Our P&M Achievements!

[YanTraken]

Her`s the place where We can show Our greatest battles in P&M Mod.

Poland vs.Russian Repel.
I had about 3500 men vs.~6500(including reinforcements for booth sides).
I`m telling You,I fought using my first army(1300) till the end,without any reinforcements!Those 1300 crushed whole russian army(6500).Russians had not only poor rebels but A LOT of archer/lance cavalry.They fought Well!
After winning with first russian wave the next came up on the battlefield.
Ex post facto I set in order my troops ,then charged with cavalry supported by infantry(3 regiments).Victory again.And that situation repeated THREE times!My army had to fight with bigger ones 4 times!Uffff....After all,"Exausted" was the typical condition of all my forces:)

Imagine,I had taken 1274 russians but their general didnt want to pay for them any "kopiejka`s"8(

[cegorach]

Not bad, yesterday I have started my Hungarian campaign ( in Religious Turmoil - they have more units here) and it is really hard ( I am always playing on expert level anyway), I mean really hard, sometimes I had to repeat some battles, I decided to start the campaign 2 times from the beginning ( I was annihilated 2 times) and I am outnumbered in every battle, often 5-6 times to 1, but the Ottoman Empire is very powerful indeed.

Now I am fighting for Hungary with lots of mercenaries I hire for the ransom after victorius battles. It is 1605 or so and I hope I will finally be able to make the Turks to surrender the castle they are occupying.

Very hard and great fun. Soon I will start working on the small patch and new historical battles - Szkłów 1654 will be the first one 10 to 1 coming in about 6 waves

Probably I haven't lost so many clashes playing all the battles in MTW VI before the mod.

Regards Cegorach

[YanTraken]

Wow,playing hardest level makes You a good warrior/commander Cegorach!I train on a lower levels,for now;)


Next Battle description:
Almost the same situation Poland(6628) vs. Russian Repel(8233), but this time much bigger!

As You can see I attacked with 8 armies.But as always -something has to go wrong-those armies were mixed somehow!So I appeared on the battlefield with 15 artillery guns and 60 husaria(general unit) against around 2000 russians!!! I decided to open fire and keep husaria near for protection(but how in a hell they can stop 2000 enemies?!?).Fortunatelly AI was sitting in place and thanks to that almost all my artillery ammunition parished.But soon they attacked.Husaria fought well but it had to be retreated to the assemble point for reinforcements.The artillery crews were retreated as well.But before that they gave russians a blizzard!!!Mabe 500 of them were killed by artilerry fire.Still I left with 45 hussars against 1500 + their reinforcements.
I was wondering what reinforcements do I get?It turned out that I get Tatars(ONLY).So I prepeared with 15 (let call them "rotas")of Tatars and 45 hussars.I started to use Tatar tactics-fire/bow attack-->short time charge-->retreat-->again bows.Meanwhile I get 45 "lisowczycy"(bows/sabres).Soon there were no more arrows and the other wave of enemies was comming(It looked just like in "Ogniem i Mieczem"where husaria after fight returned on it`s possitions waiting for another charge).So only sabre left to use.With help of general unit(30)and "lisowczycy"(30)they did the job!Three waves of russian armies were beaten.Results You can see here:

It was taught!!!

Question to Cegorach:Why my armies were mixed?Can It be turned off some how?

[cegorach]

When your army is too large to place on the battlefield the AI chooses the units present first. You can change it before the battle on the pre-battle screen choose the reinforcements and grab some soldiers you want to appear, you can set the way they will appear on the battlefield as well, it is not a problem at all.

BTW - I played Shogun TW on expert too and Medieval was even too easy on expert. I in fact NEVER choose easier levels at all, still I rarely lose a battle, at least before I started playing the mod. I consider myslef very good commander, so I like the challenge this mod gives me.


OK. So I have decided to start the Hungarian campaign for the 4th time from the beginning this time attacking the Ottomans in my second turn. It is 1585 now and I finally started recruiting soldiers in Hungary after some 10 battles.

My last victory was very important



I menaged to capture the sultan and one 9 star super-general he had (fortunatelly it was the sultan who commanded the army) and execute them both. In addition I made one 8 valour super, yedi commander run screaming like a little girl which gave him doubtful courage vice ( -6 to morale of the army) - I will spare him later for the Coward vice. Yes I am sadistic, but this guy gave me some trouble during one battle when his unit of janissaries butchered most of my remaining army.

