sassanids infantery

**Garvanko** · 02-22-2006, 10:36

Originally Posted by hoof

I forgot about sapping, because usually sapping costs me more men than I'm willing to lose.

I don't how you're sapping then, as it doesn't cost me anything at all. If anything, using Seige towers and ladders is far, far more dangerous. More spectacular of course, but too much of a risk, imo.

Sapping is safer and more effective.

**Conqueror** · 02-22-2006, 11:30

To make sapping effective, you must build lots of sapping points. I'd say about 10 minimum. This way you have better chances to have at least one point in a place where it's out of the range of the wall towers and any archers that might be on the walls. You should also set the infantry unit to a very narrow formation before marching them to the sapping point. If they are in a wide formation they'll be more likely to take fire from towers/archers. You should sap as many sections of the wall as you can (safely). This will force the defenders to divide their units to guard every opening, while you can concentrate your attack on 1-2 holes and overwhelm them.

**Cras** · 02-22-2006, 13:14

I have never sapped... but 10 points sounds like a LOT..

one would need 10 units that can sap, and would they all have losses as they dig?

**Garvanko** · 02-22-2006, 13:42

10? I only ever build two or three..

**Conqueror** · 02-22-2006, 18:32

You only need *one* unit that is capable to sap. It can take care of multiple points, one at a time. And the reason why you want to queue up lots of sapping points is because they are automatically placed on the battle map; you can't choose where to put them. When you build many of them, there's much better chances that at least some of the points will be well-placed.

**Husar** · 02-22-2006, 18:57

I usually use mercs if I sap, mercs I hired only for that siege, so I don´t care much about their losses. I very often use mercs for sieges to spare my elite troops. As soon as there is a hole in the walls/the gate is open for me, I decide wether I need to use my regulars or wether the mercs can go on alone.

**Garvanko** · 02-22-2006, 19:20

You don't care about their losses? They're darn expensive.

On saps. Sure, build as many as you like, but 2 or 3 is easily enough, and given the zone you're allowed to deploy in, one of them is usually well placed. I don't spend too much time sapping multiple sections, though. Just pick a spot, break it, then move in quickly with the Heavy Cav and Infantry.