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First of all, I would like to thank Freezone, whose answers to these articles
allowed me to correct them, and for the entire Outpost section. Also, I
would like to present my deepest gratitude to the AI, for always being there
for me, and for being a complete pain in the a** sometimes.
This article isn't "12 steps to victory", it does not predict every actions and
present a safe way to deal with it. What it does is present strategies
that can be adjusted to many situations to give a good way to come out on
top. Adaptability is the very base of those tactics, you will have to adapt
them to your style of play, and not the other way around. It was made
during the beta so some things might be out of date.
COMBAT
BASICS
There are three basics: knowledge, anticipation and surprise.
Knowledge: Keeping an eye on the map is a good way to gain knowledge. It
represents the ability to know the terrain and make use of it.
Anticipation: This is mostly used in game against the AI since it is very
predictable. It represents the ability to predict how the
player will act and to prepare for it.
Surprise: This is mostly used against real players, since they will
hesitate more than the AI. It represents the ability to confuse a
player and making him react to your attacks.
These basics are applied differently for different situations, such as how to
prepare the terrain, the offensive and defensive aspects of war, and also
how to fight against the Ceyah, since they are very different compared to the
others.
TERRAIN
Knowledge: Know the map and what terrain represents the most useful modifiers.
Look for a place where a very defensive terrain borders a weak one to set
up a defense.
Anticipation: Search where the enemy is most likely to come from (a pass, a
direct line between your kingdoms). Set up companies to take advantage of the
terrain he will walk upon.
Surprise: Set him a trap in plains or deserts when you are from a strong
location. Set it up far from your cities so that he will take time to
realize what happens (he will anticipate a long march).
OFFENSE
Knowledge: Know your enemy's territory and seek out weak points. Don't attack as
soon as you find him.
Anticipation: Look where his weakest or most important cities are. He will most
likely have all of his armies in one position to strike, so strike his
support, where it will do the most damage. Try to avoid direct combat
until you reach a favorable position.
Surprise: Don't attack in only one place, make him shift his troops everywhere.
Distract him will other companies capture his undefended cities. Make him
regret his decisions, he will be even more hesitant in the future.
DEFENSE
Knowledge: Know your own territory and its weak and strong points. Prepare your
cities near the frontiers. Try to see what city your opponent first
discovers.
Anticipation: Any player often try to attack the first city they find. If you
know which one of them it is, you can prepare its defenses more than others.
Shift some defensive troops in the nearest city (not all at this one, if he
sees too much strength he'll back off).
Surprise: As soon as he engages your city, send your companies you kept nearby
to
take out his support, than his main line companies, while the militia
distracts him. With some luck he will break at very low cost for your own
troops.
AGAINST THE CEYAH
(The Ceyah being very different from the others, they deserve a special strategy
to eliminate.)
Knowledge: The Ceyah units are normally weaker and slower than others, but they
have overwhelming numbers. You can easily take 2 or 3 units of
Zombies/Shadelings with only one. The dangers are the leaders, support
units and support companies.
Anticipate: Being so slow, you can usually see the Zombies coming from a mile.
They are not the main danger. Send some fast units (read cavalry) around
near the back of them, but DON'T engage them right now.
Surprise: As soon as the line units engage the expendable companies, move your
fast units to the rear to take out his mages/clerics/archers units.
Without his main damage potential, his expendables are doomed.
CONCLUSION
Here are some more concrete suggestions if you need them:
-Keep 1 or 2 units of cavalry for defense.
-Do some recon fast, knowledge of the map is important.
-Exploit weaknesses in enemies
SETTLEMENTS AND OUTPOSTS
This is the second part of my tactics. It is about the cities and outposts, as
well as the economy. The outpost section was possible due to the insight
provided by Freezone.
BASICS
Two concepts are important for constructing settlements: Emplacement and Use.
Emplacement: Where to place the settlement.
Use: The different uses of the settlements.
CITIES
Emplacement: Because losing a city can be a great blow on the economy, they
should be placed where they are difficult to reach and to spot. A great
desert, forest or jungle is a good place, since they slow down
units. Also put them in hard to reach places so that the enemy has
difficulties finding them. It would also mean that his choices will be
limited as to how he will reach it.
Use: There are two main uses for cities, although most cities often enter both
categories: Recruitment Centers and Resource Supplier.
-Recruitment: This is a upgraded city or citadel. The buildings in it
allow you to recruit most or all of your possible units. A single
one will often do, but you might wish to have Ceyah and non-mareten
settlements in this function, since their units are different. Losing
such a city is a great blow, so make sure it is defended.
-Resource: Most of your settlements will be used like this. They are the
ones who provide you with the resources. They don't need to be
upgraded much, usually only to town level. You won't recruit much
from this town. The buildings will be quarries, woodmill,
blacksmiths and some markets. They will be easier to capture than
recruitment centers, but are also less important, since you will
have more.