It was quite an interesting clash BTW - I defended the bridge and there was austrian mobilisation sent to Hungary as well. I managed to kill everyone except these pesky janissaries. I had only cannon crew, general, small unit of wallachian mercenaries and some mercenary Polish dragoons left and suddenly the Austrians came and charged the janissaries routing them, but they attacked me as well ! I decided to retreat and the Austrians moved the Levy somewhere else so I regained the province and I am keeping it to now.

Now my army is almost western european with majority of them coming from hired French, English, Scottish, German and who knows what mercenaries. I have enoug money to build an army, but only recently I finally can use Hungary to get more soldiers. Now my domain looks like this



I am preparing myself for the incoming invasion once again, if I win I should finally be able to build stronger forces to attack one of the neighbouring provinces, probably Ottoman.

Regards Cegorach

[Voevod al Moldovei]

lol i started the Moldavian campaign on hard level i ignored the ottomans in the begining and focused on the tartars i defeated and killed they're last khan and then i turned my attention on poland and with the help of russia denmark and austria we devided the territories between then i ought the ottomans but my dominais are so large i cannot defend them all with my one main army so i have to give up some land. but i uninstalled the mod because i really can't go back to the medieval enegine it's just such a difference

[hlawrenc]

[QUOTE=YanTraken]Her`s the place where We can show Our greatest battles in P&M Mod

This has more to do with the mod than with my "great generalship" but wanted to pass on a fun battle I had playing Spanish in Religious Turmoil against the French.

The Turks had overrun Rome and the Pope was temporarily indisposed So I used the no-Pope time to settle a few scores with some fellow Catholics, since while the Pope was in exile he wouldn't be threatening anybody with Excommunication. I figured I could relieve a few fellow catholics of their provinces before the Pope re- emerged and be waiting like a good choir boy on his triumphal return to Rome. SO.. I invaded Toulouse as the French garrision only showed about 1100 troops and I had 1600 to send against them.

When the initial screen popped up discovered that the French must have gotten wind of my plan and had sent reinforsements. Instead of 1100 I was now facing around 2700 to my 1600. Almost called off attack but decided to try out some tactics (still trying to get hang of how best to use muskeeters)

I was a little more dismayed when the battle opened up and found that the computer had put my battle line at the base of a forrest topped hill and that the hill completely hid the French disposition from view although I could see lots of blue lines on the small map top left corner. Having had a few nasty experiences in the past with my musketeers outstripping their support and getting butchered by Cavalry, I put my force into a defensive set up till I could get a better idea of the French line up. I generally like to field as much of a combined arms force as possible so set up: 2 serpentine cannons first line center
2 Pike (1 corslette 1 Piqueros) on either flank of the cannons and slightly forward of the artillery -4 pike total
3 Mosquetero muskets in line immediately behind the pike
1 sword ( alguarciles) 1 haliberd (Guarcia Real) on either flank of the musketeer line 4 total (I play by the scissers-paper-rock formula)
2 Stradioti light horse screening entire line in front and try to scout out French disposition
2 Heavy Cavarly (Demi Lancers) in rear of the whole thing.

If the unexpected reinforsements and poor positioning were not bad enough, what happened next made me sure I needed to start over. 5 units of French heavy cavalry came screaming out of the woods on the top of the hill charging straight for my forming lines. Fortunately my line shook itself out just as they arrived, the cannons firing point blank and the French impaling themselves on the pikes. Although normally being charged at downhill with you at the bottom is not a good thing, because the French Cavalry were elevated my musketeers in the 2nd line were actually able to put out effective salvos on the French horse without shooting my own pikemen in the back. Between the artillery fire, the solid pike and musket fire the French Cavalry came to a standstill in my pike line giving me time to bring sword and halibards around on both flanks to hit the French Also the french General was in first line of cavalry and was kind enough to be shot down almost immediately as the game opened for a morale hit on the French.

I followed up the Sword/Halibard flanking attack with my Demi Lancers hitting them from the back and in short order the 5 decimated French Cavalry units were in full flight with my Stradioti in hot pursuit cutting down routers. The only thing that made this so successful was the fact that the French artillery (4 guns) had been posted so my line was out of range of their fire AND the fact that the remaining 4-5 French Infantry stayed with their guns, never moving up to support their Cavalry charge. Had they used right support I am sure the outcome would have been much different.

If I didn't know that I was Spanish fighting in Toulouse in 1585 I would have sworn I was Wellington inside a British Square 1815 during the afternoon French cavalry assaults at Waterloo. In all of my Medival games I have NEVER had such a swarm of heavy cavalry come at me like that!

