how to defeat the mongols?

[Watchman]

Feigned retreat seems to have worked on nomads as well as most others.

Both the Vietnamese and the Japanese saw off excessive Mongol (well, more like Yuan China but anyway) ambitions in their directions, but let's be honest - they were getting some serious flank support from General Geography. The terrain in Vietnam alone must have robbed the invaders from most of their usual strong points, and in Japan... well, the Yuan weren't exactly amphibious assault specialists, or terribly good seafarers for that matter.

[orangat]

I remembered a battle of Alexander where he faced Scythians who employ similar steppe tactics and manpower.
Alexanders objective was to fix a mobile enemy in place. To do this a small advanced cavalry in front was used as bait to entice the Scythians to swarm around. Then followup infantry and cav cut off the Scythians.

[Kagemusha]

I think that the geography would have assisted how to beat the Mongols.I have no doubt that the gathered mongol force under the Khans was the best Army in the open areas of Asia and Eastern Europe.But if the mongols would have been forced to fight on Forests or cold and humid areas they would have been in trouble.The most important key to Mongol succes was their edge on weapon technology.The mongol composite bow.
Problem with glued composite bow is that it doesnt work on wet conditions the gluing fails.So i have serious doupts that the mongol army would have fared well fighting in large forest areas.The campaigns in Vietnam show proof of that.The use of cavalry tactics would have been hampered in forest and also the more wet and cold/hot conditions would have taken away their main edge on weapon technology.Their exellent bow.