OUTPOSTS
Emplacement: The position of an outposts is very dependent of its use. They will
be discussed for each uses.
Use: There are many ways to use outposts, depending on the situation: Defense,
Information, Support or Resources.
-Defense: Outposts are relatively easy to destroy, so you must not put
them alone to protect a pass, they won't manage to do it. A good
defensive outpost would be one that is close to a very important
city, or other outposts, to help the militia and slow down the attacker.
-Information: Outposts have a good view range. By putting them on plains
between your opponent's kingdom and yours, you can learn when an
attack is coming. Also, if they are near your enemy, they can be
used for support too.
-Support: Those outposts are used to support your army when attacking the
enemy. This one is best placed in a hidden location, since your
enemy will try to destroy it. They will create a supply zone where your
companies will be able to regroup and regain strength
without going all the way back to your cities.
-Resources: This one is easy. When you find a mine, put an outpost near
it to mine it. Be sure to protect it with troops if it is close to
the enemy.
-Warning: Since they cost less and don't switch sides when attacked,
outposts are less dangerous to use than towns. With their low
maintenance, money does not seem to be a problem. In the
beginning or middle game however, their cost of 50 gold isn't
cheap. With that money you could recruit more companies, settle towns or
upgrade cities. They are very useful, but they can't win the war.
ECONOMY
At the beginning, money will be the greatest problem, since +5 isn't that much.
When you build or conquer new settlements, be sure to construct banks, to
bring in a greater cash flow. When you reach +60 or +80, the time has come
to start thinking about full war. With gold, you can afford to lose some
units. Also make sure that most resources stay above 0 at this time. Don't
forget to recruit some companies too, you will need them for defense.
When your forces have fought some battles, it is time to think about those
resources. You will need them to build your unstoppable army and maintain
it. You can probably accept some negatives in the resources, but always
keep an eye on the gold: should it fall below +30, things are not going
well; make sure it does not happen, or stay there long (that usually means an
attack at this point, losing some units will reduce maintenance) .
At the end, economy will most likely not be a problem. +200 gold or higher are
likely, if you are winning. At this point you do not need my
help. Just find the enemy and destroy him. If you are losing though, there
is a good chance you can't do anything about it at this point. Try
recruiting all you can, no matter how much gold is dropping. If you can win
some towns back, make sure to balance your budget.
COMPANIES
This is the third article. In it are my strategies for the design and use of
different types of unites.
BASICS
There are four main types of companies: infantry, archer, cavalry and
specialists. The specialists' roles are obvious and will not be included
in this text. I will talk about each type's strength, design and use in
their own section.
My general philosophy for the design and use of the companies is this: I add
support units that help the company's strength, and not units that
complement their weaknesses. This create companies that are more
specialize and which need support from other to be truly effective. It
may be different for your own tactics, but they work with mine.
INFANTRY
Strength: Infantry companies are good in melee and defense. They make good line
units to engage the enemy in his front line.
Design: The best units to put with infantry are the clerics and priests. Most
can
cure and/or boost their company's stats. Making them more resilient is a great
concern, since they do most of the fighting. Generally, any unit making
their enemy rout faster, or yours less likely to do that, is a nice addition.
Mages are not very good to have on the front though, they get killed too fast,
so I leave most of them out. Paladins can be useful, especially when playing
against Ceyah players, because they have a good attack value.
Use: They are the ones who will make most of your army and the ones who will
most often do the actual fighting. They will be the one who defend your
base or take cities in your name. They will also suffer the greatest
casualties. Try to keep them alive.
ARCHERS
Strength: Archers are good support companies for your infantry. They usually do
more damage than infantry. They will be far from the melee. They can hit
almost anything, if close enough. Sending them in melee is suicide: they
can't take a good hit.
Design: In this case, most clerics are useless, except if they have some direct
effects on the enemy. If they need a cure, something is going
wrong, and you need to back off. Mages are best used here. They do some good
damage from afar and are better protected if they never engage the enemy.
Rangers could be a good investment too, as they could allow a safer retreat
if the company is engaged in close combat.
Use: Archers are support companies for infantry companies. If they are kept away
from melee they can do good damage and possibly cover your retreating
companies or eliminate his. If they are ever engaged in melee, retreat.
They are useless in this situation. Better to keep them alive to fight another
day.
CAVALRY
Strength: Speed. That is their main advantage, but also their greatest weakness:
it limits their design choices.
Design: The only support unit that I give them is the ranger. They add to the
company's speed by their trailblazing ability. As they are also as fast
as cavalry, they don't slow them down. The other support units don't have
enough movement value, they will slow the company down and destroy their
greatest strength. Better use them for infantry or archer companies.
Use: They are many uses for them. At the beginning, their speed allow them to
scout around with great ease. In defense, they form a fast reaction
force: they can reach most cities in time to help in their defense. In offense,
they can distance most enemy units and strike where he is most vulnerable. In
combat, they can move in from the back to destroy his support
units/companies. There are two important things to remember when using
them: keep them back until they are truly needed and they need some
space to maneuver. If they are well used, they can become the factor
needed to win a battle or even the game.