What really amazed me was the fact that the French acted just like FRENCH!! Cavalry impetuously charging into a wall of steel not even bothering to wait on the poor infantry, but just as quickly melted into panic stricken mob.

Ceg -- not sure if you and your team built in that French temperment into the mod or not but it was really amazing and from all I have read about Napoleonic French armies seemed very realistic given ther mericuruial temperment.

With the French Cavalry in full retreat off their edge of the battle field the French reinforsements arrived in driblets which my combined force was able then to advance on and eliminate piecemeal. The original french infantry that had remained with the artillery initially had withdrawn to a high hill on their far right side of the map awaiting reinforsements which came in on the far left hand side, and were unable to support the hapless artillery units which my cavalry immediately charged and removed. With minimal loss. By the time the battle was over I had lost 140 or so out my 1600 but had killed 700 French and taken over 1,100 pows!

Great battle, lots of fun and a lot of surprises, especially now that I know how those Brits must have felt watching all those French Dragoons and Courissers drive down on them at Waterloo.

A couple of questions that someone may be able to answer:
1. How are you using artillery in P & M (especially early/high) since I don't guess they can move once emplaced. With the exception of the above battle most of the time when I am attacking the enemy withdraw to high hill out of artillery range and wait for me so my artillery is hanging around useless.
2. Those of you playing Western Eurpean factions what type of field composition are you using (combination pike/musket/artillery/horse)

Again, wonderful mod haven't been able to get one campaign past twenty years yet because I fight a faction I haven't seen like their units, stop and start playing them! But so far really have enjoyed the Spanish especially in Religious Turmoil, good units, lots of money!! good locations. Thanks again.

[cegorach]

[QUOTE=hlawrenc]



What really amazed me was the fact that the French acted just like FRENCH!! Cavalry impetuously charging into a wall of steel not even bothering to wait on the poor infantry, but just as quickly melted into panic stricken mob.

Ceg -- not sure if you and your team built in that French temperment into the mod or not but it was really amazing and from all I have read about Napoleonic French armies seemed very realistic given ther mericuruial temperment.

-----------> AI is generally more agressive charging with musketeers as well - as I wanted BTW



A couple of questions that someone may be able to answer:
1. How are you using artillery in P & M (especially early/high) since I don't guess they can move once emplaced. With the exception of the above battle most of the time when I am attacking the enemy withdraw to high hill out of artillery range and wait for me so my artillery is hanging around useless.

--------> I take one/two artillery pieces, at least one heavy (bigger than serpentine, but not siege cannons). Very useful in defence, can be useful in attack to weaken enemy line if it is in range.

2. Those of you playing Western Eurpean factions what type of field composition are you using (combination pike/musket/artillery/horse)

In Age of Exploration it is good to rely on pikemen - 6 units, some archers, arquebusiers and crossbowmen ( 4 units), artillery (1-2), swordsmen/halbardiers ( 2 units), cannon fodder ( Verlorne Haufe, Enfantes Perdus etc - 1 unit - 2), the rest for cavalry, at least 1 unit of mounted shoot ( Petronels, Mounted Arquebusiers, Mounted Crossbows, Schwarze Reiter), the rest for heavy cavalry. Support more cavalry ( when cannon fodder dies/useless artillery is withdrawn etc) and some swordsmen/halbardiers.

Later less pikemen, more shot ( musketeers).

There are many differences between factions anyway.

I was very successful with this, but it was hard to mobilise this when playing with small factions like Bavaria.

Regards Cegorach

[YanTraken]

The Danes vs the Persians,normal difficulty.

Victory in old Polish style 8)

We were fighting on the East(Ryazan),15 turns left till the End date,so the Empires have to hurry up;).
I`m telling You,I attacked and won only because regimental cannons.I gave them a blizzard,that`s for sure.I had typical three line infantry attack formation.About 6-7 regiments of pikemen and 5-6 of muskets.Their light infantry and horses could not even come near my positions because of "iron storm".It was a typical moving fortress I think.It`s so different from the Polish tactics,where fast cavalry maneuvers are the key to victory.

