Shop  •   Avatar  •   FAQ  •   Search  •   Memberlist  •   Usergroups  •   Profile  •   Log in to check private messages  •   Log in  •  Register 

Taking on superior numbers
Post new topic   Reply to topic     Forum Index -> Land Battles Goto page 1, 2, 3  Next
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
The Red Curse
Powder Monkey
Posts: 12



574 Gold -

PostPosted: Tue Apr 26, 2005 12:15 pm    Post subject: Taking on superior numbers Reply with quote

I usually attack any city which has no more than twice the numbers I have. This can be tricky sometimes but the game seems to be very nice in terrain placement when you are outnumbered so its generally possible. Here are a few tricks which can help against many enemy units:


1.Attack always with at least a 2 point advantage
Use the bucaneers to lower the moral of enemy troops accordingly before closing when a flank attack is not possible.That way you will almost never lose a melee battle.
A 1 point advantage is often not enough

2. Divide and conquer
When suspecting a lot of cavalry units try to make the way for the enemy units as long as possible.Retreat as far as you can. Since cavalry is faster than the other units they will come to you much sooner than the other units, so you can take them out alone.
Same works with the indian units by retreating through a lot of wood.
Sometimes you can even do it with normal units when there is only a small gap through which they can reach you, resulting in them blocking each other and sending parts of them on an out-of -the way alternative route.

3. Lure them into a trap
The AI seems to calculate if they should shoot or come closer for melee only by the defense points of the closest enemy units. Solution: Put you bucanneers in the front ranks.(preferably into wood)That way (more often than not) even infantry will close in instead of shooting.Just count the squares so that your shooters are never really in danger of being charged. Retreat them at the last moment and let your fresh melee units do the charge.

4.Concentrate you fire
When you are not softening up enemys for a charge of your own try to take out the most dangerous enemy unit. Most of the time (when nobody threatens to charge you)this is the ranged unit with the most men inside. 2-4 ranged attacks will rout a fresh unit.This amount roughly doubles when the enemy is in woods.

5. Face the enemy
Use the Strg key to change the direction your units are facing. That way you will almost never be flanked not even by natives through woods.

6. Take advantage of your troops
Your troops are very specialized. Your shooters have a better range than all others so exploit that. Your pirates have a very strong offense and defense but only if they are fresh and their morale is not lowered. Try to get them out of harms way until melee begins. When attacking use your bonus move to end the turn in wood so you can take a shot without going to angry.

7.When a trap is not enough try something else
When you are heavily outnumbered (3:1) try to take a wide circle to the gates with woods and/or stones between you and your enemy. The plan is to lure them deep into the woods with all but one or two of your units, making your stand as costly as possible for them while you end the battle by going through the gates before your defensive force gets swarmed and wiped out. If it went well attack again in a battle you can now easily win.

Post your thoughts

The Red Curse
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
fossaman
Gunner
Posts: 726



3515 Gold -

PostPosted: Wed Apr 27, 2005 3:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I personally like to fight with a no more than 2/3 disadvantage, but I have done 1/2 and even 1/3 succesfully. This is a great summary of cautious tactics. However, you forgot my favorite tactic: Bottlenecking. I love using rocks to force the enemy to come to me one at a time. Also, when a path towards your units is plugged, the enemy takes an alternate route. This means that when the bottleneck is full, units to the rear go the other way. Then they advance when it's open. Then they retreat again, etc...This tactic allows you to take the best advantage of your buccaneer's abilities.
_________________

Like my fossa? He's a pirate! Razz
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message MSN Messenger
robert
Swabbie
Posts: 53


2074 Gold -

PostPosted: Tue May 17, 2005 6:55 am    Post subject: go for the city's doors Reply with quote

One way to win the battle even with inferior numbers is to reach the city's doors. When one of your unit's reaches the doors the battle is won.
Whilest most of your units lure the ennemy intro battle and preferably the furthest away from the doors by retreating, have one of your units avoid the battle and go to the doors.
I usually try to get the start of the game the closest possible to the doors then have all of my units retreat as far as possible except one.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Mos Eisley
Powder Monkey
Posts: 8



42 Gold -

PostPosted: Tue May 17, 2005 1:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

^^
unfortunately, you get less gold that way Sad
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
robert
Swabbie
Posts: 53


2074 Gold -

PostPosted: Tue May 17, 2005 2:47 pm    Post subject: less gold?? Reply with quote

I did not notice that I get less gold that way.
What makes you say so ?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
engarde
Seaman
Posts: 132



416 Gold -

PostPosted: Tue May 17, 2005 3:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have taken cities by defeating the troops and by taking the gates also. I have found that not only is the gold a bit less, but so is the oppurtunity of installing a new governer. At least it is on Rogue level.

As far as bottlenecking, that is a great technique. Especially if you can get your Bucanneers on a hill behind your officers and pirates. They just rip the enemy to shreds.

Captain Brian
_________________
"I want to sing and dance ...
I want to sing and dance ...
I want to be a Pirate in the Pirate's of Penzance!
Wear me silver buckle slippers and me tight shiny pants ...
I want to sing and dance!"

Ray Stevens
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website AIM Address Yahoo Messenger MSN Messenger
Wolfwood
Boatswain
Posts: 2527



33917 Gold -

PostPosted: Tue May 17, 2005 3:52 pm    Post subject: Re: less gold?? Reply with quote

robert wrote:
I did not notice that I get less gold that way.
What makes you say so ?


