Protecting family members from agents?

[Zim]

Hello all,
Normally I don't bother much with agents, either my own or the enemy's, but I've gotten involved in a few multiplayer hotseat campaigns where they will likely be more cunningly used than the AI could manage.

I was wondering what the best way to protect family members from assassins. Maybe spies, other assassins in the same stack?

[Henry707]

Hello,

My advice is for singleplayer but I'm sure the same applies.

You need to get yourself a security strategy up & running. It's just like the main war just an invisible one. It will involve spies, assassins & even priests/imans.

My first piece of advice is to train assassins in small squads of say 4. Find a rebel stack & then give then 4 or 5 training missions so they can perfect their skills. Have them assassinate someone in the rebel stack each turn until they become pretty good.

Then, move them into the areas required.

When you move them, start training another squad so one is always working up whilst the other is in action. Again, use the rebel stack as a training area.

For spies, I'm less structured but you certainly need a few, scattered around as they show up enemy assassins.

As for protecting your folks, best policy is to deploy this deadly crew in the right area & take the enemy out before they get you. Don't wait for them to strike. It is all about skill level & with a few kills under their belt your team should become invincible.

So, the message is, it takes time - you need the best spy/assassin buildings you can get, you need to train them up but if you plan - you can rule the underworld!

Henri

[Zim]

Hmmm...that's a bit more aggressive than I had expected, but a good offense seems to also be a good defense here.

Does having one of those guys in a stack with your general do anything at all, or will they always be better off in the field/settlements?

I think learning to use the guys properly will take me awhile, but I'm determined. I've used a similiar strategy for priests at times.

[_Tristan_]

Don't be so afraid Zim...

I won't do to you what I did to Doug in the Crusades Hotseat...

More seriously, the best defense for your family members is on the offense as stated before...

Train agents (spies and assassins) and have them undertake a mission every single turn if possible (even looking at an enemy priest or merchant for spies if you have not other worthy target at range, or killing any weak target for your spies until they have risen to a satisfactory level, over 50% on a medium level general is what I generally tend to have)...

I mostly use them on solo missions and not in squads but to each is own

Spies/Assassins in cities prove useful to oust enemy ones and the same is true for the stacks, they help prevent assassinations of characters (lowering the potential chance of success...)

So train them up by using them offensively and retire them by putting them in stacks or cities (keeping some for getting rid of any threat you might otherwise perceive)

[Zarky]

I don´t like Assassins so much, i use them only to bring down lesser generals, and people who are certain kill for my few young and cunning or old and even more cunning assassins. Since assassinating and failing causes paranoia which causes wars, even in multiplayer. And if you get caught, you´re screwed.
I do spies around my settlements and have at least nine units around important persons, so that i can spot enemy assassin and box him up
And if you have many spies in town it increases changes of catching other spies and assassins so that generals build up so much skill i wont need to use spies there anymore. In multiplayer chivalry is as useful as being able to fart when ever you want

[Zim]

Don't be so afraid Zim...

I won't do to you what I did to Doug in the Crusades Hotseat...

Just read the Crusades history thread. I certainly hope you don't do that to me.

Thanks for the advice, everyone, I think I have an idea of how to use those agents in multiplayer now.

[_Tristan_]

Just read the Crusades history thread. I certainly hope you don't do that to me.

I have a thing for assassins since STW... Must be the movies... In RTW, I loved the way they struck with their big sticks...

I really feel bad about what I've done (or maybe not )

[fluffsuit]

i usually train up about 10 each of speis and assassins. if you send them out in force you can completely eliminate an opponent by assassinating all their generals. but mainly what everyone has said. just assassinate every turn and spy on any targets until their leveledup well and then put them back into cities or stacks to protect and to kill invading generals. sometimes the AI turns back if you do this.

[Zim]

I have a thing for assassins since STW... Must be the movies... In RTW, I loved the way they struck with their big sticks...

I really feel bad about what I've done (or maybe not )

Well, at least you picked a faction this time that can't build assassins in cities.

[_Tristan_]

Well, at least you picked a faction this time that can't build assassins in cities.

Yeah, it was time for a change... before I started letting snakes loose in people's bedrooms in real life... or dropping stones on cars on the freeway

[WhiskeyGhost]

Theres one easy way to help your generals from dying. Have em sit in a high enough level Castle for more then 5 turns, and get the "Guard Dog" Ancillary, +2 to assassin prevention. This is best coupled if you build a "Training" Castle, with all the other trait buildings (like if you have academy, joust, etc which have a chance of giving traits).

I personally do this while building an army for him to lead, that way by the time his full stack is ready, he's got a few good traits to assist him from the start. Also, i think having a Spy helps (it doesn't prevent, but spots enemies to reduce their chances of an un-detected attack. If you notice, sometimes a nearby Spy can actually lower your chances of attacking a town he's not in.)

Note: These are all my personal observations, and are in no way to be taken as "facts" since I don't like working on a solid system (its not fun knowing exact numbers and calculations )