Starting Strategy for Campaign?

[Amon_Zeth]

I am going to start as the Venetians for my first campaign. My objectives will be to make myself an economic powerhouse and start hiring tons of mercenaries and bribing everybody, then take over the Mediterranean. I will first take control of all of the Italian Penninsula except for the Papacy, as well as Sicily. Then I'll manuever to take Illyria, the Balearic Islands, and Corsica and Sardinia. After that, I'll try to seize Moorish North Africa and Andalucia. All the while, I will be attempting to gain favor with the Pope so as to secure my position. I'm not planning much further than this, seeing as how anything could happen, but I will still be trying A.) To gain control of the waterways, and B.) Getting as much money as possible.

What are your starting strategies going to be for Medieval 2?

[Monarch]

Strategies for a game thats not even out lol. This rivals the "hats your favourite faction?" thread, as the most pointless thread to date :P

[Amon_Zeth]

Strategies for a game thats not even out lol. This rivals the "hats your favourite faction?" thread, as the most pointless thread to date :P

I'm just so bored and impatient waiting for the game... :D But I just wanted to get everyone's general idea of what they'll do.

[maestro]

Starting strategy for the game?

Eliminate the French with some healthy ethnic cleansing

[Faenaris]

Starting strat for me will be the same one I used in all the TW's:

Hunker down. I will first fortify my position, build up my cities/castles and start making a single, well-equiped army. Once the army is done, my cities are secure and I find a target for my expansion, I start the "sledgehammer" technique. I will start taking cities with that one army, one city at a time. If the sieges in M2TW are good, I will do a lot of siege battles. If not, I will starve them out.

Once I have a handful of new cities, I reconsolidate (I don't want to overextend myself since my army will be quite damaged and the enemy will want revenge), beat of the enemy, rebuild and retrain and after that ... I charge off again. :)

[Incongruous]

Probabaly begin as England. Instead of taking on the sots I will consolidate my holdings in France. Perhaps Brittany? Ill take the Ile de France then move into the Aquataine. Hmm sound like a very nice plan indeed to me.

[Dan.o6]

I will play as the English most likely, and actually unlock factions instead of editing files.

[Glaucus]

Probabaly begin as England. Instead of taking on the sots I will consolidate my holdings in France. Perhaps Brittany? Ill take the Ile de France then move into the Aquataine. Hmm sound like a very nice plan indeed to me.

NEVER! Secure the homeland first, kill those scots!, then build an army and send it accross the channel. Ally with other European powers (HRE?) and benefit from trade. Once I have France then I'll probably try and gain favor with pope and crusade

[scourgeofrome]

I am going to start as the Venetians for my first campaign. My objectives will be to make myself an economic powerhouse and start hiring tons of mercenaries and bribing everybody, then take over the Mediterranean. I will first take control of all of the Italian Penninsula except for the Papacy, as well as Sicily. Then I'll manuever to take Illyria, the Balearic Islands, and Corsica and Sardinia. After that, I'll try to seize Moorish North Africa and Andalucia. All the while, I will be attempting to gain favor with the Pope so as to secure my position. I'm not planning much further than this, seeing as how anything could happen, but I will still be trying A.) To gain control of the waterways, and B.) Getting as much money as possible.

What are your starting strategies going to be for Medieval 2?

Pretty much what you said, except to see if killing the Pope gets rid of him for good.

[Praetorian308]

As the Holy Roman Empire:
1) Initial expansion into neighboring rebel provinces.
2) Fortify my position and build up economy, military, and everything else.
3) Prepare for blitz into neighboring countries, (send agents into their possessions.)
4) Kill Em' All
5) Take away #1 and do it again.

[Furious Mental]

My strategy will be to build zergs and rush my neighbour's base.

[Praetorian308]

My strategy will be to build zergs and rush my neighbour's base.

That's always a good one.

[Comrade Alexeo]

Starting strat for me will be the same one I used in all the TW's:

Hunker down. I will first fortify my position, build up my cities/castles and start making a single, well-equiped army. Once the army is done, my cities are secure and I find a target for my expansion, I start the "sledgehammer" technique. I will start taking cities with that one army, one city at a time. If the sieges in M2TW are good, I will do a lot of siege battles. If not, I will starve them out.

Once I have a handful of new cities, I reconsolidate (I don't want to overextend myself since my army will be quite damaged and the enemy will want revenge), beat of the enemy, rebuild and retrain and after that ... I charge off again. :)

Heh, you and I have similar strategies...


