Tactics table.
This is a bit nerdy, but I think it might reveal an underlying theme to tactics in medieval total war.
This is based on my strategic knowledge of the game and the tactics I use and have seen used in the battles I have played.
The unit/attribute bar gives a basic outline of the different abilities units have. So light cavalry odesn't fatigue much, engages in hand to hand combat with an attack and defense of around 0-2 and with little armour. The Code bar just makes things quicker to read.
One on one shows which units the unit can kill quickly and easily if it were to battle one unit against another face on. For instance a unit of horse archers would be chased by the light cavalry until it is trapped at the end of the battlefield and must either leave or be slaughterred. If you want to see how well the unit does against another in a one on on which is not mentionned in this bar look down and find that unit and see if it has the unit's code in it's one on one bar. For instance heavy cavalry would slaughter light cavalry, whereas light cavalry would give medium melee some trouble in a one on one but you can't be certain which would win, light cavalry has a moderate effect on medium melee.
Supported shows which units the unit can dispatch if it has help from a friendly unit which is good or moderate against the enemy unit in a one on one. The units listed in the one on one column are not mentionned as the outcome is obvious. In the case of 2 LC versus MM, one unit of light cavalry would suffer some casualties from the enemy unit whilst the other flanks, but they would win. It would be better though if a unit of MC and a unit of LC attacked the MM as the MM would have to spend time recoverring after being charged by the MC only to be charged from the rear by the LC. The supported column also includes some other tactics I know of, such as putting an appropriate unit behind a unit of archers so that when the enemy charges, the archers can retreat behind their lines and the enemy is faced with a counter unit. Or horse archers whom can flank and fire into the backs of units that would otherwise chase it to the end of the battlefield.
Unit/Attribute Code One on one Supported
Light cavalry LC HA, LM, AR LC, MC, SP, MM
Medium Cavalry MC LC, HA, MM, LM, AR HM, MC, HC, SP
Heavy Cavalry HC LC, MC, HM, MM, LM, AR HC
Horse Archers HA SP, HB, HM, MM, LM LC, MC, HC
Spearmen SP LC, MC, LM, AR HA, MM
Halberdiers HB LC, MC, HC, SP, LM MM, HM
Heavy Melee HM LC, SP, HB, MM, LM MC, HC, HA, HM
Medium Melee MM SP, LM, AR LC, MC, HA, MM, HM
Light Melee LM AR SP, MM
Archers AR HM All
Examples.
LC = steppe cavalry, saharran cavalry hobilars.
MC = lithuanian cavalry, alan mercenary cavalry, mounted seargants.
HC = Kataphraktoi, knights, steppe heavy cavalry
HA = some cavalry have this as an attribute aswell as their Light/medium/heavy status
SP = includes pikemen, some spearmen have MM as an attribute
HB = only those with an attack bonus vs armour and cavalry, billmen, halberdiers, dismounted chivalric knights. Again some habe MM (billmen) and HM as an attribute.
HM = dismounted teutonic knights, huscarles, valorous MM
MM = ranging from highland clansmen whom border with light melee to chivalric men at arms. I have had mixed results with this sort of infantry.
LM = peasants, javelin men, urbam militia
Archers = I've lumped gunmen, crossbowmen and bows into this category. I usually only use bowmen of the most effective sort I can get and try to put one unit in every army. Gunmen and crossbowmen are only useful against horse archers as every shot counts in the prolonged exchange of arrows. I usually need to discharge as much killing force as possible when facing anything other than masses of horse archers as there isn't much time before the enemy is in range and the enemy forces me to retreat my archers behind my lines.
hmm..
Anyway, I have devised 2 all situation armies from this table.
Mongol Hoarde.
Lots of horse archers and medium cavalry, some light cavalry. possibly some heavy cavalry and/or Medium melee or heavy melee.
An all situation army based around the horse archer.
You keep your close combat army at the back of the field and send your masses of horse archers to harass the enemy. If the enemy army consists purely of infantry you should be able to slaughter them without them ever touching you. If they send some light cavalry after your horse archers, let them flee for a while then flank and charge into them with your medium cavalry. If the enemy has archers, brave their arrows for a while whilst you thin out their cavalry with your horse archers, possibly using the above mentionned tactics if they charge in response. Then surround their armywith your melee cavalry, keeping a distance and when their archers are exposed, send some light cavalry in to make a surgical strike before pulling out quickly preventing anyretaliation. Once their archers are thinned out you should be able to thin down whatever infantry they have until you run out of ammo, then charge home.
If the opponent is defending and parks himself on a hill top on the corner of the map and has light and medium cavalry and archers surrounded by spearmen/halberdiers. You will have to escort some HM or MM up the hill to chop the spearmen/halberdiers up, hopefully you should be able to kill some archers exposed in the chaos and win the battle with your horse archers even if your infantry die during the attack.
Archers, Cavalry and Infantry.
Bowmen, medium/heavy cavalry, and lots of halberdiers. Possible some heavy melee. Simples put your bowmen in front of a line of infantry and your cavalry on the flanks or behind the line of infantry. They will be protected from their main threat of being flanked by cavalry or peppered by horse archers. Even if your cavalry is torn to shreds and you are flanked, your halberdiers will still be able to manage, unless completely outclassed. Your biggest threat is the elite melee and halberdiers of the enemy, so you will need to focus your efforts on denying them support, which would involve you using your halberdiers to see off any cavalry and using your cavalry to flank the battling infantry unhinderred. You may end up with a situation whereby halberdiers protect your flanks whilst your cavalry utilises the clear inner flank. The archers are there to multi-role. You can shoot back at horse archers and draw the enemy out of defensive positions.
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