Beginner guide and others Guides/Strategy/gameplay

[Tsewe]

I'm sorry but I've been searching all day long for instruction about battle tactics and can't find any clear information.

My questions:

What are the default keys?

*EDIT* Nevermind, found them in the Notes section ingame...

 

[motomataru]

Glad you found them. Anyone else having problems:

Press Notes. Game Concepts. Then the one about Keys and the one about Formations.

Also, this instructional video might be helpful: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmA-IxNASVE

 

[Tsewe]

I have a pertinent question now; is there a way to enable injuries for Companions? Or is it just me who can suffer injuries?

 

[Idibil]

I have a pertinent question now; is there a way to enable injuries for Companions? Or is it just me who can suffer injuries?

Only u

 

[Tsewe]

OK thanks.
Another question though:

I have a hard time completing quests like :
Kill several outlaw troops
Track bandits and kill 'em

Even with the Ctrl + T cheat (to see every party on the map) I can't see them. Really, I've been looking for a long time. What happens if someone else killed them before me?
Any suggestion? Or am I doomed to loose the quest and reputation?

 

[lymond]

I've played through a few early games here up to a point of either being a merc or vassal.    I'm finding the faction AI that I join to be rather stupid when it comes to wars.  They simply don't do anything.  The Marshall is always standing around is castle saying he is trying to bring his vassals together before going on the offensive.  He'll do that literally for weeks and months.

I'll lure one of the armies to a town or fortress to siege it but the others don't follow nor can I lure them.  I can never lure the Marshall over no matter how good the relations.

Honestly, I've played M&B for some years off and on and now really getting into mods, but really never get very far in any game.  I'm now really trying to finish games especially since mods like Bryt provide more concrete end games.  I'd appreciate some incite into how I can work these lords/factions during wars as it is a big road block in my games.  I'm sure I'm doing some wrong or just missing something.    Otherwise, after the bit of fun knocking around bandits and leveling up I just don't know how to progress in games.

(Oh...and pretty much same thing happened trying out freelance mode.  Enlisted to a lord of a faction.  They are in a war and did jack the whole time.)

 

[Vesku]

Become a marshall yourself and command those lords into action or become King. I got fed up with that so I don't join faction anymore, it's more fun for me to start my own kingdom by taking on a small faction and build from there.

 

[lymond]

Become a marshall yourself and command those lords into action or become King. I got fed up with that so I don't join faction anymore, it's more fun for me to start my own kingdom by taking on a small faction and build from there.

Thanks.  Yeah, it really is annoying.  The factions I merc/vassal to have massive armies and can easily crush the faction they are at war with but they refuse to fight in unison or often do anything at all.  And worst of all they hold feast after feast after feast after feast...uggh. 

I have not taking on a faction yet, even a small one (that is still a fairly daunting taks).  I don't even know how to go about doing it.  You must have to get your part size limit very high.

The marshall idea sounds good though, but it takes a while to really butter up all the lords, but as a merc you have few options but to run around and watch them act stupid.

 

[Vesku]

I level up myself and companions a long time before I even start recruiting and then leveling those is a long road and it should be, not just anybody should be able to become a king. I usually am close to level 40 and my companions 20+ before I start building an army. I consider an assault when I can bring 300 heavy infantry plus 100 cavalry to field which is an army that can take down any single lord easily on the field and most settlements without trouble. Leveling companions bring you enough renown to have that kind of army and money is good too which you need to upkeep them (20000 a week usually).

Becoming a marshall is easy and quick compared to my way of playing

 

[lymond]

. Leveling companions bring ...

Thanks.  I may try that approach next.  I do try to find companions as soon as I can, but they seem to level up slowly when you have recruits in your army - and I usually try to keep Orosio out of the fighting.    I assume the first thing you do is zip from town to town and find all the companions that you can.  The hard part is probably fighting the bandits with low level companions until they level up some and get good armor/weapons. 

Do you equip them mainly from loot or do you buy them stuff?  I tend to do the former. 

Did you turn off companion complaints?

 

[Vesku]

I zip from town to town to get a solid group asap and indeed the first fights are tough but all you need is a good horse and long spear to deal with the smaller parties of morths/theows. I usually don't have enough money to buy them good armor but I do buy long spears or axes when possible. Also lame horses are worth a buy, keep them in inventory for a while and they are healed.

I have companion complaints on.

 

[Belthize]

I've tried various approaches to finding and leveling companions, the method I found that works the best for me is:

1) Don't worry too much about finding them,  I'm playing an Irish scenario and I now have the top line of 11 from the raider group (Agasicles to Siwi) by just checking the Irish cities as I did city quests and sold slaves.  They show up eventually.

2) Make a 'companion' group.  Get 20 to 40 irish infantry and line up companions in front, infantry next, then archers (if you have them) and go hunting.  This way your companions always fight first, let them fight till they're knocked out and it protects your real army.

