Mobile armies vs. not so mobile armies....

[Easthaven]

I was wondering what general strategy most of you generally use. What kind of armies do you use most or are best with? Do you move your army around alot spreading across the map? Is the majority of units horsemen? or do you keep your army anchored at one spot by spear troops and your general while your cavalry are hinged to the main battle group? Do you split your armies in groups? etc. etc.

I usually have a line of spearmen anchoring the rest of my army. My swordsmen stay pretty much within a certain radius of my spearmen while the cavalry arm is merely hinged to the main group while going on their flanking manuevers and such. I usually keep my general back to plug up a hole in the line or to secure an endangered flank.

Though this one time I had 3 light cavalry units of 40 vs. 3,000 peasants. That was an interesting one.

[makkyo]

I prefer a healthy mix of heavily armored troops and light troops. I use the heavy infantry for my front and to bear the brunt of an enemy's assult while my light infantry/ calvary perform flanking and enveloping manuvers. This tactic usually works until the introduction of guns which simply makes your army rout. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/angry.gif The muslim factions are absolutely perfect for this along with some vactions from VI that realy primarily on speedy skirmishers and lightly armed and armored troops.

[Bodew]

I also try to mix it up. A good heavy middle, with a couple of light units to flank and harrass. Though sometimes I put together strange armies just to see how they preform. All calv, only CFK's and peasents. I only do this late in a campaign, after victory is assured. Just a way to spice up the last few battles and sometimes extend the game.

[Ragss]

On defence i place at least 4 spearmen on a hill, one on each side and 2 in the front in ranks 4 or 5 deep. Then i spread at least 2 archers the length of the 2 front spearmen. Behind the archers i usually have 2 swordsmen and my generals horses. Any extra would be more archers (im eng so it would be longbowmen) or more horsies.

If they rush with swords, i send out the horses, if the rush with spears i send out my swords, if they rush with horses they are retarded hehe. Otherwise my longbows just sit there and cut them to shreds.




On offence its pretty much the same army. My tactics here are pretty basic, try to keep them from the high ground ASAP and get around them with my horses, the rest is pretty basic...skirm with archers-retreat to spears-attack advancing spears with swords...

[Goofball]

Here is my ultimate 16 unit defensive army, when playing the English in the Late Period:

4 x Longbowmen
2 x Serpentine guns
3 x Chivalric Knights
1 x Royal Knights (this is my general usually)
6 x CMAAs

I have found this army to be downright invincible, and have defended against attackers with armies in excess of 8000 troops and won with it. Those serpentine guns are amazing. Once they get a little experience (valor), they are perfect snipers for picking off enemy generals...

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

[Basileus]

Im playing alot with the russians so my armies are usualy cav based, most of times it depends on the faction your playing..i love mobile armies you can be versatile which is a good thing.

[Somebody Else]

I'm all for the wave of steel... a massive line of heavy infantry, with a unit or two of cavalry to chase down any routers. Maybe a cannon or two to cause some fear before the engagement.

Defending though, I'll have fewer heavies - some archer types instead, and still only a unit or two of cavalry. Then I'll go sit in a wood somewhere on a hill... Tends to sort most things...

[ichi]

The best army is a combo of the two - some heavy trench warfare dudes and some quick cav archers or flankers. The secret is to not let your light guys get too far ahead of your strong men.

For example, my fav Byz army has a strong slow infantry with a medium fast cav - Byz Cav and Pronoai

ichi

[Gregoshi]

I try to keep a wide variety of unit types. In battle, I look at each fight on its own when formulating a battle plan. Bottomline is I try not to get stuck in a rut with the same army composition and same tactics.

[Kaboom]

the game allow you to see enemy to very details, IMHO is not good if you want to be a good general

My army is economic style. I use the discounted troops, some missles and at least a light-medium cavalry to charge and pick up routers. Without cavalry the victory is wasted By the time I can build a lot of expensive units, the game become bored

[Easthaven]

So it seems the basic concept is a heavy center line as anchor with light manueverable forces on the flanks to envelope and hammer the enemy flanks and rear. Very interesting.

Does anybody ever try to surround the enemy whole? For example split up your army into four sections or whatnot to completely encircle the enemy, not just contigents of their army. I wonder if its feasible and if it is would it be effective in destroying a larger portion of the enemy army without recieving too many casualties?

