Always investigate your regional troop options. For example Balaeric slingers, Cretan archers, Numidian cavalry, Indian/Persian archers, Belgic heavy cavalry, Iberian scutarii and British druids make for excellent troops when employed correctly.
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The diplomatic A.I. is programmed to hate the player, regardless of how much this might damage them. For example: declaring war on a beleaguered faction will not encourage their enemies to like you. In fact, most likely they will make peace with your target.
We don't know how the diplomatic A.I. works in R:TW, but in M2:TW relations will decay automatically if there are no positive interactions; and this is worse at higher difficulty levels. I believe it also works this way in R:TW, as by paying neighbouring factions a regular but small tribute (200 mnai per turn) I find that they are less inclined to attack me, more inclined to sign peace if their initial attack fails, and even make allies somewhat trustworthy.
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Indeed, but even then, i think it is hardcoded that AI strikes you from everywhere once you become too powerful, for the sake of an interesting campaign. In my recent campaign with Aedui i kept Lusotanan satisfied with a steady influx of money, as you said, around 200mnai per turn, and again they betrayed me once i destroyed sweboz and epeiros and made it No. 1 in overall statistics.
One more thing, not related to diplomacy: Rebel "armies" that spawn on your territory are cutting your trade income, destroy them as quickly as you can. And it can give your FMs experience and useful traits, as those armies rarely present serious threat and are generally easy to dispatch.
My first baloon, generously given by Arthur, king of the Britons, for nice Casse and Pahlava empires
What I mean is like, that mounted Strategou and the Heitaroi, they use their spears overhead.
If you are talking about the guys that use both spears, javelins and a hoplon on a horse, yeah, they are not good for much, they do have an anti-cav and support role, but it is meh.
Originally Posted by Intranetusa
Indeed, I gave up my last HRE campaign on M2:TW because I was a t war in four different fronts, and even as I was holding the line, that was just too much for me at some point.
Originally Posted by Intranetusa
Ok... here it goes...
For those with endless tresury who like making A.I. kiss there... erm... boots. By offering 1 million mnai and demand to make them a protectorate they always aggree. The "cheat" is that a protectorate "always" gives all its money to the protector thus you get your money back the next turn. (I have used it extensively on my last 2 games to either roleplay or to remove anoying warring with no actual point).
Dont fight for what you want, fight for what you can have.
If you are playing an hellenic nation, always have your phalanxes deep, I like playing them in 12 men deep lines, that is almost a square, usually 12 men deep and 20 men wide with the 240 phalanx takes virtually no casualties in a hand-to-hand frontal fight with anything, not even other phalanxes.
Originally Posted by Intranetusa
in my not so little experience in CAMPAIGN, this is wrong, at least in some cases. Case 1 - Defence: If properly flanked, you can arrange them in three-men deep line, and again take little casualties. If you do this, you can achieve unbreakable center with more troops to tend to the flanks and quickly surround the enemy. Ofcourse, be sure not to leave gaps between two phalanx squads and press guard mode, btw. Case 2 - offence: arrange your army just like in case1, and group them. move the group towards the enemy. Then replicate scenario 1.
Trust me, i have done that with Makedonia and Ptolemaioi many, MANY times. Against AS, Romaioi, pretty much everybody.
Maintain a base core of 3-4 phalangitai of ANY type, and modify the rest of the army to the nature of the enemy. And as always, cavalry superiority is strongly desirable. For that i advice the use of what i like to call "family picnic". Bring as many FMs as you can, as they are usually the strongest and most easily accesible cavalry at your disposal.
My first baloon, generously given by Arthur, king of the Britons, for nice Casse and Pahlava empires
You should really use some Thureophoroi to stop flankings.
It just happens that I like to use a 6 unit line of phalanxes, and from 4 to 6 units of Thureophoroi to stop flanking, and then I charge with my horses and the AI usually routs before even properly attacking my guys, so it works for me in most cases, I'd like to hear you though.
I'm not a fan of using FMs, simply because they are far too important as governors, use Prodromoi instead in the successors, FM are something for early game only.
And a 3 men deep unit of phalanx is virtually useless.I clearly misunderstood what you meant, can you explain me the 3 men deep phalanx?
Last edited by Revoltie; 08-30-2010 at 04:37.
Originally Posted by Intranetusa
3 men deep phalangitai formations are very useful in one particular place : STEPPE!!!
They are quite useful, if you have your own light cavalry to lure the stupid AI cavalry formations to impale themself on your thin wall of spears... (mercenary HA Rocks!)
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in my experience:
-if you want to partly blunt a cavalry attack from the front, and you only have an infantry unit, thin your line.
