It's Help a Newbie Day

[ChiTownKid]

Hello. I've just recently started getting into M:TW, and I am completely overwhelmed. I'm playing as the English, and I don't even know where to begin. I would assume I want to make a priority of gaining control over Scotland and Ireland, and then expanding into Europe proper, but damn if I know what to do to get the ball rolling.

I've tried to read through the manual, but it's hard to understand without a functional knowledge of the game. Problem is, it's hard to get functional knowledge of the game when I don't know what the hell I'm doing.

Can anyone point me in the right direction? A FAQ for newbs or maybe some pointers of what to do the first few turns...
My first thought was to start building forts in all provinces that don't have them, and jack up the taxes until loyalty starts dipping below 100%. Beyond that, I'm clueless.

Can anyone help give me a jumpstart?

Many thanks.

[Gaius Julius]

Welcome Chi http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wave.gif
Go to the Main Hall, Table of Contents.
Lots of great info.
Also, you might want to checkout newbie guide, a topic started by alby. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[rasoforos]

i believe your best strategy with the english is to deploy a quite large naval force early and deploy ships in every sea area around you , make sure that you take advandage of independent provinces in the mainland ( sweden is also a good idea) , once you are finanacially strong enough you can take over scotland , however i ussually establish claims in the mainland. after that expand your commerce ( by placing ships everywhere) and plan a campaign against someone ( the almos are the best candidates)

[LadyAnn]

I may repeat some of the info available somewhere else. Here is my opinion of playing English. I am ssuming you are in Early Era.

1. In general, build a fort in every province is a good thing. It lower the chance of rebellion; Plus some economic activities also required fort.

2. Increase tax a much as possible. However, it might be a good thing to boost loyalty beyond 125% first by not going to very high immediately. Opinion varies on this. Reason is that once loyalty is above 120%, the chance of rebellion is considerably lowered.

3. Also, consider not taxing all province the same. For example, a province with low income, say 100 Fl., taxed to the max would still yield only 120 Fl. Doesn't worth the garrison to keep it happy. A province of 600 Fl. base income taxed at very hight gives an extra 120 bucks.

4. Appoints only 4-accumen governors. Don't bother with 3, keep waiting until you get some good. province with many resources to sell should have your best governor. Even give him the office of Chamberlain, boosting his accumen and the province's wealth even more. This follows the strategy #3 above: spend maximum effort on where it matters most.

5. Diplomatically, you should ally with Germany and Spain, as often as you could. The French is your target, so don't try too hard on allying with them, or it would be a bit bad to attack them later. (Just a bit http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif ).

6. Don't try to take Scotts and Irish before the French threat is gone. If France is agressive and already push you out of the continent, then fortify the landbridge and take on the Scotts. But if you could hold on to your land on the continent, then be a thorn to France. The reason for not taking on Ireland and Scotland too early is because France would attack you and you won't have resources to fight 2 wars. The Scott and Irish are also rebellious. That's only my opinion, you probably should follow your heart.

6. Build up the economy, with eyes toward detering France to attack you, of course. Build ports (only in place where you have resources to sell, not everywhere) and build merchant houses there, build shipwright, build ships. You may even be possible to have shipyards in two provinces, speed up the strategy of flooding the seas with your ships.

7. Plan a crusade against infidels. Crusade is a powerful tool, because you are in the corner. Not only you may gain control of foreign lands, you may pass by France, Germany, Spain or Italy on the way to a crusade point, pickup their troops, reduce their strength.

8. Plan the building effort, don't just build things only because you could. Make each province specialize on something, especailly if a province has a bonus for building certain troops. For instance, if you have a province that has shipwright or dock, it may be not a good idea to build spearmaker there as well. It takes 3 years to build a ship and you want as many ship as possible, leaving you no time to train any spearmen and the spearmaker building is just useless. In provinces that I want to produce spears, I upgrade spearmaker to spear workshop and spear guild, etc. as soon as possible. Some provinces has both spears and horse breeder because some units require both. This is to bring you up the tech tree as fast as you could.

9. Some may advice you to build watch tower before or right after building fort. I usually don't do that until necessary. Always build borderfort right after building watchtower. Borderfort helps take out the spies and assassins. Build borderfort as soon as possible on provinces that have ports. Spies and assassins love to travel by boats.


Annie

[SmokWawelski]

Some people say that Ile de France (sp) is the key province to the French. If you can take it they are in bad shape...

[Exile]

be sure to garrison your provs that border other factions, you dont want to get attacked early on.

dedicate each prov to a certain function - one to make archers, one to make spearmen, one to make ships, high income provs to trading/farming, etc.

your first target should be a nuetral country (gray)

good luck

[Mr. Juice]

Well, here's Mr. Juice's general strategy...

1. Build up your economy
Put farm improvements in any province that makes 200 or more. Put Trading Posts in any province with 2 or more tradable goods.

2. Build up your military
Once your economy is rolling, build watch towers, border forts and forts. Crank out some spearmen, archers, and urban militia. (also, this can be done in any province that makes less than 200 from the start.)

3. Make alliances with anyone you don't want to attack or anyone you don't want attacking you.

4. Harrass the neighbors
Weak rebel provinces are ideal, but any weak neutral territory will do. The money you get from conquering will only help your war machine. Once you are surrounded by allies, concentrate on teching up.

