Advice on getting out of bad RTW battle habits.

[Ignoramus]

My tactics took a major nose dive when I started playing Rome, due to the poor AI. In the original Medieval, however, the AI gave me a run for my money, and I really enjoyed. I am hoping that I'll get MTW2 in the next couple of days, and I'd like some advice to break these bad habits.

For instance, I usually mass cavalry attack in Rome, or just generally mass attack with my infantry, and because the AI isn't that good, it keeps working.

I'd appreciate your help.

[wraithdt]

Play some quick custom battles in MTW again. lol:laugh4:


No...seriously.

[Ignoramus]

I would, except I lost the CD ~:mecry:

[Censor]

A tip I got from playing, cavalry need to charge in formation. A disorganized charge is much less effective, but a well ordered charge can plow through an unsuspecting missile unit, and decimate a weakened infantry unit. I wouldn't recommend charging into spears though (ah I miss the Immortal cavalry from Barbarian Invasion, those were the days, I could plug up a bridge with that unit and kill an army thrice the size of mine.

[Colovion]

Start simple.

Make a line of Infantry, Cavalry on the flanks.

Ranged can be micromanaged during the battle for greater effect, or just put ahead of your Infantry but on Skirmish and Fire at Will.

Keeping a reserve of Infantry can also be the difference between winning easily and losing.

[Throumbaris]

I find the AI pretty active during the battles which is great, however all that MTW AI is better than RTW AI is all placebo, MTW AI is braindead.
Anyways, as england you dont get good spear units so up to now i just spam the enemy with arrows and have a strong force of mail knights flank them. When they start charging into my archers i bring them behind the spearmen and then charge my cavalry at the enemy bodyguards which are mostly at the back. Im pretty new so its a basic strategy, the big difference from the roman faction is that the spearmen cant hold anything for long so i have to basically lower the enemy morale with my bowmen before my spearmen get rushed by highlanders or something. I love the strong cavalry for a change! Pretty bad that they are buggy with their charge and lances.

[maestro]

If it's any consolation - the cavalry are waaay nerfed so you won't get any success with spamming them ~) I did exactly the same thing at the start of my campaign, just got some mmailed knights and hobilars and went after some scum. My General (actually my eldest son) charged some peasants from the rear, went to disengage to reassemble for a re-charge and got taken out by one of the little fork wielding rebel peasants! I love it! Generals are no longer complete Uber units - be careful with them ~;)

[Colovion]

Also, setting your "Anvil" of units, even if they're just Militia, to Guard Mode can help a lot to keep the enemy at bay until any flanking units are in position.

[Tamur]

Keeping a reserve of Infantry can also be the difference between winning easily and losing.

oh for the day we actually need to keep reserves!

This question is a good sign. I started up an overview of basic tactics (http://cicero.modwest.com/tactics/) with MTW back in 2004, thinking that with RTW coming it would be greatly enhanced.

Now that it appears tactics are once again vital to winning battles, it might be good to get that going again. But the 14th seems to fall further away every day!