-never attack with cavalry from the front, particularly against stubborn and fresh soldiers.
-make your archers a foot version of mobile shock units: what I mean is, make sure they continuously move around, looking for gaps in the enemy lines to shoot at.
-if you are outnumbered as a Saba general, but have experienced troops, use your mobility: try to isolate enemy units, or slow them down so you can mangle them and maul them peace-meal.
-Ethiopian/Nubian soldiers rock!
-once the enemy line is broken, if you are using a phalanx in a wooded area, break you phalanxes up-phalanxes aren't as effective in thick woods.
-look for "abattis" terrain. this is terrain like rocky escarpments, thick bushes or trees. these places ought to be in front of you, and you ought to use it on the defensive. they act to mangle, slow, and break up the areas.
-have small "freikorps" units ahead of your army, whose sole task ought to the disruption, mangling, and slowing the enemy.
-to put the fear of God into the enemy, attack them in an area that is far from the front(preferably a city), with a large force. this will of course split enemy forces up, and cause massive damage to enemy cities.
-once you've conquered a city, if you think you cannot hold it, or do not need it, tear down all non-wonder infrastructure buildings possible: I tend to also demolish government. this will cripple the enemy, and slow their progress.
-build forts in mountain passes, on hills, and before bridges. the more the area forms a choke-point, the better.
these items I hope are as useful to the new players as they are to me.
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Well, first thing, three men deep, meaning that only three men present pikes against the enemy, the unit is stretched to the max (nearly), and second thing, by proper flanking i meant that you have YOUR flanks sexured, and yes, thurophoroi, as you said, are perfect for that role. Phalanx in three men depth wont kill much enemy, but then again, they are not meant to. And by puttung three or four squads in such stretched formation will provide you the opportunity for cheaper and more effective army.And give you more slots for other unit types, such as slingers. And i mentioned one more thing on some other thread, FMs are far too often worthless pieces of #$%, they will actually decrease your income, and good only for battlefield roles as second (third, fourth, fifth) in command meaning charge, charge, and charge again. They are tougher than prodromoi, way more tougher, and could be used to quickly dispatch enemy general. Now, that is my point of view, and by no means the best, but i ussualy end up with a maximum of 5% losses, with enemy ussualy goes "enemy army routs"
My first baloon, generously given by Arthur, king of the Britons, for nice Casse and Pahlava empires
with a thin phalanx line, you pin more units which (when both armies have the same size) enables you to spare more(or some at all) units to flank and surround the enemy line. flanking and surrounding causes more damage quicker with less losses than a deeper line phalanx line especially as you need more troops (as you aim towards having more troops on the same line width) for your mainline which leaves you less flankers than the enemy has, if the AI would be less stupid it'd beat your inferior flankers and flank you, just like the Carthagians at Cannae, they beat the inferior roman cavalry and thus had all the surplus troops to give the romans a rectal spanking. additional to hannibal's basic flanking manouver.
oh andworkes with almost every time your army is even remotely more mobile and does not include artillery and does not rely on phalanxes, jesus it even works with hoplitai haploi, sometimes^^-if you are outnumbered as a Saba general, but have experienced troops, use your mobility: try to isolate enemy units, or slow them down so you can mangle them and maul them peace-meal.
"Who fights can lose, who doesn't fight has already lost."
- Pyrrhus of Epirus
"Durch diese hohle Gasse muss er kommen..."
- Leonidas of Sparta
"People called Romanes they go the House"
- Alaric the Visigoth
Precisely what i meant. You can emulate Cannae with pretty much every faction. Only real prerequisite is a good general, so that your center doesn't rout. And couple of suggestions for flanking infantry: Thraikioi peltasts, Drapanai, every falcata/kopis/longsword/axe wielding infantry, as they tend to give much better results than "regular" infantry, without high lethality of AP attribute. Frontally, spears, pikes, shortswords. Ofcourse, they are all more effective when striking from back or flanks, but for maximum results, use the units previously mentioned.
My first baloon, generously given by Arthur, king of the Britons, for nice Casse and Pahlava empires
I see it, well, but wouldn't that kill too many troops before sucessfully flanking? It is a great defensive strategy though.
Originally Posted by Intranetusa
Disciplined troops in tight formation with guard mode on and not attacking take very few casualties holding the line. Sure, there'll be some attrition, but it's pretty minor if you use hoplites or similar.
I'll use that sometime, feels Hannibal.
Originally Posted by Intranetusa
Last edited by Ibrahim; 08-31-2010 at 02:45.
I was once alive, but then a girl came and took out my ticker.
