Need help with big(ger) battles.

[efx]

Hi everyone,

I haven't been playing this game for very long but I think I'm slowly getting the hang of it. I've started a few campaigns but mostly I've been trying to learn using custom battles. The newbie guides posted here has really helped me alot but I think I have a problem.

I'm getting pretty good at using my army when it's 7-10 units big but anything above that I just tend to lose control over, especially on anything besides flat maps. I guess I have no idea how to strategize properly when using a full 16 unit army.

Basically, I'm wondering if anyone has any replays of them playing the AI that I could learn from? I've checked the ones posted on this site and on total war centre but they are mostly multiplayer skirmishes. Maybe something that's played on hills because that is really lacking for me. Oh, I have the VI expansion pack updated to the latest version.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Regards:

Viktor

[Kulgan]

When defending on a hill, build a wall of spears and put them into an almoast full circle.
Put all your other troops, cavalry, general, swordsmen, arachers inside of that circle.
Use your swordsmen as reserve to help your spear unit that isn't doing too well.
I hold the cursor over each of my fighting units at the bottom of the screen, the ones that keep loosing or are loosing badly need the swordsmen help.
Let them all fight a bit, when after a while none of your spearmen are loosing/loosing badly they will hold their own for a long time.

[efx]

Thank you I will try these tactics out.
How about when attacking an enemy on the hill? How should one proceed then?

[Gawain of Orkeny]

The best thing to do is go online and ask someone for help.Let them play you 1 on 1.The most important things are learning to group yourunits and how to move them.Also unit choice is very important.If you are playin VI I suggest you avoid using spears a good balance of archers swords and cav is important.In high or late era always take pavaise if available instead of archers.I am on everyday if you want help look me up.I will be glad to help as best I can

[ichi]

If you can, try playing MP, it will greatly help you learn to control 16 units at once. Gawain is (as usual) right on.

As with any battle, flanking is the key to uphill fighting. Try to draw units off the hill and flank em. Don't try to fight another unit directly uphill, try to get on angle . Send cav around the flanks.

To draw a unit off a hill, send two units at an enemy unit, one from below and another just off to the side. When the enemy unit charges turn the unit directly below it back downhill. As the enemy unit goes below your unit on the side you can turn and hit it.

The AI isnt really good at conserving arrows, so you can drain several units of archer/pavs by sacrificing a unit of your archers/pavs. Once the AI is drained you can shoot.

ichi

[Gregoshi]

Welcome efx and Gawain of Orkeny. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wave.gif

Grouping and organization before the battle helps efx, but experience helps a lot too.

BTW Gawain, any relationship to Gareth_of_Orkney?

[Gawain of Orkeny]

Well Gareth and I are both RTK as you probably know.In the tales of the rountable we are brothers both sons of King Lott.So i guuess you could say we are related. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif