Asymmetric Warfare

[riadach]

I do like the fact that the game does seem to offer an assymetric warfare option, in that attrition does play and important role and that strategic advantage can be given to defenders. I think what would be nice though is a "go to ground" option. You place your stack on a province, (perhaps a defensive one that the enemy must pass through to enter your kingdom, like a border area, or a mountain pass), and select go to ground. This would increase attrition massively, reduce enemy numbers at little cost to yourself (symbolising hit and run, ambushes, putting supplies beyond use, scorched the earth before the enemy etc) and would delay the enemy's progress through the province. Provinces of poor economic value, which have woods, trees, bogs, hills or mountains could give bonuses in such a regard because they would provide more advantages in defence and ambush. The disadvantage to the player could be a huge cost to prestige because they refused to engage an enemy in open battle, a catalogue of craven traits and a significant time delay in going to ground and regrouping so it has to be planned in advance.

Thoughts?

 

[Tempestra]

Organised guerilla warfare wasnt really possible with medieval tech.

 

[riadach]

Organised guerilla warfare wasnt really possible with medieval tech.

That's really not true. Various countries adopted lighter tactics in the face of stronger enemies.

 

[Ithvan]

What I'd like is this: you're fighting a guerilla war (scorched earth and all that), so the attrition score is raised significantly. Of course, this sort of warfare comes at a great cost to you too, so you get a modifier on the province after the war, akin to "recently conquered" or "different religious group".

 

[STGeorge]

Organised guerilla warfare wasnt really possible with medieval tech.

You are obviously not a student of Edward I of England's Welsh campaign then?

 

[grumphie]

sure, you had duerilla warfare. but VERY basic versions of it, more akin to bandits raiding. i say nah. i'd love an option in a battle to set it to harrasing so you avoid melee and keep skirmishing, but no need for guerila warfare. that only really works if we needed to put a garrison somewhere to keep it under control. generally a army only sits ina certain province for a few months at max. anyway.

 

[riadach]

Advantage could also be given to armies with lightly armed troops, who could perform hit and run tactics/ambushes more effectively, as well as negotiating the rough terrain.

 

[Faeelin]

You are obviously not a student of Edward I of England's Welsh campaign then?

Don't forget the Scots.

 

[Magnus Helvetti]

These tactics you talk about are minor ones. It's not like every leader used them.

 

[riadach]

These tactics you talk about are minor ones. It's not like every leader used them.

But every leader could, especially in situations where his forces were outnumbered.

 

[Comm Cody]

To win wars, I resort to the Fabian strategy. I draw the enemy in the my territory and let them weaken. Once they are weak, they should prepare themselves for the fury of me.

 

[ZechsMerquise73]

If the start date gets set any farther back, then its needed for Hungarians