Stupid questions...

Fearun · #1 December 30th, 2003, 07:15 PM

Yes, I know that this sounds maybe little stupid to you, but I have to ask. What would be the best solution, if I had a long border with an AI and my army is grouped in one province(which is quite obvious to me) and then AI�s army decides to start overrun my lands. My army is other side of border and so, if i wanted to catch AI�s, it would take a couple of turns. If I go and catch the army, AI will "dodge" my army and continue rampaging. Should I attack straight to AI�s capitol or hunt AI�s army down? I know, that I will catch his army sooner or later, but other AIs are getting stronger during that. Maybe buying defense is a solution, but its is too costy for me.

Teraswaerto · #2 December 30th, 2003, 07:20 PM

Siege his capitol. The AI will abandon the attack on your lands and try to break the siege.

Fearun · #3 December 30th, 2003, 07:26 PM

Oh thanks, so thats the way AI does. So an attack is the best defense. That solved couple of my problems with AI.

Gandalf Parker · #4 December 30th, 2003, 07:33 PM

Attack his capitol. Usually you only need to beat his 25 point province defence. No matter how many troops he has there you might not need to fight them. They will all run inside.

Crank his taxes to 200% and get what you can while his army rushes back to save the castle. If you can hold it long enough to drive the unrest over 100% then even if he gets it back he wont be able to recruit, get crummy taxes, and declining population until he fixes the unrest.

When you see his army coming, pull out leaving a small force there. Attack a neighbor province. When he gets to the castle attack him again forcing everyone inside. Dont plan to take the castle, just plan on holding the province and milk it dry. Taxes, blood slaves, pillaging, etc.

This doesnt ALWAYS work but its a tactic. Dont spend anyone on the castle project that you would hate to lose. It should at least give you time to develope other strategies.

aldin · #5 December 30th, 2003, 07:39 PM

Fearun,

I'd say a lot depends on relative strength. Depending on the exact situation I'd use one or more of the following:

a) Buy a Merc army to hunt the AI army down.
b) Summon an army and send some researchers on temporary (permanent if you replace them) assignment as commanders.
c) Wait in fortifications until a sufficient force can be recruited.
d) Buy defense.
e) Attack the AI's territories.

I like a combination of a&b usually then replace the researchers by buying new ones. One tactic to remember when AI hunting in your provinces is that the AI tends to go after the richest, least defended provinces.

~Aldin

Taqwus · #6 December 30th, 2003, 07:47 PM

Depending on your mages, research so far, and assassins, you may be able to take advantage of the fact that rituals and assassinations take place before normal movement. Otherwise, it's very difficult to catch a rampaging army that doesn't care if it's starving -- you basically need to block it off in all directions because it'll generally stay one step ahead if you just attack its current province at any given turn.