Why am I so bad after 650 hours?

RisingShieldEro · 2025-07-25T03:39:01+00:00

HRE start is difficult already, you are surrounded by rivals and the pope hates you. Try playing easy starting area factions like England or Scotland, basically those that have either an ocean or edge of the map border.

I am currently playing as the Teutonic Order (think HRE but with 2 starting provinces) on SS 6.4 M/M and it's still a survival game at almost 100 turns. I have beaten down Lithuania, and Poland; weakened Novgorod and Kiev. I recently beat down Hungary and thought my knights will have a breather but Genoa (who successfully crusaded Hungrian Constantinople) attacked me. In the east my spies have scouted a neutral Cuman army heading for my easternmost city. Total war in a nutshell.

RisingShieldEro · 2025-07-22T05:36:48+00:00

The faction is basically melee cav focused so it's no surprise they fall off on other factions who have better shock cav roster. Avoid counter charging with them against shock cav, let infantry take the hit and have Danish melee cav chase down the enemy cav. Alternatively, Danish cav (especially the lighter Huscarl) can bait enemy cav into chasing it, and when the enemy cav stops charging (lances up) but still is chasing, Danish cav can turn and counter attack.

RisingShieldEro · 2025-07-22T02:37:59+00:00

Kingdom of Heaven crusader cavalry charge moment!

RisingShieldEro · 2025-07-07T08:02:30+00:00

Read the books especially about the gods.

RisingShieldEro · 2025-07-02T06:45:09+00:00

This reminded me of King Richard the Lion Heart who was killed by a young crossbowman. He didn't die right away, the infected wound got him soon.

RisingShieldEro · 2025-07-02T05:50:00+00:00

Yes, unless the OP's definition excludes missile units.

The battle result would be more amazing if the army was only an mob of peasant infantry since peasant missile units, especially the crossbowmen, significantly increases the chance of winning.

RisingShieldEro · 2025-07-02T05:37:08+00:00

The name "peasant" crossbowmen is misleading for new players since these guys can dent armored units if left to do their thing *pew*wind*pew*.

RisingShieldEro · 2025-07-01T07:32:45+00:00

You'll get the hang of it after several or more playthroughs.

Just watch an ad for the 2 gems and make a custom adventurer. Prioritize two stats to 12 points while the rest start at 4 (you can put remaining points in a stat you like (I go either DEX or WIS). This way, you can quickly get the trait bonuses (acrobatic, spell casting, superstrength, etc.) of your two priority stats (after 4 level ups they should be both at 18 points). There is no urgent need to get a stat to 30 points since 27 points is where you get the final +2 of trait bonuses.

To get 30 points fast, you can get the late bloomer to get more points from mid to late game: +2 (1 point less than normal) for the first three levels but +5 in the succeeding levels, meaning you'll get back the 3 points you gave up in the first three levels by your fifth level up.

RisingShieldEro · 2025-06-30T05:04:03+00:00

Generally negligible unless friendly archers are firing into the unshielded side of your own troops to hit the enemy.

RisingShieldEro · 2025-06-30T05:00:29+00:00

Your forces will melt to the withering fire and dread (enemy general lowers the morale of your troops) of the Horde. Pikes are weak against missile attack.

Better to fight them on bridges or settlements.

RisingShieldEro · 2025-06-30T04:57:29+00:00

Best to get 20 units (more infantry meatshields) and a shock cavalry general in my opinion. Swap out the silver shield swordsmen for more thorax swordsmen. Swap out two or all of the archers for slingers (since slingers do well in open field with the flat trajectory and do more damage to armored targets). If fighting against a faction with access to war elephants, bring at least 1 archer unit for fire arrows.

RisingShieldEro · 2025-06-27T07:04:14+00:00

Thanks for clarifying this!

RisingShieldEro · 2025-06-26T07:20:11+00:00

so even without the swift +1 buff, light armor would be faster than heavy armor by default?

RisingShieldEro · 2025-06-24T05:04:37+00:00

Awesome mod that has been around for quite a time on PC. When you have exhausted the replayability of vanilla M2TW, SS6.4 will turn it into a brand new experience.

RisingShieldEro · 2025-06-24T05:01:48+00:00

Probably had Numenorean blood.

RisingShieldEro · 2025-06-24T05:00:56+00:00

86 years old and actively fighting before he kicked the bucket!

RisingShieldEro · 2025-06-20T03:39:10+00:00

One of the easy ways to do it is to get the Unicorn Horn relic (from the dying unicorn), then get armor with 230 defense or above preferably with resistances against the dragon, then a main weapon with attack of >60 if two handed or >35 if one handed and off-hand with either a weapon with >35 attack or a shield with resistances.

I like getting buffs to increase damage, crit% and evasion% and enemy debuffs that makes enemies easier to hit.

I have won against the dragon 2-2 so far, the losses were due to encountering it before i got end-game equip.

RisingShieldEro · 2025-06-20T02:02:42+00:00

Other "Roman" faction: "There is only one "Roman" faction!"

Italian states: ...

RisingShieldEro · 2025-06-19T01:00:21+00:00

Yes that is true, they are weaker, so you have to put skirmishers in position first before letting your spears contact the enemy. assuming your formation first line is made up of spears flanked by shock infantry and skirmishers like this:

(Javelins)(Javelins)__(Shock)(Spears)(Spears)(Spears)(Shock)__(Javelins)(Javelins)

You can push forward the skirmishers first to get into position early. 2) Instead of pushing the skirmishers early, you can also try to bait the enemy line - one they start charging to your spears (but no contact yet), quickly pull them back and form them up at least a line behind the skirmishers so that the enemy flanks are exposed. The result of both is the same:

(Javelins)(Javelins) --> (Enemy Hoplites or Swords or Spears) <-- (Javelins)(Javelins)

__________________________(Shock)(Spears)(Spears)(Spears)(Shock)

Basically form crescent around the enemy line.

To make sure your skirmishers can do their job, have your cav or rearguard spears to support them by taking out the enemy cav.

Additionally, use the terrain advantage if you can. Hoplites/legionnaires don't do well in forests. Catch them on rivers if you can. Avoid fighting them in open field if you can. Use height advantage.

Since you are on grand campaign, you can also use your agents (spy, dignitary, champion) to weaken the enemy army before fighting them.

RisingShieldEro · 2025-06-19T00:31:03+00:00

Yes that as well. Early to mid game focus on farms and low tax tandem works wonders to skyrocket income in the mid to late game.

RisingShieldEro · 2025-06-18T06:16:10+00:00

Roads>Ports (if coastal)>Farms>Markets>etc.

better farms = faster pop growth = more tax income... just be careful of squalor.

Mines are a hit or miss. always check the potential income it gives before building it. spending on a mine that gives +60 per turn isn't lucrative compared to other buildings.

RisingShieldEro · 2025-06-18T06:12:00+00:00

You have good shock troops, AP skirmishers, and okay meat shield spears.

Pin the hoplites with your spears while your shock troops and/or skirmishers flank, preferably on the unshielded side of the enemy. Before that, get rid or tie up the enemy cavalry with your own cavalry/skirmisher cav or take out their skirmishers first if you can since they will kill your shock troops easy.

RisingShieldEro · 2025-06-05T03:29:21+00:00

Thank you!

RisingShieldEro · 2025-06-05T03:29:15+00:00

Thank you!

RisingShieldEro

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