CEYAH
Serving the Dark Master is very different than fighting him. That is why I have
dedicated an entire article for those who want to follow the dark path.
This is meant to be used as a complement for the other subjects: most of
what is written there can be used for Ceyah too. Included in here are
concepts that are unique to Ceyah, separeted in these sections: Basics, Company
Design, Regiment Design, Combat, Beginning and Economy.
BASICS
As the Ceyah, you will notice that your main units are weaker and slower than
those of the other factions. They, however, have three useful
advantages. The first one is that most of their units won't rout. The
greatest one is that some of their units require no maintenance. The last one,
and decisive one, is that their support units are more powerful than the other
factions'.
Alone, those advantages are useful, but nothing is really game winning.
Together,
they can be truly frigthening. No maintenance = more companies = more
support units. Not only that but since they don't break often, the enemy
have to go througth every melee units before reaching the support.
COMPANY DESIGN
There are two kinds of main units for the Ceyah: expendable and shock. You have
to reach a balance between these two types. Too much expendables mean a
weak military. The opposite means a less numerous one.
Expendable: Those are the Zombies and shadelings. As they don't require
maintenance, you can have as many as you want at the same time. Give
them some support units since they usually can't win by themselves.
However, at the beginning, you may leave support at home: they require
too much gold. Afterwards, you can always disband supportless companies to
recruit them with support.
Shock: Those are the units who require maintenance: skeletons and beasts. They
are stronger, but you can't have as much. Always give them the support
units as they will most usually survive longer.
REGIMENT DESIGN
A regiment, if you don't know, is a group of 2-6 companies. Always make them the
same speed: you don't want some to reach the enemy before others. I have
three kinds: Zombies, Skeletons and Reaction.
Zombies: This is a group of (surprise!) zombies. They are very slow and will
need
support. I recommand wraiths: they are very strong, won't slow down the
zombies and require less mana than others.
Skeletons: Composed of skeletons and bone bows, they are faster than zombies,
stronger and extremly resistant to archers. However, they require
maintenance and will be less numerous than zombies. Most support units
will work in companies here, except the wraith, since he will slow them
down. If you want to put bone bows in zombies regiment, give them one.
Reaction: These regiments are the (relatively) fast one. Composed of shadelings
and shadow/void beasts, they will go twice as fast as the zombies. The
only support unit you might put in them is the shadow demon, the others will
slow them, but I don't recommand it. Only one shadow demon will double
the cost of the company, and they aren't worth that much. Also watch for the
number of beasts: they use mana that could possibly be better used for
support.
COMBAT
There is one great principle for using Ceyah in combat: DON'T BE FLANKED. If you
are, you will lose your support and, without support, winning will be
difficult. Keep some companies, preferably supportless expendables,
unengaged, along the flanks of your main army to occupy possible flankers.
You can afford to lose those companies.
In offense, make sure you outnumber his troops. You may want to keep some
companies back home for defense: your zombies will never reach anything
in time.
In defense, remember to use the terrain: you might double the defense of some
units. Making them live longer give more time for support to finish the
enemy.
ECONOMY
There are three resources that are critical to the Ceyah's war effort. The other
resources are little used: often by only one unit.
Mana: All those support units, even the shadow/void beasts, require mana. It
doesn't come cheap, but there is a greater possibility of mana extraction
by Ceyah town: they can give up to 14 mana (Mage College, Temple and Mana
Forge). Never have a deficit in mana: it costs 5 gold for each minus. You
may want to trade mines for khaldunite fields/spires in team games.
Money: To recruit all the companies you need you need much money. Not for the
main units, but for the support units. Remember, mana doesn't come cheap.
An intersting twist of the Ceyah is that you might wish to use the bazaar
instead of the bank: you won't need much of the three basic resources.
Maximum number of companies: This is often overlooked for other factions.
Without
maintenance for some units you may want to raise the limit. There are
only two ways to do it: get more cities or upgrade them. But also don't forget
this: always try to reach it your maximum.
BEGINNING
Ceyah needs time to expand to be really effective. The beginning of the game is
a
critical time for them, moreso than other factions. They are very slow at
first. This part will contradict the rest of the text, but the most important
thing to remember in the beginning is that, since you don't have enough
money for support, leave them at home. You only need them once you
establish first contact with the enemy. This is especially true in a low
starting gold game.
Early, you will need 3 companies: 1 shadowlings to scout around, and 2 to
conquer
cities (one is not enough for Ceyah). I personally prefer to use a full company
of skeletons and a company of 4 bone bows. I upgrade my city early and put
in a carpenter guild first, a bank and a blacksmith. I also awaken my Kohan
since he will be very useful to fight independents and I still have some
money. In all new settlements, I put in a bank. Believe my experience, you
will need that gold soon enough.
