Welcome all of you to this After Action Report! In this AAR I will provide a detailed insight into combat mechanics of the game. It is designed to help new and intermediate-skilled players fight wars in non-optimal conditions, specifically, against opponents that are larger and possibly better suited to war.
The tutorial is split into two parts: introductory chapters will explain how the combat mechanics work at all levels (national, war, battle). The second part will follow a very early game invasion of France during the Hundred Years War. By the end of this tutorial, a player should be able to hold their own in combat even when moderately outmatched (I can't promise you'll be able to crush France as Avignon on day 1, for example).
Note: This tutorial is meant to be a complement to Rhadok's excellent tutorial, An Empire Under the Sun, and thus, it is written under the assumption that you have read (and followed) that AAR, and are using the 4.1 beta patch (available here). If I mention a concept and don't expound on it, check there first before asking here. Your ability to fight wars when back-stabbed by the AI on multiple fronts and outnumbered 3:1 is greatly determined by understanding the other concepts of the game (especially economics).
Our objectives are very ambitious:
1.) Conquer Scotland
2.) Conquer Ireland
3.) Trigger the "Occupy Paris" mission for England, and gain cores on the Gallia region.
4.) Retake all cores in France (both those that England starts with on French soil, and those given by the Occupy Paris mission)
5.) Find at least one nation in Europe, claim their throne, and force a Personal Union.
6.) Become Holy Roman Emperor and start the process towards forming the Holy Roman Empire.
The concepts that we will cover are:
* Overall strategic concepts, such as Manpower, War Exhaustion, War Taxes, and War Capacity
* Army/Navy-wide concepts such as units, army composition, attrition, supply limits, and reinforcement
* War concepts such as sieges, assaults, looting, scorching the earth, blockades,
* Battle concepts such as terrain, using generals/admirals, combat phases, retreating, morale, and discipline.
Disclaimer: Due to the dynamic nature of the engine used to make EU3, I can't give you step by step instructions on most actions, as the AI is not completely predictable, and the entire point of the event and decision engine is to create a historically plausible framework that doesn't run on rails. If you run into something odd, don't hesitate to ask here, or on the main forum.
Note: Please don't let me forget to update the ToC. I'm horrible about it my AAR's.
Combat explanations (no game play)
Chapter 1: Maintenance and Units
Chapter 2: Morale and Discipline
Chapter 3: Supply and Attrition
Chapter 4: Manpower and Reinforcement
Chapter 5: Battles: Understanding Combat (basic)
Chapter 6: Battles: Understanding Combat (advanced)
Chapter 7: Naval battles and Blockades
The Hundred Years War (game play) - scroll down to Chapter 8
Chapter 8: The Conquest of Scotland - 1399 - 1401
Chapter 9: The Conquest of Ireland - 1401 - 1402
Chapter 10: The Occupation of Paris, part 1 - 1402 - 1404
Chapter 11: The Occupation of Paris, part 2 - 1404 - 1405
Chapter 12: The Occupation of Paris, part 3 - 1406 - 1407
Chapter 13: A Stake Through the Heart - 1407 - 1408
Chapter 14: Crushing Burgundy, part 1 - 1408 - 1409
The tutorial is split into two parts: introductory chapters will explain how the combat mechanics work at all levels (national, war, battle). The second part will follow a very early game invasion of France during the Hundred Years War. By the end of this tutorial, a player should be able to hold their own in combat even when moderately outmatched (I can't promise you'll be able to crush France as Avignon on day 1, for example).
Note: This tutorial is meant to be a complement to Rhadok's excellent tutorial, An Empire Under the Sun, and thus, it is written under the assumption that you have read (and followed) that AAR, and are using the 4.1 beta patch (available here). If I mention a concept and don't expound on it, check there first before asking here. Your ability to fight wars when back-stabbed by the AI on multiple fronts and outnumbered 3:1 is greatly determined by understanding the other concepts of the game (especially economics).
Our objectives are very ambitious:
1.) Conquer Scotland
2.) Conquer Ireland
3.) Trigger the "Occupy Paris" mission for England, and gain cores on the Gallia region.
4.) Retake all cores in France (both those that England starts with on French soil, and those given by the Occupy Paris mission)
5.) Find at least one nation in Europe, claim their throne, and force a Personal Union.
6.) Become Holy Roman Emperor and start the process towards forming the Holy Roman Empire.
The concepts that we will cover are:
* Overall strategic concepts, such as Manpower, War Exhaustion, War Taxes, and War Capacity
* Army/Navy-wide concepts such as units, army composition, attrition, supply limits, and reinforcement
* War concepts such as sieges, assaults, looting, scorching the earth, blockades,
* Battle concepts such as terrain, using generals/admirals, combat phases, retreating, morale, and discipline.
Disclaimer: Due to the dynamic nature of the engine used to make EU3, I can't give you step by step instructions on most actions, as the AI is not completely predictable, and the entire point of the event and decision engine is to create a historically plausible framework that doesn't run on rails. If you run into something odd, don't hesitate to ask here, or on the main forum.
Table of Contents
Note: Please don't let me forget to update the ToC. I'm horrible about it my AAR's.
Combat explanations (no game play)
Chapter 1: Maintenance and Units
Chapter 2: Morale and Discipline
Chapter 3: Supply and Attrition
Chapter 4: Manpower and Reinforcement
Chapter 5: Battles: Understanding Combat (basic)
Chapter 6: Battles: Understanding Combat (advanced)
Chapter 7: Naval battles and Blockades
The Hundred Years War (game play) - scroll down to Chapter 8
Chapter 8: The Conquest of Scotland - 1399 - 1401
Chapter 9: The Conquest of Ireland - 1401 - 1402
Chapter 10: The Occupation of Paris, part 1 - 1402 - 1404
Chapter 11: The Occupation of Paris, part 2 - 1404 - 1405
Chapter 12: The Occupation of Paris, part 3 - 1406 - 1407
Chapter 13: A Stake Through the Heart - 1407 - 1408
Chapter 14: Crushing Burgundy, part 1 - 1408 - 1409
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