After many years of doing a variety of RTS', I've adopted a relatively conservative strategy for most of them. In games like Rise of Nations and the Total War games, I'm very much a "traditionalist" when it comes to gameplay; I'll recon an area, conduct what preliminary moves I am able to (naval strike, bombing, light skirmishing), move in with enough force to secure it, establish my position, and then move out again. Plodding, but not necessarily inflexible, as I am always disinclined to fully commit all of my resources to a single objective unless it is particularly vital. You'd be surprised how often it can work against other players' generally chaotic battle plans :)

Specifically regarding M2TW, I imagine I'll start my HRE campaign thusly:

1) Examine each of my territories to see what the strategic situation is.
2) Examine the Diplomacy and Papacy screens and determine the diplomatic situation.
3) Redo step 1.
4) Examine each of my cities to study what their infrastructure is and decide the best course of action for each. Absolute minimum is stone walls, basic roads, and ports if possible.
5) Examine the military forces at my disposal.
6) Begin consolidation of at least one field Army of the Reich in the following process:
a) Determine my best military commander, minus my faction leader and faction heir if possible. He will lead the Army of the Reich. Other family members will take governance of garrisons. If there is an excess, then the member with the better martial skill will join the Army while the other stays with the garrison.
b) Withdraw any and all artillery from garrisons and place into the army.
c) Withdraw any and all cavalry from garrisons and place into the army.
d) Withdraw any and all pike infantry from garrisons and place into the army.
7) Redo step 5.
8) Redo step 6. Try and have at least one archer unit in each garrison, withdrawing them from the Army of the Reich if necessary. Try and maintain the minimal garrison needed to maintain good order OR at least 2 other infantry units, whichever is larger, in each garrison, with special emphasis on frontier cities. Sword units take precedence for garrison duty, withdrawing them from the Army of the Reich if necessary; any excess spear units are to form up with the Army of the Reich.
9) Redo steps 1 and 2.
10) Determine the best course of action for the Army of the Reich. Views of the campaign screen seems to suggest that capturing Prague is an important early goal.
11) Send the Army of the Reich towards the target deemed most satisfactory.
12) End the turn.

And so on, and so forth...

I don't usually have very many field armies in my RTW games, and I suspect that I won't have very many in M2TW. However, I always try and maintain reserves by having large garrisons wherever I can afford to have them, so that, with some luck, setbacks remain just that - not catastrophes. When I take a city, I always fully refurbish my army, upgrade the walls to at leaststone walls if necessary, and try to reestablish a garrison before I dare move out again, even if it takes a while.

Slow and steady wins the race, though, because after a while the momentum starts to build; soon, I can leapfrog with multiple field armies - as one consolidates, another advances to another army or city/castle. Ultimately, three armies in three steps is all I really need to make my conquest:

1) Army A besieges city. Army B watches for enemy reinforcements. Army C waits nearer to my own lines.
2) Army A tries to starve out city or force the garrison to attack. With luck A takes city and reequips. Army B moves toward another city/castle. Army C moves up towards the target I just took.
3) Army A moves out and now covers Army B's attack, while Army C occupies the first target.

As my empire grows, I can recruit more reserve armies ready to take the cities/castles taken by the field armies...

I prefer starving out to storming the fortifications because, though it might take longer, I lose fewer troops and can make up the time lost from the fact that I don't have to retrain as much.

If I can afford it, I also like to send raiding parties of all-cavalry armies as advance waves, sweeping across enemy territories in an effort to engage whatever I can and run away from whatever I can't, but my arm of decision for my main armies is almost always heavy infantry, because I generally prefer large set-piece pitched battles.

That is, unless I'm playing an eastern or steppe-type faction. That's a whole different ballgame

[Polemists]

As far as general strategies go my own does not differ greatly from any I have heard here all to greatly.

Specifically here is what I will do when i start as HRE

Construction

1. Try to advance one specific type of troop early on (so I can have best archers, infantry, horsemen, whichever specality I choose stronger then others early on.) This means in my capital i'll choose to go with a certain troop type, and then outlying areas use for fortfying and other recruitment. Though I may have to use a outland province for this function. Since I my capital may very well be a city and changing it early on apparently costs a fair bit and I can't afford that with so many enemies so early.

Diplomatically

1. Using the few agents I most likely start with I will try to secure an alliance with spain. Bribe, marry, assinate, do whatever needs to be done.