However, as soon as you capture a city from a different faction, you can use it
to recruit standard units. It is easier than to use only Ceyah units
earlier. A mixed army from those two factions can be extremly powerful later
in the game too. Or you can just use the other's strong company as support for
your own companies. The choice is yours.
CONCLUSION
Ceyah is very different from other factions and here are some things to remember
when playing them:
-Use other factions/races city to complement your Ceyah companies with
more conventional companies.
-Your stength lies in your support units, not in your main units.
-Always try to max out your maximum number of companies.
-Balance your weak units with strong ones.
-Don't slow down your companies too much by having slower support. If you
play Ceyah, you need all the speed you can have.
MISCELLANEOUS
This will be the last one I write, and perhaps the one with the least precise
tactics. In here are concepts that don't fit the rest of the articles.
It will be separated in four sections: Teams, Experience and Tips.
TEAMS
There are some important concepts to remember when playing in teams: positions,
recon and how to help each other.
Positions: Your position at the beginning of the game, in relation of those of
teammates', will determine much of your tactics. If you are close
together, defense will be easier, but the recon aspect will suffer since
you will have to travel more distance to find new things. If you are
isolated, recon will be easier, but don't expect much direct help. Also,
if you are isolated, your reaction might be to make contact with the others
as soon as possible. That is a mistake early on, as it will most often
leave you very vulnerable with a large territory. Play more defensively:
destroy the enemy's companies before attacking his towns. Your teammates won't
be there to help you, so don't make mistakes.
Recon: Recon becomes even more crucial in team games. You don't have to find
only one opponent, you have to find his friends too. If you fail to do
that, you open yourself to surprise attacks. Also, lairs become even more
important. They may include techs, and these are given to your teammates
as well. Finding them before your opponents can give you a great edge,
and the more people in your team, the greater the benefits are when finding
one.
How to help: In team games, your survival depends on how well you and your
allies
work together. There are many ways to help each other in a crisis, I
organize them in 4 categories: companies, money, resources and
counterattack.
-Companies: If your companies are close to his towns, they can assist in
their defense . If he attacks, sending them in with his army could
assure the complete annihilation of your common enemy. Watch out for
this tactic though, it makes your own territory vulnerable to
counterattacks.
-Money: If he needs money, or if you don't know what to do with your
money, send him a tribute. This is an indirect way to help, if
you can't reach him in time. I personally recommend sending much to
a Ceyah player: he only needs money to recruit all his companies,
as their maintenance is not a problem, and he may lose many.
-Resources: For other factions, it might be a good idea to send your
friends mines or cities. This should not be done in an emergency,
for it is of no use at that moment. This action will help him recruit
other companies. Only do this if you don't need those resources
however. You might want to send a settlement to your ally if he is
dying. Changing cities from different factions/races allows
diversity in your army by giving you access to new units.
-Counterattack: This is hard to pull off and should not be done lightly.
It has the possibility to win the game, but, if badly done, can result
in a great setback. It consists in attacking the cities of an opponent
who fight against one of your teammate. By losing too many cities, it
will cripple him and possibly break his assault when he looses all of
his gold. But remember, I warned you: this is the hardest tactic to
pull off. Make sure your ally can take his opponent before trying
this.
EXPERIENCE
(This most likely won't apply to the Ceyah since they need many companies and
tend to lose them fast.)
The fact that your companies can improve with experience is one of the most
important features of Kohan. An elite unite can take most of all the
other units, no matter what they are made of. For example, I had a unit of
Gauri Anvils who had reached elite level. Without support, they destroyed
everything thrown at them. The only time they broke was after 5 minutes
of continuous combat against an army 4 times their size. My two companies of
elite guards did not do as much.
Take care of your companies. Don't throw them in desperate fights. It is better
to retreat than lose experienced fighters, although I have no problem
sacrificing recruits if need be. In the long run, they will do far much
damage by staying alive. Also, as long as something is left in a company, it
does not cost a thing to replenish
Gaining experience. Having fewer companies help them gain experience faster.
Destroy all the monsters and lairs you find. All the resources you'll
save will help you upgrade your cities. Of course, nothing stops you from
recruiting, but 1 elite and 2 recruits are better than 3 regulars.
TIPS
This category is for tips that do not have a definite category to be placed in.
They are not game winning, but are useful.
-Use the Zone of Population to find cities and prevent them from spotting
you.
-Pick your fights, don't throw away everything in a poorly planned
offensive.
-Non-mareten units are stronger than maretens for the same maintenance.
-Never let your enemy know your full strength.
-Companies rout to their nearest supply point, follow them.
-If a city is about to fall, sell everything in it, better have money
than leave him a fully built town.
-If you can't defend a city you have just captured, raze it. He will try
to take it back ASAP.
-Just have a good time: this is a game.
