Multiple army battles

[gaijinalways]

There has been some talk about occasional battles with several armies from different factions. How many factions have you had on battle field at one time?

I seem to remember one time having three others besides my own. One was my ally, the other two enemy unts. Great fun, though you have to be careful to not shoot your ally:oops: (unless you are planning to break your alliance):2thumbsup: !

But it makes for interesting battles with your ally sometimes charging into battle without waiting for your assistance. I always try to help enough that he doesn't get slaughtered, but not so much that I take the brunt of the battle:laugh4: ! Yes, I am cheesy when it comes to using my allies, I let them be the bait!

Sometimes though, my ally is a bit chicken, waiting back behind me and coming up slow:help: . I wait and wait, but of course I don't want to start taking arrows while I wait. If useful, I might retreat to let my ally gain my position more easily:juggle2: .

[NodachiSam]

It rarely happens to me but usually if it does one army often is rebel or I'm fighting two enemies. I know your feelings on impetuous or cowardly allies. Either they sit there or charge unthinkingly. Sometimes I'll hold back if my ally is strong and might be a future threat but if he only has two provinces or something I'd take more of the enemy on myself.

[Peasant Phill]

When I fight multifaction battles it's usually an ally that's 'helping' me. With 'helping' me I mean when I attack and some other army wants a shot at that province too. I such cases I never engage the enemy fully: I wont let some other faction take some land from me that I could take without help. I won't sit and wait until it's over but I use some of my infantry as strategic reserves and hold my cav back until I know I can disengage quite easily.
If the ally would actually help me, for example when I'm defending, then I would give it my all. But this has never been the case.

My biggest one was when I (English) attacked a rebel held province in order to end a German crusade going through my lands. I was joined by a German force (not the crusade) and a Byzantine force. There where probably about 6000 men on the field. I took brought my archers forward together with a few units of feudal spearmen in order for my archers to take shelter when necessary. The rebels were hiding in a forest that was as wide as their line but it wasn't deep. so I used my light cav to lure some units out and then flanked them with another unit after showering them with arrows. When the Germans and Byzantines engaged I send my cav in behind the rebels and charged my heavy horses in the back of the general while my light horses caught routers. I kept half of my army back but still I felt like I did my part of the battle ( disrupting and destroying their right flank, killing the general and denying them a chance of rallying or sending reserves). A few turns later both the Germans and the Byzantines attacked me, if I had known I wouldn't have engage at all.

[Cowhead418]

I once had a battle against rebels where an HRE force and French force joined in. None of us were allies so it was a free-for-all fight. It was quite interesting seeing four different banners on the battlefield at once.

I just wish this happened more in RTW. I'm only in my first campaign there as the Julii but I did manage to have one multiple faction battle. I fought a large Greek force (2000 strong) with about 800 troops supported by a Thracian allied force of about 600. I engaged the Greeks, who were split in two (reinforcement stack). As I defeated the main Greek force the Thracians caught the Greeks off guard and hit their flanks. They were a huge help in my victory. Unfortunately the bastards betrayed me about ten turns later and forced me to exterminate them.

[Vlad The Impala]

I've had one fight where the Germans decided to give my English forces a helping hand when I invaded rebel *forgot the name, it's a Baltic state, maybe Lithuania?*. But, as it turned out immediately after the fight, since they actually sent a larger force than I did, they got to rule the newly captured territory! :( I've had an ally joining me in a pointless battle more often, but I never needed their help anyway.

As the Turks, I attacked rebel Bulgaria while the waning remains of a German crusade were still parked there, so I had to mop them up as well.

Do your allies ask you for help if they invade an enemy province (or if a mutual enemy attacks them), too by the way?

[King Kurt]

My only multi force battle was as the Byzantines. I was defending Naples very early on. all I had was a unit of Byzant infantry and a unit of naptha throwers. I was facing a rebel army - mainly peasants and some Sicilians - some cav and spears I think. I was well outnumbered , but thought it would be fun. I sat on a hill and the rebels attacked while the Sicillians sat on another hill. I beat off the rebels who routed down the hill - only to be attacked by the Sicillians!! The treachious Sicillians then attacked me and after some stout resistance I was overwhelmed. Ironically if the rebels had sided with me, we could have overwhelmed the sicillians. As a consequence, I lost Naples for about 80 years. The moral - don't trust a Sicillian, even if the AI controls both!!:2thumbsup:

[Ludens]

Do your allies ask you for help if they invade an enemy province (or if a mutual enemy attacks them), too by the way?
Sadly no. The only thing you can do is help relieve the siege. It would be nice if there was a way to plan simultaneous campaigns, but there isn't.

[Glemte_hage]

The best multiplayer battle I had was the time me (playing as Bohemia and trying toi make myself Emperor, if only to claim I could), the Pope, and the Serbs attacked a German province- an epic battle enused and eventually the alliance gained victory.