What kind of general are you?

[Drisos]

Seen the fact I just lost in a 2v1 yesterday( )you cannot consider that post of mine serious.

Is yours?

[British Mutt + Viking]

Personally, I attack only when I have to, because the inability to deploy your units before battle and the lack of a "lock formation" feature makes control a b**** to say the least. I usually win by sheer force of quality or quantity, with the occasional lucky flank strike or opportunistic strike. I also find that history and the game favours the defender who is clever.
The enemy AI lacks the patience and skill to appreciate this, and as result, the easiest way to defeat thy enemy is to let thy enemy defeat himself. I for defensive armies, with lots of archers, crossbows, and siege engines (catapults then cannons of some kind) protected by spears with the flanks secured by non-spear infantry and a couple of units of cavalry, usually knights in reserve. I then just wait for the enemy, who loves to mass expensive armies of thousands of men on my borders to then attack, be slaughtered by the thousands, and then watch them regroup and start building that army back up!
This way, the enemy wastes money, time, and most important of all, prestige for their king. A king's troops lose loyalty as their king's prestige drops, the high taxes needed to pay for new troops hurts the loyalty of provinces, and newly-raised troops are usually less loyal. But the worst issue is the loss of long-service high-loyalty generals, for nearly everytime I am attacked, the enemy general is killed or captured. This leads to civil war, which allows me to quickly bribe off lots of rebel or loyalist troops, then sweep in with my offensive armies, resulting in a much less bloody and time-consuming offensive.
The actual battles are easy enough, in that I form a good ol' fashion Saxon-Shieldwall effect. The archers (usually four units) are lined up in a way that exploits high-ground and/or maximizes the number of men firing at once. I try to rig it so that all archers can hit any one unit at the same time. Next, I line up the spears and/or heavy infantry (3-5 units) in a long continuous line in front of the archers. I place a unit of cross bows, one rank deep, in front of them. I put 2 units of artillery behind the archers. Then I place 2-3 units of swordmen/axemen on each of the far ends, slightly angled back on the outside-edge to limit the reisk of being flanked. The cavalry and a couple of units of infantry are placed as reaction troops. The enemy comes in, get shot down and any that make it to the wall are held firm. Usually casualties are 2-3,000 enemies for maybe 100 of my own. \
But just to gloat, I once fought a 4 v 1 duel, and kicked the s*** out of them. total number of enemy engaged : 7,240 Byzantines, Russians, Papal mercenaries, and Italians vs my 1,300 or so assorted Englishmen (only 240 of my 480 archers were longbows) and whammo, the worst losses were amongst my highlanders, who were the victims of a lucky counter-charge by some Italian Gothic knights. Total enemy losses: 3,472 killed / 1,326 captured My losses : 234 killed / 65 captured

[m52nickerson]

I use a three line formation, Range units out front, followed by Polearms, and then Men-at-arms. I put my Cavs on the flanks. I use this for both offence and defence. I always try to use up all my missle units ammo before I engage the enemy.

[Marcellus]

For both MTW and RTW,

I use about:

50% infantry
30% cavalry
20% archers.

I form about two lines of infantry for my main battle line, with the archers in front of them. I have my cavalry out on the flanks, to attack enemy units on their flanks once my infantry has engaged. I keep my general behind my main battle line, to provide a morale bonus whilst keeping himself out of danger (I only charge him in if there's a really weak enemy unit nearby ).

[ichi]

I use a three line formation, Range units out front, followed by Polearms, and then Men-at-arms. I put my Cavs on the flanks. I use this for both offence and defence. I always try to use up all my missle units ammo before I engage the enemy.

Exactly, except that I frequently put 2 or 3 cav behind the missiles, use them to protect my archers/pavs and harass the enemy missiles. As the infantry lines engage, I pull the cav back and out to a flank. I also try to pull my missiles back before melee begins, and usually shift them to the flank opposite the cav.

ichi

[Gawain of Orkeny]

Exactly, except that I frequently put 2 or 3 cav behind the missiles, use them to protect my archers/pavs and harass the enemy missiles. As the infantry lines engage, I pull the cav back and out to a flank. I also try to pull my missiles back before melee begins, and usually shift them to the flank opposite the cav.

