Tactics: Principles, Tips, Tricks, and Traps

[Shovah32]

Very nice, thanks for this. One thing i would like to say is use the fire and flee command lightly, if you have multiple provinces bordering where-ever the fight is taking place gathering the troops can take a few turns.

[Manuk]

Something I always tought but never do. follow your army with scouts sneaking carrying lots of gems. After every battle transfer some gems from your scouts to your mages. That way you control how many gems you spend each battle.
if you give them boots of flying you can use them to come and go for resupply.

Obvious: if you have too few priests and/or too many sacred units make those units hold and attack to give time to your priests to bless them all. (you can overcome this with divine blessing if you have a powerful priest).

I thought you were cainehill. you are not.

[JaydedOne]

*grin* The icon is pretty emblematic of Cainehill. Will have to get used to someone else using it.

Hi there, btw, neighbor. Always cool to see another Georgian playing Dom3.

[Uh-Nu-Buh]

14. Material. Use what you have. If you have fire mages, give them fire magic heighteners (fire helm, fire gems). If you have air mages give them air magic amps (air helm, air gems, spirit helm....) If you have sacred troops you MUST have a priest or you are wasting material. If you have archers, have an air mage and/or astral mage cast precision spells. If you have heavy cavalry, do NOT place them in the rear.
15. Environment. If the dominion/province is hot, use your fire mages. If cold, use your air/water mages. If it is low magic, use your heavy infantry/archers/cavalry. If it is high magic, use your mages. If it is your dominion, use your prophet/pretender juggernaut. If it is forest, use your werewolves and nature mages.

[Uh-Nu-Buh]

Howdy. I mostly lurk. Been on the Dominions forums since 1/19/04 with this same icon. I've seen Cainehill around....

[Uh-Nu-Buh]

Lots of good tips. I'm going to start a logistics thread and a strategy thread after we start slowing down on tactics.

[Etaoin Shrdlu]

When using tramplers, I put the trample squad in the center and everything else on the wings. Reason: That way when the trample squad routs, your other force isn't in the way to get trampled itself. It really sucks to watch your elephants retreat through the middle of your own formation.
Thanks to Blitz for that idea.

[Uh-Nu-Buh]

16. The Center. Put either cheap crud units or heavily armored units in the center, and put your power units on the flanks. The center usually attracts the arrows and the spells.
17. Flanking. I like to put cavalry, tramplers, or fast units on the flank. They have a clear line of retreat if routed. They have a clear line to the rear echelons of the enemy to engage the mages and commanders if you so choose. The can fall upon the enemy's gooie sides for positional scissor attacks if you so wish....

[Teraswaerto]

Break enemy cavalry charges with militia in the front line (or something like that), so that they can't use their lances against your real soldiers.

When moving around big army late in the game, don't keep them all in one province, since that makes them an easy target for Flames From the Sky, etc. Of course, this can be risky, if the army is split up when a battle happens.

Always give commanders bodyguards, always have spare commanders with your army if some die.

Keep extra gems, Wine Bags, Cauldrons of Broth, etc. on scouts or other stealhy troops and move them with your armies.