3) Inka (agility based skills) and Connor (int based) are with the archers and have bows + sword-board, Agasicles (int based) is in a group called support with hornman, clerics etc and usually left at spawn or right behind infantry and has javalins + sword-board.  All the others in the front group have 2-hand axes, a shield and 2 javelins. 

4) Hunt outlaws and scoti raiders for armor,  don't buy any except gloves.  All companions are now fairly well armored (30+ head, 50+ body, 30+ legs).

5) Hire a merc captain to hold good medium and all heavy, elite troops you free or convert from slaves.  It's cheaper than a lair if you get a castle inside 9-10 months from using him.  I have him hold back deep in Mumain territory so he doesn't get killed by raiding lords.

6) Hire all companions outside your target group, send them on right to rule quest then dump them (I have interactions on).

That front group of companions mows through infantry,  I get each of them up to 3 or 4 skill in trainer, many have it to begin with, the others I give a few points to int to get them there. 

I've done no trading what so ever, it's August and I'm around level 20, all the companions are 13 to 16 so they're starting to level up troops.  I have an army of 100 troops of light, as they level to medium or I free heavies I dump them in the merc captain who's holding around 80.   

My goal for year 1 was to hold at least one city and have all companions around level 20, that shouldn't be a problem.  For year two I'll figure out what area I want to hold when starting a kingdom and begin angling to have those castles and cities given to me.  By the time I form a kingdom the companions and I will be in the low to mid 20's with several points in trainer.  In my experience that's enough to get a good training program.  Having armies of 300+ heaving/elites certainly works but it's not necessary with good tactics and use of things like spies and vassal lords.

 

[lymond]

5) Hire a merc captain to hold good medium and all heavy, elite troops you free or convert from slaves. 

Good stuff, Belthize.  How do you hire a merc captain?

I turned of companion stuff. I just find it too hard to deal with.  Vesku  - I assume you use some fixed group of companions that work out.  I tried some of the recommended parties, but I still had guys leave.

Also, is the looting skill cumulative?

Anyway, I am trying the companion only early game approach.  It is fun, although some battles are hard.  Interestingly, I see to have an easier time against Franks than village bandit attacks.    Once I get that 1H war hammer I can do a lot of damage to elite infantry.

 

[Belthize]

They show up in mead halls periodically.  Cost around 1K.  They're a bit more labor than the lair but it frees up 20K to spend on businesses, books, gloves etc early on.  Lair's are generally a better deal but in this case I suspect I'll have a castle before the Merc army costs too much.

 

[Vesku]

Isn't merc captain also available by upgrade from some of the bandits? I've planned to play bandit king style but haven't done that yet (nothing else but companions and outlaws allowed).

I use a four step program for my companions to maximize the number of noble lords I can have. I think I can drop the start of the list from memory if you want it.

 

[lymond]

Isn't merc captain also available by upgrade from some of the bandits? I've planned to play bandit king style but haven't done that yet (nothing else but companions and outlaws allowed).

I use a four step program for my companions to maximize the number of noble lords I can have. I think I can drop the start of the list from memory if you want it.

Yes, I'd love to hear about your program.  I'm working on a companion only game.  Just not sure when or how to start taking on other troops or taking over factions.  I have no clue how to start my own faction.

The Bandit King play sounds interesting.  How does that work?

 

[Vesku]

I start with Liuva, Aleifr, Gwenlian, Agasicles and Osmond (sorry for the spelling) from commoners, those are the ones that stay with me through the game. From nobles I get Connor, Mihael, Siwi, Brian, Athrwys and Onuist. Ones you've made these nobles your lords you can pick some more ... can't remember the names in right order but you should end up with the already mentioned five commoners plus Eithne and Ceawlin who are my end game bodyguards. My Lords list include six from above plus Ultan, Matui, Inka, Eadwine, Clovis and Eadfrith. I hope I got it right.

Starting a faction if a matter of opinion, when you feel good about it is the right time. For me it's quite late game action and once I start my Kingdom it's over quite fast because I have a solid army that can run through anything with minimal casualties.

My Bandit King idea is that I take only outlaws into my army so the recruiting comes only from prisoners. Your army is slow to grow and weak, an extra difficulty I sometimes wish for a campaign. I have yet to figure out how that style could ever start a Kingdom and keep it alive

 

[lymond]

Very good.  Thanks, Vesku.

Question - All of a sudden one of my companions has started to join me when I enter cities and villages.  What makes that happen?

 

[Belthize]

As your reputation (or is it honor) gets higher they'll wander in with you.  Sometime's it's handy if you get jumped by 4 folks while just wandering down to the bar.  Mostly they're annoying since they prefer to stand between you and the person you want to talk to.

 

[Vesku]

I have yet to determine what triggers that, my guess would be xp because I've imported a character once and my first level companion followed me instantly (no reputation, no honor, level 37 character). It happens usually soon after you've reached level 10 and is random.