How do you load troops into ships?

**Horatius** · 03-12-2006, 05:09

I am new at Medieval Total War, and I tried to put my French Army on ships bound for the Middle East, however it just made the reject sound and my army appeared where it started.

So can anyone tell me how to bring soldiers around the seas?

I know the click on the army then click on the fleet to get it on board, I do it all the time in RTW, however it just isn't working in MTW.

**NodachiSam** · 03-12-2006, 07:23

Its different in MTW. In order to move men around you need 3 things. Sea superiority is crucial for this and takes awhile to achive.
1. a port in the province the army resides in
2. ships all the way to your desired destination with at least 1 ship in each ocean area.
3. unblockaded sea tiles, so crucial is this I divide it from above. If there is one enemy ship in the way you can't move men through and also can't trade.

For example, as the danes, in order to invade northumbria from denmark you need ships in that little scandanavian sea where the denmarkian port is and also one or more ships in the north sea. If the english have one boat in either spot you can't invade. Even if you are neutral to the English at the time you invade they won't let you through. If you have sea superiority you can drag the your army from denmark and plop it down in northumbria.

For you in invade the middle east you'll need an unbroken chain of ships all the way from France or where-ever your army is to which ever territory you wish to occupy and no hostile ships can be in your way. Remember, you can't invade a neutral province if they have ships in the water as well. Your quickest bet might be a crusade but you can do it if you build up sea superiority.

Welcome to MTW by the way :D I hope that clears it up, if not post any problems.

**Horatius** · 03-14-2006, 02:27

Thanks Nodachi, that is very helpful, I am going to give up glorious achievement for now because my Frenchmen just tend to get stuck in a heavily defended Rum Provence and unable to go further, and it will probably be hard to get so many ships by 1200.

I wonder why do the French need to march through Rum anyway, they historically marched through Anatolia anatolia.

**NodachiSam** · 03-14-2006, 05:42

You're welcome, glad to help

You're crusading I guess? Crusades can be tricky. If they fail you get a massive influence drop.(well maybe only 2 or 3 points, still considerable since each point of influence adds to every general's loyalty) Its important you build up enough momentum (read enough zealous soldiers(hungarians and italians often(or better yet go through papal land))) to get where you're going or you'll get stuck in some uncatholic province and face a long death.

If you can launching a crusdae over sea is the quickest way to get to one of the holy lands. Usually I use crusades to hit territories close by to my own territories or just off next to other catholic territories, especially in conjunction with other military advances. Crusades always try to take the shortest route and can't go back so you have to be careful.

**ajaxfetish** · 03-14-2006, 21:20

I remember trying to figure out how the heck the ships worked when I first got the game. I bought the bargain bin version with no manual, and learned most of the game by trial and error. The rest (including how to move troops by sea) I picked up from right here. I still appreciate those who took the time to help me in my noobish ignorance to understand the nonintuitive aspects of the game.

Ajax