The Khan (Golden Horde) - assassinate now or wait?

[Defensor Pacis]

I'm playing my first MTW game as Spanish on Early/Hard (after 3 games of VI), and the Golden Horde has just arrived. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/rolleyes.gif

Thanks to the combined wisdom of the board, the threads discussing this have given me some good ideas about how to deal with it. But I still need some advice.

My question is: should I try to assassinate the Khan right away (he's in Khazar with about 15,000 men), or should I wait to assassinate him until the Horde army has spread out a bit into the neighbouring regions (to make the armies easier to bribe/fight after he's dead)?

Further information that might help you:

* I own most of the East. There are no other big factions in the way of the Horde.

* The Horde has already declared war on me because I was in Khazar when they arrived.

* The Horde's generals aren't too strong - no one above 3 stars, luckily

* There's also another Horde army in Armenia.

Any advice would be appreciated http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/bigthumb.gif

[Xiphias]

I would fight him since he has low command generals. If you assasinate him and don't pick up the rebel provinces quickly enough then he could re-emerge with stronger generals.

Personally I prefer to confine him to a province with only one or two borders (and preferably low income) so he can't do any damage and won't suprise me by re-emerging.

[katank]

if assasinating, make sure you have plenty of emissaries on hand to deal with remnants.

I suggest fighting him in a bridge battle in kiev.

line up pav arbs on bank, some halbs/chiv sergents as plug with swordsmen flanking the spears and arty behind.

then enjoy your first horde slaughter experience.

everyone playing MTW should experience the horde at least once. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

[Defensor Pacis]

@ katank - unfortunately I don't own Kiev. And I probably shouldn't take it as the Pope asked me not to declare war on the Polish for another few years. Pope is getting aged (now 57) so maybe the timing would be good, but I'm worried about a decline in happiness immediately following an excommunication, as my empire is very big. So I'm not sure I'm going to risk taking Kiev for a bridge battle there.

[Nowake]

Diminish your garrisons m8 http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif So that he'll send armies of 2000-3000 men against one of your armies. It's a bit risky, but you get the chance to beat him step by step.

[Defensor Pacis]

@ Nowake - thank you, what size garrisons would you recommend? (Roughly.)

[Nowake]

It depends on troops, isn't it?

IN one of my games I was byzantine and prefered to defend in Georgia, not Khazar, because a big battle was not to the liking of my troops, some 1400 men. So I hold Georgia and destroyed some 7000 mongols in three consecutive invasions, of 3000-4000 men each. I was relying on 3 kats, 3 spearmen, 4 arbs, 2 byzantine infantry and some lancers, with the units size on huge, but some units were quite depleted.

So use arbalest, some spears of any kind and some medium cav, some mounted sergeants would be good. Some 1500 men should be enough. DOn't attack, just let the arbs do their job, and kill the gen if possible. When they rout or if they try to flank, use the medium cav. The spears form the protective wall for arbs.

[Defensor Pacis]

Thank you Nowake, I really appreciate your guidance http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/bigthumb.gif

[Nowake]

Quote[/b] (Defensor Pacis @ May 24 2004,11:28)]Thank you Nowake, I really appreciate your guidance http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/bigthumb.gif
Np m8, hope it'll work for you also.

[-Amon-]

BAH just kill him




Khan was sitting his throne and was planing next attack,was dreaming a world domination...Suddenly he heard a noise..


"Is there anyone there?" he said..But there was no answer..

Khan shouted :"Who dares to disturb me?"..But still there was no answer..Khan was getting angry..

Suddenly,someone appeared Khan's back :"Do you looking for me Khan?"

Khan turned his back and he saw the man :" Who are you?"

Shadow answered :" My name is not necessary,call me as..your death"

Shadow dragged his sword and took Khan's life quickly..

He smiled Khan's dead body and just went away from there before guards found him..

[katank]

don't worry about excomm.

slice the pope although slicing the khan and bribing the armies sounds better.

usually when I own khazar, I always have kiev too.

thus, defense of kiev is almost a given

[NewJeffCT]

Quote[/b] (Defensor Pacis @ May 23 2004,16:55)]* The Horde's generals aren't too strong - no one above 3 stars, luckily

* There's also another Horde army in Armenia.

Any advice would be appreciated http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/bigthumb.gif
Speaking of Horde generals - can you mod a starting general's stats? I'd love for the Horde to be a bit tougher on the battlefield when the first come on the board...

[Oaty]

Just go up against him with a coward general I guarantee ya they will be tougher

[Lord TangMo]

I am playing the turk (early/expert) and the GH just arrived yesterday. Well, I did fight them but with much smaller army. My objective was not to push them back but only to kill the khan. So, my army consisted of half SC Inf to protect the other half army of archers.

Well, I am not a good field commander so, I just set up the perimeter by SC Inf and put the archers and x-bows behind them and wait (hold formation/hold position). When the khan showed up in the killing zone, I sent the command to all of the missile units to concentrate on him. When he was dead, I simply retreated. In the next turn, I sent the agents to bribe most of his army. The rest would submit to my jehad.

By doing so,now, I have 1) Neutralized the treat on the eastern front. 2) a new army group to invade the steps.

[Defensor Pacis]

Thank you very much katank and Nowake

I followed both of your advices and so far it's worked.

Re katank: I've invaded Kiev, and been excommunicated, but it'll be worth it if the Horde try to take me there.

Re Nowake: I garrisoned my bordering regions as you suggested, and pulled the rest of the troops out. So far they only invaded on region, outnumbering me slightly and with the Khan in charge. I just managed to win (close run thing - I still need to learn better defending skills).

So thank you everyone who has responded to this thread and thank you especially katank and Nowake who I am very grateful to http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/bigthumb.gif http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/bigthumb.gif http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/bigthumb.gif

[Kaiser of Arabia]

Kill the kahn. Rebels are bribalble.
_capo