Scottish XL Help

**Tratorix** · 06-19-2007, 23:37

I've just recently started playing vikinghordes excellent XL mod and i'm wondering if anyone knows any good strategies to use playing as the Scottish. I've tried several times, playing on hard, but the British keep crushing me. I've been trying early blitz openings, hoping to take the out before they can seriously out produce me, but it doesn't work very well. Any ideas?

**doctrellor** · 06-20-2007, 00:10

Originally Posted by Brave_Sir_Robin

I've just recently started playing vikinghordes excellent XL mod and i'm wondering if anyone knows any good strategies to use playing as the Scottish. I've tried several times, playing on hard, but the British keep crushing me. I've been trying early blitz openings, hoping to take the out before they can seriously out produce me, but it doesn't work very well. Any ideas?

I am thinking of 3 seperate ways

1) go after the Irish/Welsh (by building a boat)

2) go after the English (after tech/building up)...using Armored Spearmen, etc

3) tech up, build a boat and go after somebody else... Norway, Brittany, ect

Lemme play around and see what I can come up with

**Martok** · 06-20-2007, 01:13

While the Scots admittedly can't afford to do so for very long, it can sometimes pay off to just wait around until the English go to war with the French. With their efforts focused more on the Continent, you can take advantage of the distraction to conquer their British provinces.

**doctrellor** · 06-20-2007, 01:21

Well this is what I did.. so far to give ya an idea...

built 2 barques... to not only threaten to attack anywhere on the English coast, but also the French coast as well...

as far as bldgs...

Border Fort (to keep down spies)
Church (happiness issues)
Trade Post + Merchant ($$$$)

I must of become popular due to the Barques, since I got 6 alliances thrown to me...

English, French, Danes, Norway, Genoa, Venice

BUT

I am STILL in the negative... at -20/tick

so my econ STILL needs a boost and I'm at VH taxes...and this is after turn 11, so it's still VERY early in the game...

Phase IB

So I needed to become profitable...

Time for the +60% farm

6 yrs later, I am profitable, England takes Wales, and the Almos ally with me..

So for my taking the Welsg/Irish, that is out, but I still can take Ireland though.. and now being profitable, I can make a few highland clansman and strike at a weak Flanders or Brittany to bring in some needed cash...

Am I worried about the English, you bet I am, as he has 3 units and a 3* gen in Northumbria, right at my border, so I am expecting trouble if I get excommunicated...

**Tratorix** · 06-20-2007, 01:33

Hmmm, I'll have to try just sitting for a while. I usually favour blitz openings, trying to strike before my opponent can get a large army built. Guess thats kind of out of the question here.

Also, playing in XL, the British seem to bribe the longbowmen in wales, making them even more dangerous. This surprised me since in regular mtw, i never saw the AI bribe. Thanks for the ideas.

**doctrellor** · 06-20-2007, 02:37

a small update if ya need it:

since with tiny factions, I tech up before striking.. here's what happened..

since I tried different things, all of them failed, I went back to boost econ.. since I figured I'd need better troops sooner rather than later..

so I did +80% farm to boost income up to 110/tick, not bad for scotland...

I then built in order...

watchpost + town guard (for militia seargents - decent early def troops)
Spearmen, Armorer, Swordsman, Spear Wkshp (Good troops finally)

So it is 1132, what kept me alive I think was that the Irish attacked Wessex & took it & kept it... so keeping the English on the defensive for the next 25 years (1105 -> ~1130)

The troops I now can get...

Highland Warriors (a lot like Joms Vikings.. a tank!)
Scottish Spearmen (basically your armored spearmen.. DEFENSE)

So you can an offensive weapon (HW @ 105 support) and your defensive weapon (SS @ arm spearmen support cost), so with 108/tick.. you have choices to make.. Offense or Defense..:P

The army will be small, but definately capable in a fight

So I hope this little tidbit helps: I know I am really taking a risk by teching up and depending on folks not hitting me, but for the game I had, it should give ya some ideas...:)

Good luck with your games

**Tratorix** · 06-20-2007, 04:04

Thanks for the advice doctrellor. I managed to take the british isles (or as im now calling them, the scottish isles

) after building up a few ships. The extra ability to move troops farther really helped and I didn't have to worry about any invasions from the sea. It probably helped that the english were defending with mainly urban militia for some reason

.

**General Dazza** · 06-20-2007, 07:51

Originally Posted by Brave_Sir_Robin

Hmmm, I'll have to try just sitting for a while. I usually favour blitz openings, trying to strike before my opponent can get a large army built. Guess thats kind of out of the question here.

Also, playing in XL, the British seem to bribe the longbowmen in wales, making them even more dangerous. This surprised me since in regular mtw, i never saw the AI bribe. Thanks for the ideas.

I think it's a good idea to judge each on its merits. I also like to take a few provinces early, but before I do that I like to make sure I have the troops to do it. My early process is:
1. Identify which provinces I will use for which troop types
2. Based on income or resource or strategic importance, judge who I should attack in which order
3. Build up troops so that I have a sufficient attacking force to match my victim's total army and sufficient defensive force to defend my key provinces

When I played HRE I turtled for many years. But in playing russia on high (vanilla) I had to attack from the get-go. But I do favour attacking

**doctrellor** · 06-21-2007, 03:18

Originally Posted by Brave_Sir_Robin

Thanks for the advice doctrellor. .

Anytime..:)

I had fun having the Spanish as my ally, as the English attacked the French, we (Spanish & me) waited for an opprotunity...

The Spanish and I tossed the English out of France, so I have Flanders, Il De France, Champagne and he has the rest..lol, the French and English share the HRE area with the Sicilians..lol

as far as Navy, I control the North Sea and North Atlantic, while the Castilians shifted thier fleet to the Med to start butchering the Eggys and the Byz...lol

So for me, I am still wondering if I should go after Scandinavia or continue to push east and take out the Sicilians/English

Oh and I'm still using my Scottish Spearmen & Highland Warriors..:P so my armies can still pack a wallop even if getting a bit dated...