Request for assistance

[Endoperez]

Renegade 13 said:
Usually my armies can squash the AI without too much trouble, but the AI fields too many armies to squish them all. They get behind my front lines, and once that happens, I can't stop them.

Information thus far has definitely been helpful. If there's any other pearls of advice to offer, please feel free!

Ulm has terrific provincial defense. Those Arbalests shine especially against smaller armies with heavy troops, and aren't that effective against big armies of light units without indep support. Marignon's Crossbowmen and Jotunheim's Jotun Militia work better.

You might also want to try a map with more chokepoints (mountain gaps, seas, rivers that limit movement etc). The maps might be too open for your playstyle.

[curtadams]

I know what you mean about handling a zillion armies. I have some techniques but they fall under the category of "stupid AI tricks". First is that the AI always like to attack the currently weakest adjacent province. So 1 army bouncing back and forth can hold 2 provinces indefinitely and wipe a lot of AI armies in the process. Second is that the AI almost never abandons a siege, so if you have abundant fortresses in your territory that will make them stop so you can clean them up. Often my armies are "too good" and could be split up but I know that's hard and the smaller armies do get smacked from time to time.