sapping

[Breeze]

Wondered what the word was on this subject I havent seen much in the forums about it. Do any of you sap in campaign mode do you see this as a viable tactic?

[Antagonist]

Sapping is something you do on the battle map, not the campaign map. Personally I don't bother with it that often, but it is useful, particularly when you want to get large numbers into a city quickly, or when the enemy has strong units on the walls (Sapping works very well against Romans, I have noticed) It's also good for cavalry-centric civilisations, as the breachs are good for getting cavalry inside.

The problem, of course, is first of all that you don't get to choose exactly where the sap points are going to be, which is a pain, and also that you don't capture the walls and towers, which can be a problem as towers and units on the walls can fire down onto your troops inside the city and cause heavy casualties.

Antagonist

[HarunTaiwan]

Once your troops are through the breach you can send up to the walls to stop the archery.

Saps are probably the best way to siege. Especially if your siege towers get burned.

[GrimSta]

in Multiplayer sieges i often use Sap Points, Siege Towers and Onagers to accomplish my aims.

these involve sending Sapper units to the sap points, if these are destroyed, i use the Towers with berserkers in them, and if that fails two unots fo heavby onagers can knock 3 breachs for you easilly ~D

later mate


:bow:

[Garvanko]

If you have a choice, use saps, then onagers, then towers, then rams. Saps are the most efficient and effective way to get inside a city.

I always use them wherever possible.

[Seasoned Alcoholic]

Use crappy troops in your saps though, sometimes the damn things collapse! I've lost a whole unit of Silver Shield Legionnaires doing this = not good ~D

Peasants are superb sappers - it doesn't matter if they take casualties since they can't put up a fight anyway. Also watch your unit's stamina after they finish sapping - most of the time its at Winded or Tired, so they may need a break before you throw them into a fight.

As others say, saps are great for getting your cav into a settlement, but usually your missiles and infantry receive pretty frightening casualties from nearby towers (they may get massacred by epic stone walls and their missile projectiles). Try and control the gateway before bringing in the bulk of your army - use peasants or some low-cost unit to gain control of the walls (providing the enemy isn't heavily concentrated).

[Rilder]

saps are nice if you have a long prolonged wall battle and your starting to lose a bit , since they sap right under were siege towers hit the walls if the enemy wall unit is bunched up right besides your seige tower bring the saps and boom falling wall defenders

[RemusAvenged]

For sapping I generally build a round of towers first since crappy units like peasants can use them in a sally to fire missles.

Next round or I build saps since you want several because you don't control the placement of them.

I usually only use one sapping unit in a place where there are few enemy towers to limit the incomming fire and one that is close to a interior roadway that leads deeper into the city and away from the gates. Running around the outer track is no fun watching your troops get cut down by tower fire.

If you have an Onager then you can take down their nearby towers during the sap while your towers take out their troops on the wall. I rarely go on to the actual walls.

Once you are in the city move deep inside quickly and fight street battles as you move towards the city center. Slow troops or expensive units should not be let into the city area if you value them unless they are needed. Sometimes if you can get to the flag and clear the plaza you hold the streets leading to the city center against better troops until your victory clock runs out so you don't have to fight their best units at all:)

[Breeze]

Can u sap in a campaign game?

[Ciaran]

Of course, when else?

Sap points are siege equipment, they have to be built whil your army besieges a city. Their disadvantage is, you can´t place them, but when you´re up against large or epic walls they´re your best opportunity to breach the walls, ladder crews will be torn to pieces by the tower fire and neither towers nor rams (completely useless as soon as a city has stone walls of any kind) will make it even halfways to the walls before going up in flames.

Still, you´ll need a lot of troops, because you´ll loose badly while getting your men into the breach, again due to the towers.