Nafftun tactics

[TheLastPrivate]

So I've heard the stories of nafftun, scoring 200 kills on normal unit size and so on.

However, when I try to use them in my battles they don't perform as outrageously well as I thought they would.

In one battle my nafftuns did 0 casualties (was busy juking enemy cavalry with mamluks so I just left them behind my infantry lines with FAW on), and I watched the replay and they would "reload", and proceed to "firing missiles", make a bunch of "woosh woosh" sounds that indicate they're throwing stuff but they're just waving in thin air and nothing is being tossed.

I thought the naphta was thrown in an arc?

Even when I place them a little behind my infantry line to give them room for the arching missiles, they don't fire.

The problem is sometimes they DO throw stuff behind the infantry, but most other times they don't. I have no idea what contributes to this.

Are they supposed to be used like the greek flamethrowers - throw a volley, retreat behind infantry, then move to flank?

Or do they require more precise positioning in terms of firing angle, range, altitude, line of sight, etc?

And yes search yielded nothing.

[LadyAnn]

Naftatun, as other missile units, would not fire when it doesn't have a clear line of sight to the enemy (to minimize friendly fire). You must place them at the gap of two units, not behind a unit. Better yet, put a protector right behind them. When enemy charge, the naftatuns retreats behind the protector.

In order to have high kills, Nafta must be micro-managed. Don't expect them to do all the killing for you.

Annie

[TheLastPrivate]

With the exception of greek fire and gunpowder (and appearantly nafftun as well?) I thought all other missile troops fired with np behind an infantry line... but the thing is sometimes they WOULD fire correctly.

Having gaps in my lines...sounds like a no-no in terms of conventional tactics but I see the point.

[WhiskeyGhost]

I use a Crossfire tactic personally (thats what i call it).

heres some images of it...

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

here, the selected unit is firing at the farthest one, while the farthest one fires at the closer one that we can see is routing.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

This is basically how i set them up, with a wedge formation and with a gap in the center (this ones a little stretched out actually, i usually have em almost shoulder to shoulder on the ends).

When the enemy engage to melee, your naffatun have a clear shot at the units on the opposite side. This strategy actually works quite well with archers too, since your archers have a clear LoS and can pelter the enemies on the opposite side in either their sides or backs. The biggest factor in this, is having troops that hold the line well, or don't get completely decimated by a cav charge (spearmen is what i use, even against DFK's, and other armoured hvy infantry, since they hold better against a cav charge).

[ReiseReise]

Missile units will fire over a friendly unit in front of them if the missile unit is far enough back and the enemy is far enough away from the front troops to make a safe arc over the heads of the friendlies and down into the enemy. The problem with Naffatuns is that their range is so short that they rarely get a shot off before everyone is all bunched up together. The reason they were going through the motions but not actually throwing their flaming balls of death was because the conditions would become correct for a split second but then the enemy would move slightly and they would no longer have a firing solution.

My Naffa tactic against infantry can take heavy losses but inflicts even greater. Build at least 4 Naffas and put them in front of but as close as possible to your other troops, with Skirmish OFF. When the enemy comes, 1 or 2 enemy units will get a huge barrage right in their face, maybe even twice. If they don't rout right away, at least their charge will be broken as the men recover from the explosions. Charge your main line forward and and retreat your Naffas back, hopefully only a few will get killed. The problem is that some enemy units will be untouched (since you were concentrating your fire) and will make it to the Naffas, but it is more important to get 1 unit to rout, or close to routing, rather than doing a few casualties to every unit.

The "crossfire" tactic excellent as well, a key to using Naffas is to try to get them to deliver enfilade fire (along the long axis of the enemy).

[Cheetah]

Take them off FOW and order them to fire into the thickest enemy formation. You will take a few friendly kills but more enemy will die. The AI will buch up more often than not, so finding big chunks of enemy troops should not be a problem. Also, naftas are best in bridge defense or vs a gate rush, i.e. situations where your enemies are already crowded and bunched up.

