Oaty
09-02-2003, 05:17
I'm gonna state things that I have learned on defending castles and hope some other people got some good advice they can share
Deployment zone for those of you who don't know you can actually deploy units within those bamboo sticks outside of the castle not just within the castle walls themselves. Heres where you can use that to your advantage. Horse arches ewww did they ever wreak havoc in one of my battles. I deployed them out side the castle and for a while skirmished around the castle wall for a while until they got trapped between 2 units and the castle wall while another unit was trying to breach the gate. the worst part (at least for the comp) the horse archers routed 1 unit and the horseys got routed by the other unit that stayed and fought so I have 10 horses routing trying to get back in the gate unfortunately there was someone trying to breach the gate so they kept on running around in front of the gate weaving in and out of all the enemy units wich caused major disturbances and made all available units they had trying to chase these routers wich was quite hilarious I had to laugh as this had brought all there units within the range of the castle wall archers. They finally narrowed them down to 2 units wich finally got back in the gate after it was breached and no enemy around the gate. You can also put high class units behind the castle and wait till they start trying to break the gate and march them around and smash them in the back when they rout bring your guys back in the gate but usually this is not an option since as soon as this ambush is noticed the comp usually brings in 2 reinforcment units to deal with this and if they rout back in the castle leaves the gate open to the enemy if they are close enough so I highly reccomend not to march them around until it is about 33 percent damaged and when the comp brings on reinforcments to the new threat that is when you run them.
Archers are'nt that good in the lower grade castles but can get the opportunity to exhaust all there ammo in a decent grade castle. I've used them to fire upon units approaching the gate and retreat them to the keep once the gate is nearly breached and this is where they can wreak there havoc as the keep is high ground and can unleash many arrows from this point as the enemy approaches the next gate and usually can do some nice dmage to the reinforcing units coming through the first gate.
Naptha throwers nothing like routing them as soon as they breach the gate but there limited ammo can only take you so far.
When there is only 1 unit trying to breach the gate and it is nearly opened, rush one of your units at them and hopefully they will route and you can retreat back in the castle. One note on this do'nt do it to early as once the enemy has been allowed near an open gate it sometimes stops the burning oil from pouring on them plus it allows them that if they have a unit on both sides of the gate it automatically opens. But nothing like occasionally getting lucky and having them trapped inside and trying to route as they can't get back out because the gate closed on them perfect job for that 1 man unit to open the gate for them, dies for the glory of the country and watch them rush in. But usually the comp is smart enough to stay there and try to destroy the gate even though it is open for them so they don't run the risk of getting trapped inside. But peasants lose ground very nicely to wich can work to your favor in this situation.
Prisoners kill them as killing prisoners when being assaulted has never given me any of the bad vices from killing prisoners. Usually this is not a problem anyways as I usually lose the assault
Catapults and other siege weapons or actually antisiege weapons in this case are very nice as you get to see where the enemy deploys so you can set up your siege weapons to take out theres. Usually doesnt work but normally the A.I sets up troops behind these siege weapons so you still inflict damage from all the missed shots. I'm quite sure some have not yet have the experience but when a siege weapon hits another siege weapon it gets destroyed.
Well thats pretty much all that I have on defending them but they have come in quite handy when I get that unfortunate civil war or mass rebellion as it does help take years off of reconquering those provinces. I had 1 mass rebellion where 20 provinces rebelled and spain reemerged and these strategic retreats to the castles made it quicker for me to regain that lost territory because either the besiegers held out long enough to be relieved or upon being assaulted inflicted nice casualties upon the enemy and out of that I got about 3 generals who were skilled assault defenders but wasnt able to get that vice that extends the siege even though 1 of those generals held out for 5 years but maybe that vice got disabled in the expansion
Strategic retreats to the castle- this is what I call it and this is where you throw a few guys in and right click on it to see how long it will hold out. I do this when I know I will lose the territory and want leave the only option for them is to assault it or wait many years and get no income. I had 1 siege where I actually outlasted them and they all died out from attrition I had kataphracts (sp?) sieging me from a rebellion and you know how deadly they can be and figured it would be easier to let them die off rather than trying to go after them as all my other forces were tied up from rebellions and reapearances. Plus the fact that unit got the V/V called something like last man standing you know one of those suicidal 1 man armies that can't be defeated. All his other supporting units got slaughtered but those 4 men he had left were some mean buggers
This is why I try to upgrade castles in all other provinces that the only use I have for it is income and I always throw high class units in a force that is to besieged as they help inflict greter amounts of damage they usually do'nt get a high kill ratio as the comp likes to send in there best forces to assault the castle but the fact that they are taking longer to kill makes it that much mor casuaties they take from all the projectiles coming out of the castle wall. Once a section of the castle is taken that area stops firing but it does seem if you are able to retake that area it starts firing again but at a greatly reduced rate
Deployment zone for those of you who don't know you can actually deploy units within those bamboo sticks outside of the castle not just within the castle walls themselves. Heres where you can use that to your advantage. Horse arches ewww did they ever wreak havoc in one of my battles. I deployed them out side the castle and for a while skirmished around the castle wall for a while until they got trapped between 2 units and the castle wall while another unit was trying to breach the gate. the worst part (at least for the comp) the horse archers routed 1 unit and the horseys got routed by the other unit that stayed and fought so I have 10 horses routing trying to get back in the gate unfortunately there was someone trying to breach the gate so they kept on running around in front of the gate weaving in and out of all the enemy units wich caused major disturbances and made all available units they had trying to chase these routers wich was quite hilarious I had to laugh as this had brought all there units within the range of the castle wall archers. They finally narrowed them down to 2 units wich finally got back in the gate after it was breached and no enemy around the gate. You can also put high class units behind the castle and wait till they start trying to break the gate and march them around and smash them in the back when they rout bring your guys back in the gate but usually this is not an option since as soon as this ambush is noticed the comp usually brings in 2 reinforcment units to deal with this and if they rout back in the castle leaves the gate open to the enemy if they are close enough so I highly reccomend not to march them around until it is about 33 percent damaged and when the comp brings on reinforcments to the new threat that is when you run them.
