Some advice, please?

[Ziji]

I've been playing M&B for a while now, but not a whole lot.

I'm on Day 466, and this is my character export:

charfile_version = 1
name = Ziji
xp = 279108
money = 18517

attribute_points = 0
skill_points = 0
weapon_points = 0

strength = 18
agility = 15
intelligence = 12
charisma = 15

trade = 4
leadership = 5
prisoner_management = 4
reserved_skill_1 = 0
reserved_skill_2 = 0
reserved_skill_3 = 0
reserved_skill_4 = 0
persuasion = 0
engineer = 3
first_aid = 1
surgery = 1
wound_treatment = 1
inventory_management = 4
spotting = 2
path-finding = 1
tactics = 0
tracking = 0
trainer = 4
reserved_skill_5 = 0
reserved_skill_6 = 0
reserved_skill_7 = 0
reserved_skill_8 = 0
looting = 0
horse_archery = 0
riding = 4
athletics = 5
shield = 2
weapon_master = 2
reserved_skill_9 = 0
reserved_skill_10 = 0
reserved_skill_11 = 0
reserved_skill_12 = 0
reserved_skill_13 = 0
power_draw = 0
power_throw = 0
power_strike = 5
ironflesh = 5
reserved_skill_14 = 0
reserved_skill_15 = 0
reserved_skill_16 = 0
reserved_skill_17 = 0
reserved_skill_18 = 0

one_handed_weapons = 235
two_handed_weapons = 124
polearms = 124
archery = 142
crossbows = 125
throwing = 68
firearms = 0

face_key_1 = 3f000140
face_key_2 = 36db6db6db65b6db

I'm pretty sure I messed up a lot of my stats and such, but meh, it was my first and only game thus far and perhaps next game I'll have learned from my mistakes.

I'm only level 28, and I own 2 villages and a Castle, and have signed on with Swadia.

The Nords have all but been wiped out, only holding 2 towns and the surrounding villages, and I've got a force of about 80 strong riding with me, with a couple 139 men defending my castle. 

If anyone could offer me any advice (Best horse, best armor, best weapon (I prefer long swords), etc) that'd be great.

I'd also like some tips on taking a town, since I'm hoping that if I capture a town, Swadia will let me keep it and it'll add an entirely new element to my gameplay (I have fully upgraded one village, and my castle, and am upgrading my second village so I assume towns have much more upgrade options and income).

I really enjoy siege battles, especially when it's overkill.

And I like taking on forces of 300+ of Nords and completely obliterating them due to their lack of cavalry.

So yeah, any tips, advice, or pointers would be great. 

Thanks.

 

[Virmin]

With regards to towns, how easy it is to take depends a great deal on your battle size setting. Much more so then in any other battle because unlike battles that take place on the open map where the battle could be split up into multiple battles (when your battle sizer is set smaller then the amount of soldiers involved in the battle), In the case of a seige there is only one main battle. So for instance if your battle size is set to about 40 then you might end up having to fight about 80-100 in the siege. And seeing as a town usually has at least 300 defenders then the remaining 200 men automaticly become prisoners if you win the battle. Where as if you had a battle size set to 100 then you would end up having to fight maybe 200 men.

Contrast this with a battle on the open map where regardless of what you have set your battle size setting to you still have to fight everyone. The battle size setting will only change how many battles it actually takes to fight everyone.

As to owning a town, the upgrades available are the exact same upgrades you get with a castle, the prison tower and messanger post. But they do make a lot more money then a village. And oddly enough villages are the only place where you can recruit non-mercenary soldiers. So even if you own a town you will still need to go to villages to recruit.

With regards to your char's stats. I think maybe you are unaware of the benefit of bonus points when it comes to party skills. Its much better to have 2 points in 1 party skill then it is to have one point in 2 different party skills because having 2 points in 1 skill gives you 1 free bonus point. Meaning you get 3 points from spending only 2 points instead of only getting 2 points from spending 2 points. You get a bonus point at the 2, 5, 8 and 10 mark for a total of 4 bonus points in a single skill. Keep in mind only you can provide bonus points, your companions cannot.

 

[Khadmus]

On a semi-related note, in a game I'm in, I've pretty much done away with the Rhodoks (didn't help them that all four other factions were at war with them). They're all holed up in Culmarr Castle. Should I bother mustering the forces to stamp them out?

 

[Ziji]

Thanks for the tips, I think I might attempt to take Tihr soon, and I am saddened to hear about the lack of upgrades and such.

Oh well.

The skills thing is VERY interesting, and I'll keep note of it.

On a side note, would you recommend fully ridding Calradia of a faction?

