How do I win this?

[stimozi]

I'm playing the spanish again, this time with the difficulty turned up a few notches... getting more than I asked for (which is good =])

I'm fighting some muslim rebels for control of tunisia, I have 2000 they have 1400... My forces are composed of spanish javelinmen, jinetes, mounted sergeants, and spearmen... I'm facing off against saharan cavalary and camels and nubian spearmen with some desert archers... ON A HILL.

A big hill at the edge of the map. I can't get my jinetes or javelinmen close enough without getting charged at by the rebel's cavalry. Their ranged units have a huge advantage over me due to the steep hill. Cavalry is useless, and my infantry are shattered by the downhill charge of the opponent... I'm using a frontal line of spearmen but that also gets crushed. How do I win?


Thanks alot, I suck =]

[Seven.the.Hun]

have u tried to autocalculate battle?
does the enemy general have a really high star??? does yours have one high enough???

[stimozi]

Autocalculate gives me a win... 900 to 600 casualties... Our generals both have 6 stars. I want to know how to beat it manually, however...

[Thoros of Myr]

Try to use your jinetes to draw out the cav and then ambush them with a unit of spear. Look for any place you can hide your spear units before you spring the trap, otherwise just do your best to get them near the spear units. After the cav are dead/routed you can bring the jinets in again to try to break up thier formation. The rest should be easy from there.

[Thoros of Myr]

oops, also ment to add bring your jinets in at a tough angle for the archers to shot to, if they can hit everywhere sacrifice a weak unit so that you can get the jinets in with less losses.

[stimozi]

I'm trying to do that right now. But the angle of the hill is so steeped that the jinetes really have to get close to fire anything (and I'm using medmod's projectile stats so javs fly farther than before)... I immediately tell my jins to run back, but the damn cavalry and camels of the rebels chase after and manage to own a few jinetes... plus archer fire... I'm going to wait until I get more spearmen :/

[katar]

sounds like you are doing the things right. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/bigthumb.gif

it also looks like you will need to escalate things quicker, when they chase your jinetes make sure you have more troops ready to repulse their counterattack.

if you get two or three of those enemy units engaged, then the AI should start feeding troops into the battle from the top of the hill.

while this is happening, if the terrain allows it, send a cavalry or jinete unit up the hill on each of the enemies flanks (if you have a couple of spare spear units send them up that way as well) , from there you should be able to charge either into the archers/enemy general on the hill or into the rear of the units at the bottom of the hill.

if you attack the units at the bottom of the hill you will have to watch out for counterattacks from the hill as well.

this could easily turn into a meatgrinder, especially given the ranks of both generals. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-dizzy2.gif

[mbrasher1]

Yeah, assaulting a hill is the best, most challenging battle the AI can offer.

I usually try to maneuver my forces to where the angle between our forces is not quite so great. OK, he's still on a hill, but his elevation is not as dominant after some maneuver. Experiment attacking Navarra. Or Norway. They have hills and the enemy can occupy a strong position. Do not assault him directly. See if you can menauver so that your archers at least have a shot at his.

Also, if you have crossbows, use pavise xbows to destroy his archers and then pepper his high value melee units with bolts. Xbows take longer to fire, but their accuracy means that they will kill more -- if you give them time to work.

So think of attacking a hill as like a siege. That means preparation, bombardment, choosing the right position of attack and then assault. Rolling up the hill at its steepest means the best height differential bonus for him. Try to climb on his flank, out of range. Put your heaviest armored/shielded troops up front to absorb his arrows.

Horses are tough in the desert cuz of the advantages that camels receive in the desert (+1 attack in sandy desert, and +2 atk and +4 def against horses). Use spears, or horses to draw the camels to the spears.

[katank]

mbrasher1 is quite right. the siege analogy is great.
Navarre is absolutely crazy in terms of incline.

When I attacked the rebels there, the hills were almost vertical. My royal knights actually took several minutes to break their peasants going straight up whereas my UM which maneuvered to be roughly level before charging actually broke their opponents a lot faster.

[squippy]

Stimozi's line-up has no archers it seems... this is an oversight, control of the battlefield has been given to the enemy.