Historical Campaigns - 100 Years War

[danielrech]

Historical Campaigns - English 100 Years War - Agincourt 1415

Did anyone win this battle? You are heavily outnumbered and there's so much french knights... My guess is the best way is to retreat to the trees, but there my longbowmen would be ineffective?

Anyone has any hints to win this battle?

[ichi]

I'll try, altho there's probably a better way than mine.

Spend a lot of time pre-battle studying the situation. Make sure that when the battle starts you are efficient, to max the time the longbows can fire.

Move the LBs to just on the edge of the trees - set them to hold pos/engage at will/fire-at-will. I try to set up so the trees are at my back and on my right. Use the little tents to hide behind.

I put my inf in the center, far back, just in front of the LBs. Cav on the flanks, just in the trees. Gen in center.

Focus the fire from the LBs as much as you can - I try to get one unit of cav. You are outnumbered, so spread your cav out pretty thin in order to try to hold a long section of line with each unit. Once these holders engage, set them to hold pos.

Now try to hit the unit that you have been concentrating LB fire on with your Gen and any infantry you can. Keep the LB fire concentrated on the one unit, but do not be afraid to use a unit of LBs to shore up the line if necessary. Do not Hold Pos these units. Certainly if you can last long enough that your LBs run out of ammo (rare) then send em in to fight.

I think the trick is to focus on one unit, get it to rout, chase it a second, then turn and hit others in the rear.

ichi

[The_Emperor]

When i fought this battle I had a frontline of Spearmen with Billmen on the flanks at a diagonal, and behind them I had the Men AT Arms in Reserve and row after row of Longbows...

The Knights were on the flanks slightly behind.

The key to victory lies as Ichi says in using your Longbows to disrupt the enemy Heavy Knights and Men at Arms and whittle down their numbers, so take your Longbows off Fire at Will and target them manually if neccessary.

Then when you sense the chance you will need to outflank the enemy and make them rout.

Its a tough battle to fight as you are so heavily outnumbered, but it is winnable.

Retreating to the trees is only good for your Billmen and Men At Arms, as your Spearmen lose their rank bonus in the woods and Archers suffer an accuracy penalty from shooting out (some trees get in the way), so standing out in the Open near your camp with the Woods Protecting your flanks and Rear is your best bet

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

[Aymar de Bois Mauri]

Quote[/b] ]Retreating to the trees is only good for your Billmen and Men At Arms, as your Spearmen lose their rank bonus in the woods and Archers suffer an accuracy penalty from shooting out (some trees get in the way), so standing out in the Open near your camp with the Woods Protecting your flanks and Rear is your best bet
Very true.
They do get penalties. It makes the battle harder, if you use them this way.

[The Wizard]

I find this battle relatively easy, if you use your units right. The frontline should be composed of your frontline troops - MAA and spearmen. The flanks should be held by the billmen, in a 2 rank deep formation. This allows them to take the charge much better. Keep your longbows behind, they are the key to victory They will slaughter the knights, from quite the distance. Their long range will enable you to fire at them long before they reach your lines, so the impact of the charge will be that much smaller.

At first, it does seem daunting to see the vast horde of French chevaliers bearing down on you, but that is how it must have been for Henry V himself. Just keep your cool. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[Demequis]

Hi, I did the same stuff everyone above said when I played it. I really like the box formation (I think it looks cool), but I left my left flank a little weak so I put my cavalry and men at arms there....they got slaughtered, but anyway here are some pics, only thing I'd suggest is strengthen the left flank.

No units got close enough to attack the sargeants on my right flank.

I put the spearmen behind the billmen because I didn't want them routing into my archers after the initial french charge.

Here are some pics:

http://totalwar.cz28.com/Agincourt_Setup01.jpg



Witness the carnage.....
http://totalwar.cz28.com/Agincourt_Setup02.jpg

In retrospect, a before and after photo would be fun for this battle...perhaps I shall upload one.

Have fun http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

P.S. I hope images work, first time posting them.

[danielrech]

Thanks you all for the feedback, I'll try now myself using your tips...

Demequis: looking at your replay it got me inspired, I'm gonna tear them apart http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/mad.gif

[danielrech]

Demequis, I used pratically the same formation you used, and beat it the first time...

