I finally got time to play. Spend 8 hours infront of my computer this sunday killing Khergits, raising troops, saving villages and finally, conquering a castle! Time well spent, i say
So here comes the summary of what i did in my second session of this challenge:
Right after the tournament of Praven, i felt bold enough to go to Khergit territory and examine my targets. I went to Asugan unchallenged and entered the castle. The front of the castle, where we will place our ladder was very well defended. We would have to attack the castle while being shot at from multiple building-tops, battlements and another rampart that overlooks the one we'll place our ladder. I thought it would be possible to storm the castle if our only opposition was the castle's garrison but that proved to be hard, since Lord Asugan never left his castle. Anyway, i left Asugan to see the other targets but got ambushed by 2 groups of Steppe Bandits. I was actually happy to be fighting them because there was no way i could catch one of them with my speed and i was hoping to test my army against a Khergit-like opponent before i go up against them. So the battle started with 73 of them, against 56 of my men.
It was a slaughter. My line couldn't even stop the saddle horses of the bandits. I saw bandit cavalry going right through my acolytes, archers and even my few light infantry. After a few passes, my men were all dead or wounded. Whatever cavalry i had resisted a while longer, killing some of the enemy but mostly distracting them so i can do the killing. It was a long fight but in the end i managed to kill the last of the bandits. It was a bitter victory though; 26 of my men dead, the rest wounded. I immediately postponed my plan of attacking the Khergits. I understood that i need cavalry and high tier infantry to even think of fighting the Horde.
Only a couple of hours from that battle with Steppe Bandits, while i was trying to reach the relative safety of Tulga, another band of those filthy bandits descended upon us. We were slowed down by our wounded, while they were hungry for battle, anticipating easy prey. Unfortunately for them, my surviving soldiers became stronger at the end of the last battle and now the bandits were facing Vaegir Veterans, Horsemen, Kelemvor and myself. As expected, my 15 men group destroyed their 37 in a matter of minutes, with only one of my veterans wounded in the first clash. I take the lessons i learned from this two skirmishes to the heart. A good force of cavalry is needed to kill Khergits.
The rest 4 days were a frenzied search for new recruits. While Kelemvor drilled the peasants into soldiers, i travelled from village to village, town to town, searching for new men and tournaments to fight. In the day 12, while i was observing Asugan castle to see if it's lord left the castle, i ran into another lord; Commander Kramuk of the Mangudai. By then i managed to get a decent army of 90+ troops. Most of my infantry were mid-tier(it's a pain to upgrade Initiates to Pikemen, let alone to Royal Guard) but i had some Ivory Watchmen, Marksmen and Kataphraktus. I was also sick and tired of waiting so i attacked him. It was a close battle, with him having 130 men against my 90.
The battle began and developed as i expected. Lord Kramuk and his troops marched toward the edge of the battlefield slowly, never breaking formation even when i attacked them all by myself. I left my archers and infantry in a low hill and my cavalry to the other side of the battlefield. I had to kill 15 of Kramuk's men before they got angry enough to break formation and attack. I retreated to the back of my line, as i was bleeding from multiple wounds and also i had no means of reaching those bloody horse archers with my charger. I ordered my cavalry to charge, while my archers let loose their arrows and my infantry braced for the Khergit charge. We broke the first charge but some of the Khergits were dismounted near my line and was trying to outflank us. I led my infantry against them, killing them all. Unfortunately, in the heat of battle, i didn't notice enemy reinforcements coming into field. Their second charge caught me and my infantry out of position, while most of my archers were out of arrows. My pikemen did their jobs and halted the Khergit charge aimed towards them but archers were not so lucky. I watched in horror, as my Ivory Watchmen got trampled under the hooves of Tarkhan chargers. A madness took hold of me and i gave the all charge order, myself leading it, sword swinging wildly over my head. I killed men and horse alike where i caught them but then something hit me in the back and i tumbled into darkness. I woke up in my tent, Kelemvor and the captain of my men waiting beside me. They told me that we've won the field but that Lord Kramuk has escaped in the confusion of the battle. 15 of my troops wre killed, while 19 was wounded. A good result, cosidering the last quarter of the battle was fought without a leader.
After that battle, i thought everything will change, that i'll be hunted by every Khergit lord who's on the field. But they never did. The Khan's Horde were getting pounded by Rhodoks and Swadians. Every few days i heard news of some Khergit lord or other getting captured or released from captivity. The Khan had no time for an upstart mercenary it seemed. So i travelled around Khergit lands, waiting for my chance to strike. At day 31, my chance presented itself.
I was passing near Ichamur to take a look to Asugan Castle again, when i saw Sanjar Khan's banners on the city's walls. I sent one of my men to check on his army and the men returned a while later with great news. The Khan's army, along with a couple of his lord's was defeated and routed. Noone knew where and by whom but there it was. His 400 men army was now a mere 130. So i made my way to Asugan, hoping it's lord was not there. Gods heard my prayer, but only partially. Lord Asugan was not in his castle but his close friend, Ulusamai Khan was there. But at least his army was small. Thinking that i may never find a weaker force in the castle, i gave the order to prepare ladders. We stormed the castle at dawn.
The castle had 200 men defending it, while i had 98. I thought if we took the outer walls, the rest would fall easily. I couldn't be more wrong. Me and my archers cleared the outer walls from most of it's defenders easily. So i gave the charge order and led my troops over the walls. The rampart overlooking the outer wall was blocking my view so i couldn't see which way the enemy were coming from. So i decided to go left to clear the leftside tower, while my men went right, down the stairs and into the courtyard. Or, let's say they tried to... Seconds after me and my troops went opposite directions, an enemy reinforcement came. One second i was running on the walls of the castle unchallenged and then suddenly, i was surrounded by two Tarkhans and an annoying spearman who poked at every opening i gave. When i managed to kill those three, another three charged at me, then more. When i finally had a moment to see what's going on with the battle, i realized that we were defeated. My men couldn't push through the enemy and down the stairs. They were boxed at the edge of the stairs where i left them, surrounded by Khergits, while the enemy archers at the far wall were shooting their arrows mercilessly at them. Before i could give the retreat order, i got K.O.d by some archers sniping from the leftside tower. F***ing Khergits.
I lost about 60 men in that battle, while killing 80 enemies. I was losing hope by then, because i was sure Lord Asugan would run back to his castle and never leave again. With my party size of 100, i had no way of taking the castle. But lady luck smiled at me once again. While i was recruiting some Vaegir Footmen near Curaw, i heard that Lord Asugan was defeated in battle. I immediately marched to Asugan Castle, to see it for myself. Thankfully it was true. Ulusamai Khan had left the castle to it's fate and the only troops defending it were 60 men. So at Day 42, i put my ladders to Asugan Castle's walls again. I took no chances, leading my men to the heart of the castle and killing Khergit where i found them. The castle fell quickly. I ordered any captured enemies put to the sword, be it mercenary or Khergit.
Wow, this post is getting too long. So i'll cut it short. It's now the 51st day of my game. I've been holding Asugan Catle for 9 days. Khergits tried to siege it once, with two armies. I took the armies one at a time and destroyed them easily, since i can field a 200 man army now, privilege of being a King
So what did i learn? First, cavalry is a must. And Vaegir Kataphraktus are way too good for their price. I have 30 of them with me all the time now and i still pay ridiculously low wages every week.
Second, Swadian Pikemen(or Royal Guards for that matter) are only good for stopping cavalry. To try to use them in sieges as assault troops is...not wise.
Also, i'm experimenting with Vaegir infantry right now. I'll post the results when i have enough of them to test in the field.
