What default size does everyone use for their armies, by the way? Does anyone play on HUGE? I've got mine on DEFAULT, so I have 20 Royal Knights in a unit, 100 spears, 60 swords, etc...

I use default unit size as well.
Simply because you don't gain anything from increasing the size, all the enemies get twice as big units as well, and production times double which I certainly don't need.

Here's some other questions about tactics...

When meeting your enemy in the field, what general tactics do you use?

Do you split your armies and have a second flanking army or do you keep the whole army together moving in formation?

Do you keep a reserve? If so how big?

What about your van, what's normally in your van?

How much time do you spend in getting into position, etc.

Do you normally have your general charging in, or do you hold him back, as a reserve?

How do you layer your troops?

I do not spend any time getting into position - I just hit "Begin battle" straight away.

When I start, I move the camera towards the enemy as far as possible. I examine what order he has his troops in. For example, he might have his cavalry, soldiers, then spearmen. In that case, I would rearrange my army into spearmen, cavalry, soldiers. However, keeping my troops one-behind-the-other is usually a bad idea, so I send a couple of units round the sides to try and attack them at an angle.

I don't make reserves - If I want reinforcements, I'll keep back some units myself.

Van? What's that?

I almost never use my general in battle unless absolutely neccessary. If he dies, pretty much all my troops will run.

All my frontline troops are usually put in wedge formation (unless the enemy is bigger than them, eg. cavalry) for a hard hit at the beginning, while the units behind are in close formation to back them up by destroying all remaining troops that manage to break through the wedge.

I have my general at the head of the charging lines, but he doesn't charge. He stands his ground and just gives morale bonus to troops. I usually send two cavalry units, a heavy and a light, way out of the battlefield, as that enables me to make devastating flanking attacks and gives more view. I place my archers(minimum 2 units) and a halberdier sqad in a forest to pepper down arrows and my main swordsmen and heavy cavalry on the front lines. If Almohads, I plant some 5-6 units of Hashishin(craziest unit in the game) along the battlefield(on the field, they're invisible), and have them attack when the enemy almost crosses them(they have no fear, they're stoned [img]smile.gif[/img] ). I use mostly melee footmen for the brunt of the attack and specialists to flank. If the enemy is heavy on horse, and I'm out of spearmen for some obscure reason, I use light cavalry to wear them down, and then crush them outside the main battlefield with my fresh and experienced heavy horse. I use artillery only when attacking castles, or if I know the enemy has slow units(heavy footmen etc.), because artillery, especially cannons, scare even the thoughest of commanders. I always attack with atleast half of the attacking force in reserve. I'm not sure what you mean by van.

Van for vanguard...usually the advance force of a medieval army. Usually the first into combat, followed by the centre (usually protected by flanks of cavalry) then the rearguard (the reserve).

I used to split my army up and have some infantry trying to flank, but lately I've realised that unless those troops are elite or have spears to protect them a cavalry charge tends to rout them, so I've started to group them all together (it helps not that I've learned that selecting multiple units and Alt-leftclick moves your entire formation together :D ). If I split a force from my main body it will usually be cavalry, so it can move quickly and flank.

I ALWAYS keep a reserve if I can - usually one unit of cavalry and/or at least two units of polearms or axes, that I can use to plug holes if I need to.

In my van, I normally have my foot archers/crossbowmen at the front (ever since I realised that crossbows can't arc their fire I put them in front), followed by a spear wall, with some swords in a long double line behind them. My van's almost always made up of foot. Once my spears engage the enemy and my swords wrap, I bring up my centre and my flanks. I found that having a van really helps in pinning my enemy and makes it easier to get my support units to engage.

I do spend a bit of time grouping my units and making sure they're in the right formation before I click on Begin Battle. I hate that mad clicking of trying to sort out your troops when the enemy's moving towards you - makes me nervous. :D

So basically I'm like:


</font><blockquote>code:</font><hr /><pre style="font-size:x-small; font-family: monospace;"> crossbows
spear wall (at least 4 deep)
s w o r d l i n e
Cavalry General Cavalry
Reserve (swords/axes)</pre>[/QUOTE]I found this formation in that guide that StigTC posted and found it very useful. :D

I posted a guide?

But that formation show is pretty much what I use too, except that there's rarely any archers/crossbows and almost never a reserve.

Just kill the germans, then march your best assassin into the papal states and whipe the floor with that pope!

My typical army configuration and tactics depend on its role either as a defender or an attacker. I spend a good while scouting the terrian andpositon my units before clicking 'begin battle'.

For a defense army I usual have:

4 spears/anti-calv. infantry
2-4 ranged( usually archers)
1-2 heavy infantry
1-2 anti-armor infantry
2-6 calvery ( including usually the General)

I find a nice hill near the edge of the map and position infantry in a semi circle with rows of archers behind them. I set the spearmen to hold position and hold formation and turn off the archers fire at will a group all of them together then set them to hold positon as well. My general stands just behind the last row of archers with infantry mix at his sides. Finally I cover the flanks with a mix of light and heavy calvary on both sides.

I send out some light calvary to harrass the enemy while they march to my position with the hope of routing thier archers and luring thier calvery out to take a flank attack from some more of my calvary. The AI will almost always pursue my general so I sometimes take the general out as bait for this manuever. I will allow the enemy's spearmen to pursue my calvery into an ambush from my ranged attackers and heavy infantry as well. Luring calvery into woods with hidden spears lying in wait is a nice tactic as well.

If I haven't routed the enemy by the time they line up in front of my position, I continue to harrass ranged and non-spear infantry units with my calvary while concentrating ranged attacks on the advancing spear ranks. I send out my heavy infantry and militia to meet any infantry they send up the hill towards me and try to take out their spearmen from the flanks in order to give my calvary more room to harrass thier ranged units. If they charge with calvary I let my spear ranks take the blow and attack the calvery flanks with my own calvary and a reserve of spear I keep back just for the occassion.

Once they are running away ( and they always do! :D ), I unleash all my fast units to persue and take the easy pickings. If they regroup or call for reinforcements I will reform my postions, withdraw depleted units and pull fresh units from my reserves if I have any( I usually do). Then I rinses and repeat as nesseccary! :D

I'll post my offensive army/tactics later.

[ 09-04-2004, 02:07 AM: Message edited by: Chewbacca ]

Interesting, Chewy! :D I always get a bit impatient when I'm defending.

I just played a custom battle to check out the Muslim factions, and I have one thing to say - CAMELS ROCK!!! :D