Simple Tactics for Simple Folk

[d1ng0d0g]

I mostly play against the AI so the tactic described will likely not work against humans, but against the AI it has been quite solid. So solid it is becoming a little boring.

The most basic version of the tactic requires 4 levy spearmen and 4 levy infantry. The spearmen at the center, the levy infantry split up at the flanks. Defending or attacking the tactic is mostly the same. Spearmen engage, guns go into flanking mode.

Once upgraded to line infantry and Yari Kachi, this formation becomes very strong.

Casualties can be high, but taking the increased recovery rate option for a general can take care of that. I even had a general with a 2x a 5% recovery rate retainer, who at that point became my field hospital.

***

I thought it would be nice if other people shared their simple tactics. (That are not total abuses of flaws in the AI). Requirements. Tactic should be capable to be done with 10 units or less. And the units involved should be from the lowest two tiers of a building.

[Peasant Phill]

I'm actually doing the exact opposite. I put my gun infantry in the middle and my spear infantry on the flank behind the main battle line (definetly more guns than spears though). I can then protect the flanks of my main battle line with my spears and flank with them when the time is right.

[Madae]

--------- : Guns
-..-...-..- : Spears on the outside, generals on the inside
...-----... : Artillery (minus gatlings)
-..........- : Extra horses

[Sp4]

Against the AI, the formation doesn't really matter =p

All you need to do it:

Make sure all your infantry are able to attack the enemy line at the same time.
You position your units on a slight incline or better yet, a huge mountain that you can charge down.

[Vladimir]

My simple tactic: Line infantry and a general. Simple and always works.

[TargetSlayer]

Unfortunately the artillery and gatling guns are so powerful, and with most AI armies possessing little to none (even late in the campaign), I can't remember losing a single encounter (on Normal) with 4 Armstrongs and 4 Gatlings supporting my 10 infantry units, general and calvary (to chase down the routing army afterwards). I keep promising myself to stop using so many arty & gaty pieces, but it is rather silly fun seeing almost all fully stacked armies route before even getting within firing range. I must try a harder difficulty level, or maybe they will patch it so AI armies have more artillery (well besides those silly wooden ones).

TS!