Certain Unit Advantages

**Old Geezer** · 03-05-2008, 19:39

Perhaps we need to stop discussing how to use light cavalry effectively or CA may decide to "nerf" them in some future patch or expansion.

One drawback which I am finding is that my swordsmen are not gaining as much experience as they usually do because I have been relying on Border Horse and pike militia (since removing their secondary "weapon" of rubber knives). Taking losses doesn't concern me much because they can be retrained so cheaply at any castle.

I just fought a Portugese army with some jinetes and were surprised how well the border horse closed and thrashed the jinetes with minimal losses. The AI tries to throw the javelins but doesn't have time to do so before the charge takes effect and kills about half of the jinetes on impact. It doesn't work well if the enemy has 3 jinetes to your one border horse (or alan cavalry) because the unengaged jinetes will kll a lot of border horse in a couple of volleys.

**Mek Simmur al Ragaski** · 03-05-2008, 20:35

A very interesting essay, ATPG, i might try a few of them out

**Forlorn Hope** · 03-09-2008, 02:46

anybody got any decent tactics of how to win a woodland battle?

= Don't!

I always like to have a mix although i tend to have a higher proportion of heavies. Light cavalry are generally just ace for sneaking round the side or making surprise charges on ranged units/routers/artillery/light infantry/cavalry already engaged....basically anything! Although admittedly if they get charged by anything or get stuck in melee than they get mashed

**MerlinusCDXX** · 03-09-2008, 07:05

On beseiging a moderately defended city (balanced army, sans artillery):

equipment needed: 2 rams, 2 siege towers, 2 ladders
use your most expendable units as ram pushers
decent heavy infantry on towers (or use mercs)
ladder A- light ap infantry or med infantry--ladder B- light spears or melee capable archers (need a decently fast moving unit for this)

Opening; send siege towers @ the best defenders on the walls, ladder A goes either @ the archers OR in support of a tower on the outside flank
ladder B- outside edge of the wall you are assaulting, line up your heavy cavalry, gen, and 1 or 2 light cav and/or HA's near that ladder- send ladder B at a run toward the undefended side gate, cav at a walk (note, don't line up your ladder B crew as close to the side gate as you can, you DON'T want the enemy to defend that gate, if you line up around the corner from your main force, you'll get defenders on that wall)
both rams toward front gate (both traveling in that direction to dissipate arrow fire, reducing the chances of equipment getting burned up)

Mid game;
Objective on the front walls is tieing up the defenders so the cavalry can get in to do the dirty work. Send the cav and the wall taker from ladder B directly to the town square (which type depends on the unit/s at the square) kill the defenders, use light cav feints to draw them out of the square, general makes a good square taker. light cav charges anyone retreating from the walls, if wall retreating units are in good order, tower assault inf or nearby fresh inf that entered the front gate after its capture should be pinning for the light cav. ladder B unit should be holding the square while cavalry and gate infantry kill any remaining defenders (added bonus if this is a unit of archers)

End game: celebrate your victory, this siege was won in the mid-game.
this tactic is designed to eliminate the "slugfest at the town square" that causes signifigant casualties among your army, in fact, I'd say that and the approach cause the majority. Since you can't really avoid the casualties during the approach, eliminating the "last stand slugfest" is imperative if you wish to keep your army effective on a long campaign, especially if the mod you use has an Area of Recruitment (AoR) feature (in fact AoR is what motivated me to try this tactic...got sick of constantly sending troops home to retrain or waiting for new recruits from home to catch up)

just my $.02