Gotta love them Horse Archers

[BalkanTourist]

Hi, everyone
Just wanted to share the beautiful experience I had a few moments ago.
I am playing an Early/Normal campaign with the Aragonese. I picked them because they seemed more of a chalange. Anyway, it is year 1270 and I own North Africa, The Middle East, the Iberian Peninsula, all of the British Islands except for Northumria, Norway, Finland, Livonia and Lithuania, Aquitania, Tolouse, Anjui, Breton and Normandy. I've been using a crusade to conquer each new territory in NA and ME. So I grew big and noone likes me anymore. I started a cruzade against the Mongols in Trebizond, next thing I know the People of Novgorod attack me in Finland, and the Sicilians, who own the Balkans except for Constantinople, as well as Nicaea and Anatolia, attack me with a 2300 men in Antioch. I had merely 900 troops. Out of them I had one unit of UM, one of FS, 56 Archers 2 and a half units of MS and 4 Knights of Santiago ( a 5 star general with a Doubtful Courage vice). The rest was about 600 Turcopoles ( which do get bonus in Antioch plus I've got a Master Horse Breeder there - 2 bonus valor). Now,I've been reading a lot in this forum about the beauty of HA play. I've practiced my game with them and studied peoples experience and advices. And I won Boy, what a victory 1083 dead Sicilians vs 125 dead on my part. Kiled their 3 star general I am really proud of myself I had the enemy surrounded with Turcopoles the rest of my army was at the end of the map. By the time they reached my foot army some of their units were half full and tired. Pointless to say they all routed after their general was ganged up by my 100 MS.
Should I be proud of myself or is this not such a big deal and I am just over excited cause I didn't believe I'd win? Also my general only got a Skilled Defender virtue. I thought he deserved more... http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[Doug-Thompson]

You whipped an army 2.5 times your size with Turcopoles?

You deserve a medal. You certainly did the right thing to get those valor upgrades, and have every right to be proud of yourself.

http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-2thumbsup.gif

[BalkanTourist]

Well, I am sure if the army was of a better quality troops I wouldn't stand a chance. I was lucky not to face more than one unit of RK. Most of the 2300 were Archers, UMs, FSs, CSs, CMAs, SWs, and I actually killed like 500 of them the rest were captured, but I killed those too, since I don't need the money ( over 600k in bank). I also got the No Mercy vice. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[WorkNeglecter]

Quote[/b] (Czar Ivan Asen II @ July 07 2004,04:54)]The rest was about 600 Turcopoles ( which do get bonus in Antioch plus I've got a Master Horse Breeder there - 2 bonus valor). Now,I've been reading a lot in this forum about the beauty of HA play. I've practiced my game with them and studied peoples experience and advices. And I won Boy, what a victory 1083 dead Sicilians vs 125 dead on my part. Kiled their 3 star general I am really proud of myself I had the enemy surrounded with Turcopoles the rest of my army was at the end of the map. By the time they reached my foot army some of their units were half full and tired. Pointless to say they all routed after their general was ganged up by my 100 MS.
The great thing about Turcopoles is that other Catholic armies have little to put up against them. They're useless against the superior horse archers fielded by Eastern factions, but if you can use them, like you did, against Catholic armies, they can lead to lopsided victories. I always try to get Antioch if I'm a Catholic faction for this reason alone.

Did you use "PAUSE"? (sorry, have to ask http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/ceasaryes.gif )

[BalkanTourist]

Not a single time Also, the thing about HA battles for me is that I either do really great - 2 to 1 kill ratio ( this time it was almost 10 to 1 though), or my army routs like the first 5 mins of the game and I get a sound defeat. I did not expect to win this one with the Doubtful Courage vice my general had - that's like -6 morale

[Kaiser of Arabia]

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

reminds me of a time when i beat a full stack of french knights, fmaas, and crossbows with 40 lancers, less than 100 pikes, 1 man at arm, like 30 fanatics, 2 archers (2 men, not units, same for maa, 1 man,) 3 swiss halberders, and I think thats it. I whopped thier froggy arse so badly,
-Capo(di tutti Capi)

[katank]

once a general is -3 or greater, I would never let him command a single stack of mine, regardless of how many star he has.

what good is bonused attack and defence if they don't even stick around?

[ichi]

[IrishMike]

Wow ichi u must really like em. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

Yup I have to admit that i have had some great victories with horse archers against a huge army of slav warriors (somewhere around 2,000) and i had only 3 units of your base, run-of-the-mill horse archers, but it was with unlimited ammo.

[BalkanTourist]

Quote[/b] ]once a general is -3 or greater, I would never let him command a single stack of mine, regardless of how many star he has.

That's what makes my win precious I had that province written off, I just wanted that general to do both of us good and die like a man. Gave him a chance to go to heaven clean so to speak. Instead he got the Skilled Defender and the No Mercy virtues. While I am not sure if I like that No Mercy vice, Skilled Defender is nice, and I decided I'd spare his life (he is a 6* general).

[Magraev]

No mercy is another -1 to morale. That's not exactly what that particular general needs http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/eek.gif

[Doug-Thompson]

Quote[/b] (Magraev @ July 08 2004,04:01)]No mercy is another -1 to morale. That's not exactly what that particular general needs http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/eek.gif
I thought that was -1 for enemy morale.

[katank]

nope, it's for you as your men get grumpy about lack of loot that you execute the prisoners so fast.

[katar]

guess i`ll have to stop getting the Butcher vice. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wacko.gif

[The Wizard]

Yeah, it's the Turcoman horse that bagged me victory after victory in my current Ottoman campaign http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[solypsist]

nice job with those horse archers