How Do I Hold Territory?

[JackofDiamonds]

So, I'm playing as Sarranid. My current army set up is about 60 mamlukes, myself(lvl28ish), and like 4-5 companions. I don't really have money problems since I've been at war and I don't have any problems killing other armies so long as they don't battle advantage me into the ground. My real problem is i don't know how to hold territory. Whenever I take over a castle or town it will get taken back pretty quickly if Sultan Hakim has taken his sweet time awarding it to someone (and he usually does take his sweet time).

I don't understand how any of you all are able to take and hold much territory. Is it just a matter of me slowly whittling down the all the vassals in Calradia till me and the sultanate are the only ones with armies?

What do you all do in order to secure your territory and expand your nation?

 

[Wolfrug]

With that many Mamlukes, you should be able to take out the opposing army (on a plain), even if it's hundreds of men strong. If you ambush it while it's in motion, you might be able to engage only half or parts of it, since not all lords travel at the same speed. Usually after a castle has been captured, you'll get a message "Kingdom of X has started an offensive" (at least in pre- 1.111) - this prooobably means they're on their way to retake the castle. And at the same time, all of YOUR lords split up and probably headed back to the furthest castle in the realm to party. This is your chance: take out the opposing army, and the castle you took is likely to a) be awarded to someone and b) be properly garrisoned by its lord, and as a bonus c) your next campaign is likely to face a much easier opposition since you single-handedly kicked their lords down to peasants.

The Sarranids managed to get all the way to Veluca by doing this (granted vs the Rhodoks, but...) - unfortunately I lost all of my mamlukes in a stupid siege defense, and after that the lands gained were quickly lost In short, as long as you can single-handedly wipe out their attacking armies (or weaken them so much that the marshal abandons the campaign), you can stay on the offensive.

You can always make lots of friends too, and then suggest that they follow you around - but they are only temporary and vaguely useful allies, since unless you're marshal, you can't control their troops, and they'll get killed and take up slots your elite units would otherwise fill. Best bet is a mass horde of heavy cav. Cheap, but it works.

 

[JackofDiamonds]

The problem with fighting incredibly large numbers of enemy units is not the size of the army, but the battle advantage they get. When I fight the main army of one of the nations i usually end up losing because they cause me to start the battle with like 5 mamlukes, which isn't enough. I can generally kick the crap out of any 300~ish size army, but once it gets higher than that the battle advantages they get really hurt me. I'm currently working to level up tactics on my character and all of my companions, but I was wondering if there was a different way.

 

[hruza]

Try "may I suggest course of action" with allied lords. Then send them to patrol around newly captured castle or town. If they dislike you they may refuse but otherwise it works fine to me.

 

[GJScarritt]

... I'm currently working to level up tactics on my character and all of my companions, but I was wondering if there was a different way.

If you're going to put tactics on yourself, only do 2.  It's really not that much of a payoff once you're a high lvl character (1 bonus for each 2 on your skill to the party member with the highest skill in that tactic).  Also, tactics aren't a 'lump em together' like training is.  Only the party member with the highest skill contributes to the party as a whole.  Now, doing 2 (one is a backup in the most important skills in case the first gets injured) wouldn't hurt.  Your problem is you only have 4-5 companions.  You could have up to 8 (with the perfect combination, it's 9), and then having your companions each specializing in 1 party skill would be easier.  Tracking, tactics, first aid, wound treatment, path finding, looting, spotting, surgery, engineer and trade (I think I got em all), plus everyone contributes to training.

Edit:  You've got the right army to be 'Hell-On-Wheels'.  Now you just need the right support to back it up, and improving your companions to be more than just 'meat-shields' will do it.

As for the taking/holding of castles/cities.  Unless you're at the point where you want a specific place for your own (and the way the game won't let you rebel and keep em, it's not much point in it), let the other Lords capture them.  Get lots of renown and the King will eventually give you a place of your own that you can garrison and plan for the future (and it'll be fully garrisoned when you get it, saving you the trouble). 

Patrol around the newly captured castle and beat up those incoming Lords.  If you've done the prep work right, their armies should be constantly defeated and only a few show up each time. 

 

[original]

Yeah I have the same problem as the OP. In both the first M&B game and now in Warband, any castle or town that I get is quickly overwhelmed by the entire army of a faction.