2. Try to push to have a spain elected pope after the alliance. To further our relationship and get my faction in solidly with the papacy.

3.Then try to convince, or bribe or suggest the papacy to launch crusades into Almohad lands.

Militarily

1. Strengthen my generals by sending them on the above crusades.

Wars against Other Nations

1. Once the almohads are beaten back, not wiped out. I like to leave small factions to keep others occupied. I will try to instigate a war with france, making them strike me so that Spain, and the Papacy(run by spain) will firmly strike back as my allies.

2. Once that is done I will aid one of the orthodox factions in expanding. which one depends on my mood but i'd rather have a large buffer zone between me and the mongols.

Final Thoughts

Two things

First after I manage to achieve all this I'll worry about other plans if we live lol.

Secondly, this is a creative game, and I can't count the number of times in Rome I was betrayed by a ally in a plan, or struck by some minor faction while fighting someone else. Or even had someone assinated or some upstart province start to cause major problems. I can't predict the missions or what the comp will do so these are more of a rough guideline. My main goal is to destroy france first, though if I am pulled into a conflict or offered a more beneficial alliance from another faction I am open to changing my mind :). Though i can't ally with france, they have to many good calvary units I fear in late game :P

[Basilios II Voulgaroktonos]

i will propably(99%) start as the english.and my starting strategy is very simple.Decimate the Scotish and kill all the French!!!

[TheImp]

Eliminate the English with some healthy ethnic cleansing...

As i will take the french

[KARTLOS]

my main aim is to slaughter as many muslims as possible. starting as the english that will mean i have to eliminate anyone in between england and that goal namely the french.

[Vladimir]

RAID RAID RAID!!!

Whether it's using Jinettes against the Muslims or mounted X-bows against *cough* Genoa, raid raid raid. Pick a target and destroy more units in a turn than he can produce. Play the game (religious, diplomatic, etc) and look for exploits. Oh yes, and win!

[Phil17]

I love these style threads, keeps up the anticapition of the game.

I will probably start as the English and take out scotland as early as possible, while building up forces in the french province. Once I have secured power and united the "british", I will put most of my power into taking control of france, and try to get some allies, to stop attacks in my weakest positions.
Once france is subdued, I will establish my main base in the center of france and push forward into the lower regions such as spain, and hopefully regain "alliances" with the pope, to embark on a crusade (for fun mainly). I then hope to have a semi circle of power around the other powers. I will establish a defensive outerrim while allowing my inner cities generate revenue.
Once more crusades has weakened other catholic nations, I hope to push forward and gain control of Italy and the rest of mainland europle.
Once most of my enemies are crushed and rebellions under hold, I will push forward into the america's and take control of the many resources. Then once I am strong enough push forward into other lands until the campaign ends.

This is all of course speculation , weither or not this works out (i doubt it ) its always fun to create this game ideas in your head to get the days past until the game comes out lol

Total war Rocks!

[ProudNerd]

playing as the english and crushing the french slowly and painfuly ruining their eco first to make it slower.

[Censor]

Being the French and crushing the English. Just to spite you British bastards. Vive le France! DFJKSJFJSDFKSJDfKLSJDFKSDFJKSDJFLDS

[hoetje]

I love these style threads, keeps up the anticapition of the game.

I will probably start as the English and take out scotland as early as possible, while building up forces in the french province. Once I have secured power and united the "british", I will put most of my power into taking control of france, and try to get some allies, to stop attacks in my weakest positions.
Once france is subdued, I will establish my main base in the center of france and push forward into the lower regions such as spain, and hopefully regain "alliances" with the pope, to embark on a crusade (for fun mainly). I then hope to have a semi circle of power around the other powers. I will establish a defensive outerrim while allowing my inner cities generate revenue.
Once more crusades has weakened other catholic nations, I hope to push forward and gain control of Italy and the rest of mainland europle.
Once most of my enemies are crushed and rebellions under hold, I will push forward into the america's and take control of the many resources. Then once I am strong enough push forward into other lands until the campaign ends.

This is all of course speculation , weither or not this works out (i doubt it ) its always fun to create this game ideas in your head to get the days past until the game comes out lol

Total war Rocks!

That's what i'm gonna do too mate

[Vladimir]

I think I have a better opening for the English. This is based on the assumption that you’ll have one city and one castle on the Island and one castle on the mainland.

Rush Burges (city) with all your available forces, or bribe it. Pacify it quickly and you should have two “half’s” of your empire. Redistribute your forces according to local threat conditions. Use your northern half to harass and weaken the Scots while your southern half does the same to the French. Attacking the French will mostly be a delaying action while you consolidate your control in the North.

