How to use Reserves effectively

**Soozook** · 02-09-2005, 07:19

Hi all.
Been lurking for a while and have become addicted to the game.
Now I have a question or two I havn't been able to find the answer to.

1) How can you control the order that reserves come onto the field.

2) How do most ppl deploy their reserves. Do you get each unit one
at a time as they are available or do you wait until several of your
units have left the field and get a whole bunch come on at once?

**Graphic** · 02-09-2005, 08:09

You can control the order that they enter by switching them around on the pre-battle screen.

When I'm defending I usually let my archers empty their quiver then withdraw them for some cavalry units for flankage. Also I withdraw a unit if it's very tired, get a fresh sword unit in there to take its place.

If you're in a battle with multiple stacks on both sides that's going to have more than a few fights within the battle you may consider withdrawing most of your army for fresh reserves. Just make sure you got it set up so you can get the correct types you need i.e. don't withdraw your very tired Katanks for some fresh woodsman

**TonkaToys** · 02-09-2005, 10:07

Welcome to the Org Soozook!

Originally Posted by Graphic

You can control the order that they enter by switching them around on the pre-battle screen.

Correct me if I am wrong, but I think you need VI to get the pre-battle screen, don't you?

**QuantumEleven** · 02-09-2005, 12:10

Originally Posted by TonkaToys

Correct me if I am wrong, but I think you need VI to get the pre-battle screen, don't you?

AFAIK, you do. If you only have the original MTW (in which case, go buy VI, it's well worth it!), you can control which units you start the battle with. At the start of the battle, don't click on "Begin Battle", instead select the unit you want to replace with a reserve and click on the "Reserve" button (second from right, at the top). This way, you can get the starting lineup you want. However, I haven't yet found a way to find out in what order your reserves come on...

**English assassin** · 02-09-2005, 15:51

In vanilla MTW It seems to be cav first then inf after, but no rhyme or reason as to which cav or which inf. If you cycle through all your possible replacements as Q11 says, before the battle, you can work out the order that they are lined up in "off screen". Then if you stop cycling at some handy point in the order you can at least make sure that the first few reinforcements to come on are something useful. You can't adjust the order though, only where you start in it

**Graphic** · 02-09-2005, 18:13

Originally Posted by TonkaToys

Welcome to the Org Soozook!

Correct me if I am wrong, but I think you need VI to get the pre-battle screen, don't you?

I guess. I bought the Battle Collection so I have no idea what vanilla is like.

**Soozook** · 02-10-2005, 00:34

Thanks. you have confirmed what I had thought about the order
that reserves arrive in. pity!!

The Pre-Battle screen sounds cool. guess VI might have to be on my future
list.

As for tactics Graphic. thanks although I guess the lack of the Pre-Battle screen means after the first battle you might end up with a strange army mix.

**Procrustes** · 02-10-2005, 17:34

One nice thing about the VI update is that you can do a "quick save" in the pre-battle screen. That way if you have a turn with several battles in it you can fight one and quick-save before the next so you don't have to fight them all the same night. It's saved me more than once - I tend to play when I can grab a little time; don't often have the hours that it may take to fight two or three big battles in a row.

**Msas** · 02-11-2005, 05:30

Hi everey one ,
surely that VI is better than regular MTW and for a lot of new troops and a new compagin of the vikings .. about the reserve troops try to consider your enemy troops and his own reserve let us say that u r fighting the mongols so u have to have a lot of byzntainm cavalary or turkman horse acher ( Byz or Turks ) so let u r army have a lot of these units with deploying them in the reserve with some spear units so u can counter mongol horse acher with the above units and counter thiere mongol hevey cavalary . It is just an example . In MTW/VI v 2.00 the reserve units come to the feild with cavalry first then infantry ..ect, but with pach to v2.01 this was repaired and your deployment will be tepical as you formed before the battle .