Proper army configurations

[unmerged(5297)]

I would like to hear from some of you experts about the best troop configurations in your armies.

Still in the middle of my first GC as Russia (after playing half of a fantasia with the Incas), it seems that I win most often with a huge contingent of grunts, about half that number of cavalry, and as many cannons as I can muster (no surprise here). Have you found this to be generally true? Exceptions? I have also won many battles against weak natives with only cannons.

Also, does it matter if several smaller armies are fighting in a battle as opposed to one huge merged army?

Rule on,
Lusignan

 

[hjarg]

Cavalry is useful in shock phase... i only use it later in the game, when i have too much money.

I tend to keep my armies small, around 20 000 inf, 10 000 cav and 20-30 cannons. Field armies, that is.

Another thing is siege armies- about 100-300 cannons (depending on supply limit, financial situation and level of target fortress) with few thousand infantry guarding them. Only use for siege, for they are helpless against field armies.

But it's just personal preferance, and you prolly hear a lot of different opinions as well.

PS. No, it doesn't matter. They fight all the same.

 

[dralizaar]

depends alot on who you play...some countries can build cannons cheap, others make wave after wave on infantry...Poland gets cheap cavalry

if you get cheap cavalry use em...making several 5k armies is good sicne they can lay seige to minimum forst ans take them by themselves..and they are fast ...send them in waves to saturate the defences and disrupt enemy troops responding to you..those that get through can lay seige...i typically keep 3 armies of 20 k cavlary..which i will split and split again when war begins..after they punch through first line...early on in game high numbers of cavalry have major advantage over infantry depending on terrain..forest jungle mountains bad

generally with most other countries simply have more cavalry in your army then your enemy..usuauly having 5 to 8k is fine this gives you the bonus for cavalry superiority which figures into the formulae for shock phase...if i have a army with 30k..it will typically be 30 cannon, 7 inf 20 inf most of the time

when making seiges armies keep in mind fort values and support value...i use waves to keeps seiges going...sending in just over the minimum to keep seige going then shipping in infantry in reinforcement colums few at a time...keeps my losses lower..generally 10 cannon plus 4k inf for every level of fort makes for solid seiges..double the cannons for fast seiges..double the inf for assaults..ie level level 1..4kinf 10 cannon will take it within year easy,,20 cannon 4kinf will usualy take 6 months or so..20cannon 8k inf can assault it easily..if they fail first try second one usualy works..depending on tech and leader..so for a level 6 fort get 60 cannon at least...although once you hit level 4 and better the cannons seem to play an even bigger role..so i would plan on the double numbers..cause attrition will eat you alive if you go for full year seiges

build armies with purpose...generally there are field armies seige armies and raiders...raiders being the small armies used to head out fast and disrupt enemy6 columns and or cover/seige unguarded provs reducing what they can build to fight you..generally they are very small..and are quite effective till level 4 forst come about...at that point unless your land tech is realy good..this will not work...general 5k inf or cavalry is good for min, 10k for 2's and 15k for 3's dont put cannon with them cause they slow them down..you can always bring the seige armies in later to finish off what they soften..these armies can take cities on their own many times..but their main role is to prevent builds and disrupt the enemy armies from slowing your big field armies down

field armies..these are your biggest forces..usually mainly infantry with a solid core of cavalry..no cannons again because these are the armies you use to break enemy sieges against you..and to break enemy garrisons so your seige armies can get in and begin their work..typically 20k inf 6 to 10k cavalry is good mix...you can always combine 2 oor more seige armies if needed to take on really big enemies..these also make good anti rebel forces being fairly mobile and powerful

seige armies...generally like the above mix mentioned for seiges...cannon plus infantry...the larger the number the faster the seige...keep in mind cannon are worthless in the field, the they are very slow..which is why you use small cavalry units to disrupt enemy columns every time they try to move to break your seige, or look like they will engage your seige army before it can finish its move <nothing is more painful then to have your seige armies in a low supply prov trying to move to next to do quick seige and having the enemy send 2 to 3k inf/cavalry to keep hitting you which pins you in place cause each attack resets your move...so attrition eats you alive..use those raiding armies to counter this peicemeal stuff so your main seiges can mvoe freely..use your field armies to counter the bigger ones..and if needed to reinforce a seige army to assault...