Just waiting for the neverending loads of knights:
http://www.inf.ufsc.br/~haeser/agincourt1.JPG

The mess in the end:
http://www.inf.ufsc.br/~haeser/agincourt2.JPG

The 2 royal knights units were pretty much useless, they routed quickly... I let the men-at-arms in the trees because they could beat cavalry there... They routed 2 royal knights units there.

Anyways, it seems I lost much more men than you... I need to practice more.

[Demequis]

Actually I lost virtually every one of my knights and men at arms, so I doubt it, heheheh. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

That's a nice before and after shot Pictures are fun http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[TonkaToys]

I tried to set up my troops the same way that H5 did historically. From what I remember (getting on a bit now... memory is going http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-confused.gif ) the archers were set up out front in a kind of inverted VV shape.
The infantry provided support just behind them and the cav were used to push back break throughs / mop up / flank where possible.
I vaguely remember that the troops were further forward than shown in your piccies danielrech, as the French managed to get some troops around the back of the English to raid the baggage trains and encampment.
Anyway, I laid out troops as described and found to my surprise that the French were only able to come through the gaps in the hedges (durr http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-stunned.gif didn't think the landscape played that big a part). The French were channelled into a kill-zone that worked quite well until my archers started to skirmish backwards Luckily at that point I was able to bring my infantry forward to hold them, whilst the cav came in to rout them.
Didn't do so well as old H5, but to the victor the spoils

What about the other historical campaigns? Anyone tried them yet?

[Aymar de Bois Mauri]

Welcome to the ORG, TonkaToys http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wave.gif

[Ryttare]

I always put m yunits up by the farm fields... barely get any losses at all, using thw wood is for wussies =)

[Dillinger]

Branagh's movie is a classic. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smokin.gif

[TonkaToys]

Thanks Aymar de Bois Mauri http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif, nice to see that this game is so well supported. I got it at Christmas having wanted it since it was released. Had to upgrade my PC to handle it so I somehow made my boss (read girlfriend) think it was her idea to upgrade http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-2thumbsup.gif

Ryttare, you are right, the farmlands and hedgerows make a big difference. Do you think the muddy area in the middle of the battlefield slows the French down? I think that may have happened in the actual battle.
Blimey there is so much to discover in this game http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/eek.gif

Dillinger, I remember the Branagh movie, sends shivers down my spine when I watch it. Have you seen the Olivier movie? How does that compare?

[o_loompah_the_delayer]

Olivier's is better You got to love the arrows of the LBs in Olivier

[Count Fudgula]

I found that keeping your troops closer together than normal helped a lot in this battle, but, does anyone have any tips for Orleans?

[Dillinger]

Nah, haven't seen the Olivier one. But it can't beat Branagh's. I think ...

[TonkaToys]

Count Fudgula, I played that one four or five times before I beat it http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/frown.gif . That is the one where you start in a castle and have to destroy four English siege engines isn't it?
I tried splitting my troops, drawing the English into the castle, meeting them in the field,... you name it I tried it.
In the end, I tried brute force and charged every troop at the siege engine on the bottom left, then top left, then top right, then bottom right.
My first charge wiped the first siege engine and most of my troops survived.
Then on the way to the second, most of my army got tied up in a nasty fight with a few of the English. This drew the rest of the English army in to the fight. My cav continued on and wiped the 2nd engine and the 3rd without any problem.
By this stage the main body of the army was routing or otherwise destroyed and the majority of the English were charging towards my 2 remaining cav units. I sent Joan after the 4th siege engine and left the other Knights to hold off the English (heh).
It was a desperate race to the 4th Engine, but luckily Joan made it and I won http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
I think if you look at the history books you'll find that this is exactly how the battle was won... NOT

[Aymar de Bois Mauri]

Quote[/b] ]Count Fudgula, I played that one four or five times before I beat it . That is the one where you start in a castle and have to destroy four English siege engines isn't it?
The battle you mentioned is quite easy to win, if you adopt the right strategy.
I had trouble in the beggining, but solved the problem later. I couldn't win the first 2 attempts but didn't loose a single man in the third try

I'll explain:

-When the English are organizing their army, right after the start, use one unit of CKs to destroy the right closest ballista. After that, reenter the castle to avoid English chasing troops. After ordering that unit back to the castle, but before they enter, send you other CK in the opposite direction to destroy the closest left ballista. The English army will try and chase this CK, but you have time to destroy the ballista and make them run after you. At this moment launch your first CK (the one back in the castle) and charge the right far away ballista (now unprotected). When you're close, send you CK bait, on the other side of the field, back to the castle. The English will stop chasing them and try to get your first CK that are attacking the furthest right ballista. After destroying that ballista, retreat to the castle before they approach. They will keep chasing that unit. Use your second CK unit to get to the remaining unprotected ballista. And that's it... http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-wink2.gif

[Count Fudgula]

Cheers TonkaToys, and welcome aboard I had a feeling it might be something like that (I'd tried something very similar, but failed on the fourth ballista), but I was hoping that there might be a subtler tactic that would work. Tunnels, anyone?

[Count Alfred von Schlieffen]

Branagh's great. I still quite often watch the Agincourt scene when I feel like it. Oh, how I love battle scenes. Not real ones though.

But I love bloody, realistic historical movies.

And Shakespeare, of course. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-2thumbsup.gif

[Brutal DLX]

Played all the Historical Campaigns.. Good fun, the most impressive looking one is the last battle of the Lionheart campaign. I got a little nervous when I saw what I was up against, but discipline is the key there.

As for Orleans, the trick is that this is not an ordinary battle but an exercise in cavalry controlling. You can set up your missile troops and infantry just outside the castle gates while your knight units take care of the ballistas. THAT is your only objective here, don't care about the enemies at all. One knight took the left and right ballistas and Jeanne took out the distant ones.

[TonkaToys]

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

Yikes, I'm stuck on the Barbarossa historic campaign, the one where you have a wagon train with siege engines and archers on a hill, some unprotected siege engines slightly further ahead and some cav/inf/missile down in a valley. Your objective is to stop even one Milanese troop getting to your wagons.

Any suggestions? My guys keep routing

[Malcolm Big Head]

I am a somewhat inexperienced player so the first time I tried Agincourt I set up my lines near the starting position with spears in the middle and billmen on the ends. The french came in on me so fast that by the time I had sent reinforcements to the left to cut off some flanking calvary the right side of my line was running to the tents. I had much better luck the second time setting up behind the tents. I say luck because the only reason I won was because as my lines were breaking I sent my longbows to the trees and the French general must have had his horse trip over a discarded longbow and broke his neck in the fall. I am going to try some of the formations outlined above to see if I can get a win off of skill instead of luck.

[TonkaToys]

Quote[/b] (Malcolm Big Head @ Mar. 18 2004,13:39)]...the French general must have had his horse trip over a discarded longbow and broke his neck in the fall. I am going to try some of the formations outlined above to see if I can get a win off of skill instead of luck.
Hey Malcolm Big Head http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wave.gif

Welcome to the ORG

LOL about the clumsy French general.

Good luck with the tactics mentioned, and let us know how you get on.

http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-wall.gif
PS: still haven't beat that Barbarossa one

[Aymar de Bois Mauri]

Welcome to the ORG, Malcolm Big Head http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wave.gif

Good luck on Agincourt http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-yes.gif

[Aymar de Bois Mauri]

Quote[/b] (TonkaToys @ Mar. 18 2004,09:48)]http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-wall.gif PS: still haven't beat that Barbarossa one
I have http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-wink.gif

But I have to be honest. Only using the Pause button you can achieve a good result. Without it I was never able to win. Try it. It makes the battle a lot more organized.

Hope it helps... http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wave.gif

[Malcolm Big Head]

Much better this time around. Still didn't get many kills with the longbows. Is this due to being on flat terrain? I think the 4 units killed about 140 men. They did seem to keep the knights from charging my defensive line. Most of my casualties was the unit of longbows that decided they should move outside the spearmen despite being set to hold position??

[TonkaToys]

Quote[/b] (Aymar de Bois Mauri @ Mar. 18 2004,16:04)]
Quote[/b] (TonkaToys @ Mar. 18 2004,09:48)]http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-wall.gif PS: still haven't beat that Barbarossa one
I have http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-wink.gif

But I have to be honest. Only using the Pause button you can achieve a good result. Without it I was never able to win. Try it. It makes the battle a lot more organized.

Hope it helps... http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wave.gif
Cheers, I'll try it. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/cheers.gif