Viking Conquest (How to not make every battle a shield wall scuffle)

So I've found a method to both have fun at viking conquest while effectively killing the enemy. This guide is for those who love VC but hate just having a shield wall bash every time you meet the enemy. I usually use the Picts which don't have a fantastic set up in terms of spearmen so sometimes I'll have a bit more infantry to support. I play full damage for both AI and me. Difficulty of the fighting AI on normal (not sure if this works on harder fighting AI difficulties but I think it affects both the enemy and your men) Stamina, critical hits and armour penalties are turned on.

I've used this effectively with an average caliber of men against a larger enemy (highest I have gone is 150 v 200 with 68 casualties and all of them defeated. (decent tactics tho so the battles are reasonably balanced)

Army Composition

1. Infantry (smaller than Spearmen)
2. Spearmen (Preferrably the bulk of your army, around 2-3x the size of the infantry but this isn't necessary)
3. Archers (10+)
4. Skirmishers (15+)
5. Horse archers/ horsemen (around 5-10 is enough but you can have more)

Set up

1. infantry in hold position shield wall (or in wedge if you suck at micromanaging), Infantry on the left (facing the enemy) of spearmen with a sizeable gap (This is so the enemy engages the spearmen
2. Spearmen hold position shield wall. If they have projectiles tell them to hold fire.
3. Archer line 20 paces behind spearmen preferably on a hill spread them out (This allows the infantry to run between them faster to get into position)
4. Skirmishers on the right of the spearmen (interchangable position with the infantry) (in basic formation and spread out, they will be taking projectile fire later on in the fight so don't have them bunched.
5. Horse archers/horsemen far off in the left or right, place them just in sight.

The battle

1. Use your horsemen to screen your set up and cut down skirmishers, in most battles that don't include the enemy charging or holding their position. They usually screen with their skirmishers and horsemen. If they use horsemen, let the horsemen die before sending out your own. Their horsemen will likely crash into your spearmen instantly dying. Micromanage your horsemen so they leave just as the main enemy infantry arrives, just tell them to hold position on enemy skirmishers (Makes them attack the skirmisher group) and then pull them out the moment the enemy infantry get close. You'll need them later.
2. When the enemy are close tell your spearmen to unleash their volley to fuck up their shields.
3. tell your spearmen to fall back 10 paces, Make sure the spearmen have ALL of the enemy aggro otherwise this plan will not work. As your spearmen back up, have your infantry "hold position" on the enemy making them attack the enemy blob from the side. When the infantry are thick in the enemy have your spearmen attack (Without breaking formation)
4. While this is happening, send your skirmishers round the back a distance away, do this until their are almost behind the enemy. If your enemy has very strong skirmishers, use your skirmishers and horsemen to attack them. If they have stronger infantry, have your skirmishers unleash their slings on them while your horsemen attack the skirmishers.
5. If this is done correctly, the spearmen should be holding their ground, the infantry cutting them from the left and the skirmishers firing on them from the right. the enemy will retreat and you should disengage and prepare for reinforcements.
6. reset all your positions, sometimes the spearmen take too big of a hit to numbers so I swap out the aggro force to the infantry if their still have their numbers.
7. If you are far from where friendly reinforcements spawn immediately retreat after the first wave. I usually find in the second wave the enemy are refreshed and usually the elite of the enemy army. my spearmen usually don't survive two charges and need to be restocked.
8. If your men are depleted, have your infantry and spearmen together beside each other in shield wall. Your skirmishers will be the only flanking force you use.

Extra tips

1. Skirmishers are incredibly deadly in VC in large numbers, their lack of armour makes them extremely mobile on the battle field and their stones insta kill upon headshot. Having them fire at infantry from the side or behind often can lead to serious damage.
2. Infantry do better at wedge charges, I think it's because of how wedge works. It basically forces the wedge into the enemy formation unlike shieldwall where the two sides will stand about a metre apart until one side takes enough damage. For more damage have the infantry attack from behind. If you manage to time the backpedalling of the spearmen with the charging of the infantry the enemy usually gets sandwiched between both.
3. KILL THE COMMANDER. he usually comes with the first wave and is on a horse, I get two strong throwing spears and try to hunt him down once his army is commited to the fight. It does wonders for morale.
4. This tactic sounds really hard but it's really effective (So long as you don't get caught by the second wave) I usually manage to completely obliterate the first wave with very few casualties, it's usually the second one that cuts up my spearmen. If you find this to be the case, save your spearmen javelins for the second wave. I believe it's when the enemy's stronger troops appear anyway.
5. DONT DIE. This tactic requires a shit ton of micromanaging and it all goes to shit when you die.
6. Your horsemen if used well will often take maybe 1-2 casualties. In VC they need to be heavily micromanaged to prevent them from dying. Pictish horsemen are supposed to be the strongest but I still find them dying the moment a shieldwall breathes on them. Use them only on retreating groups or skirmishers. I don't even waste them on enemy horsemen unless in an emergency or as part of flanking. They shouldn't be in the thick of a battle for too long nor at the start. Use the charge to break morale towards the mid/late part of the fight.
7. Do not overextend your troops, when the enemy begin to retreat do not give chase unless their are really far from reinforcements. Use backspace to check the minimap.
8. Don't use your skirmishers for hand to hand combat. They suck and their ranged attack is much better anyway. I only use them as fodder if I haven't managed to reform my line yet. I also use them to exhaust enemy javelins.
9. This tactic requires a lot of speed. As you are dividing your troops up, the enemy shieldwall will almost always beat yours especially if your men are of lower caliber. Your infantry need to be in sync to prevent a huge loss of life.
10. There is a possibility that the enemy kill your spearmen too quickly, if they are taking too many casualties, have them fall back ten paces, the enemy will chase you while your infantry will continue to cut at them from the side/behind.

Cheese tactics

1. You can waste enemy javelins with no casualties if you ride up and down in front of them. Keep moving and pretty much non of them will hit you.
2. against a larger group have your men hold their position FURTHER BACK FROM WHERE YOU ORIGINALLY SPAWNED. As your men take hits, friendly reinforcements will spawn directly behind the enemy (or in their formation)

Submitted October 10, 2019 at 06:33PM by damnmaster https://ift.tt/2OCroVD