Those Rhodoks are such good defenders? any strategies?

[DarkShogun417]

So I have my own kingdom and i've conquered Swadia, Nords, and most of the vaegirs and rhodoks. Khergit Khanate is the biggest country other than me, so i assume they're going to be my rival at some point. But right now, the rhodoks declared war on me, so i besieged etrosq castle. It's late game, so half the garrison is sharpshooters and half are sergeants. they only have bout 100 troops, and i had bout 900. I got the castle, but those rhodoks took a toll on me!  i got 60 killed and 174 wounded. Now, I'm not saying rhodoks are overpowered or should be nerfed. I love the rhodoks.

My real questions is, do you have any strategies to beat them in sieges without taking such heavy losses? Any special army compositions or tactics? My campaign won't last for long if i take that many casaulties from a castle with 100 men.

 

[Articulo34]

Kill their sharpshooters first. Bring your own legion of archers/crossbowmen to speed up the process. Use a bow/crossbow yourself until there are no more enemy ranged troops. Then get the best elite infantry you can and storm them.

You can also try to force them to sally out on some castles/towns by causing them enough casualties. But it´s an unreliable method.

It helps to get a scenes pack that add´s more ladders to sieges.

 

[bonez899]

You can also try this put your archers on top(sharpshooters work best) and kill all you can and then when you do send infantry that is only huscarls or sergeants as Sergeants are stat wise better than any unit except huscarls 1 on 1 and even then the huscarl could lose.

 

[DarkShogun417]

Thanks for the info guys

 

[jakiskretyn]

Send nord footmen or recruits (both have shields) followed by some sharpshooters or archers. Recruits and footmen aren't really a problem loosing. Position the "meatshields" in front and let the rest do their job.

Eventually use only ranged troops. Half of the defenders fight meele, so You SHOULD be able to take down the crossbowmen faster, than they will kill Your boys.

I've also notticed that some archers fire from longer ranges than crossbowman. Is that real or is it just my imagination? if it's real and the terrain is big enough, You could try to use it.

 

[MrDroopid]

Just besieged Grunwalder castle, I will never be the same, a marshals army of 1000+ lost to a garrison of 200 half sharpshooters, half sargents. That castle is impossible to take!

 

[tzlop]

Grunwalder lived up to its name of its defence against Swadian charges from Bunduk's storyline.  The position of the spawn place for both the offensive and defensive is just ridiculous, I mean you spawn on a hill, there is a big steep before you walk slowly up to the front of the castle where 1 ladder is there guarded by dozens of archers who spawns on both side of the small tower surrounding the ladder.  You would also get sniped by archers on your right where a long wall just makes a perfect place for archers to hit and hide. Lastly, maybe it's just my game but most of the time offensive units tend to get stuck around the steep on the far right side near to the long wall and simply become standing targets.

 

[Articulo34]

Grunwalder...better leave it to autocalc. You´ll suffer less casualties that way. And it´s less frustrating.

 

[TOA503]

I just have my shooters spread out and shoot back from a comfortable distance and lead a small group of my guys (mostly my companions and whatever elites i have) up the ladder or siege tower to make a hole for the rest of my weaker infantry.

I noticed a lot of my guys always get killed when I just swarm up the ladder lol. I usually name the group "raiders" or something like that lol, kinda corny but it helps with organization and quicker orders to your more elite soldiers.

But thats just me i like to fight aggressively and  alwaysy bulk up my guys str and agi so I can get into the fight fast.

 

[KasakTheConqueror]

There's no such thing as 'no heavy losses' trying to take the Rhodok castles.

Crossbows are a *****.

 

[Zamensis]

Yeah but you can massacre Rhodoks on the field. It's quite balanced, actually.

 

[MrDroopid]

If anything when you see that your faction is attacking a castle, don't rush in with them, let them soften the enemy up a little, then when you do decide it is time to help, you wont lose so many bros. Sure its a little cowardly, but hey, at least you'll still have an army left afterwards!

 

[DarkShogun417]

Ok guys thanks for the ideas, but i've taken over Yalen and Jelkala, so all the rhodoks have left is ibdeles castle and jamiche castle. I got a ceasefire with them so i'll take those castles over when i have time to worry about things that don't present a threat to me. 

Crossbows are a *****.

no kidding 

If anything when you see that your faction is attacking a castle, don't rush in with them, let them soften the enemy up a little, then when you do decide it is time to help, you wont lose so many bros. Sure its a little cowardly, but hey, at least you'll still have an army left afterwards!

Well i don't just walk on my kingdom attacking a castle, i am the marshal, so I make them attack the castles!

Yeah but you can massacre Rhodoks on the field. It's quite balanced, actually.

Unfortunately those cowardly rhoducks are hiding in their 2 castles where they can do the most damage to me. 

 

[MrDroopid]

I found them hard to defeat, if you get the diplomacy mod however, if they want to make peace you can make them give you a castle to secure to treaty. Got 3 castles and 1 town that way!

 

[DarkShogun417]

I have diplomacy mod. I had to take over jelkala before they would stop demanding Yalen back from me! 

 

[Sven-Mjolnir]

You just need lots of archers yourself, and with a crossbow/bow you can take like 40 of thier sharpshooters, of course you'll probably loose troops, but if you are advanced in the game that shouldn't be a problem really

 

[chargers1783]

The best way is to try and lure them out into battle. This means a lot of low tier troops or few high tiers. Luckily I rarely see the Rhodoks expanding. No expansion means same amount of lords give or take a couple. Which then means less troops.

 

[DogSoldieR]

I concur with Lord Sven and Lord Chargers. Either destroy them on the field of battle or outgun them in a siege offensive. On the siege offensive, you have to do the majority of the killing of Rhodok Xbowmen. Your boys will basically be used as a fire magnet so you can be largely undisturbed in your killing spree.

Field battles with Rhodoks are easily won once you engage them in close quarters. Their workhorse troops have paper thin armor that you can easily tear thru with ease. My preferred tactic is to have my own ranged troops covering fire while my infantry troops slowly advance into them in a frontal assault to pin them down, meanwhile my elite n calvary troops will flank the suckers from the side n roll up their battleline. Do bear in mind, their freaking Sharpshooter Xbowmen will mostly win in an open firefight against anyone, it is important you engage their line ASAP! The longer you take to get them into melee, more of your troops will die from their xbow fire.

 

[DarkShogun417]

Well thank you for the tips guys. But i've gotten a peace treaty with the rhodoks and they only have 2 castles left so this topic is now pretty much void...

 

[Kaampper]

Yeah but you can massacre Rhodoks on the field. It's quite balanced, actually.

Unfortunately those cowardly rhoducks are hiding in their 2 castles where they can do the most damage to me. 
[/quote]

or you can let the khergits take those castles, and than storm the khergits...  oh mate Khergits are the worst faction.... if they are mounted and you got infantry, make a small circle and their cavalry is nothing.... and in sieges also theyr **** xD