Anyone Else Hate Assaulting Settlements?

[Forward Observer]

Finished my English campaign earlier today and it reminded me how frustrating and dull assaulting and defending cities is. The pathfinding is infuriating beyond belief very often.

But that was nothing compared to when I tried an Egyptian campaign for the first time.
The rebel settlements of Dongola and Jedda are a bloody nightmare. Especially Jedda. After getting slaughtered attempting to take these places the first time I started my campaign again and got the same results. I don't want to waste precious turns at the start besieging them and it seems like such a waste to ignore them.

God dammit!

What is then when, for much of the game you only have access to battering rams?

After reading this I fired up a quick Egyptian campaign just to see how hard it could be. By only turn 8, I had an army of about 3 militia archers, 2 militia spearmen, 1 Saracen spear unit, two Arab cav, one mamluk missile cav along with two 2x ballistae units on the way to Jedda. I think it took about 4 or 5 more turns just to get there, and in the mean time I had been assigned to take Jerusalem by the council.

Jedda was a dinky little town with only two crossed streets. Their crossing formed the town square. If the place had been any smaller both city limit signs would have been on the same post, but the square was packed with over 330 troops--militia infantry, Arab cav, camel missile cav, and those Turkish archers that have such a long range.

There is no way one could take the town only 5 or 6 units, but I could have beaten it with half of my 600 man force simply because I had brought along the ballista units. I lined a ballista unit up on each of two crossed streets and let em have at it.

Those ballistae accounted for 276 kills between the two units. When I could no longer get a good angle on the remaining 60 or so enemy troops i sent my men in to mop up. Final score--I lost 10 and they lost 332

By turn 14 I had assaulted and taken Jerusalem with a full stack including two 2X catapult units and two 2X ballistae units.

Now I was playing normal difficulty, and one might not get results this good at a higher difficulty, but I did not do this to brag about my abilities as an armchair general. I'm no better than the next military genius. My real point is that artillery made all the difference in these battles and it just does not take that long to obtain them

In every campaign I tackle, I start a ballista maker on the first turn. It takes 3 turns to complete at 1600 florins, and one turn to pop out a 370 florin ballista.

This means that you can put an army in the field equipped with a high powered deadly accurate Medieval RPG in only 4 turns. This is a weapon that will take out up to 10 troops at a time in full enfilade, and can take down any wooden fort or any gate of any size citadel, while your troops can set back and have a few cups of expresso.

Check my sig and you'll know where I am coming from.

Cheers