as opposed to the weak side is for disposing of enemy units quickly and relitively bloodlessly (for me of course), so that my heaviest units are freed up to have free movement on the field. Thats my standard defensive position when being ambushed. Of course, thats all depending on what the enemy has. If they have 4 units of artilery, no way am I packing that close. Whats yours?

[Fetchez la Vache]

Ambushes seem to be much easier to initiate in M2TW c.f. RTW. I managed them more times in a single game now than my entire time playing RTW.

I charge from both sides myself, infantry one side, cav the other.

However the enemy's deployment box needs to be smaller imo so you can get your troops closer to make that first charge more effective.

[smitty]

While I haven't had very many ambushes myself (very very few), my ideal tactics would be very similar to Fetchez la Vache, or that of Saladin's in the Battle of Arsuf I believe. A basic set up like Fetchez is to rush up to the enemy on one flank with infantry to get them engaged. Once the enemy facing and fighting your infantry come in with your cavalry from their former flank now rear and crush them. This should destroy big numbers of units as well as cause a very quick rout throughout the entire enemy line. If you're using archers, follow tactics as laid out by Saladin by placing your archers on covered, high ground and shoot down into the enemy as your forces engage. I would place the archers on the higher elevation flank along with your cavalry and a few spearmen a safe distance away so they have cover if the enemy charges at them instead of the infantry. Make sure they are hidden though so the enemy is first distracted by the infantry and you shouldn't have many problems. To have fewer casualties caused by your own archers on your infantry make charges to the front and back of the enemy line while showering arrows upon the middle line of the enemy.

[Ticu]

Should you put your archers behind your infantry?

[SPARTAN VI]

Should you put your archers behind your infantry?

Depends on the situation. I typically put my missile units up front and on the wings of the formation. Otherwise they'll try to fire a shot over the moon.

As for ambushes, I've only pulled off one and got ambushed a handful of times by the Danes and once by rebels. I'm sure it wasn't their intent, they just happened to be moving through the forests.

[Trajan]

Moved to Battle Planning.