Also do not underestimate the morale penalty they give.

[Shahed]

It's such a darn pity that I just reinstalled Kingdoms and deleted all my screenshots. I'll try to redo some... in brief...

Place them on the walls in a siege, place stakes or spears at the gate. Select the enemy and click, watch them burn. As Turks in my last campaign, I was in a bad way (Darth Mod!?!). Was actually beaten in 2 field battles by the 20,000,000,000 Byzantine HORDE. I retreated to the nearest castle, disbanded weakened units, reinforced with 3 Jani Archers 4 JHI, 4 Saracen Infantry, and 4 Naffatun. The marauding Byzantine armies came knocking. I pulled back from the outer wall and placed the Naffaz near the inner gate. As the enemy was marching up they got showered by arrows, and once in range absolutely WTFPWNBBQ'ed by Naffatuns.

There are good field uses for them as well. You just target the densest enemy formation, and make sure that the Naffaz don't get into melee.

[napoleon526]

I've only used them against groups of rebels with no cavalry or archers. Good suggestions though.

I've always wondered about one thing: if a group of them are placed above a gate, can they set an enemy ram on fire? If so they would be much more useful.

[Shahed]

Ahh nvm... my test is inconclusive, not sure if they can destory the ram or not.

[Robespierre]

casualty stats don't show how usefully a unit has performed. sometimes , as the voulgiers may say, it is enough just to be there, to charge down the slope toward the foe, waving a sharp pole-arm. they run away usually. naffutun look to be good for those Romulans though.

[crpcarrot]

i tend to have them off skirmish as well but naffatun to be used affectively need to be micro managed a lot in my experience. i always tell them who to attack cos they are very effective against armour i dont want them wasting those bombs on low armour units. they also are very affctive against elephants where a hit will defintely kill an elephant. on walls they seem to have toruble with LOS cos u will usually see only 4-5 bombs ebing hurled if this issue was fixed properly they would be devastating on the walls maybe even wiping out units of elephants in in a couple of attacks.

[Sheogorath]

Naffatun are godlike in siege battles.
Stick 'em over a gate, put a blocking unit just inside and watch the fun as the AI piles into the gate.
Add more units on the sides of the gate for even greater effect.

I almost pitty the poor AI-controlled fools trying to take the gates.
Almost.
...
Nah, not really!

[Shahed]

I believe only flamethrowers can beat em in siege defence.

[Henry707]

Hey Private,

As quite an experienced naff user I thought you might appreciate my non-techie viewpoint.

I have often used two units of these guys in a stack. I use one on each end of the line. Early on, I send them forward in loose formation, sometimes they get picked off - often they get through - almost like no-one is watching them.

I take off fire at will - I don't want them to waste those deadly honeypots on other skirmishers. Try to go for something heavy!

They then just keep on chucking the stuff - reducing the enemy before the main battle. I never really use them as part of the line.

Survival rates are low in these units but they can really do some damage if they get through. If they manage to creep round to the heavy cav then you can hit the jackpot.

I cannot speak highly enough for these fellows - they are very cheap to maintain & can, if they get the chance, really knock down some of your opponents better units.

Henri

[TheLastPrivate]

Thanks for all the comments. I guess the real thing about nafftun is its situational amazingness (hopefully not a lot of horse archers and stuff)...

I've actually put small gaps in the line for nafftuns to fire through, and once there is a small gap they iwll fire even if LOS is seemingly blocked...

[TheLastPrivate]

casualty stats don't show how usefully a unit has performed. sometimes , as the voulgiers may say, it is enough just to be there, to charge down the slope toward the foe, waving a sharp pole-arm. they run away usually. naffutun look to be good for those Romulans though.

Of course, the if the nafftun has 0 kills at the end of the battle that probably is a little different for them than in the case of defensive infantry..