Hi Ginger,

It’s been a while since I’ve played MTW but I have a few (very) general tips that you might be able to put to use. Some players argue that you need a different army type for every occasion, and that an attacking army should substantially differ from a defensive one. This being said, everyone seems to develop their style of play with time, but in the meantime you might find the following useful.

Jonny’s Basic MTW defensive army

The spine of your army should be a solid line of the best spear infantry you can build. Don’t stretch them too thin since the deeper the line, the better odds they have. Also, make sure that there are no gaps between the units even if you have to individually place them to achieve this. Behind that stick 4 archers, in rows 3 archers deep, (two double rows) and behind that your general. On each flank position one of the best flanking/anti flanking units you have (i.e. cavalry) and maybe one elite type foot unit, any group of hard b*stards should suffice. All units should be ordered to hold position, and NOT attack at will. Micro manage your units if they start doing anything funny. Your archers should NOT be on skirmish mode. If there is a nice convenient hill, stick the army at the top, where your archers will fire further, the enemy has to fight up hill and your cav get a charge bonus. Let the army come to you, only adjusting position so that the army is always facing the enemy.

As the enemy comes in range carefully use you archers to target generals, elite units etc. By the time they engage most units should have taken some damage and if you took out their general that’s a bonus! If the army attacks your flanks that’s fine, target the flanking units with your archers, then as they close, pin with the foot unit and flank them with the Cav. Meanwhile get your archers to shoot at any other approaching units. If they attack your spear line, let them….just let them engage and slug it out,… then as their troops tire, flank them with the cav and foot unit in support.



The things to watch with your spear line are….

Set them to hold position, don’t get them to attack.
Troop quality…….the better more disciplined troops hold ground more reliably.
What unit attacks them: If a cav unit with irresistible charge smashes into a bunch of crappy spearmen then they are going to break the line…
How thinly they are spread: always avoid long thin lines of troops. It’s bad for moral, less ranks are in reserve, just trust me, deep ranks are good! (Obviously the reverse is true of archers)

Experiment with the exact composition of your army, but always remember that an enemy army will often attack your flanks, therefore it’s predictable, therefore you can use it to your advantage….usually by having some killer units waiting on your flanks to counter with.

Good luck