We had a couple of topics here before dealing with people asking for advice when they are being attacked by multiple people, aka a gangbang. So I thought let's make a topic describing a few possible tactics.


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1) First thing that's important to consider: are you *really* being gangbanged?

Sometimes an enemy shows up with a significant force, while at the same time another person is passing by, or scouting in your vicinity with one or two stacks, or checking if there are resource piles untaken in your area. You don't want to be the one causing a gangbang by attacking everyone in your vicinity.

However, simply waiting untill everyone leaves often will make survival impossible, so it's helpfull to ask all 'possible attackers' what their intentions are.

When you ask people their intentions, usually it becomes very clear what situation you are in. Most people are honest about wanting to take your castle/winning the game. However, if they don't reply, **it usually means their intentions are to leave you in the dark while they attack you**, though not always. It could also mean they're too lazy to reply, or don't speak english. If you don't get a reply, but they keep advancing anyway, you know what you're up against, because most non-english speakers know how to make clear they don't understand you.

Sometimes by asking about intentions you get to know more about in-game politics as well, and that's important too. If you find out for example 3 players have teamed up to eliminate everyone else, that's something you need to tell everyone else

2) Diplomacy.
So it really is 2/3/4 against just you eh?

The simplest thing to do to save yourself is simply asking attackers not to attack you, since you're already being attacked by X and Y. You'd be surprised how many people are willing to back off in such a case, as often they started the attack not knowing others were planning the same thing (it's usually a bad sign if people consistently pick you out as the best possible target to pick on next though ).

They don't want to back off? Fine, the next sensible to do then is to conscript help.

Check the game news to see who is battling who. If there are people who aren't already attacking you not engaged in battle, tell them what is up (multiple players picking on players one by one!) and ask them if they are willing to help you out. Everyone needs new castles to conquer, so this might work. Sometimes those people already agreed not to attack one or more of the gangbangers via NAPs, but it might save your butt.

3)Threat assessment.

Actually done under 1 and 2): when you check gamenews, you'll also see who is throwing their full force at you, and who is already battling someone else but has aided his ally with a few stacks of troops. Beware: sometimes gamenews (i.e. A is battling B) reports people who are on the verge of being defeated or already are (B is not battling A) are just being 'mopped up'. This is important, as this means A is sending only the armies he can spare from the mopping up operation, but once he's through, there will be a lot more coming your way!


4) Taking up one opponent at a time.

This one is I think your best chance for survival after politics. Of course, politics and messaging people about their intentions can take many turns, you have to be busy with your strat for 'survival after politics' before you even start with politics!

The thing about gangbangs (and to a lesser extent someone who just has twice as many troops as you do) is that you are at a disadvantage because it's many troops (them) versus fewer troops (you), and that's one thing that will kill you fast.

(continued)

Last Edited : Sunday, 7 September 2003 - 16:29

*DON'T FIGHT THEM ALL AT ONCE!*

Who to attack first?
The weakest!

Isolate players, attack them one by one.

Preferably someone who is already engaged somewhere else and is sending only half his army. A whole army beats half an army, and if he later comes with his other half you can defeat him again! Usually someone loses interest in attacking you after they lost half their army though and goes to reinforce it first, buying you precious time.

This is also important if someone has half his army in front of your castle and the other half on it's way. The troops on their way are usually the slower moving ranged units, and after the melee units are gone, who's gonna protect them? (ok maybe his allies, but depending on others make you vulnerable).

Isolate groups, attack them one by one.

If you see two lone groups of falchioneers scouting out your back, pump them full of arrows and charge them, while at the same time staying away from enemy ranged and melee troops (if you charge the falchioneers with squires leaving your archers open to other falchioneers that's no good of course).

It's like playing Warcraft 2: 9 grunts can beat 9 paladins, if the 9 paladins attack one by one.


To isolate groups, remember this:
-melee units move faster than ranged units, especially ballistas are slow.
-if a player wants to get to a point as fast as possible, they'll move all their units at max speed, and especially new players don't consider protecting their ranged units and commandeers while on the move.
-When players attack jointly, they usually don't expect the victim to be charging out of his castle (who would dare charge into 3 armies huh?), and they possibly also didn't expect you hiding a stack of scouts in their flanks ready at max BP/movement to charge their ballistas.
-Don't charge out of your castle blindly. That's a sure way to lose fast.
-if you move your units 7 squares to the right to charge someone, that also puts distance between those units and enemy units on your left, possible making those units useless for a turn while they move towards you again.
-When multiple players attack, they are often overconfident, and SLOPPY! They expect less from you, and if you do something unexpected (like charging to your right to kill an isolated group), they might do something stupid like charging those units leaving their ranged units exposed (think sneak-attack by hiding units from their sight).
-See every opportunity to do the opponent more damage than they do to you. Your greatest advantage is your will to survive to motivate you, while you are just 'another castle' to them.
-Don't quit...people have come out of nasty situations by sheer tenacity. Don't *expect* to win, but never give up hope either. Especially if there are enemies of your gangbangers still in the game.


