Indirect City Assault

:idea2:

Kaeso my Brutii General led his army to assault Dacian held Campus Lazyges.

With no artillery nor spy the General would have to wait a turn to build Ram's before he could assault. Two rams were ordered.

But then I noticed the smaller Dacian stack outside and next to the town.

Kaeso broke off the seige and attacked north against the small Dacian stack.

The Dacian forces defending the city responded by sallying forth to join in the fight outside the city.

https://img213.imageshack.us/img213/...61s36mr.th.jpg

Once the Dacians were beaten and wiped out my Brutii had an easy move into an undefended city.

Anyone else use this technique. Will it work do you think against big stone/epic walled cities ?

You can only use it rarely though: AI armies don't usually hang around cities waiting to be attacked.

Offtopic: is Kaeso Caecilius a fixed marriage/adoption option? I think I've had him in a game before...

I tend to use this tactic where possible, especially against heavily fortified cities with large garrisons. I suppose it's kind of an exploit really, but large-scale sieges are so bloody and time-consuming that I tend to try and avoid them wherever possible.

And yes, it will work against any level of fortification. Just make sure you don't allow too many enemies to escape. In particular, any enemy family members/generals must be eliminated on the battlefield, or they'll get back to the city no matter how heavy the losses are.

Antagonist

I've used this strategy, but it sometimes does not work. They will either beat you or be on either side, making it hard to manouvre and defeat both armies...

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Originally Posted by Antagonist

I tend to use this tactic where possible, especially against heavily fortified cities with large garrisons. I suppose it's kind of an exploit really, but large-scale sieges are so bloody and time-consuming that I tend to try and avoid them wherever possible.

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True. I especially use this tactic in my current 'unification of Britain' Casse campaign. I can't siege a city whilst relying so heavily on my chariots to rout the enemy army. :no:

Thanks for the replies.

If a family member had escaped back into the city then it would be back to seige. :no:

To Tiberius:
Kaeso Caecilius appeared on the second turn of the Brutii campaign. He was the husband of 12 year old Paulina Brutus (Daughter of Aulus and Hostia). He started as a 1Star general. In the screenshot he was up to 4stars as basic, +1 for vs Greek and +2 for being a super defender.

I use it regularly, but only if I have a numbers advantage.

It's quite a useful function. You always have the advantage I think, because you can kill the already around army before reinforcements come. And as soon as those come, just surround them and put them to the ground. (Then go into their city for a rest) ;)

[QUOTE=Severous]Thanks for the replies.

If a family member had escaped back into the city then it would be back to seige. :no:

If anyone gets back into a city, it's back to a siege. If a family member gets back in, he might even re-train a bodyguard.

It's really frustrating to kill an entire bodyguard and the general gets away. You definitely want to kill him on the field.

If you "break a siege" to go after another nearby army, it might help to leave one of your units in the siege mode. This one may help to prevent other routing enemy units to escape into a city.

Strength and Honor

Celt Centurion

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Originally Posted by Garvanko

I use it regularly, but only if I have a numbers advantage.

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Numbers aren't needed. Quickly annihilate one side, then reform your line facing the new threat. The AI will either take its time, or rush and break its formation. Either way, they should be easy prey.

I've actually had this used against me. Occasionally I'll have a unit sitting outside the gates (like a high-management governor who has a bunch of bad vices), and the AI will attack that unit. This was particularly obnoxious when the assisting army was AI controlled before the game was patched to give you an option. Thus, your specially prepared defences would be abandonded, and you got to watch as your moronic AI general got your unitc annihilated due to incompetence. I quickly learned not to keep units that can be attacked next to cities that I intend to defend from the walls.

I like the battles when the enemy has reinforcements. Especially when I am outnumbered. Very interesting to have to race onto the battlefield and take out one enemy, then turn and face the other.

I just leave the and siege the city, that way I'm the defender.

Works every time.

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Originally Posted by Tiberius

Numbers aren't needed. Quickly annihilate one side, then reform your line facing the new threat. The AI will either take its time, or rush and break its formation. Either way, they should be easy prey.

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I agree. However, i try not to get into those scenarios unless I can't help it, e.g, if I am attacked by a relief force.

A helpful tactic, no doubt, but sometimes it´s actually somewhat of an exploit. For example, one time I was besieging the macedon capital and was attacked about six times from armies on the outside, often as not one-unit stacks. Every time the garrison sallied out, lost more men and came back out again the next. After a while it got really tedios. Without doubt, the city eventually fell to me. But instead of one big decisive battle the AI had surrounded my sieging army with six armies and each of them attacked, one after another and every time the other armies, or what was left of them, came as reinforcements.

I often use it as an exploit (although one that is forced on me). Often when attacking cities where the defenders are better than me in sieges than open war I will sit there and wait for a relief force to arrive and attack me so I can get the cities garrison out onto the open field. that way I can take them out (killing them all is not always required- just seriously weakening their best troops) before I take the city.

Good examples are when you are attacking garrisons of hoplites/phalanxes or attacking with mainly hoplites/phalanxes or with cavalry heavy armies. These situations are a nightmare when attacking a city, but if the backbone of the army can be taken out on the battlefeild first then you have a great chance to take the city easily.

You know this is what Sun Tzu would advise, get the garrison to sally into the open field so that you can defeat them with formation and manuver, a city assault should only be your last resort.

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Originally Posted by Severous

I like the battles when the enemy has reinforcements. Especially when I am outnumbered. Very interesting to have to race onto the battlefield and take out one enemy, then turn and face the other.

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I prefer to take them both down as well, but there was an event about a year ago in which I was besieging an Egyptian city, and another Egyptian Army rang my shield from behind.

I set up to fight on battle map, and found myself at a bridge, with two large Egyptian Armies, one in front, and the reinforcements from the City behind me. They were well balanced with a lot of Desert Axemen and Cavalry with Pharaoh's Archers, all in "Gold" Armor.

I had my hiney handed to me, and kept re-fighting it, and losing again.

Now, as one of the Roman Factions, I have learned to use a minimum of 4 Urban Cohorts with minimum of "silver" armor when going against large Egyptian Armies with "gold." Six Urban Cohorts is better, and don't forget Archer Auxilia, and preferably Praetorian Cavalry. If you have a place which can get you Gold Armor, take the time and spend the money to get it.

When I got my hiney kicked, it seems that I was using the "obsolete" Hasatai, Principe, and Triarii, with Equites, all dragged and dropped to "full strength" and upgraded with "silver armor."

One may be able to get away with that with Thracians, or even Gauls, but I have learned to not use them against upgraded and superior armored Egyptians.

Strength and Honor

Celt Centurion