Well that's it. That's the end of my tactics. Thanks for everyone who has read
them. See you all in the game.
allowed me to correct them, and for the entire Outpost section. Also, I
would like to present my deepest gratitude to the AI, for always being there
for me, and for being a complete pain in the a** sometimes.
This article isn't "12 steps to victory", it does not predict every actions and
present a safe way to deal with it. What it does is present strategies
that can be adjusted to many situations to give a good way to come out on
top. Adaptability is the very base of those tactics, you will have to adapt
them to your style of play, and not the other way around. It was made
during the beta so some things might be out of date.
COMBAT
BASICS
There are three basics: knowledge, anticipation and surprise.
Knowledge: Keeping an eye on the map is a good way to gain knowledge. It
represents the ability to know the terrain and make use of it.
Anticipation: This is mostly used in game against the AI since it is very
predictable. It represents the ability to predict how the
player will act and to prepare for it.
Surprise: This is mostly used against real players, since they will
hesitate more than the AI. It represents the ability to confuse a
player and making him react to your attacks.
These basics are applied differently for different situations, such as how to
prepare the terrain, the offensive and defensive aspects of war, and also
how to fight against the Ceyah, since they are very different compared to the
others.
TERRAIN
Knowledge: Know the map and what terrain represents the most useful modifiers.
Look for a place where a very defensive terrain borders a weak one to set
up a defense.
Anticipation: Search where the enemy is most likely to come from (a pass, a
direct line between your kingdoms). Set up companies to take advantage of the
terrain he will walk upon.
Surprise: Set him a trap in plains or deserts when you are from a strong
location. Set it up far from your cities so that he will take time to
realize what happens (he will anticipate a long march).
OFFENSE
Knowledge: Know your enemy's territory and seek out weak points. Don't attack as
soon as you find him.
Anticipation: Look where his weakest or most important cities are. He will most
likely have all of his armies in one position to strike, so strike his
support, where it will do the most damage. Try to avoid direct combat
until you reach a favorable position.
Surprise: Don't attack in only one place, make him shift his troops everywhere.
Distract him will other companies capture his undefended cities. Make him
regret his decisions, he will be even more hesitant in the future.
DEFENSE
Knowledge: Know your own territory and its weak and strong points. Prepare your
cities near the frontiers. Try to see what city your opponent first
discovers.
Anticipation: Any player often try to attack the first city they find. If you
know which one of them it is, you can prepare its defenses more than others.
Shift some defensive troops in the nearest city (not all at this one, if he
sees too much strength he'll back off).
Surprise: As soon as he engages your city, send your companies you kept nearby
to
take out his support, than his main line companies, while the militia
distracts him. With some luck he will break at very low cost for your own
troops.
AGAINST THE CEYAH
(The Ceyah being very different from the others, they deserve a special strategy
to eliminate.)
Knowledge: The Ceyah units are normally weaker and slower than others, but they
have overwhelming numbers. You can easily take 2 or 3 units of
Zombies/Shadelings with only one. The dangers are the leaders, support
units and support companies.
Anticipate: Being so slow, you can usually see the Zombies coming from a mile.
They are not the main danger. Send some fast units (read cavalry) around
near the back of them, but DON'T engage them right now.
Surprise: As soon as the line units engage the expendable companies, move your
fast units to the rear to take out his mages/clerics/archers units.
Without his main damage potential, his expendables are doomed.
CONCLUSION
Here are some more concrete suggestions if you need them:
-Keep 1 or 2 units of cavalry for defense.
-Do some recon fast, knowledge of the map is important.
-Exploit weaknesses in enemies
SETTLEMENTS AND OUTPOSTS
This is the second part of my tactics. It is about the cities and outposts, as
well as the economy. The outpost section was possible due to the insight
provided by Freezone.
BASICS
Two concepts are important for constructing settlements: Emplacement and Use.
Emplacement: Where to place the settlement.
Use: The different uses of the settlements.
CITIES
Emplacement: Because losing a city can be a great blow on the economy, they
should be placed where they are difficult to reach and to spot. A great
desert, forest or jungle is a good place, since they slow down
units. Also put them in hard to reach places so that the enemy has
difficulties finding them. It would also mean that his choices will be
limited as to how he will reach it.
Use: There are two main uses for cities, although most cities often enter both
categories: Recruitment Centers and Resource Supplier.
-Recruitment: This is a upgraded city or citadel. The buildings in it
allow you to recruit most or all of your possible units. A single
one will often do, but you might wish to have Ceyah and non-mareten
settlements in this function, since their units are different. Losing
such a city is a great blow, so make sure it is defended.
-Resource: Most of your settlements will be used like this. They are the
ones who provide you with the resources. They don't need to be
upgraded much, usually only to town level. You won't recruit much
from this town. The buildings will be quarries, woodmill,
blacksmiths and some markets. They will be easier to capture than
recruitment centers, but are also less important, since you will
have more.