[Jags]

Playing with the Byzantines in Early, I try to organise my army as follows :

- Two units of Kataphracts, one of them as my C-in-C
- Four units of Byzantine Infantry, supported by two units of Trebizont archers.
- Eight units of Byzantine Cavalry.

The infantry is deployed side-by-side, three ranks deep, and the archers right behind them. By this way, I have a quite long and steady line, capable of withstanding almost everything except the charge of the heaviest cavalry. The kataphracts are placed further back as a reserve. I anchor this formation on a terrain as less favorable for the opponent as possible and then I try to play all the game with the cavalry.

As I am not competent enough to skirmish with my cav on both enemy flanks, I try to pepper one flank with arrows from my cav and force the enemy to send a detachment (usually a couple of units) of his army to repel me. When they have moved far enough from the main body, I surround them with the rest of my cav and watch them get annihilated. By doing this a couple of times, the enemy is now understrengthed sufficiently, in order to finish him off. I pin him down with my infantry, let the archers fire in the support units of his main line, move the Kataphracts on one of the two flanks and the rest of the cav in the back of the of his formation. End of the story.

Ofcourse, most of the times, I cannot coordinate my movements and the whole scheme falls apart, however by one way or another, usually I achieve victory.

[The_678]

My army is usually the basic one. Except I hardly ever use spear units. It's generally 8-12 heavy infantry (huscarles, swabians http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-2thumbsup.gif ) with 8-12 heavy cav on the flanks. I'll deploy all my infantry in a line 3-4 men deep, have half of my cav on each flank and just slwly march forward. When I get near, I charge my Infantry and once the battle going send my cav on rear attacks. My favourite faction to do this with is the Danes and having a line of huscarles with feudal knights supporting. A great army. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/cheers.gif

Just last week though, I was able to use Horse archers for the first time. I was playing as the byzantines and thought I'd try some Byzantine Cavalry and did suprisingly well with them. I am about to start my first Turkish campaign now that I can use HA's.

[squippy]

Hmm, most of my armies are cav light and spear heavy by comparison to the above. I'll seldom have more than 4 cav or more than 2 missiles (unless they are arbs, or multi-function units). The bulk will be amix of heavy inf as available.

I will frequently divide my units into group 'battles' with a formation order, depending on the circumstances, and manouevre the whole battle until they make contact, at which point individual orders can be issued.

I just had a htough about perhaps why I use so many spear units. The default for experienced players appears to be playing on Expert, with the morale boost that AI factions get. I wonder if this penaloises spears disproportionately? That is, most spears are not elite, and so when even enemy peasants have the morale boost, they are quite disadvantaged even against their own opposite number. Its possible that I use spears because at Hard they are proportionately more effective than at Expert.

[Sun Tzui]

Quote[/b] ]I try to keep a wide variety of unit types. In battle, I look at each fight on its own when formulating a battle plan. Bottomline is I try not to get stuck in a rut with the same army composition and same tactics.
I agree http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-army.gif

Has Sun Tzu once Put it:

The general who thoroughly understands the advantages that accompany variation of tactics knows how to handle his troops.

and

In respect of military method, we have, firstly, Measurement; secondly, Estimation of quantity; thirdly, Calculation; fourthly, Balancing of chances; fifthly, Victory.

as to strategical dispositions

Whether to concentrate or to divide your troops, must be decided by circumstances.

It's all a matter of adaptapting to each situation. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/bigthumb.gif

[lancer63]

I try and keep balanced armies too. If I'm on a defensive stage, I train more spears and bows.
If the strategy is an aggressive one at the time I favor cav. and foot swords and axes. But always try and keep at least two units of each kind.

[makkyo]

Quote[/b] ]Once they get a little experience (valor), they are perfect snipers for picking off enemy generals...
NICE same thing w/ hashishin except they have to get close.

[PseRamesses]

I´m a archer/ artillery kinda guy. I use them in excess backed up with strong defensive units with good attack and somtimes my only cavalry is the general.
Playing HRE on early is such an occassion where I don´t build cavlry at all until Feudal Sergants but thoose guys are really a little to weak for my flavor.

I usually move my army like a box with the archers in the middle. With 8 or up to 10 units af archers the sky is dark with arrows - no one comes close.

