Pike and Shot

[Nefaro]

I can't seem to beat Tutorial 4.  Guerilla warfare is hard to conduct.

Which one is that?  Where you are Transylvanian using the six 'Commanded Shot' units in the forest and lots of Hussars?


I just finished all the Tutorial battles.  Only one of them gave me some fits.  IIRC, it was fighting against the Swedish Pike & Shot units with regimental guns which managed to rout some of my units.  But victory was still had.   O0

Yes.  So what's the strategy there?  So far I have only decimated 1 tercio.  And my cavalry gets slaughtered and I lose the game.

Update:  I did it.  I kept my cavalry away and let their tercio units to cross the middle of the map. I then shoot at them from both sides from the forests to wither them down.  They will turn to either side, exposing their flanks to my cavalry.  Of course their cavalry is smart enough to provide cover so I have to also shoot at these guys before charging them as my cavalry is basically less capable.  Once the horses break / run, other adjacent units will also have a chance of being disrupted making them easier to rout as well.

I'm now moving on to the Italian Wars campaign.  Will go about the campaigns chronologically despite the Thirty Years War listed first.

Yep.  I just let them come down the open ground in between the forests, holding back my cavalry.  To include not moving the Hussars north of the forest for a couple turns because I don't think the enemy could see them in their start area.  Started shooting them when they were in the pocket and brought my Hussars around into their rear.

The Tercios are tough since you don't get a flanking bonus against them, and at least one type doesn't even suffer from rear attacks against it. 


As for the map scale in relation to the units, it hasn't been an issue for me at all.  The spaces with buildings only look like a cluster of farm buildings or such - not even a village.  Horse can run the full range of musket fire in one turn and infantry in two so it plays out well.

[jomni]

I just suffered a massive defeat in Seminara as the Spanish.

[panzerde]

As for the map scale in relation to the units, it hasn't been an issue for me at all.  The spaces with buildings only look like a cluster of farm buildings or such - not even a village.  Horse can run the full range of musket fire in one turn and infantry in two so it plays out well.

This is what I'm finding as well. Comparing the size of the building groups with the fields makes them seem like walled farms with outbuildings, not even a small village. The range doesn't feel as off as I thought it might be at first.

Got my cavalry mojo back and gave the Swedes a drubbing. On to finish the last tutorial scenario.

[Jarhead0331]

I love that the game tracks individual casualties by KIA, WIA and captured/deserted.  I'd like to see some more graphic effects on the map, like lingering smoke, bodies, craters, etc.

[Jack Nastyface]

I LOVE the look of this game.  For whatever reason, I've always enjoyed the "water-painted" textures in games as opposed to the ones with hyper-realistic graphics 

[Nefaro]

I LOVE the look of this game.  For whatever reason, I've always enjoyed the "water-painted" textures in games as opposed to the ones with hyper-realistic graphics

The map textures look great.  O0


The battles are enjoyable.  But they're still basically one-off affairs so I'll only ever play 1 or 2 quick ones and move on to a different game at any one time.  The random scenario generator will help keep that fresh but I still think Slitherine would hit one out of the park if they ever added a good strategic layer to these games, to increase the depth of the game and invest the player in the individual battles more.  I'm not asking for something the size of an EU4 strategic setup but something closer to Spartan.  That would be superb.

As an example, I've been playing a battle (or part of one) and skipping over to Total War shortly afterward.  Just to get the dual-layer experience.  Make it happen guys!

[panzerde]

^ I'd play that. For that matter, I'd play a decent stand-alone operational Thirty Years War game.

I have to admit that this game has really surprised me. I was skeptical of it using the BA2 engine, I was skeptical of the art style, and during last week's discussion I started to get skeptical of the gameplay. Instead, this is turning out to be a real delight. I'm eager to get into the editor and start messing around with it, now.

I'm also interested to compare the Tiller versions of the Italian Wars battles to those in Pike and Shot. Been a while since I unlimbered Renaissance.

[Sir Slash]

How's the campaign? A series of tougher battles? Any ability to change the order of battles or forces involved?

[Nefaro]

How's the campaign? A series of tougher battles? Any ability to change the order of battles or forces involved?

I think it's just a straight shot through, for the most part.  Some scenarios can include extra optional purchases with a small pool of points, to supplement the required forces.  The same way Battle Academy did.

[jomni]

How's the campaign? A series of tougher battles? Any ability to change the order of battles or forces involved?

I think it's just a straight shot through, for the most part.  Some scenarios can include extra optional purchases with a small pool of points, to supplement the required forces.  The same way Battle Academy did.

All battles are unlocked so you can play any battle from a "Campaign".  Not real campaigns actually.  Maybe just call them "Eras".
The first scenario of the Italian Wars campaign is very hard.  I have played 3x and have not won it.  I will move on to the next.

I stand corrected.  I've seen multi square towns.  So single square buildings are just farms and cloisters.

[panzerde]

I'm finding the first scenario of the Thirty Years' War campaign tough, too. Seminara I would expect to lose as the Spanish; that's what happened historically. It was a battle the Spanish/Italian forces should have never fought - they stood no chance with their light troops versus the Swiss pikes and French heavy cavalry.

I can't find any references on the Pilgram battles depicted in the first scenario of the Thirty Years' War campaign other than a suggestion that the Protestants won. Something about my approach to this fight just isn't making it. I'm kind of glad about that; it means this game isn't a cake walk!

[Cyrano]

Doug --

Just say the word and we'll play any of the games that are in both back to back.  Wouldn't take long and it'd be an interesting experience.

Just a guess that the pretty in Pike and Shot will let it cheat a bit, but the results would be telling...

Best,

Jim
"Cyrano"
:/7)

[panzerde]

Doug --

Just say the word and we'll play any of the games that are in both back to back.  Wouldn't take long and it'd be an interesting experience.

Just a guess that the pretty in Pike and Shot will let it cheat a bit, but the results would be telling...

PBEM++ is definitely in the cards here. If you want to start a scenario please do and I'll log into PBEM++ and accept the challenge.

Yesterday I was starting to get suspicious about the AI, but coming back at it fresh today I just soundly trounced the AI in that first battle. 17th Century cavalry is a very different animal, particularly harquebusiers/reiters. Shock action has definitely left the building, at least at the beginning of the era.

I didn't care much for the musket sounds included with the base game. I replaced the handgun_sound02.wav file with one of the musketry wav files from one of Tiller's Napoleonic games and it sounds a lot less like modern small arms now.

[Bison]

The first few tutorial scenarios done and I've got a pretty meh feeling about the games combat mechanics.  I'm thinking I should have purchased BA2 instead.  Hopefully the remaining tutorial and a campaign play through will change my mind.

[Nefaro]

The first few tutorial scenarios done and I've got a pretty meh feeling about the games combat mechanics.  I'm thinking I should have purchased BA2 instead.  Hopefully the remaining tutorial and a campaign play through will change my mind.

Sounds more like a preferential situation to me.

I enjoy the old line formation battle strategy games (Ancients to ACW) more than WW2.  Perhaps you're the opposite?