typically i will send raiders in first to do what they can... pinning enemy armies in place so i can get my armies into his land first...i always leave a corridor if i can so his troops can go after a prov of mine and take them out of my hair..i go for annexation which gives me their intact armies so i dont want to kill them all....send in the seige armies to your first golals..and your field armies to counter his big arlies as needed..when seiges are halfway done send the field army in and assualt it...usually has better chance if you get the forts halfway down before assaulting...as war goes on you can split the field armies into more raiders to make sure you keep all enemy provs covered/and or seiged

hope this helps...this is just my opinion and how i fight..it seems to work well..but maybe someone else has better plan

 

[unmerged(5238)]

Very good dralizaar!
I´m having problems with putting armies together so your shortstorywas very interesting. I usually make several smaller armies (10K-15K) with both cannons and infantry and one larger "fieldarmy", 40K+ (infantry 60% and cavalry 40%). I send in the fieldarmy first to rout the enemy and then pusrue into next provinces. Then the smaller armies starts the siege. Usually works but due to attrition the field army suffers many casualties so after I have taken control over 2-3 provinces the fieldarmy is reduced to 10-15K (unless I send reinforcements)

 

[unmerged(1095)]

Once again a very good post Dralizaar. Would you also like to repost this one in the FAQ Forum under the title "Army Configurations" and I will make it a Sticky.
It will make a good one page printout guide.

 

[Agelastus]

When I think about it I normally try for a rough 2:1:1 ratio of infantry:cavalry:artillery. But I'm sometimes a little overfond of being orderly.

Although I'll normally, in the later game period, keep a siege army of about 20000 infantry and 200 cannons lying around in case I need it!

 

[Sidney]

For me, I generally make do with 50 cannon, 5k Cav and 15k infantry. This force is well sized to do both seiges (not too large) and fight field battles (keep in mind I payIGC on Very Low taxes so I don't see alot of the 80k French armies for example).

I use a dfifferent appraoch in the northlands or out east. In Sweden, I have a dedicated sige army that is only 14k strong and is 8kinf and 60 cannon. Then I have my field army since the attrition rates are low enough to justify the smaller siege only force.

As Russia I will virtually ignore cavalry due to the cost difference between them and my infantry. I knwo the Poles are Cav heavy but I really take the grind them ito the dirt approach anduse my ability to build 5 infantry for every one cav trooper to my advantage.

 

[Agelastus]

Yes-efficient use of smaller armies north and east of central Europe is a must-occasionally I've even broken off a siege when winter hits, better to keep the troops alive than watch them starve uselessly and have to send more!

 

[unmerged(5238)]

I recently started to use smaller armies and my conclusion is that many smaller armies are more effective than one or two larger armies. By building armies with a purpose (like dralizaar wrote. By spliting your forces into siege- and fieldarmies you get great mobility as you first sweep out the enemy from a prov with one or several combined fieldarmies and then besiege it with a small siegarmy. If the enemy assembles a counterattack from another front you just move sufficient troops to face tne new horde, remember that cavalry moves fast!
Also remeber attrition, especially during winter, it´s probaby worse than a large enemy army... If you have more than one siegearmy you should be able to conguer two or three provs in no time. Just remember to use your armies as you designed them for.
I have been very sucessful since I changed my army tactics but of course, anything can happen when you face a furious 120K army from Poland-Lithuania. Can´t be victorious all the time !

My swedish commanders will always remember the great tactician dralizaar!

 

[unmerged(5238)]

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Promotion! Promotion!
I´m a corporal now!

 

[unmerged(2156)]

The "configuration" of my siege armies depends on the size of the fortress: minimal 6/1/30 (unless I storm it), small 6/1/60 and medium 6/1/90. If I have the money I increase the artillery complement to speed sieges and to allow for attrition and combat losses.

