Americas Campaign: Apache

[Guyus Germanicus]

I have a question for my fellow chiefs: Is there any reason not to keep medicine men in chant? Are there any negative effects at all? From what I've seen, it gives a big morale boost, lowers enemy morale, and takes nothing away. Does it stop when fighting?

Can't answer that question. But thought of something else. I've been fighting with apaches recruiting at least four medicine man units per stack. I haven't tried this - but I was wondering - could you not get the best of both functions by having one medicine man unit chant while using the other three to swarm to the enemy?

I have found braves to be less reliable for frontal attacks simply because they tend to want to perform their function of spearthrowing first. I've found that my enemy usually tries to close with me quickly minimizing the amount of time they remain under my arrow showers. Unlike in RTW when the enemy would simply stand forever still while your archers could decimate them from afar. So, to compensate, I have recruited four scouts to compliment my medicine men. I recruit four units of braves as well. But it's the scouts and the medicine men that form my front line shield. And what I typically will do is swarm one enemy unit with 6-7 infantry. Get the rout started. Then hit another enemy unit. Concentration of force tactics.

If I do periodic warpaths, the experience bonuses I acquire after a couple successes can give my scouts 2-3 silver chevrons which kicks their experience and skill levels up making them more formidable over time. So I'm getting a 11-12 attack factor power on scouts. In my current game I have a medicine man unit with three gold chevrons.

So, to summarize, pre-Onde, I have 8 straight up infantry per stack (4 scouts & 4 medicine men), five dog soldier (pre-Koitsenko) or five Koitsenkos, and one chief. I always try to attack the French with at least two stacks at once - safety in numbers. It's amazing what swarms of Injuns can accomplish. A side benefit of recruiting so many scouts and medicine men has been that I reach the infantry recruiting threshold for Onde men quickly. Then all I need to do is win 50 battles, which usually takes a little longer.

Once the gunpowder and horses are acquired I vary the stacks somewhat. I go with six mounted thunderbraves, keep the scouts and medicine man numbers the same, use at least 4-5 Koitsenko's and a chief, where possible. I'll vary it a bit with mounted archers. The mounted thunderbraves can really do a number on the armoured french units - both cavalry and heavy infantry. I think the thunder braves are the key to hitting the Tarascans and Txatclans (sp) with their eagle warriors, janguar troops and temple guard, etc.

Will share more as I make discovery as to what works best.

Bottomline, I always try to use two stacks in every attack. I've been toying with the idea of having one stack made up almost entirely of mounted thunderbraves and archers - simply harrass the be-hayzoos out of the Central American tribe until they close with my other stack which has real infantry. Ondes, medicine men, koitsenkos, and a few thunderbraves.

It should work. What are your variations, guys? Any favorite tactics.

[Cadwallon]

I concur - I tend to have a mobile stack of mounted thunderbraves sheparding a more HTH stack of Kotsienkos/Medicine Men/Ondes' Men/thunder braves with high star general. I still find it hard in big battles with mesoamericans - the sheer numbers makes them bloody affairs. Also - the Aztecs at the stage of game I'm in (VH/VH about turn 70 odd) have LOTS of stacks. I've counted around 20 full stacks of jaguars/eagle warriors coming my way.