P.S.
Loyality in regions can be rised also by heir/king presence.:)

[macsen rufus]

I'm still on my first campaign, so not well developed yet, but as English in Age of Exploration I take about 5-6 Border Reevers (dismount to Billmen), 2 sprinklermen, 3-4 longbows, 1 or 2 arquebus, 1 men at arms, 2-4 pikes, 1 or 2mounted missiles (usually X-bows) plus whatever unit I have for a general. Sometimes throw in some militia just for numbers, and I'm not quite teched up for much artillery yet, so a single serpentine or demi has to do! I really like Reevers for their dismounting ability (and same for mounted X-bows), and as they come from my metalsmith province pack quite a punch as cavalry or infantry.

[hlawrenc]

We were fighting on the East(Ryazan),15 turns left till the End date,so the Empires have to hurry up;).
I`m telling You,I attacked and won only because regimental cannons.I gave them a blizzard,that`s for sure.

Regimental cannons!!! as a retired artillery man gotta love them! One of my only real disappointments in the earlier MTW games and mods was the inability to really put artillery to use in offensive actions unless you could lure the opponents to come in range and even then failed to do that much damage. BUT now, finally good field pieces that move!!!! With vanilla MTW and even BKB or XL I almost never fielded catapults or other artillery except for sieges.

Not only move but their firepower is tremendous. In almost every battle I have employed regimental cannons they always seem to gain at LEAST 2 valor points for fire. Assulting pike and muskets just melt! Had one battle the other night where I had a "grand battery" of two firing from center, flanked by musketeers and pikemen. By the time the smoke cleared both regimental cannon units had actually gained 4 valor points each. Those two were used several more times and both actually had 10 valor points, never seen that before on any artillery or other units for that matter in the past. Now I try to carry at 4 regimental cannon units into battle if possible, two on the field and two for reinforsements since they can move up to take over when the original two batteries run dry. My biggest problem is not getting impatient and allowing them to outrun their support, lost several precious batteries to Turkish cavalry before I slowed their advance down and ensured that they had a pike unit always immediately behind them for support.

Great job! They have added a new dimension to the game for me. However, I have not seen AI employ artillery very effectively yet, but wanted to know from experience of others playing with regimental cannons whether counter battery fire worth the effort or will I just be wasting ammunition trying to take out AI artillery with my own?

[cegorach]

I am glad you like the cannons.

They are the creation of the Lords who made Napoleonic TW and originally they were taken with their permission of course, other things were used too from other mods ( my tentacles reach everywhere ! ), but they were usually rafined to new levels.


Generally artillery is a problem since AI fields them in wrong way, but it will be corrected by making the crews much more numerous and adding some bonuses vs. cavalry for those in fact units - the artillery train will be more dangerous then.

Final note - artillery is used well for massess of enemy troops or to shoot something big at a range exceeding muskets or similar weapons, but unfortunatelly they are very inaccurate - historically it required about 50 shots (!) to hit same area - and in essence it is good to shoot at large formations to cause some distraction, confusion and fear. I even managed to save my cavalry once against large enemy horsemen unit by shooting into combat and another time one cannonball made entire enemy army retreat - it caused une unit to panic and others joined them quickly too - so cannons can be deadly if used well.

Regimental cannons are an excelletn tool and I believe they are balanced too - after all when charged they die easily.

Regards Cegorach

[hlawrenc]

I am glad you like the cannons.

They are the creation of the Lords who made Napoleonic TW and originally they were taken with their permission of course, other things were used too from other mods ( my tentacles reach everywhere ! ), but they were usually rafined to new levels.

IF I ever get tired of Pike & Musket may down load Napoleonic TW but I think this one will keep me occupied for a long time!



Regimental cannons are an excelletn tool and I believe they are balanced too - after all when charged they die easily.

Regards Cegorach

The ability to move is its best feature for me. True I do not believe that they unfairly change any of the battle dynamics as you are right they do die very easily. If even a few enemy cav get past into the cannons your guns are goners. Cried for hours after one precious 10 valor regimental cannon got caught by Turk horse and wiped out in the blink of an eye.

They give you the opportunity to play a real combined arms force now. I have learned that they must have protection especially if enemy has many horse units on hand. I try to ensure at least one pike unit is stationed immediately behind the artillery following it closely on any advance, and if possible a musket or horse musket unit. Guess that is why they created fusilier units originally if I remember correctly to protect the guns.

Can't wait for those fortified infantry you were indicating would be included in the patch. One big missing component of the MTW games has been the inability to create field fortifications for battle fields (redoubts, tenches, even stakes stuck in the ground like the English longbowmen used in the 100 years war. I think a little engineering capability will add to the game as well. After all there is plenty of historical data to support it.