My "combat" armies are usually inf/cav in a 3/1 ratio, depending on what nation I play. (cavalry is just too expensive).

 

[Carolus Rex]

Originally posted by Agelastus
When I think about it I normally try for a rough 2:1:1 ratio of infantry:cavalry:artillery. But I'm sometimes a little overfond of being orderly.

Although I'll normally, in the later game period, keep a siege army of about 20000 infantry and 200 cannons lying around in case I need it!

I keep around 4-5 armies of that type. Usually around 150 000 infantry and 200 cannons.

 

[unmerged(5238)]

Originally posted by Carolus Rex


I keep around 4-5 armies of that type. Usually around 150 000 infantry and 200 cannons.

Wow!

Any problems with attrition?

 

[dralizaar]

i feel all warm and fuzzy inside hehe...someone appreciates my feeble efforts your welcome sir lanceleot hehe... currently im playing my rivals russia <6 times out of 10 i play poland> and its 1510..i own kazan, golden horder, astrakhan, sibir. and have taken the prov livonia from TO...current badboy is 16 tech 4/1/3/3 all starting colonies including ingermanland are now cities ...all cities have tax collectors and all but 14 provs have level 2 forts...the entire siberia corridor is explored...i have the borders of china and korea located...and the coastline up to prov north of enkan before my conquistador died ...and all provs are ortho having used colonists to convert all sibir and using strong arm tactics to reduce astrakhan to convert..and yes for all this my army sucks lol...i have 2 field armies of 30k currently...20k inf 10k cavalry and a third seige army 20k inf, 40 cannon...still working on rebuilds for my raiding forces...the attrition in taking sibir kicked my butt more than any prior war combined...but Russia will prevail...it isnt like troops cost much anyway

 

[maekh]

Originally posted by Sir Lancelot


Wow!

Any problems with attrition?

that is not attrition, attrition is when you send a 1.000.000+ army to Persia

 

[Agelastus]

Originally posted by Carolus Rex


I keep around 4-5 armies of that type. Usually around 150 000 infantry and 200 cannons.

Waste of money, even given the ubiquitous level 5 and 6 fortresses late in the game. There is some virtue in a degree of moderation-apart from anything else it's hard to persuade someone to declare war on you when ypu're sitting around with armies that big!

 

[Talmonious]

I'm kinda partial to having a 35k infantry 150 cannon army for sieging when i get the spare money. 150 cannons do nicely against most walls and with the 35k infantry, the enemy actually has to make an effort to get a decent army against you instead of being able to run you off with every two bit army it has.

 

[unmerged(4944)]

Like Agelestus, I prefer symetrical armies, for example 30 inf, 10 cav & 10 cannon for general combat/defensive roles.

When on the offensive, the high cost of cavalry and cannons, and my preference for assaulting enemy fortresses, means that i tend to:

Strip cavalry from armies likely to be sieging, concentrating the cavalry into the main army or into a cavalry reserve. I'm quite fanatical about preserving my cavalry.

Concentrate most of the cannons into one army, I like to have at least one army with 60+ cannons.

 

[Agelastus]

Originally posted by Martinov
Concentrate most of the cannons into one army, I like to have at least one army with 60+ cannons.

Most of my armies'll have at least a hundred cannon. This is war, circumstances change on the fly as it were. One never wants to be caught when an opportunity appears with your specialist army totally out of position!

 

[unmerged(4868)]

depends which country you play...

Some countries like France and Austria will have CHEAP artillery. This means that a typical French or Austrian army stack will have tons of cannons, and they are usually seige-happy.

The Slavic armies (Poles, Russians, etc) have access to very cheap cavalry. So the players will normally buy lots of cavalry.

The Turks have extremely cheap infantry, and the Turk leaders have superb movement/attrition bonuses. This means they can afford to mount large stacks of disposable infantry without worrying too much about attrition.

It's a matter of taking advantage of built-in strengths for your nation IMHO