I think it says so in the guide book, so it is widely known info. You get the best amount of gold and a chance to overthrow the gov if you wipe out the enemy without taking any casualties yourself. That's usually very easily done even at 2/3 disadvantage on Rogue.
_________________
It is much better to be armed with a sword that has two edges than with an estoc [...], which is nothing more than a stick with a point. (Rapier Master G. Morsicato Pallavicini, La Scherma Illustrata, p. 14.)
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
Salty Dog
Sailing Master
Posts: 10060



191991 Gold -

PostPosted: Tue May 17, 2005 4:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Another tactic is to use your Buccaneers as bait. The AI will always go after the Bucanners so you can flank them when they do. I agree with the 2/3 assessment. I want at least that many men and usually try to get equal numbers of men before attacking a city. I know you can play the "reach the gates" techinque but I'd rather overwhelm them and install a governor. For best land grant, be sure to install a Governor of a country that is at war with the city you just conquered.

Also, if you have a big bounty on your head, this is an easy way to get rid of it. Find a weak city of a country that is at war with the coutry that has a bounty on your head. Knock off the city and give it to the angry country and they will remove ALL of the bounty on your head. I had a 95,000 bounty on me from Spain and they forgave ALL of it when I took over Monserratt and installed a Spanish Governor.

Salty Thumbs Up
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Mos Eisley
Powder Monkey
Posts: 8



42 Gold -

PostPosted: Tue May 17, 2005 6:59 pm    Post subject: Re: less gold?? Reply with quote

robert wrote:
I did not notice that I get less gold that way.
What makes you say so ?


I read it in a certain strategy guide some time ago...
You could try to capture a city by taking the gates (save the game before that), see how much gold you get, then reload and capture it by overwhelming the enemy and see how much gold you get that way...
I myself have never put that theory to test so basically I'm just telling you what I read Oops or blush
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
engarde
Seaman
Posts: 132



416 Gold -

PostPosted: Tue May 17, 2005 7:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

It also says in the manual that you get less gold that way.
_________________
"I want to sing and dance ...
I want to sing and dance ...
I want to be a Pirate in the Pirate's of Penzance!
Wear me silver buckle slippers and me tight shiny pants ...
I want to sing and dance!"

Ray Stevens
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website AIM Address Yahoo Messenger MSN Messenger
robert
Swabbie
Posts: 53


2074 Gold -

PostPosted: Tue May 17, 2005 8:07 pm    Post subject: les gold? Reply with quote

May be I will check this out.
However the point in capturing a city is not the little gold you get for it, but rather to have a friendly city where you can land or dance with the beautiful daughter which otherwise would not be possible.
I typically fight the spanish because they have plenty of treasure boats and other good possibilities. In order however to have places to go to after capturing boats I need some friendly ports.The spanish also have the most beautifull daughters. So I need some spanish ports and I dont care if it brings me a few more gold pieces to get hem.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
fossaman
Gunner
Posts: 726



3515 Gold -

PostPosted: Tue May 17, 2005 8:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

robert wrote:
However the point in capturing a city is not the little gold you get for it, but rather to have a friendly city where you can land or dance with the beautiful daughter which otherwise would not be possible.


Excuse me? Gold not important? What's wrong with you!? Razz

Seriously though, I don't care about the 'friendly city' bit. I do it for:
1: The money. Need I say more?
2: The rank. I often sack a city repeatedly. Like 10 times in row.
3: It's fun. Land battles are my favorite part of the game, next to dancing. It uses much more in the way of tactics, especially if you're outnumbered.

Incidentally, I know for a fact that you will NEVER be given the option of replacing the governor if you go through the gate instead of annihilating them. Likewise, you will not get that option when you capture a city that has more troops than you have crew, even if you did kill all the enemy.
_________________

Like my fossa? He's a pirate! Razz
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message MSN Messenger
robert
Swabbie
Posts: 53


2074 Gold -

PostPosted: Wed May 18, 2005 8:34 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Gold is important, but not necessarily what you get by sacking a city. It may bring more gold on the longer term to have enough cities where you can unload your captured boats, get promotions and get gifts or hints from the governor's daughter.
I got the option of replacing the governor several times after going through the gates. Sometimes you have to make an other attack, and in general you just have to fight the captain of the guard.
Maybe an other difference between the US and the international version (I have the international version)
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
The Red Curse
Powder Monkey
Posts: 12



574 Gold -

PostPosted: Wed May 18, 2005 2:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Actually in the late game when you have vanquished Monty and found all lost cities you will get the most money by sacking towns.I once got over 60000 by plundering Panama 9 times in a row so it's certainly worth it.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Areandbee
Swabbie
Posts: 110



2024 Gold -

PostPosted: Wed May 18, 2005 3:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

About the only time I go for the gates is when I am going after Montalban's hidden retreat. Then I do try to lure enough of the indians away using some of the tactics mentioned above, create a diversion with my officers by engaging or flanking any nearby units for as long as they last so I can get one unit of pirates to the gate. You don't get any extra cash for wiping out the indians, the whole point is to get to the climatic final swordfight with Montalban.

When I go for the cities I always try to wipe out the defenders. And yes, if the defenders don't offer up a governorship usually the second attack does the trick.
_________________
A pirates favorite place to eat? Ar-bees!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic   Reply to topic     Forum Index -> Land Battles All times are GMT
Goto page 1, 2, 3  Next
Page 1 of 3

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum


Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group