I want to, but at the same time I would miss my Nord enemies and there would be one less faction to war with

 

[Ravenheild]

Thanks for the tips, I think I might attempt to take Tihr soon, and I am saddened to hear about the lack of upgrades and such.

Oh well.

The skills thing is VERY interesting, and I'll keep note of it.

On a side note, would you recommend fully ridding Calradia of a faction?

I want to, but at the same time I would miss my Nord enemies and there would be one less faction to war with

I personally get quite a bit of satisfaction from doing it and I would fully recommend it.

 

[Ziji]

Alright.

Who should I go after next?  I was thinking Khergit since we're at war with them already, or maybe Rhodoks because when I first signed on with Swadia we were at war with them, made QUITE A FEW ENEMIES there, and ended up allying with them later against the Nords.

ONLY TO HAVE ALL MY HARD WORK TAKEN BY THEM.

Sargoth and numerous castles I helped take went to the Rhodoks, so I feel they must pay.

 

[fElk]

If it were me, i would attack the Rhodoks because Khergit have these veryyy ignoring horse archers...

 

[Ravenheild]

The khergits would be a serious challenge especially if you are new at this. They have a serious amount of horse archers and they will whittle down your forces to a shell.

 

[RomaGoth]

Alright.

Who should I go after next?  I was thinking Khergit since we're at war with them already, or maybe Rhodoks because when I first signed on with Swadia we were at war with them, made QUITE A FEW ENEMIES there, and ended up allying with them later against the Nords.

ONLY TO HAVE ALL MY HARD WORK TAKEN BY THEM.

Sargoth and numerous castles I helped take went to the Rhodoks, so I feel they must pay.

The Khergits are really, really annoying to fight against.  Even with my Swadian Knights, battles with the Khergits take forever sometimes. 

 

[LeviL]

If you are to wipe the Khergits out from Calradia just avoid fighting them in the wilderness as much as possible.

Instead try to kill as many of them in siege battles, where they are unmounted, packed together and can be easily torn apart by a furious horde of Nord Huscarls.

 

[Cougarific]

re: Khergits, I consistently crush them, 150 killed to No casualties, simply by ordering my mixed-forces army to Hold this Position on a hilltop.

Under these orders, my mounted units will only ride a short distance away before returning to the spot where all my ground forces are waiting.

So what happens is my cavalry will go out and get the enemies' attention, then ride back to my line, bringing the enemies towing along behind them.

At which point my ground forces simply slaughter them in about 2 seconds.

Being on top of a hill limits enemies' ability to charge in really fast and do a lot of damage to my ground forces or the (friendly) mounted guy who just came back to us and stopped dead (making himself an easy target for a trailing Lancer).

Key to this is fielding a mixed-forces army.  If you try to do it with ground troops only, the Khergit horse archers will just ride around you in circles, peppering you with arrows.  And there's nothing you can do about it except chase them (on foot) all over the battlefield.

If you have archers/crossbowmen, they'll stay put and plink away at the horsemen - if they hit, the horseman/horse archer will often switch to melee mode immediately and try to charge the archer.

At which point he gets stuck in my line of ground-pounders and slaughtered.

Having foot soldiers, archers and cavalry under Hold this Position orders, consistently brings the mounted enemies back to your lines, allowing for quick slaughter.

 

[Khadmus]

Instead try to kill as many of them in siege battles

They really are weak in siege battles. You can punch through them with Huscarls or shoot the entire garrison to death with Marksmen.

 

[noosers]

Avoid open field battles against the Khergits and crush them fast in bloody sieges.

If you´re getting caught in a field battle, park your cavalry (you brought some, didn´t you?) in the corner of the map, let them dismount and hold place a bit behind and wait for the rushing horde beeing caught in the invisible wall to be slaughtered by your fellows. Though that´s rather more of an exploit than anything else so simply use it if you´re in dire need for it.

 

[Cougarific]

Avoid open field battles against the Khergits and crush them fast in bloody sieges.

If you´re getting caught in a field battle, park your cavalry (you brought some, didn´t you?) in the corner of the map, let them dismount and hold place a bit behind and wait for the rushing horde beeing caught in the invisible wall to be slaughtered by your fellows. Though that´s rather more of an exploit than anything else so simply use it if you´re in dire need for it.

Guys it's not necessary to use any kind of "invisible wall" exploit to defeat the Khergits on a regular basis.  Follow my advice above, keep your cav mounted and let them act as lures to bring the Khergits back to your stationary foot soldiers.  Only order Charge when down to 2 or 3 stragglers.

Works EVERY TIME for me, I never lose a single man vs. Khergits in large battles.  At first I dreaded Khergit encounters, now I'd rather face them than any other Faction, as this is a solid, guaranteed to win, non-exploitive strategy based on "real-world" tactics.