Attila tips and un-/under-documented features

[Slaists]

It seems, we do not have a topic like this for Attila. So, I decided to start one. Here are a couple starters:

Agents

It seems, it is very easy to train agents to be effective killers of generals in Attila (even more so than in R2). So, the tip is: look for the weakest stat a general has (authority, cunning, zeal) and use the appropriate agent to kill the general. The replacement captain will have all attributes at 1 allowing for very high success rate for any type of further sabotage using your other agents.

On a related topic: beware of low global food surplus (in the range of 10-20). The AI agents know how to look for this and will induce famine in your provinces leading to army starvation. A surplus in a couple hundred area is much safer. Hordes settling are especially vulnerable as they tend to have almost no food at the start of the settlement process.

Immigration

High military activity in an area causes a lot of immigration potentially leading to nasty (-20 and more) PO hits. One way to drastically reduce immigration is to raise taxes to very high for a few turns. Immigrants get scared away.

Assault-Withdraw Cycle

In Attila, we can assault a city, withdraw from the battle resulting in a "draw" battle resolution while maintaining siege. Use this to your advantage to gradually reduce the city's defenses as in: assault, destroy the walls and towers until your ammo runs out then withdraw. As you maintain the siege, the damage to the walls will stay through the turn. There is an exception to this: damage to the highest level Roman city walls seems to self-repair even if the siege is ongoing.

You can do this once per turn with a land army; there seems to be no limit as to how many times per turn you can do it with a navy.

Oh, and while withdrawing your land armies, make sure your onager withdraws first (completely off the field) or at least, does not withdraw last. If the onager is the last unit off the field, the garrison will capture it.

Defending coastal settlements against naval (transport) assaults

Use your garrison ships to take out the assaulting general while he is at the sea. A marine ship can take out most generals quickly while they are sea-sick. Once the assault army lands, they will be already wavering from the loss of their general.

Other things come to mind?

[Hooahguy]

Great post! With the various tips threads we have going with regard to the economy, missiles, and planning, it should be organized into one thread.

[Bramborough]

Yep, spies (and other agents) seem to be a bit better at assassination this time around.

I can attest to the "kill general afloat" tactic. Another option, if one is available, is to use an artillery ship to sink their general's transport; pulled that stunt against the Varinians last night, lol.

I understand what you're saying about assault/withdraw...but I don't quite get the underlying mechanic. Do the walls take additional damage merely by going to battle? Or are you talking about damaging the walls with artillery and then withdrawing once ammo is exhausted?

[Slaists]

Yep, spies (and other agents) seem to be a bit better at assassination this time around.

I can attest to the "kill general afloat" tactic. Another option, if one is available, is to use an artillery ship to sink their general's transport; pulled that stunt against the Varinians last night, lol.

I understand what you're saying about assault/withdraw...but I don't quite get the underlying mechanic. Do the walls take additional damage merely by going to battle? Or are you talking about damaging the walls with artillery and then withdrawing once ammo is exhausted?

I meant withdrawing from battle once ammo is exhausted (if you do not have a sufficient breach for an economic assault). Often you need to destroy several towers before you can create a safe path to the city center.

[Slaists]

Recommendation: do not assassinate enemy generals before a battle.

The reason is simple: it appears, troops care much less about the captain that comes as a replacement to the assassinated general. If you kill a general in the battle, the whole enemy army switches to "wavering" state. However, if you kill the replacement captain: enemy troops show as eager (not being bothered too much about the captain's demise).

This is especially apparent on legendary.

[Hooahguy]

Ok but what if the general is super powerful giving big benefits such as better melee and stuff like that? Then the net gain is better than the net loss.