[Eastside Character]

I certainly prefer mobile armies, very often my armies are composed of cavalry units only. Good mix of light and heavy cavs can win almost every battle. Even the finest pikemen can be dealt with, they only need to meet my mounted x-bows. Besides, some cavalry units can dismount, just in case i need some infantry. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/cool.gif

The only drawback is that such armies are smaller and expensive.

Regards,
EC

[gaijinalways]

To be mobile or not, it depends if it is a province I simply wish to use as a border to defend or if I plan to send excursions from there into enemy territory. Of course, if it is balanced for either that can be good, though for bridge defenses the usual for me would be to have more missle units and perhaps an artillary or two (I sometimes tend not to build these units but I will acquire them as mercs sometimes).

So it may be like 5 or 6 infantry troops, 6-7 missle troops, and a few calvary for chasing down routers and or if it is a double bridge battle hitting from the backside when the enemy is stuck on the bridge or hitting the enemy's missle troops.

If I expect more fighting on level ground, I'm more likely to have more infantry as the AI tends to sometimes use a lot of cavalry, so using any woods and/or edge of the map is sometimes useful to slow his rushes.

So to summarize, the type of troops used may depend on the terrain and your future purpose for that province.

[Revenant69]

Well, after the initial shock of playing as the Turks, I have learned to love cavalry armies. Now I would have no qualms about sending 16 units of cavalry to do a raid. It is also more fun I think. Since you cant really engage in a melee slugfest with the enemy infantry - you have to play hit and run and try to lure them out.

Right now, even if I play catholics, I have a substantial contingent of heavy and light cavalry, usually at least 2 units of each. The mobility they offer can save battles. I just had a battle where I deployed 9 mounted crossbows and 1 royal knight. Hehehe, the enemy didnt know who to chase LOL

So, YES, I love cavalry and that is one of the reasons why the first faction tha I will play in RTW will be the Parthians http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-jester.gif

Rev

[Chaffers]

I tend to like cheap mobility in my troops, though sometimes by cheap I'm talking about cheap building requirements a la Royal Knights. I play on huge units, and therefore like to be able to reinforce my depleted troops with fresh ones. Not much point hoping that a territory you capture will have the reqs for Gothic Knights.

At expert level spears really are just sacrificial troops. They die slowly and are useful for pinning but never actually kill anyone. After experience with the Byzantines I'll generally stick to vanilla spearmen or feudal sgts all the way through just so I can always merge spear units and produce them in captured territories quickly and easily. Feudals are particularly useful due to their superior morale, if you want more armour then just add it. If they die too quickly for your liking then just set them in a deeper formation. They only buy me time to manouvre.

Cavalry is just about the only unit type that I'll take care of. Everything else is likely to get sacced at some point or other. Its amazing what an arb unit, stuck into wedge and charged into a Knight unit's rear can do. Mounted archers in particular get mollycoddled, especailly my beloved mounted Xbows. Money be damned, I'll buy them as mercs as its very rare I'll ever lose a single man so long as I only have one unit in my army. Having a big chunk of horse flesh charging seems to work far more effectively that 20 horsies. Going in 8 or 10 deep breeds the rout far more often than 2 or 3 so play on huge if you like your cavalry charges.

[Aelwyn]

I prefer mobile armies. I like to use Cav Archers and if I need a unit I like it to be up there and able to attack as soon as possible. And, faster units are quicker to not only aid your allies, but attack your allies opponent as well. Heavier units require much more forethought to be used as effectively as lighter units.

[Bezalel]

Personally, my favored english mp setup for 10k is such:

2 knights temp (general in one)
4 chiv. knights
2 val 2 billmen
4 val 2 cmaa
2 pav xbows
2 longbows

P = pav
B= billmen
C= cav
I=cmaa
L=longbow

P P
L C C L
C I I I I C
B C C B

just hit the flanks w/ the longbow billmen and cav right before you attack.

[Voigtkampf]

Adaptation is the key to the success, but I always go for a well balanced army, with at least four cavalry units for quick and precise strikes, as well as for cutting down the routers, and have around four ranged units (differing units, depending on the period and faction I play with, but I never use javelinmen). The main body consists of heavy armored various spear units, with some swords to spice it up.