Field Battles vs. Siege Battles...Where are you good at?

[bretwalda]

I like field battles the best, which probably means I have to get better in siege battles. I have to admit, I hardly ever get sieged and don't really like sieging. Any threads you could suggest to get better in city/castle attacks?

Little offtopic: ever happened to you that on a field battle you just can't get to you enemy because of the terrain?

[A Nerd]

Little offtopic: ever happened to you that on a field battle you just can't get to you enemy because of the terrain?

This has happened to me from time to time. Mostly when I attack the AI near some mountains. He is high atop the cliff face where there are rocks all the way down that I cannot climb. 90 degree ascent it seems like to get there, and no terrain I can walk up either. Usually, I just select my whole army, then click up where he is, 6x speed and note how my army climbs up there. There usually is a way, it is just hard to see. They get there exhausted, but better than cancelling out of a battle. Especially when the AI army is much smaller than my own.

I had one battle where my entire army was clumped together in one spot and I couldn't do anything with them. Couldn't click on them to move or anything. I had to cancel out of the battle and lose. That was annoying, but only happened once.

[Beggarman]

I prefer field battles to sieges. Sieges are very much a matter of "bulling through". You just have to accept that you wont have good mobility or flexibility, and push on.

On the other hand, I've never noticed a need for more time than the 15 minutes built in. But I also don't tend to assault "real" cities until i have Dismounted Knights or similar "assault" infantry.

[phonicsmonkey]

I much prefer field battles, but mostly because I'm a horse-archer nut and they don't like those crowded city streets at all.

There are three honourable exceptions to this:

- When I assault with panzerphants (BOOM! Aarrgh! Mwuahahahaha!)
- When I assault with Greek Fire (Whoooosh! Aaargh! Mwuuuuuaaaaaaahahahahaaaa!)
- When I defend with Naptha (Donk....Whump! Aaargh! Tee hee.)

[Thaddeus]

Siege defense for me. Never bothered much with siege attack, though just starting to and liking it. Field battles I love defensive battles. Attacking not so much.

[Vladimir]

I still play on occasion and use spies to either open gates or see when the garrison is at a minimum. I've taken more than a few ungarrisoned settlements.

Cavalry is very useful against an underdefended settlement. If you're able to flank enemy troops before they can get to the city center you loose a lot less men. Other times you can isolate a general or find an isolated missile unit to charge down. Cavalry is still good for picking armies apart.

I rarely attack a settlement that's garrisoned by more than a quarter stack. If I do, I wait out the siege or attack an adjacent army to draw them out. Smart sieges add an extra element of fun to the game.