Taking of a town, how to?

[Tacohead]

I'll first off state that I'm playing Sword Of Damos mod but I don't really think it varies if at all in town taking from the original, basically you just build your own kingdom instead of becoming a vassal to another. I play at the hardest setting besides my own intake damage is at 1/2 and battle size 250. I have 1castle and a 400troop army including garrison. I gathered around 300troops and went off to attempt capture on Wercheg or however it's spell (top right nord town)

I basically got slaughtered. My men would drop like flies from archers and the outcome was a massacre of most of my army before retreating. I had a good 150archers of my own and had them hold position outside the town while my infantry would hold position right up against the wall. I think the battle report was something like 80 killed with a crap load of wounded while killing about 45enemies. I didn't really help that when I killed what seemed like most of there archers I run into this cockblock melee fortress that is nord soldiers and reinforcement archers arrive forcing me to back down the ladder again.

So my question is how exactly am I supposed to get a town short of having a 1000troop army?

 

[elohel]

sadly, you can't have more ladders or siege towers. all you can do is wait until the lords leave the town and then chip away at the defense. getting them to sally out to attack you could make it easier. get a lot of archers to kill theirs and make sure you have a high surgery skil. you're going to need it. it'd be a lot easier if you were an archer too.

 

[ddrake]

Hi,
have never played SoD so may be a bit different depending on unit types.
In Native most town sieges are done with ladders, I guess this is your case too.
In this case don't try to take the town in one attempt, wear down its defenses. How?
Here:
Bring with you an army such composed:
40% infantry with big shields (Rhodock Vet Spearmen are very good at this)
60% good archers or xbowmen (e.g Rhodock Sharpshooter)

When in siege make the infantry hold ground quite far from the walls and stay close. Immediately behind them place the archers.
This way your archers will shoot up to the defenders, their aim wont be blocked by infantry but the enemy will shoot at the closest troops... your big shielded infantry. It takes a long while before the barn doors they use crush due to arrows and in the meantime you and your archers will have killed a lot of enemies. You should especially aim at ranged troops (but actually Nords are almost all ranged, axes & javelins are common).
Once the shields start to break (take a look at your men at times) and ranged troops go out of ammo retreat. You will lose a bit of morale but that's ok if you started at Excellent or Very High level.
Now prepare ladders again (you do have a companion good at engineering right?) and go on assault again.

You can go on doing this until the garrison is weak then go and pick up your assault troops (e.g. other Nords or Rhodock Sergeants) from your castle or just go on till your archers kill everyone.
Obviously being really good in archery is of great help.

Note: sometimes, once most enemy archers are killed is very effective to bring your infantry at the feet of the walls (or go there yourself). The defenders will tend to stay closer to the ladder top and will be easily picked by your archers.

Of course you can't do the same in sieges with a tower because your men would lose all morale in the wait after the first assault.