Massive horde disappointment

**General Dazza** · 08-02-2007, 08:00

What a shocker!

I was up for a big challenge so started a game as volger-bulgars in XL on hard/high - I was keen to take on the full might of the horde

I managed to take a few provinces, got muscovy and novgorod (or whatever they're called from memory), 1230 comes around and then the massive horde arrived

- all 2300 of them.

I checked again - yup....2300. A couple of half stacks............

I sent an emmissary down to them to enquire if some of them had been delayed, or perhaps 20,000 were hiding behind a large bush or something, but no - just didn't turn up....

Mind you - they ayttacked me on their first round. I won the battle killing 300 and losing 300. I took their Khan captive and ransomed him back for 12,000 florins. Each warrior must have shelled out 6000 florins each!

So, so far the terrifying massive horde has been quite a windfall!

**I of the Storm** · 08-02-2007, 10:08

I seem to remember that their strength is relative to the strength of the force occupying their arrival province(s). So if you have only a token force there, they won't come with their full might. But I'm not sure if I remember correctly. Can anyone confirm that?

**Innocentius** · 08-02-2007, 11:32

As I of the Storm said, their strength depends on the strength of the troops in the provinces in which they appear. Also, in which province(s) did they appear? Did you check further south?

Edit: Spelt strength as "strenght", sorry =P

**Martok** · 08-02-2007, 20:36

General Dazza, if you have just plain MTW (without Viking Invasion), that might be the problem. The Horde in vanilla MTW almost always shows up understrength; I usually only saw 3000-5000 men appear. This was fixed in Viking Invasion.

**General Dazza** · 08-03-2007, 00:12

I have VI, and it was only in one province.

The strength of the garrison in the province does make an impact - but just 2000?

I hadn't got to that province yet so there were only rebels in it. I did have novgorod though - don;t they often appear there too?

**Martok** · 08-03-2007, 00:57

Originally Posted by General Dazza

I have VI, and it was only in one province.

The strength of the garrison in the province does make an impact - but just 2000?

Hmm. Yeah, that's pretty darn strange.

Originally Posted by General Dazza

I hadn't got to that province yet so there were only rebels in it. I did have novgorod though - don;t they often appear there too?

No. The Horde can appear in Khazar, Georgia, and Armenia, but that's it. (I've heard tales that the Mongols can show up in Volga-Bulgaria as well, but I've not personally witnessed this.)

**Ironside** · 08-03-2007, 08:26

Originally Posted by Martok

No. The Horde can appear in Khazar, Georgia, and Armenia, but that's it. (I've heard tales that the Mongols can show up in Volga-Bulgaria as well, but I've not personally witnessed this.)

They showed up in great force (more than 5k) there in my Russian campaign once. Did cost me my current greatest general. But I did learn how to make the comp attack your castles in the process so it evens out somewhat.

**Brandy Blue** · 08-04-2007, 05:45

Originally Posted by Martok

(I've heard tales that the Mongols can show up in Volga-Bulgaria as well, but I've not personally witnessed this.)

I find that rebels there sometimes choose to join the Mongols. Someone might notice troops there belonging to the Mongol faction without realizing that they are former rebels. That might explain at least some of the reports.

**doctrellor** · 08-04-2007, 13:24

Originally Posted by Martok

Hmm. Yeah, that's pretty darn strange.

No. The Horde can appear in Khazar, Georgia, and Armenia, but that's it. (I've heard tales that the Mongols can show up in Volga-Bulgaria as well, but I've not personally witnessed this.)

I have, once.. but I thought it was a glitch myself

nearly all the time, I see them coming with 2 provs and at full strength

**The Darkhorn** · 08-04-2007, 14:08

As have I, but was never sure if they were rebels or actual invaders...b/c I didn't pay attention. So, the latest time (an XL Norway campaign) I did. Sure enough they did have a single stack show up in Volga-Bulgaria. The entire invasion was a dissappoinment though. They never attacked with any real force.

**MJF** · 08-05-2007, 03:13

maybe its just me, but ive seen the mongols appear in volga-bulgaria at least a dozen times. usually its not a very large stack in my experience, the majority forming in khazar and georgia. but would still be significant.

incidentally, once when playing as the egyptians, they mongols appeared in khazar and armenia, of all places. thought that was rather odd. none in georgia which was the thing that surprised me as it seemed to be just this little pocket of mongols coming from nowhere.

**Innocentius** · 08-05-2007, 13:03

Originally Posted by MJF

incidentally, once when playing as the egyptians, they mongols appeared in khazar and armenia, of all places. thought that was rather odd. none in georgia which was the thing that surprised me as it seemed to be just this little pocket of mongols coming from nowhere.

The Mongols always appear as near you as possible. When playing as the Armenians in High, they of course showed up in Armenia and Georgia only. The battle in Rum was one of the longest, although funniest, battles I've ever fought. Pretty much only cavalry vs cavalry fights.

**MJF** · 08-06-2007, 03:25

but i was playing one of the european countries (england i think). i only noticed because i had the cheat for seeing the whole map. So the horde was nowhere near me.