My first go with the Turks: Volume II

**Vladimir** · 01-17-2007, 19:23

The Mongols are easy (gamey). Focus on taking Kazar (lesser in XL), max out the fortress (or one level lower), pack in anti-armor units (mercs if you can), and wait. Make sure you take out the occasional cannon they have and they WILL assault. A decent (but not your best) general helps too (you WILL loose him). They will assault your fortifications until your garrison starves (2 – 3 turns). Finally clean up the rabble; the horde taken out in <5 years. If you HAVE to take them on in open battle (not recommended) do so in Georgia or anywhere but the steppe.

For the different archers I recommend Turcoman foot for cooler climes and Futwas for the desert. It should be easy if you specialize your cities, however there’s rarely a need for anything other than THAs.

**Sensei Warrior** · 01-19-2007, 06:48

Its the dodgy campaigns that are always the most remembered. Just remember 'Great risks bring great rewards.'

**Martok** · 01-19-2007, 07:12

Originally Posted by Sensei Warrior

Just remember 'Great risks bring great rewards.'

....Or you end up looking like the villiage idiot.

**Sensei Warrior** · 01-19-2007, 08:24

It wouldn't be the first time for me, Martok. When the Dunce hat goes on you just start a new campaign.

**caravel** · 01-19-2007, 09:37

Originally Posted by Vladimir

For the different archers I recommend Turcoman foot for cooler climes and Futwas for the desert. It should be easy if you specialize your cities, however there’s rarely a need for anything other than THAs.

Turcoman foot are actually better than Desert archers and cheaper to support. The name "Turcoman Foot Soldier" is misleading as they are in fact archers (Turcoman Archers). Futuwwa are Skirmishers as are Trebizond archers, as they can do well in Melee. I would say that the Turcoman Foot were originally designed to be decent skirmishing infantry but that their stats were hacked during the last minute stat and unit balancing before release. The same goes for Ottoman Sipahi and Ghulam Cavalry. These units were bastardised and their potency taken away. As a result there is an over reliance on AHC which are not a Seljuk/Ottoman unit at all, Saracen Infantry which are fictional and Janissaries which were the elite nor the core of the military. Futuwwa are not Seljuk either. The Turks armies should be all about their cavalry and skirmishers sadly this is not the case.

**Vladimir** · 01-19-2007, 15:17

The Turcomen are "armored" which should give them a slight penalty in the desert and encourages you to add more armor. I wouldn't use a ranged unit for anything other than desperate flankers though.

**caravel** · 01-19-2007, 16:00

Originally Posted by Vladimir

The Turcomen are "armored" which should give them a slight penalty in the desert and encourages you to add more armor. I wouldn't use a ranged unit for anything other than desperate flankers though.

Yes, but apart from being armoured their stats are pretty identical to desert archers IIRC, so they're the best archers to use anywhere apart from in the desert.

Futuwwa and Nizari make great flankers once their quivers are empty. I almost always commit them to melee at some point in a battle and they do very well. The Turks don't have any real Swordsmen until they get the JHI, which are really anti cav pole arms but can do anything, so the Futuwwa fill this role well. Once Janissaries are available, JI are the best skirmisher for the Turks. Ottoman Infantry I find to have a limited role.

**Odin** · 01-19-2007, 18:34

I havent got far since my last quick note but this weekend I will get the mongol event. That said I have found the Turcomen footmen to be quite a nice little unit honestly. I committed them to melee agaisnt polish retainers and they didnt break (they didnt win either).

A valored up Turcomen archer with some armor and a general with a decent command rating is a nice unit in the cooler climates of the Balkans. In the desert I have been using exclusive 80% cavalry army no need to use many foot men here those THA are beautiful units with a bit of valor and cheap...

**Odin** · 01-22-2007, 14:56

Quick update:

The mongols: as expected they showed up in Kazar and immediately invaded Georgia, after 3 battles they lost approx 6-7 thousand men to my 2k?? Any way the choke point strat worked and now they are scrapping out a meger exsistence in Khazar and trying to make a run at Moscovy.

The cumans betrayed my alliance and invaded bulgaria which they were defeated soundly (I had a bridge to defend). I swept them up to the baltic and they are left with the Crimea and Volynia.

Flanders went rebel and I thought it would be cute to bribe them to get a foothold in western europe for my invasion later on. Well the French didnt like it and kicked me out of there, and now has launched a crusade against me. On top of that the french have decimated my fleets so north africa was wide open which the portugese took advantage of assualting and caputring morrocco.

I am at the point in the campaign where its becoming silly with cash flow and land mass, a civil war might make it intresting but for now the portugal issue is pending and rebuilding my fleet. Dont know if I will keep this campaign going as my victory is really a matter of time... Still I gained a great appreciation for the turks and might just take a day or two off from it and see what the french do.