Archers are'nt that good in the lower grade castles but can get the opportunity to exhaust all there ammo in a decent grade castle. I've used them to fire upon units approaching the gate and retreat them to the keep once the gate is nearly breached and this is where they can wreak there havoc as the keep is high ground and can unleash many arrows from this point as the enemy approaches the next gate and usually can do some nice dmage to the reinforcing units coming through the first gate.
Naptha throwers nothing like routing them as soon as they breach the gate but there limited ammo can only take you so far.
When there is only 1 unit trying to breach the gate and it is nearly opened, rush one of your units at them and hopefully they will route and you can retreat back in the castle. One note on this do'nt do it to early as once the enemy has been allowed near an open gate it sometimes stops the burning oil from pouring on them plus it allows them that if they have a unit on both sides of the gate it automatically opens. But nothing like occasionally getting lucky and having them trapped inside and trying to route as they can't get back out because the gate closed on them perfect job for that 1 man unit to open the gate for them, dies for the glory of the country and watch them rush in. But usually the comp is smart enough to stay there and try to destroy the gate even though it is open for them so they don't run the risk of getting trapped inside. But peasants lose ground very nicely to wich can work to your favor in this situation.
Prisoners kill them as killing prisoners when being assaulted has never given me any of the bad vices from killing prisoners. Usually this is not a problem anyways as I usually lose the assault
Catapults and other siege weapons or actually antisiege weapons in this case are very nice as you get to see where the enemy deploys so you can set up your siege weapons to take out theres. Usually doesnt work but normally the A.I sets up troops behind these siege weapons so you still inflict damage from all the missed shots. I'm quite sure some have not yet have the experience but when a siege weapon hits another siege weapon it gets destroyed.
Well thats pretty much all that I have on defending them but they have come in quite handy when I get that unfortunate civil war or mass rebellion as it does help take years off of reconquering those provinces. I had 1 mass rebellion where 20 provinces rebelled and spain reemerged and these strategic retreats to the castles made it quicker for me to regain that lost territory because either the besiegers held out long enough to be relieved or upon being assaulted inflicted nice casualties upon the enemy and out of that I got about 3 generals who were skilled assault defenders but wasnt able to get that vice that extends the siege even though 1 of those generals held out for 5 years but maybe that vice got disabled in the expansion
Strategic retreats to the castle- this is what I call it and this is where you throw a few guys in and right click on it to see how long it will hold out. I do this when I know I will lose the territory and want leave the only option for them is to assault it or wait many years and get no income. I had 1 siege where I actually outlasted them and they all died out from attrition I had kataphracts (sp?) sieging me from a rebellion and you know how deadly they can be and figured it would be easier to let them die off rather than trying to go after them as all my other forces were tied up from rebellions and reapearances. Plus the fact that unit got the V/V called something like last man standing you know one of those suicidal 1 man armies that can't be defeated. All his other supporting units got slaughtered but those 4 men he had left were some mean buggers
This is why I try to upgrade castles in all other provinces that the only use I have for it is income and I always throw high class units in a force that is to besieged as they help inflict greter amounts of damage they usually do'nt get a high kill ratio as the comp likes to send in there best forces to assault the castle but the fact that they are taking longer to kill makes it that much mor casuaties they take from all the projectiles coming out of the castle wall. Once a section of the castle is taken that area stops firing but it does seem if you are able to retake that area it starts firing again but at a greatly reduced rate