You guys all seem like pro's.

[Achul]

Rhodoks don't seem to have enough actual spear troops, which is one problem. The best chance of getting a Rhodok with a spear is actually the first couple of tiers I think, and they just have normal (length 135) spears. Against heavy cavalry, this isn't enough, especially as the horsemen usually have long lances.

I have actually played as the Rhodoks against Sarranids and managed to soak up the Mameluke charge, but only when there are 8 or so. My troops, in tight bunches (F2, F4 like Aeon does), slow them down to a crawl and we manage to eventually beat up the riders. I have found that moving your infantry a few metres just after the charge hits can help as well sometimes. However, with larger numbers of Mamelukes, I just avoid the battle, because the troops just get run over. The Warhorses bowl over anyone in their path, and when there are enough the infantry line isn't thick enough to absorb the charge. Only I had a pike in the entire army, and I can only take out 1, or 2 if I am lucky, before the charge hits.

In my opinion though the major issue is the proportion of heavy cavalry in AI armies. Some Sarranid armies go around with huge numbers of Mamelukes, and the same probably goes for the Swadians (I haven't really played against Swadian armies yet, so haven't noticed them having excessive numbers, but I imagine it is the same case). Further more, I think the Sarranids in particular shouldn't have such powerful shock cavalry. I think their horses should be Sarranid or Desert horses, rather than hunters and warhorses, as they are a desert faction and heavy armour on a horse will impair its stamina. Perhaps they should have more missile cavalry as well, perhaps jarid, javelin or bow wielding. I would like to see Sarranids have more of a medium cavalry feel, as well as a very small minority of heavy cavalry (but even these shouldn't have Warhorses, maybe Hunters). At the moment they are not only unbalanced compared to infantry, but their cavalry is basically Swadians in the desert. I think the devs were worried about them being too weak if they used the Sarranid faction horses we see in multiplayer, but it would give them something unique at least.

Hehe I haven't even fought heavy cav. yet myself . I play the khans by the way.
Indeed I can imagine cavalry being a problem in the vanilla version as spears don't really give you the edge they would in real life when fighting cav. But hopefully the mods that existed for MB will come here to.

 

[mike2988]

well a tactical map is very good is it was one that you can see where you can put your units wend i press backspace the map is only a black transparent and no details like grass-hills so that you can put your units there but i dont use the tactical map because i go to that place with my army and give orders there to hold, i only use the tactical map to see where the enemys ar

 

[alabaman]

I thought this thread was about multiplayer. oh well.

Anyways I've been playing on Average AI forever, and it never seemed hard to me. They're just so slow...

 

[Achul]

How do you mean slow?

Actually my biggest overall problem is that I am to slow. The AI is always faster than me cause I'm carrying alot and have infantry/archers and they are always on horseback. I guess later in game when you are fighting lords they also have infantry and so it becomes easier in that regard.


If I just could order some of my troops to ****ING STAY inside a town while I go out on some special mission with cavalry half my worries would be gone.

 

[killer-blead]

This very first thing you have to do is put your blocking on manual.

the first time i did that, and i played a very very long time without manual. i thought: **** no, This is way to annoying to master.

But after days of regular playing sometimes using a shield but mostly without you really get used to it and seeking greater challenges.

You can play this on a very easy level and still feel good about yourself. Try this out in the arena.

just a tip.

 

[Aeon221]

Do you guys raid villages? I never raid villages...feels a bit lame.

Actually funny thing is in SP i just raid stuff,**** fiefs and castles,lords and kings,raiding is the way to go 

Only thing i wish that you could become part of bandit faction if you raided enough caravans and villages.

As for difficulty,it drops allot when you master the art of horse archery(and lancing),and hold reserve ammo in your chest.

Not my vid but youll get the picture:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lNA0y99zfg

now that guy is LEET! and also, mount and blade was released in 2008. 2010 -4 is 2006, not 2008. just sayin

IIRC the first beta version was released in 2004, so...

It had to have been, because I played the early beta versions back in high school, and I finished that in '05. I remember being in college wondering what the heck happened to that damned serial number.

 

[sirinan]

If you're a horse archer it's also easiest and safest way of killing.

I disagree that it's the easiest, though it's certainly the safest. I think horse archery is actually the hardest skill in the game to master.

 

[Yoshi Murasaki]

If you're a horse archer it's also easiest and safest way of killing.

I disagree that it's the easiest, though it's certainly the safest. I think horse archery is actually the hardest skill in the game to master.

If you define master as "become so good that your every hit hits the target at full gallop".

Horse archery is the easiest way. If you master it, it's even easier. Even without matering it, it's the easiest.


Even in multiplayer that's easily seen. A horse of horse archers / lancers will beat everyone on open map.

 

[sirinan]

If you define master as "become so good that your every hit hits the target at full gallop".

That's exactly what I mean. Anyone can fire a bunch of arrows in a general direction and randomly get hits. Same way that anyone can wildly flail away with a sword and randomly get hits. But to actually aim at something and have a reasonable likelihood of hitting what you're aiming at does take a fair bit of skill.

Horse archery is the easiest way. If you master it, it's even easier. Even without matering it, it's the easiest.


Even in multiplayer that's easily seen. A horse of horse archers / lancers will beat everyone on open map.

Because it's safe, not because it's easy. They are able to keep away from anyone taking swings at them, so their prime danger is other archers. But that doesn't mean that horse archery itself is easy.

 

[Binboy]

Speaking of Heavy Cavalry, my character is infact a Heavy Cavalry (He has a Warhorse/Coat of Plates/Iron Greaves/Mail Mittens/Full Helm/Heavy Bastard Sword/Shield/Bow and Arrow (too shoot down runners (not a designated archer I have no Horse Archery skills simply because its a lame skill)).

My difficulty is set to the highest (except combat speed). Normal Damage (Self and Friendly), Good AI, Good Campaign AI(unimportant), 150 on the field, Combat speed is on Normal (I just find fast/fastest unrealistic lol),

(This is my Training Party (mostly consists of non-fully upgraded units) my real units are inside a castle)
Anyways my powerhoused character managed to charge into what I believe were 40 Rhodok Trained Spearmen Deserters with like 4 Swadian Knights and 6 Man-at-arms. Man my character literally dived into the enemy, you can see them trying to attack my character, as they boxed my character in, they tried attack me with their spears/pikes and spiked clubs. However they're doing like no damage and I manage to whack them all in the face with my Bastard Sword, 1 by 1 they fell. Plus with the support of my fellow Knights and Man-at-arms we killed around 30-35 of them losing only 1 Man-at-arms. Then the Infantry and Archers finally came by and scooped up the rest of these Rhodoks Deserters.

So Rhodoks apparently suck at vsing cav. I swear Mountain Bandits are better at the anti-cav role (I lost 1 knight and 1 man-at-arms but thats a different battle).

Good tactics hints against cavalry is that you get all your infantry to stay together as much as they can. Put your cavalry somewhere to the far right or left of your army and get them to hold position. Put your archers near the infantry. Ok as the enemy cavs charges into your Infantry batch, (When they're near) send in your cav too and it'll be a big orgy and I would most likely see all the hostile cav's dead.

Anyways this may sound funny but Swadian Infantry are IMO the best Infantry against Heavy Cav. Because they sometimes spawn with Morning Stars, high piercing damage and they will have no trouble cutting through heavily armored horses like Warhorses and Chargers.