OUTPOSTS
Emplacement: The position of an outposts is very dependent of its use. They will
be discussed for each uses.
Use: There are many ways to use outposts, depending on the situation: Defense,
Information, Support or Resources.
-Defense: Outposts are relatively easy to destroy, so you must not put
them alone to protect a pass, they won't manage to do it. A good
defensive outpost would be one that is close to a very important
city, or other outposts, to help the militia and slow down the attacker.
-Information: Outposts have a good view range. By putting them on plains
between your opponent's kingdom and yours, you can learn when an
attack is coming. Also, if they are near your enemy, they can be
used for support too.
-Support: Those outposts are used to support your army when attacking the
enemy. This one is best placed in a hidden location, since your
enemy will try to destroy it. They will create a supply zone where your
companies will be able to regroup and regain strength
without going all the way back to your cities.
-Resources: This one is easy. When you find a mine, put an outpost near
it to mine it. Be sure to protect it with troops if it is close to
the enemy.
-Warning: Since they cost less and don't switch sides when attacked,
outposts are less dangerous to use than towns. With their low
maintenance, money does not seem to be a problem. In the
beginning or middle game however, their cost of 50 gold isn't
cheap. With that money you could recruit more companies, settle towns or
upgrade cities. They are very useful, but they can't win the war.
ECONOMY
At the beginning, money will be the greatest problem, since +5 isn't that much.
When you build or conquer new settlements, be sure to construct banks, to
bring in a greater cash flow. When you reach +60 or +80, the time has come
to start thinking about full war. With gold, you can afford to lose some
units. Also make sure that most resources stay above 0 at this time. Don't
forget to recruit some companies too, you will need them for defense.
When your forces have fought some battles, it is time to think about those
resources. You will need them to build your unstoppable army and maintain
it. You can probably accept some negatives in the resources, but always
keep an eye on the gold: should it fall below +30, things are not going
well; make sure it does not happen, or stay there long (that usually means an
attack at this point, losing some units will reduce maintenance) .
At the end, economy will most likely not be a problem. +200 gold or higher are
likely, if you are winning. At this point you do not need my
help. Just find the enemy and destroy him. If you are losing though, there
is a good chance you can't do anything about it at this point. Try
recruiting all you can, no matter how much gold is dropping. If you can win
some towns back, make sure to balance your budget.
COMPANIES
This is the third article. In it are my strategies for the design and use of
different types of unites.
BASICS
There are four main types of companies: infantry, archer, cavalry and
specialists. The specialists' roles are obvious and will not be included
in this text. I will talk about each type's strength, design and use in
their own section.
My general philosophy for the design and use of the companies is this: I add
support units that help the company's strength, and not units that
complement their weaknesses. This create companies that are more
specialize and which need support from other to be truly effective. It
may be different for your own tactics, but they work with mine.
INFANTRY
Strength: Infantry companies are good in melee and defense. They make good line
units to engage the enemy in his front line.
Design: The best units to put with infantry are the clerics and priests. Most
can
cure and/or boost their company's stats. Making them more resilient is a great
concern, since they do most of the fighting. Generally, any unit making
their enemy rout faster, or yours less likely to do that, is a nice addition.
Mages are not very good to have on the front though, they get killed too fast,
so I leave most of them out. Paladins can be useful, especially when playing
against Ceyah players, because they have a good attack value.
Use: They are the ones who will make most of your army and the ones who will
most often do the actual fighting. They will be the one who defend your
base or take cities in your name. They will also suffer the greatest
casualties. Try to keep them alive.
ARCHERS
Strength: Archers are good support companies for your infantry. They usually do
more damage than infantry. They will be far from the melee. They can hit
almost anything, if close enough. Sending them in melee is suicide: they
can't take a good hit.
Design: In this case, most clerics are useless, except if they have some direct
effects on the enemy. If they need a cure, something is going
wrong, and you need to back off. Mages are best used here. They do some good
damage from afar and are better protected if they never engage the enemy.
Rangers could be a good investment too, as they could allow a safer retreat
if the company is engaged in close combat.
Use: Archers are support companies for infantry companies. If they are kept away
from melee they can do good damage and possibly cover your retreating
companies or eliminate his. If they are ever engaged in melee, retreat.
They are useless in this situation. Better to keep them alive to fight another
day.
CAVALRY
Strength: Speed. That is their main advantage, but also their greatest weakness:
it limits their design choices.
Design: The only support unit that I give them is the ranger. They add to the
company's speed by their trailblazing ability. As they are also as fast
as cavalry, they don't slow them down. The other support units don't have
enough movement value, they will slow the company down and destroy their
greatest strength. Better use them for infantry or archer companies.
Use: They are many uses for them. At the beginning, their speed allow them to
scout around with great ease. In defense, they form a fast reaction
force: they can reach most cities in time to help in their defense. In offense,
they can distance most enemy units and strike where he is most vulnerable. In
combat, they can move in from the back to destroy his support
units/companies. There are two important things to remember when using
them: keep them back until they are truly needed and they need some
space to maneuver. If they are well used, they can become the factor
needed to win a battle or even the game.
