Beginner's Guide Video Series

[MarkShot]

I took a pair of Indian archers into a Macedonian army in two fights.

Now, during the first fight, I thought they were great due to their numbers and that they bring down a deluge of arrows.

But in the second fight, I discovered that they don't know how to evade ... idiots ... like it takes professional military training to learn how to run away!

---

My question is there a correct way to use Indian archers?

Thanks.

[springel]

I remember from other wargames that Indian Archers had large swords to fight in melee and were not meant to act like skirmishers but to fight in formation.

[Geffalrus]

I took a pair of Indian archers into a Macedonian army in two fights.

Now, during the first fight, I thought they were great due to their numbers and that they bring down a deluge of arrows.

But in the second fight, I discovered that they don't know how to evade ... idiots ... like it takes professional military training to learn how to run away!

---

My question is there a correct way to use Indian archers?

Thanks.

Not sure if anyone answered this for you outside the forum, but Indian Archers fight in a formation and don't evade because they're a form of medium infantry (like Thureos/Italian Foot/etc), not light infantry. They deal more damage at range than your 30 point skirmish archer - AND - they can flank infantry to cause an auto-cohesion drop. They will, however, get melted in melee when facing dedicated melee units. Not only do they lack POA, but they also take an additional -1 to cohesion rolls when engaged in melee with most units (I believe.....).

So in summary, compared to light archers, they do more damage and have some flanking utility vs. heavy/medium infantry. However, they are less mobile and just about as vulnerable in melee to solid melee infantry and cavalry units. If you can protect them with heavy units and/or terrain, they can be devastating. A couple stationary shooting enemy skirmishers can drive them from the field. They're situationally useful, provided you keep them safe.

The goal of any competent enemy will be engaging them in melee ASAP. If they can, you'll be in trouble.

[vakarr]

Indian archers come in two forms, the light infantry and the massed archers. The light archers can skirmish but they can't do a lot of things. Massed archers shoot at long range with the equivalent effect of light archers at short range, so unlike light archers their fire can be quite effective even at a range of four squares. Having massed archers gives you the initiative as your opponent must try to come to grips with them as soon as possible or be shot to bits. It means that if there are any good defensive features on the battlefield such as a stream or a hill your opponent won't get any value from occupying them. Massed archers can be moved up to that feature two squares away and destroy anything on it without charging it - which other troops would have to do, possibly at a significant disadvantage. This means your opponent must act aggressively to win and will not gain the full value from that hill or stream. You can add artillery fire to make the archery even more effective, as the artillery can shoot over the archers and cause an additional automatic -1 on cohesion tests from shooting. Archers love hills covered in rough terrain. The ideal situation is a hill with steep flanks and rough terrain on top, unless you want to put your archers in ranks. On a hill with rough or open terrain, you could put archers on different levels and combine their shooting at whatever approaches, to devastating effect - they can shoot over one another in that situation.

Massed archers are vulnerable to almost any average or better infantry but they do have some staying power due to their numbers and as a previous post suggested, can still charge an enemy in the flank and cause a cohesion drop, unlike light archers, which can only do that in special circumstances (other light infantry, or in difficult terrain etc). They are quite good at holding difficult terrain. Remember that although they don't possess any armour they can get some cover in woods and built up areas. In an Indian army you also get Indian "close fighters" who have swords and can use them quite well despite only being medium infantry.

[GeneralKostas]

Indian archers come in two forms, the light infantry and the massed archers. The light archers can skirmish but they can't do a lot of things. Massed archers shoot at long range with the equivalent effect of light archers at short range, so unlike light archers their fire can be quite effective even at a range of four squares. Having massed archers gives you the initiative as your opponent must try to come to grips with them as soon as possible or be shot to bits. It means that if there are any good defensive features on the battlefield such as a stream or a hill your opponent won't get any value from occupying them. Massed archers can be moved up to that feature two squares away and destroy anything on it without charging it - which other troops would have to do, possibly at a significant disadvantage. This means your opponent must act aggressively to win and will not gain the full value from that hill or stream. You can add artillery fire to make the archery even more effective, as the artillery can shoot over the archers and cause an additional automatic -1 on cohesion tests from shooting. Archers love hills covered in rough terrain. The ideal situation is a hill with steep flanks and rough terrain on top, unless you want to put your archers in ranks. On a hill with rough or open terrain, you could put archers on different levels and combine their shooting at whatever approaches, to devastating effect - they can shoot over one another in that situation.

Massed archers are vulnerable to almost any average or better infantry but they do have some staying power due to their numbers and as a previous post suggested, can still charge an enemy in the flank and cause a cohesion drop, unlike light archers, which can only do that in special circumstances (other light infantry, or in difficult terrain etc). They are quite good at holding difficult terrain. Remember that although they don't possess any armour they can get some cover in woods and built up areas. In an Indian army you also get Indian "close fighters" who have swords and can use them quite well despite only being medium infantry.

Great post!!! It is the difference between bowmen and light foot (skirmishers). Bowmen are massed archers with 480 unit strength equal with an medium foot unit. Light archers have 240 unit strength.

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[vakarr]

New Cavalry video available at https://youtu.be/xs0cPxbLnoA

[vakarr]

New Massed Archer video available at https://youtu.be/ybgnpPhiX4M

[kronenblatt]

I was asked about helping put together a set of guides for newer players by someone on this forum and after seeing several repeat questions on this and the steam forum, I decided to create a set of Youtube videos on the super basics of mechanics in this game.

