Golden Horde!

[Vantek]

I am honored by the approval of my act of necromancy Perhaps indeed I should use my skills on that battlestories thread as well...

To get back on topic...

What strategies do you guys use to:
1) defend against Golden Horde on FLAT terrain
2) attack Golden Horde on flat terrain?

When we are attacking, is AI stupid enough to let their missile units be massacred by Arbalesters in a missile duel without charging? In that case, attacking could paradoxally be easier than defending... As when the AI is attacking, he will definitely charge cavalry WHILE using missile units, making it difficult to use missile units of your own on flat ground.

Am I correct in that cavalry is much more valuable on flat ground? As your front line cannot have height advantage, and flank/rear attacks won't be uphill either, making flanking much more effective.

So the best I can come up with is simply something crude like, 6 Halberdiers (:P), 6 Arbalesters, 4 heavy cavalry, and just have a very long Halberdier+Arbalester line, moving Arbalesters in front during a missile duel and moving Halberdiers in front to deal with melee charge, while using heavy cavalry to deal rear charges and chase routers...

Does everyone use that change-facing-of-spears-and-shoot-through-the-gaps approach on flat ground? That still feels mind-boggling to me!! How can you create gaps in your formation when there's cavalry around... Oh well...