CEYAH
Serving the Dark Master is very different than fighting him. That is why I have
dedicated an entire article for those who want to follow the dark path.
This is meant to be used as a complement for the other subjects: most of
what is written there can be used for Ceyah too. Included in here are
concepts that are unique to Ceyah, separeted in these sections: Basics, Company
Design, Regiment Design, Combat, Beginning and Economy.
BASICS
As the Ceyah, you will notice that your main units are weaker and slower than
those of the other factions. They, however, have three useful
advantages. The first one is that most of their units won't rout. The
greatest one is that some of their units require no maintenance. The last one,
and decisive one, is that their support units are more powerful than the other
factions'.
Alone, those advantages are useful, but nothing is really game winning.
Together,
they can be truly frigthening. No maintenance = more companies = more
support units. Not only that but since they don't break often, the enemy
have to go througth every melee units before reaching the support.
COMPANY DESIGN
There are two kinds of main units for the Ceyah: expendable and shock. You have
to reach a balance between these two types. Too much expendables mean a
weak military. The opposite means a less numerous one.
Expendable: Those are the Zombies and shadelings. As they don't require
maintenance, you can have as many as you want at the same time. Give
them some support units since they usually can't win by themselves.
However, at the beginning, you may leave support at home: they require
too much gold. Afterwards, you can always disband supportless companies to
recruit them with support.
Shock: Those are the units who require maintenance: skeletons and beasts. They
are stronger, but you can't have as much. Always give them the support
units as they will most usually survive longer.
REGIMENT DESIGN
A regiment, if you don't know, is a group of 2-6 companies. Always make them the
same speed: you don't want some to reach the enemy before others. I have
three kinds: Zombies, Skeletons and Reaction.
Zombies: This is a group of (surprise!) zombies. They are very slow and will
need
support. I recommand wraiths: they are very strong, won't slow down the
zombies and require less mana than others.
Skeletons: Composed of skeletons and bone bows, they are faster than zombies,
stronger and extremly resistant to archers. However, they require
maintenance and will be less numerous than zombies. Most support units
will work in companies here, except the wraith, since he will slow them
down. If you want to put bone bows in zombies regiment, give them one.
Reaction: These regiments are the (relatively) fast one. Composed of shadelings
and shadow/void beasts, they will go twice as fast as the zombies. The
only support unit you might put in them is the shadow demon, the others will
slow them, but I don't recommand it. Only one shadow demon will double
the cost of the company, and they aren't worth that much. Also watch for the
number of beasts: they use mana that could possibly be better used for
support.
COMBAT
There is one great principle for using Ceyah in combat: DON'T BE FLANKED. If you
are, you will lose your support and, without support, winning will be
difficult. Keep some companies, preferably supportless expendables,
unengaged, along the flanks of your main army to occupy possible flankers.
You can afford to lose those companies.
In offense, make sure you outnumber his troops. You may want to keep some
companies back home for defense: your zombies will never reach anything
in time.
In defense, remember to use the terrain: you might double the defense of some
units. Making them live longer give more time for support to finish the
enemy.
ECONOMY
There are three resources that are critical to the Ceyah's war effort. The other
resources are little used: often by only one unit.
Mana: All those support units, even the shadow/void beasts, require mana. It
doesn't come cheap, but there is a greater possibility of mana extraction
by Ceyah town: they can give up to 14 mana (Mage College, Temple and Mana
Forge). Never have a deficit in mana: it costs 5 gold for each minus. You
may want to trade mines for khaldunite fields/spires in team games.
Money: To recruit all the companies you need you need much money. Not for the
main units, but for the support units. Remember, mana doesn't come cheap.
An intersting twist of the Ceyah is that you might wish to use the bazaar
instead of the bank: you won't need much of the three basic resources.
Maximum number of companies: This is often overlooked for other factions.
Without
maintenance for some units you may want to raise the limit. There are
only two ways to do it: get more cities or upgrade them. But also don't forget
this: always try to reach it your maximum.
BEGINNING
Ceyah needs time to expand to be really effective. The beginning of the game is
a
critical time for them, moreso than other factions. They are very slow at
first. This part will contradict the rest of the text, but the most important
thing to remember in the beginning is that, since you don't have enough
money for support, leave them at home. You only need them once you
establish first contact with the enemy. This is especially true in a low
starting gold game.
Early, you will need 3 companies: 1 shadowlings to scout around, and 2 to
conquer
cities (one is not enough for Ceyah). I personally prefer to use a full company
of skeletons and a company of 4 bone bows. I upgrade my city early and put
in a carpenter guild first, a bank and a blacksmith. I also awaken my Kohan
since he will be very useful to fight independents and I still have some
money. In all new settlements, I put in a bank. Believe my experience, you
will need that gold soon enough.
