Quick question: I know you all make siege armies, but have any of you tried assaulting armies for quick victories? In the manual it says cavalry isn't used in an assault, so would an army of say, 60-80,000 infantry be good for assaults?
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Sure it would, but what happens if that army runs into an enemy's army with 30,000 cav and a leader with a shock value of 3? Happened to me once. The best strategy is a blanced army that can withstand long periods in enemy province with enough artellery to win a siege.
In my experience, I'd say that the most important thing in the assault is not numbers but your morale. I mean, the numbers are useful or whatever, but when you actually run away is more important. I mean, you always have way more people in the siege than the other guy does, really.
If you have a ton more guys you can shred the heck out of a fort, but you can win a siege with fewer guys in a province than your opponent has.
You can't assault without infantry, so if you are going to make an army that runs around assaulting forts, make sure there are a lot of them in there. 50,000 cavalry won't do it -- the button won't light up.
I've experimented with several techniques. One is to cover a bunch of cities with small forces. This keeps reinforcements from coming out (they get blasted at birth due to low morale), and you might get lucky and knock the fortification level down. Later on the big army comes along and blasts everyone, then goes to the next one. This seems to work okay with 'minimal fortress' cities, at least.
bruce
You can't assault without infantry, so if you are going to make an army that runs around assaulting forts, make sure there are a lot of them in there. 50,000 cavalry won't do it -- the button won't light up.
I've experimented with several techniques. One is to cover a bunch of cities with small forces. This keeps reinforcements from coming out (they get blasted at birth due to low morale), and you might get lucky and knock the fortification level down. Later on the big army comes along and blasts everyone, then goes to the next one. This seems to work okay with 'minimal fortress' cities, at least.
bruce
Put in cannons as well, force about three times as large as fortress garrison, go in, assault and pray. And throw in a good leader as well. And be sure that you are couple of tech levels ahead. And you even might win.
In case of enemy relief army coming, i try to keep field army in the next province and use cavalry-stikes to keep them where they should be... until my main army reaches there. Usually works.
In case of enemy relief army coming, i try to keep field army in the next province and use cavalry-stikes to keep them where they should be... until my main army reaches there. Usually works.
Playing Russia I have learned a similar strategy. Before I invade a province I organize my armies into inf./art. (or just inf. until I have art.) and cav. Once I have driven off any enemy and begun the siege, I select the cav army and move it away (nearby as a screen or reserve to deal with an enemy relief army). Then I launch a massive assault with 100% infantry (and artillery when I get it) as suggested in the first post.
You have to time this carefully so your expensive cavalry doesn't get there first and take a nasty hit. One method is to place a small unit of inf. (or art.) in the cav. army to slow it down to the same speed as the inf. army on the initial attack. (Armies move and invade at the speed of their slowest unit, no matter the relative mix.)
Previously, I had always separated my armies (cav. and inf./art.) when moving reinforcements in for assaults (inf.) or to defend against counter attacks (cav.+), but my initial combined arms attack force always got locked in the siege graphic. I could break most of my army free using the 'besiege' button, but even then cavalry got trapped in the siege and subsequent assault. I really think the siege graphic is way too inflexible (and a bit confusing). Does anyone agree?
Am I missing some way to manipulate troops in the siege graphic?
DC
Yes : as the Russian player, your inf costs almost nothing and attrition is very high in Russia : the result is that your armies are best used in assaults than in siege; even if you fail an assault, you've probably made some casualties. It sometimes takes 2 or 3 assaults to succeed, but in the end, even if your morale is not that good, you can crack forts.
To my knowledge, this technique works only for Russia (and perhaps Turkey : I don't know their costs). Other countries have a much better time waiting for the city to surrender.
To my knowledge, this technique works only for Russia (and perhaps Turkey : I don't know their costs). Other countries have a much better time waiting for the city to surrender.
Danish infantry isn't that cheap but I found that in my war against Sweden, assaulting the fortresses was cheaper than siegeing, since the attrition in nothern Scandinavia is horrendous. Otherwise I almost never assault.
Tue
Tue
Other countries have a much better time waiting for the city to surrender.
At least they should first wait for a breach in the wall (big V shaped hole in the city wall).
At least they should first wait for a breach in the wall (big V shaped hole in the city wall).
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Originally posted by hjarg
Heh, they do have ladders, right???
Yeah, they just keep forgetting to bring them into the battle