5) Being ungrabbable.
Sometimes, if you are under siege, the above tactics aren't available because charging out of your castle to player B means player A can take your castle and player C might charge your archers. One tactic is to be vulnerable in no spots.
-If all your most valued buildings are outside of your castle, they might as well get in. Don't let them take over barracks though!
-Hide your commandeers from sight, somewhere far away.
-If you got ranged units, you can hide them behind your barracks, if those barracks are constantly churning out troops. But remember a static defense is not the key; they got more resources, and can outlast you in a siege.
-On the other hand, if the gangbangers come from far, reinforcements take long to arrive, if they are being sent at all. By constantly churning out troops you might eventually get more troops than them and even the advantage.
-Keep your force compact and use ZOC to protect ranged units. Understand how ZOC works, and always remember the following: units die unexpectedly fast under enemy fire.

Last Edited : Sunday, 7 September 2003 - 16:32

And to close this way too long posting, some words of wisdom inspired by Miyamoto Musashi (samurai teacher) on battling multiple opponents, paraphrased and summarized (and translated to WOL terms):

When taking on many opponents, pull out all your weapons. Try to chase your opponents in one direction, even though they come at you from all directions. [yes I know this seems contradictory to what I said]

Keep the bigger picture in sight, and notice from what position the opponents do their attacks. If you chase all your opponents at once it's impossible to make progress. It's wrong to wait, so don't handle them one by one, take them on one by one.
When an opponent attacks be ready to overpower them immediatly, and immediatly be ready for the next one. Try to bring your opponents in one line [so they can't attack you all at once]. Discover when opponents give up.

Politics tip. Intimidate
While in the process of crushing the smaller guy, make it clea to him that win or lose for the group, -he- WILL die unless he switches sides
Ickle, but sometimes works
You'd be amazed how effective the truth can be as a tool of reason when wielded like a club

I find that many players who take part in gang-bang attacks are not great fighters. Those who are the best at the game, usually have been around and wouldn't take part in this type of attack.

If you are careful to get the defense and attack bonus's and pay VERY close attention to the Rock-Paper-Scissors part of the game, you can do very well very quickly.

Large bunches of basic troops (militia, spear, scouts) can make great advances even against higher quality troops.

balistas and mace later in the game also helps for castle defense

some ranged troops in outposts/towers inside ur castle are good and then some troops at ur enterances

Drawbridges are really, really good for castle defense. I'm a noob, but I also find that a nice system of outposts at a distance around your castle is a great strategy.

If you do use drawbridges just make sure that you kill any comandeers that are coming in so that they cant take your drawbridge over and that you have a comandeer in your castle to take the drawbridge back if need be.

Another thing, make sure you have ballista in your towers and some macemen at your disposal. This is a good 'core' to defend with. Hide some cavalry (scouts of falchioneers) off in the distance and wait for him to commit and leave his rear open, then charge his rear and you should be able to finish one off pretty easily.

I like the first part of your statement, but the hiding part its kind of fuzzy...until know I haven't sen anyboyd successfuly hide in such a confined environment.
I would rethink that strategy (not that its bad, just needs carefull planning, and mostly precise timing), if your not succesfull in your flanking (I suppose your going over the melee troops and for the easy kill of ranged at close range), you split up your force and gained very little

Actually, one the more open map I've hidden troops before and charged comms and stuff when the enemy least expected it.

A loose scout stack is also fun to run over to his undefended castle. It won't do much damage unless you can attack archers/comms, but it will tie down a number of troops of the opponent.

Plus valuable intel...never to be underestimated!

The BOS were kings of the gangbang back in the day. The sheer thought of it gave them all sorts of pleasure in their netherregions.

1 stach of scouts cna do a lot of dmg if u think about it

lol ninja say whatever you like, I know one thing, nobody needs to gangbang u to beat u to the ground.

Ouch
Well Boe, you said you were 're-newing' BoS, I guess this is your (collectively) first task...

don't listen to boe. He is old and senile. Hell, we've never even FOUGHT each other. Infact, the 2 games I was in during the BOS era, I was horrificly jumped by several of your BOS mates. Richard can back me up on this.

Your trash talking is nothing more than misinformation.

I think you guys are posting in the wrong topic

No Eggy, I think we may see a pratical demonstration to go with your 'theory'

When we can play 2v2s why don't we have a little war. You and richard v me and any other BoS.. we'll see about misinformation.

*FIGHT* *FIGHT* *FIGHT*