Bridge Battles

[Edratman]

I only play SP, but I am curious if you can win a bridge battle scenario as the attacker against a human opponent. My experience is that I have never lost a defensive battle at a bridge, even against 8 to 1 odds if I had minimal proper forces, such as 2 units of spearmen and a few archers just to pepper the bridge with arrows.
I have also beaten the AI at bridges (not always), at considerable cost, but only because the AI does not position spearman at the mouth of the bridge.

[Inferno]

Against a competent opponent, I think you would need:

A) To outnumber them at least 3 to 1 in numbers
B) Have superior troops all round (type/morale/valour)

Otherwise you would lose.

This is my humble opinion.

[Maelstrom]

I'm not sure it is so cut and dried.

I lost to the AI whilst I was defending a bridge. It only outnumbered me about 2 to 1, and I had a couple of units of spearmen while he had a hoard of Steppe Cavalry. It should have been simplicity itself, but his units were fighting to the last man while mine would rout. Leadership may have been an issue.

Eventual losses were about even. Still not sure how it happened....

[Inferno]

Quote[/b] (Maelstrom @ Nov. 13 2002,12:30)]I'm not sure it is so cut and dried.

I lost to the AI whilst I was defending a bridge. It only outnumbered me about 2 to 1, and I had a couple of units of spearmen while he had a hoard of Steppe Cavalry. It should have been simplicity itself, but his units were fighting to the last man while mine would rout. Leadership may have been an issue.

Eventual losses were about even. Still not sure how it happened....
Player vs Player would (obviously) be in MP. So leadership would not come into it. That is how the question was asked.

Additionally, note the word "competent" in my post? If someone did pick garbage units (like 16 peasants) to defend with, yeah you might win, but competent players don't do that http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[ShadeFlanders]

I have managed it in MP against a human opponent once, both crossed the bridge and won the battle. But it was one looooooooooooooooong battle.

[Nobunaga0611]

Yup I took part in a MP bridge battle. It was a 3v3, we (the attackers) had about 2k more florins a piece to work with. Besides that, there was a 45 minute time limit. It was a tough battle, had 2 different bridges....this helped us a bit since they couldn't just focus on one point, which is practically impossible to beat in a 3v3 with competent people. Anyways, it came down to the wire, literally and ended on the time limit. I guess in MP bridge battles the side with the most forces left after the time limit wins. I was suprised at this. It was just a matter of time before our few remaining cav units got behind the enemy, but we didn't have time to work with. This was before the patch. I think it could possibly be easier now, since its easier to break spear units, and one unit routing on a bridge would start every unit behind it to rout as well.

[Edratman]

Thanks for the replies.
I have yet to experience the lower strengths of spearmen, but that is because I am only up to 1125 in my first post patch campaign. I have only had two defensive bridge battles so far and my spearmen held up very well. But thanks for the warning.

[Orda Khan]

It is very possible to win a bridge battle, even against a competent opponent and with the same koku..er...I mean florins. Just as there are competent defenders there are competent attackers

But time limit? That sucks

....Orda

[Edratman]

Orda,
Good perspective. Everyone has now answered what I wanted to know, if a skilled player could overcome the bridge obstacle. Many thanks.

One additional thought now. When a skilled attacker is facing a bridge battle are you optimistic or merely hopeful?

I am merely an average player and don't anticipate palying MP, the AI is adequately challenging for me.

[Vanya]

GAH

Vanya has never lost a bridge battle online. The number of such engagements is between half and a full dozen -- all of them fought during the Shoggy era. Vanya finds bridge battles very easy, not because they are cakewalks, but because they require no tactical forethought. You pretty much just have to cross the bridge and smash some heads. Anything less and you lose for sure. Now, the reasoning behind Vanya's approach to this whole issue is at the very core of Vanya's success. But, you don't need to know it to be successful, or even use it. So, Vanya sez... cross the bridge with a clear conscience; if you should find yourself in a green field, surrounded by heads with the smell of tantalizing spices in the air... worry not, for you are already dead and your head is marinating in the pot

GAH

[shingenmitch2]

Orda,

I disagree... I've won many bridge attacks, but invariably against lesser opponents who've made mistakes.

A smart defender who knows how to defend a bridge and pick troops should beat a smart attacker.

I've beaten the best players more than once on normal maps (and lost many times as well http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/rolleyes.gif ), but I would expect to lose to those same players EVERY time in a bridge attack.

[YunDog]

No-one used to play the bridge maps in STW, because its was usually hosted by some camper - making it tough but not impossible to win - but the main reason is they are increadibly boring http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/rolleyes.gif

[EuroLord]

Hi all,

I agree, bridge battles, just like mountainous battles are a bore. Only played a bridge battle once and that was by accident, online and never did it again.

EuroLord

[Jaret]

*heh*

I like mountain and bridge battles so far ... in SP anyway.
If you have to cross a bridge vs. a strong defender bringing some siege engines might be a nice idea. Set them up on your side o the river as close to the river as possible ... set them to fire at will ... support them with some Longbows or Arbalesters ... clear the mouth of the bridge with some artillery bombardment. Send skirmishers ahead to secure the mouth or to lure defenders into range of your artillery/archers. Worked for me so far http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif .

[Azrael]

Hey Guys,

Crossing the bridge is hard to do. In an MP battle one clever attacker lined up some heavy duty artillery by the riverbank.

I would have been sunk, but was saved by one of my co-defenders being so hard, that he felt no need to block the enemies attempts to cross the bridge and was happy to engage his full army on the other side.

This threw everyone for a wobbley. Carnage ensued. It's all a red blur, until the next thing I realised, my troops were on the attacking bank, all enemies routing.

Bridge battles can be stalemates, or can turn out really interesting.

One of the fun things about MP is you're never really 100% sure how the Enemy is going to react.

Azrael

[hoom]

My computer is not even powerful enough to run multiplayer (button grays out a few seconds after loading the main menu http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/frown.gif ) but I would imagine that siege weapons would be a major help in successfully attacking a bridge.
Nevertheless, bridges are hard.

[Azrael]

Hey Arse,

Mine does that too. Greys out when the main menu pops up.

There's a reason for that. It's because your not connected to the internet.

Connect to the internet before you start the game.

Then start MTW. You should find that Multiplayer remains selectable. It should not Grey Out.

Hopefully the Multi-Player playground is now open to you.

If this doesn't work, go to the Apothecary and post your Machine's specs. They'll tell you if it's your machine or something else.

Hope it all works for you.

Azrael

[hoom]

ROFL http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/redface.gif
My PC is definitely below the specs required for MP, but maybe now I can actually try...