Since the Wales will be rebel they may not act aggressively towards you allowing for a minimum garrison in the isles. As soon as the North is subdued, assert your claims in France (maybe leave Paris) and take over some rebels (i.e. Brittany) to fortify your hold on the mainland. Nock off Wales in your free time. Ally with the Germans, try to keep the Danes focused elsewhere, and turn your two primary cities into large financial centers. And of course, Trade.

[KhaderKhan]

Since I'll most likely be playing the Turks I'll guess my strategy will be the same as MTW1, go after the Byzantines and then the Egyptians.

How? Usual tactics of blockades, diplomacy and suprise attacks...

[Vladimir]

To supplement my English strategy I think it would be great to try to take over some mainland rebels along the West coast of France. Hopefully with this different map you could pincer them.

[Bagpuss]

Do as said above regarding Playing The English , build up a good force move north kill the scots with no mercy ...;)
hop over to the Irish peasants kill them all too , then develop/strengthen all my castles /cities ...
then start on the Frenchies working my way through France, ally with HRE then develop/strengthen all my castles /cities ...
then down through Spain an across to North Africa an turn left an carry on killing them all .....teehee

[macke]

I'll begin whith France

My main objective whith the campain will be to heed the call of the pope and secure Jerusalem in the name of god. I will secure Jerusalem getting alot of rewards from the pope. Then I'll turn my attention to the english whith the ambition to throw them out of the european mainland. Then I think I'll return to concentrating on crusades.

Vive la France

[parcelt]

Well, I just had a look at this excellent map pieced together by somebody at twcenter:

https://img281.imageshack.us/my.php?image=m2tw2ir0.jpg

I never really liked to play them before, but based on this map the French seem to be in for quite a treat in the early stages of the campaign! Plenty of opportunity with some attractive rebel provinces nearby. The map seems set up to force players into a race for Antwerp (very attractive, assuming it again will be a big trade hub as it was in MTW I) in particular! But then, the French are also surrounded by almost half of the other nations. Multiple-front wars seem inevitable!

Not suited for the more conservative playing styles I guess, but definitely one of the more interesting and challenging starting positions.... gotto go and figure out some possible starting moves

[parcelt]

I will definitely first play the French; their starting position is unique in the mix of challenges/opportunies it provides.

These will be my objectives for the early campaign:
1. Capture Burges ASAP in order to obtain passage to Antwerp and at the same time block the English from getting there.
2. Using my early agents, build up relations with the english as much as possible. I don't want war with them yet. Given that they have several rebel provinces to go after, as well as the Scots in their backyard, they should be receptive to my early advances.
3. Once friendly contact with the english is established, I will try to do the same with all other nations, starting with the HRE.
4. Depending on how other factions are expanding, I will either take Dijon or Antwerp.
5. In the meantime, build up Paris and Touluse as much as possible. Once/if Antwerp is captured, it will also receive building priority. With those three provinces well developed and garrisoned, I can directly control most of western-europe.
6. The next move will depend on the threats/opportunities that present themselves. The Iberian peninsula seems such a mess that I would not expect any threats to come from there until later in the game once a single faction has established control. There may be opportunities for easy grabbings (Barcelona?) as the Iberian factions are weakened by strife.
7. Most likely, however, I will need my resources to keep the Milanese and the English in check. I am assuming the HRE has enough on its hands in Eastern Europe to not be a problem yet. However, the Milanese are boxed in from the begin and my territories seem in their way of least resistance: they won't be eager to take on the pope, venice or the HRE! Hopefully, a strong garrison in Marseille/Dijon will be sufficient.
8. The real threat is of course my arch-enemy, the english. I have been counting on the Scots to keep them occupied, but sooner or later we will have to battle it out. If at all possible, I will make the first move and kick them off the mainland well before the Scots are subdued. That may even things out on the British Isles and condemn the English to a slow and agonizing campaing against Scotland for control of their homelands (which they may even lose!).
9. In the meantime, I should also have been paying attention to my relations with the Pope. The time may be right now for crusades to the holy land.
10. Alternatively, with the British in check, the Iberian peninsula may be an attractive target, especially if the Moors managed to win the early wars there!!

Man, I know I just fantasizing but I could go on and on like this. I really, really need to have this game!!

[Dan.o6]

I might actually play as the Scots even though I'm English, just to see what they're like :D