I apologize for the sound quality, several people who have vetted the first few videos have already noted that to me so I hope to improve on that a bit in subsequent videos as I go along but I don't really have studio mic or anything. This is more of a spare time project more than anything else.

If you find factual errors please let me know!!! One person has already pointed out sections where I misspoke and I am not going to lose sleep over that but if something is just plain out wrong, let me know so I can find a way to amend it or fix it. Annotations don't work anymore on Youtube so it will probably be a card with a link to the correction video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skddq2j ... rHOZOLEPps

edit: I am adding more but video 4 might take a few more days.

Really useful: thanks!

[vakarr]

New video about Generals in Field of Glory now available. https://youtu.be/KaRAhRp4HuA

[vakarr]

Generals video now updated to include viewers' suggestions. Url is now https://youtu.be/F8O6s-LRcyU

[vakarr]

General Principles and Tactics - a three part series that tells you how to improve your game (assuming a basic knowledge of how to play the game)
Part 1: Planning, Organisation, and Recruitment https://youtu.be/HquKfV0_84I
Part 2: Beginning of turn, Movement, and Shooting https://youtu.be/678sbVXoBXc
Part 3: Combat and End of Turn https://youtu.be/Yxs4ZSYcjl8

[kronenblatt]

General Principles and Tactics - a three part series that tells you how to improve your game (assuming a basic knowledge of how to play the game)
Part 1: Planning, Organisation, and Recruitment https://youtu.be/HquKfV0_84I
Part 2: Beginning of turn, Movement, and Shooting https://youtu.be/678sbVXoBXc
Part 3: Combat and End of Turn https://youtu.be/Yxs4ZSYcjl8

Good series with really useful advice. Many thanks!

[MarkShot]

Mike & Chris,

I am not sure if you are still around. But I have been rewatching your YouTube video stuff. Even more awesome after hard some time with the game! What a fantastic gift by the two of you to the community! THANK YOU.

RBS,

Also, thank you for this excellent game. It is amazingly rich and enjoyable. But not only that, the game itself as piece of software is incredibly well designed; especially the UI. Truly, a class on UI design could be taught with this game being one of the semester case studies. THANK YOU.

[vakarr]

Mike & Chris,

I am not sure if you are still around. But I have been rewatching your YouTube video stuff. Even more awesome after hard some time with the game! What a fantastic gift by the two of you to the community! THANK YOU.

Thankyou, I lost my job, so I had to stop making videos for a while, and try to write something that will sell. I do have a few more videos in the pipeline. The best way you could show your appreciation (and to get me to finish those videos) is to buy a copy of "The Gods of Battle The Thracians at War" (available as an Ebook or as a hardback).

[rbodleyscott]

RBS,

Also, thank you for this excellent game. It is amazingly rich and enjoyable. But not only that, the game itself as piece of software is incredibly well designed; especially the UI. Truly, a class on UI design could be taught with this game being one of the semester case studies. THANK YOU.

Thank you.

[MarkShot]

Chris,

I just had one of my most exciting games ever. It was part of a generated campaign where the mission was to fight a rear guard delaying action.

Romans (me) vs Macedonia around 198BC at Level IV.

You gave me the key game insight that made the overall difference.

I have been fighting LAST MAN STANDING style; meaning that as if there was no clock and no percentages, I would be able to force the enemy from the map.

I realized what you were advocating was the BLOODY NOSE approach; make the enemy withdraw even if he still had plenty of assets to throw into the fight. It worked beautifully.

I created THE ALAMO on my side of the map (back to the wall). At THE ALAMO, I didn't intend to maneuver much or had much to maneuver with. Mainly, flat backed by a body of water.

I created DEEP THREAT way on the other flank in his rear in rough terrain with just a bit of medium foot, lots of skirmishers, light cavalry, and cavalry (original on other side with THE ALAMO, but it was obvious at the start that they were going to get cornered).

Well, the two strong points for 10 of 15 turns kept most of his phalanx units dead center on the map turning around and around this way and that way depending on local fortunes. It may have been 50-60% of his total strength never came to blows with Rome. Finally, I crossed the magic 40% (42:8) where the force ratio was almost 2:1. Also, truly about 2-4 more turns and THE ALAMO would have collapsed. So, if 1 or 2 of his units rallied, the results could have well be different!

Thanks, Chris!!!

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[rbodleyscott]

It is probably worth pointing out that the losses in the End of Battle report are losses in men, after taking into account extra losses for the loser in the pursuit, and some of the victor's walking wounded returning to active duty.

They are not what triggers the victory conditions.

The Rout percentages, shown on the main battle screen, are what trigger the victory conditions.

The losses shown in the final report will, of course, tend to be very roughly proportional to the final rout percentages, but they are not directly correlated, because they represent different things.

[MarkShot]

I got you. These were the numbers from the Battle Field Review.

You know I could watch all of Mike's and Chris' stuff again and still get even more out of it. (Especially, after watching Mike's "The Quantum Zoo is defined by POA values." And I thought it was just a game, but as Mike keeps clicking IMPACT and MELEE possibilities, I am watch quantum fluctuations in POA values.)

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[vakarr]

That's much too mathematical for me, can't remember all those numbers, I just know what works, what ought to work, and what doesn't!

[MarkShot]

Ah, you sly dog! But you did have quiz questions. Mike didn't have "given the following losses, terrain, 4th. row, experience level, and general nearby ... compute the POA for the IMPACT and MELEE percentage expectations. For extra credit, what factors would hurt or help Side 1's cohesion test?"

Chris, more than being a better player, I am having more fun doing it your way.

Thanks!