Youve stolen my strategy!!!!!!!!!!

[ichi]

Youve stolen my strategy!!!!!!!!!!

exactly, now if I could only copy your execution of it!

ichi

[Megas Alexandros]

Cavalry, heavy cavalry:



Arise, arise, Riders of Théoden!
Fell deeds awake: fire and slaughter!
spear shall be shaken, shield be splintered,
a sword-day, a red day, ere the sun rises!
Ride now, ride now! Ride to Gondor!

With that he seized a great horn from Guthláf his banner-bearer, and he blew such a blast upon it that it burst asunder. And straightway all the horns in the host were lifted up in music, and the blowing of the horns of Rohan in that hour was like a storm upon the plain and a thunder in the mountains.

Ride now, ride now! Ride to Gondor!

[Gawain of Orkeny]

exactly, now if I could only copy your execution of it!

Then you would lose more often

[Krauser]

I'm talking about RTW here.

I use primarily infantry. I like to have 4 stacks of archers to widdle away at them in the beginning. I have 4 stacks of cavalry as well which cover the flanks. If the opportunity presents itself I use them for flanking too. I never use siege unless it's a siege battle. Siege is just too slow for my tastes.

When it comes to the campaign map, I like to build up a few large armies and then suddenly take 2-5 provinces at once.

[LestaT]

Since started playing RTR I can only win with large forces .. eheh.. bad .. bad.. Onl started as Roman now.. Haven't tried others but I always got problem with phlanx units.. Be it Greeks or macedonians...

[Kodiac]

Well I am sure that I don't like being on the defensive. Only if I have to wait for reinforcements to come, then I would have to play on a delaying tactic for a relief force to come. I guess I could say that I'm an agressive General. I have no favorites in a battle becuase I need all, inf. cal. and missle for my way of playing. But If I had to choose I would have to say tough inf, that can hold a line.

[Cheater]

I'm the type of guy that favors combined arms tactics. I always keep a heavy onager around, but that's only for sieges as I don't see much use for it in a field battle. I guess I may need some changes in tactics every now and then... just for fun!

[Rome:Total Slayer]

with the Carthaginians I am almost all cavalry. Ido on occasion use infantry to capture the walls of a large settlement. I take my elephants, and i rout every unit on the battlefeild than I use sacred band cavalry to mow them down When playing with the Romans Infantry and archers. Min. Cav.

[Edex]

I think Im more defensive general. Thats also my strategy while offensive campains. I move my army in enemy teritory, really close to enemy army and then just stop - next turn they use to attack me, if they have superior numbers, but its not a problem against quality. My army - about 50% infantry and 25/25 cavalry and archers (at least for roman or barbarian fastions, eastern factions requires to rely more on cavalry). I dont lik playing greeks and other phalanax armies - I like mobile forces.

[Craterus]

With 50% infantry, I wouldn't say you have mobile forces. Try this for mobile:

5 generals, 4 light cavalry units, 6 horse archer units and 4 infantry units. That is my biggest army in Armenia campaign.

[Arcanum]

I prefer to trap the enemy with infantry then run them down with cavalry. Spearmen engage while heavy cavalry loop around and attack from the rear or flank, or in some conditions open the attack. Light cavalry are the clean up crews who run down the fleeing units or bait some into getting flanked.

So basically I like to try to pin them down and wipe em out. Typical agressive

Worked well in Medieval. And alot easier to execute in Rome.

You and me, brother!

[rs2k2]

i adapt to the faction... with rome i play very infantry heavy with few missile troops and cavalry to protect the flanks...

thus, i hate enemy cavalry... so if i can, i'll hide some spearmen on the flanks in long grass or forest or whatever and lure the enemy in with my light cav. with no cavalry, the rest is a slaughtering

with pontus i play 100% jav cav and pick a weak spot to javelin them and then rush through