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"We have proven, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that if we put the belonging to, in the I don't know what, all gas lines will explode" -alBernameg
Do not exterminate every city in the beginning of a campaign, only because it gives you more money at once. More inhabitants = more taxes = faster growing of the city = more money
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= faster revolt = pain in the ass = too much management = no satisfaction whatsoever to havebeatencrushedtotally annihilated your ennemy. plus destroy temples, every building that can be destroyed and force them in accepting your way of life or die... yeah... that's total victory...
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My first baloon, generously given by Arthur, king of the Britons, for nice Casse and Pahlava empires
I say its useless to occupy. They rebel almost instanlty, cost you valuable men and more importantly time. And the reward in occupying comes VERY LATE , so unless yuore invanding italy and are content with occupying rhegion and sitting there for 10 years before moving on, be my guest
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i m not camping , its elegant strategy of waiting
Enslave is the best. It removes population from the city so order is easier to keep under control. BUT it also moves the population to 'safe' cities (your homelands) which allows for increased tax and slows the population drain on your capital which almost certainly will be generating most if not all of your troops, especially in the beginning
:) +1 my intention was to underline your statement by other means than :Precisely what i meant. You can emulate Cannae with pretty much every faction. Only real prerequisite is a good general, so that your center doesn't rout. And couple of suggestions for flanking infantry: Thraikioi peltasts, Drapanai, every falcata/kopis/longsword/axe wielding infantry, as they tend to give much better results than "regular" infantry, without high lethality of AP attribute. Frontally, spears, pikes, shortswords. Ofcourse, they are all more effective when striking from back or flanks, but for maximum results, use the units previously mentioned.
oh yeah he's right
as I'm no moderator I don't have that much authority.
true especially as the saba seldom have the opportunity to do differently when outnumbered as it's unlikely they outclass the enemy in armor, attack or lethality.well, that's true, but this is particularly important for Saba-I'd argue even more than the Casse- as unlike the Casse, the Saba are surrounded by much more powerful enemies (than even Gauls), but slower.
still it also is a vital strategy when fighting as nomads just on a different level especially as nomads are outnumbered practically all the time and outclass the opponent in about as many situations in mobility.
finaly i have to agree with nohelmet once again, occupation is the method of choice with the first few conquests or homeland res for most factions. controlling settlements right next to your capital with the same culture and a bad trait penalty in case of extingtion is nit that hard often you already have them in the green when conquering. most of the time(when i forgot what kind of person my fm is(too bad you dont have his char window opend next to the conquest window) ) i decide what to do with a settlement based on the public order indicator - only exterminate red faces. blue faces can be enslaved or occupied , lowering taxes takes care of that most of the time ;)
exept when i conquer the capital of a hated foe those can be exterminated^^ either way.
"Who fights can lose, who doesn't fight has already lost."
- Pyrrhus of Epirus
"Durch diese hohle Gasse muss er kommen..."
- Leonidas of Sparta
"People called Romanes they go the House"
- Alaric the Visigoth
It doesn't move it to "safe" cities, but to those that have a governor, and yes, it is by some measures the best solution, as long as you are able to do so. But, if you want to blitz and leave cities absolutely save from dissorder, you have to exterminate to succeed.
Back to the thread. 1. Playing with Aedui/Arverni: you have a useful possibility. You can rush into Britain and take Camulosadae by surprise, while most of the Casse armies are dragging themselves across the countryside doing nothing. Casse rarely blitz, and are fairly slow in most campaigns, so by taking Camulosadae, you can get rid of them quite quickly early on. 2. Taras is an army maker for most factions. You have acces to a wide selection of excellent troops such as samnite HI, samnite spearmen, classical hoplites, bruttian infantry and so on. But that is not the only useful thing, it is positioned in such way as to provide a stepping stone to invading Greece/Balkans/Italy/Sicily. 3. If playing without time limit, if given opportunity, rest your troops whenever possible. Even when exhausted, by waiting for long enough, they will get back to fresh/warmed up, and their fighting ability raises significantly. This goes for all troops.
My first baloon, generously given by Arthur, king of the Britons, for nice Casse and Pahlava empires
You can transfer ancillaries from one family member to another by dragging the ancillary icon to the icon of another family member, given that they are in the same army/city. That means that you can give to one general "famous warrior", "armourer", "doctor", "herbalist" ancillaries and stack them, vastly improving the quality of that general.
My first baloon, generously given by Arthur, king of the Britons, for nice Casse and Pahlava empires
@Nohelmet
Safe cities are those that often have a governor and quite often its your homelands to begin with which means that my post is accurate, moving population to cities where tax bonuses and recruitment pools benefit.
Also, the ancillaries tip is brilliant, i often have one star general with the best ancillaries i can obtain. When i retire him, i move him onto his successor so they can continue to benefit my best generals
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