 

[baama13]

Usually after you and your faction get a castle they leave some troops there as garrison. If you have enough renown and good relations with the lords of the realm you can be awarded with the castle.
I was vassal of the nords with no castle. They've taken riybelet castle and king ragnar awarded it to me with 250 men garrisoned there...Before I was vassal of the nords I usually beat the crap out of their jarls and then let them go...HONOR. With honor comes good relation.

 

[GJScarritt]

Usually after you and your faction get a castle they leave some troops there as garrison. If you have enough renown and good relations with the lords of the realm you can be awarded with the castle.
I was vassal of the nords with no castle. They've taken riybelet castle and king ragnar awarded it to me with 250 men garrisoned there...Before I was vassal of the nords I usually beat the crap out of their jarls and then let them go...HONOR. With honor comes good relation.

To get a fully garrisoned castle/city tho, you can NOT be leading the Siege.  If you capture it, it starts out with no garrison at all, so it's best to help capture them, not to capture yourself.

Edit:  OTOH, idk if you capture a fief, ask for it, but don't get it, does it get a garrison immediately afterwards or not, or it has to slowly build one.

 

[Wolfrug]

The problem with fighting incredibly large numbers of enemy units is not the size of the army, but the battle advantage they get. When I fight the main army of one of the nations i usually end up losing because they cause me to start the battle with like 5 mamlukes, which isn't enough. I can generally kick the crap out of any 300~ish size army, but once it gets higher than that the battle advantages they get really hurt me. I'm currently working to level up tactics on my character and all of my companions, but I was wondering if there was a different way.

Ah, sorry. I play with Battlesizer (~250 troops), which also kind of messes with the default battle advantage thing unless really huge armies are in play. Usually I get at least 60 or so men (all of which tend to be knights) and then they can get whatever they want since they're going down! 

Um. But yeah. Actually don't know how to fix it with lower battlesize...

 

[Goffik]

Edit:  OTOH, idk if you capture a fief, ask for it, but don't get it, does it get a garrison immediately afterwards or not, or it has to slowly build one.

No, I don't think it gets one immediately. Maybe its my imagination, but I'm sure I've seen them remain empty until the lord they've been given pays a visit. When he does, a small garrison appears.

On garrisons, have we lost a feature in one of the patches? When I first started playing (v1.102 I think) I would get the option to station a garrison in castles I'd only just taken (ie, before they were awarded to anyone). I thought this was a great new feature as it meant I didn't need to babysit the damn thing, and the troops I left cost me no wages. However, I didn't get that option at all last night on any of the three castles I took (v1.111). Was it actually a bug (now 'fixed') instead of a feature?

 

[baama13]

Ah, sorry. I play with Battlesizer (~250 troops), which also kind of messes with the default battle advantage thing unless really huge armies are in play. Usually I get at least 60 or so men (all of which tend to be knights) and then they can get whatever they want since they're going down! 

Um. But yeah. Actually don't know how to fix it with lower battlesize...

How do I get battlesizer? Is there a mod to do it?

 

[GJScarritt]

On garrisons, have we lost a feature in one of the patches? When I first started playing (v1.102 I think) I would get the option to station a garrison in castles I'd only just taken (ie, before they were awarded to anyone). I thought this was a great new feature as it meant I didn't need to babysit the damn thing, and the troops I left cost me no wages. However, I didn't get that option at all last night on any of the three castles I took (v1.111). Was it actually a bug (now 'fixed') instead of a feature?

I don't know if it was a feature or a bug, but they took that out in 1.105. 

 

[Goffik]

I don't know if it was a feature or a bug, but they took that out in 1.105. 

Thanks for the info. Shame it was deemed a bug... maybe one day we can figure out what was 'fixed' and break it again.

 

[JackofDiamonds]

I think I solved my problem. I pretty much just got sick and tired of everyone attacking me and being unable to keep the territory around me so I just went on a conquest of the khergit (cuz i hate their horse archers). I forsook all of the lands i had been holding and just kept taking over khergit castles. I would go in, win the siege and then leave and make a b-line for the nearest castle or town. Eventually this split up the massive blob of khergit vassals because I was able to take multiple castles in the time it took them to take back one. Once the blob split up I could hunt down the khergit with ease and have actually destroyed the faction atm. I own two towns now and several castles so it ended up working in my favor all together. I needed about 20k denars when i went on my rampage over the khergit, because for a while i had maybe a single crappy little village so i was losing money for a bit, but after a little bit i was able to make it back.

 

[AndersSchm]

I find attack and defeat the enemy marshal, he then goes home and a lot of the other lords will give up and go home also.