[MacGregor]

Only a small bit of advice for someone playing the English:

Never trust the French

Actually never trust any faction for that matter even if your allied with them it doesn't gurantee they won't turn on you.

[Shahed]

Try these links:

Special Buildings (http://www.totalwar.org/cgi-bin/forum/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=15;t=3002)

The Doomsday Books (http://www.totalwar.org/cgi-bin/forum/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=7;t=3556)

Morale Modifiers (http://www.totalwar.org/cgi-bin/forum/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=15;t=3435)

Respawn's Newb Player Guide (http://www.respawn.co.uk/modules.php?name=Sections&sop=viewarticle&artid=44)

Tips for attacking (http://www.totalwar.org/ubb/Forum7/HTML/003065.html)

Unofficial FAQ (http://pub24.ezboard.com/fshoguntotalwarfrm5.showMessage?topicID=2651.topic)

Hope these help http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wave.gif

EDIT: the tech tree is pretty dense, so make sure you select a plan before you start building. Don't try and build everything in one area. Specialize your provinces into economy, navy, special agents, troop production. Subdivide troop production into artillery and missile (u can subdivide these late in game), defensive units, attack infantry, cavalry.

Now u needs some land to build all this. Playing as England you can take 4 ways to achieve this:

1. The homelands first approach. Conquer the Island first.

2. France first approach. Destroy the French first. Remember to make this very quick, less than 3-year campaign if possible, or you risk excomm by the interfering Pope.

3. Crusades first approach. Launch Crusades to the Muslim lands. If you take this route, capture the richest provinces first i.e. Antioch, Egypt, Tripoli. Palestine is prestigious but cannot compete economically with the others. Spain is a great Crusading target too with its weapon capable provinces and it's standard good income provinces (Naturally attack the Almos). Morocco & Algeria are good too. I try for Antioch first usually, richest but difficult to reinforce province.

4. Combination of 1, 2 & 3.

Good Luck http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[desdichado]

My approach with the English in first few turns is this.

1. Building - border fort, +20% farm, fort, town militia.

This keeps povinces relatively happy and often gets your king the builder virtue (this is pretty standard for most factions). Once completedd build spearmaker & bowmaker.

castles, swordsmiths and spear workshops if you have the money as if you can get feudal seargeants and maa you will have an advantage over the predominatly peasant, urban milita armie of your nearest enemies.

2. military - bribe Welsh army - costs about 2,000 florins but you get longbow units (3 or 4 I can't remember). Get some spearmen units and add to royal knights and longbows and invade Scotland. Keep longbows behind spearmen and hit clansmen in flanks with cavalry after they engage your main line. Make sure you outnumber them

Build up your army on continent - France WILL attack and you have to be ready. Ignoe their nice overtones about respecting your holdings, they are eyeing them off from the first turn in my opinion. Always take out Brittany first as this province is cut off from main French holdings and you don't wan't them hanging about in your rear

Take navarre if you can get it althought the Spanish want it as well so try and ally with them.

Trade/Fleets - don't worry too much about this in the first 30-40 years as it costs a lot to setup - especially the fleet and you need plenty of ships to get to the lucrative mediterranean. Besise if you spend too much money on ships, merchants you won't be able to build your army and france will squash you (and I am talking from experience).

I'll let you figure the rest out for yourself. Enjoy

[Knight_Yellow]

Heres a thought buy scotland do not invade it trust me heres 2 good reasons why:

U will loose over 300 men anytime u try to invade cos us scotts r so damned hard (u actualy will so dont)

u get to use the scottish highlanders without having to kill their dads to get them.

a guilty conscience is a vry dangerous thing indeed.

[Gregoshi]

Hey ChiTownKid, is that a welcome or what I think even I could manage the English with all that advice.

You Gents and Lady are the best http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/pat.gif

[ChiTownKid]

Hell yes.

Thank you so much, everyone.

That was more than I could have hoped for

http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/pat.gif

[Shahed]

thats what forums are for http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/joker.gif http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[HopAlongBunny]

Only thing I might add to what's here: you have one province that gives +1v to Billmen; make sure you have everything you need to start production asap. Billmen are your #1 special unit; they do it all and they do it better http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif Get them Use them But most of all LOVE them http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[Frederik III]

I'd personnally trust the French. If they attack you, it may not be a bad idea to give them back the provinces that are theirs, anyway.

But Maybe I don't have an objective point of view... http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

Welcome anyway, ChiTownKid.

[Theodoret]

If you are playing the English in the Early Period you can sometimes grab Navarre if you are quick. It not only provides upgraded weapons for your troops, but also denies them to a rival (usually Spain or the Almohads). I tend to ally with the French early in the game and concentrate on conquering the British Isles and setting up trade routes. I usually wait until the 1130s/40s before attacking the French, although it is worth having a large army on the continent before then so you can capitalise on any rebellions. When fighting the French my main targets are Brittany and Flanders as these have the greatest strategic significance. A third target to conquer if the opportunity presents itself is Toulose, giving you a Mediteranean trading port and a springboard for a later invasion of Aragon.