However, as soon as you capture a city from a different faction, you can use it
to recruit standard units. It is easier than to use only Ceyah units
earlier. A mixed army from those two factions can be extremly powerful later
in the game too. Or you can just use the other's strong company as support for
your own companies. The choice is yours.
CONCLUSION
Ceyah is very different from other factions and here are some things to remember
when playing them:
-Use other factions/races city to complement your Ceyah companies with
more conventional companies.
-Your stength lies in your support units, not in your main units.
-Always try to max out your maximum number of companies.
-Balance your weak units with strong ones.
-Don't slow down your companies too much by having slower support. If you
play Ceyah, you need all the speed you can have.
MISCELLANEOUS
This will be the last one I write, and perhaps the one with the least precise
tactics. In here are concepts that don't fit the rest of the articles.
It will be separated in four sections: Teams, Experience and Tips.
TEAMS
There are some important concepts to remember when playing in teams: positions,
recon and how to help each other.
Positions: Your position at the beginning of the game, in relation of those of
teammates', will determine much of your tactics. If you are close
together, defense will be easier, but the recon aspect will suffer since
you will have to travel more distance to find new things. If you are
isolated, recon will be easier, but don't expect much direct help. Also,
if you are isolated, your reaction might be to make contact with the others
as soon as possible. That is a mistake early on, as it will most often
leave you very vulnerable with a large territory. Play more defensively:
destroy the enemy's companies before attacking his towns. Your teammates won't
be there to help you, so don't make mistakes.
Recon: Recon becomes even more crucial in team games. You don't have to find
only one opponent, you have to find his friends too. If you fail to do
that, you open yourself to surprise attacks. Also, lairs become even more
important. They may include techs, and these are given to your teammates
as well. Finding them before your opponents can give you a great edge,
and the more people in your team, the greater the benefits are when finding
one.
How to help: In team games, your survival depends on how well you and your
allies
work together. There are many ways to help each other in a crisis, I
organize them in 4 categories: companies, money, resources and
counterattack.
-Companies: If your companies are close to his towns, they can assist in
their defense . If he attacks, sending them in with his army could
assure the complete annihilation of your common enemy. Watch out for
this tactic though, it makes your own territory vulnerable to
counterattacks.
-Money: If he needs money, or if you don't know what to do with your
money, send him a tribute. This is an indirect way to help, if
you can't reach him in time. I personally recommend sending much to
a Ceyah player: he only needs money to recruit all his companies,
as their maintenance is not a problem, and he may lose many.
-Resources: For other factions, it might be a good idea to send your
friends mines or cities. This should not be done in an emergency,
for it is of no use at that moment. This action will help him recruit
other companies. Only do this if you don't need those resources
however. You might want to send a settlement to your ally if he is
dying. Changing cities from different factions/races allows
diversity in your army by giving you access to new units.
-Counterattack: This is hard to pull off and should not be done lightly.
It has the possibility to win the game, but, if badly done, can result
in a great setback. It consists in attacking the cities of an opponent
who fight against one of your teammate. By losing too many cities, it
will cripple him and possibly break his assault when he looses all of
his gold. But remember, I warned you: this is the hardest tactic to
pull off. Make sure your ally can take his opponent before trying
this.
EXPERIENCE
(This most likely won't apply to the Ceyah since they need many companies and
tend to lose them fast.)
The fact that your companies can improve with experience is one of the most
important features of Kohan. An elite unite can take most of all the
other units, no matter what they are made of. For example, I had a unit of
Gauri Anvils who had reached elite level. Without support, they destroyed
everything thrown at them. The only time they broke was after 5 minutes
of continuous combat against an army 4 times their size. My two companies of
elite guards did not do as much.
Take care of your companies. Don't throw them in desperate fights. It is better
to retreat than lose experienced fighters, although I have no problem
sacrificing recruits if need be. In the long run, they will do far much
damage by staying alive. Also, as long as something is left in a company, it
does not cost a thing to replenish
Gaining experience. Having fewer companies help them gain experience faster.
Destroy all the monsters and lairs you find. All the resources you'll
save will help you upgrade your cities. Of course, nothing stops you from
recruiting, but 1 elite and 2 recruits are better than 3 regulars.
TIPS
This category is for tips that do not have a definite category to be placed in.
They are not game winning, but are useful.
-Use the Zone of Population to find cities and prevent them from spotting
you.
-Pick your fights, don't throw away everything in a poorly planned
offensive.
-Non-mareten units are stronger than maretens for the same maintenance.
-Never let your enemy know your full strength.
-Companies rout to their nearest supply point, follow them.
-If a city is about to fall, sell everything in it, better have money
than leave him a fully built town.
-If you can't defend a city you have just captured, raze it. He will try
to take it back ASAP.
-Just have a good time: this is a game.
Well that's it. That's the end of my tactics. Thanks for everyone who has read
them. See you all in the game.