In the first part of our exclusive
Developer Q&A, we learned the favourite factions and building strategies of
the team at The Creative Assembly and SEGA. 
Now in the concluding part of this Q&A, discover our personal
tips for Medieval II success!

What is your favourite battlefield strategy?

Mark O’Connell: 
Mine is to bombard the approaching enemy with a rain of missile fire,
whilst keeping a wall of heavy infantry units on the front lines. As the enemy
draws close, I send cavalry units to flank them and attack from behind.

James Buckle: I like to saturate the enemies’
flanks with arrow fire, to weaken them and reduce the width of their battle
line. I can then make my battle line wider and when the two meet, wrap around
on the flanks and envelope the enemy. Once some of their troops start to
waiver, I crash my heavy cavalry straight through them. The shock effect of
this cavalry charge causes them to panic and flee. Once the army is in flight,
I chase them down with my light cavalry to ensure maximum casualties. If you
can inflict 90%+ casualties on the enemy it will create a hole allowing you to
then counter attack and charge in to their territory.

Peter Brophy: Good old fashioned outflanking, I’m
afraid.  Form a nice big line of medium
strength infantry, get ‘em into the battle and then circle round with my
cavalry and slam into their backs.  I’ll
keep some spearmen in reserve if they try the same.

Graham Axford: Cavalry flanking. Split off you
cavalry from the main army and move it to the flank. Once the enemy are
engaged, move them around and attack from the side or the rear.

Alex Friend: Obviously the need to be flexible is
important but also to know your enemy as much as possible is important. A
little spying never hurt anyone (well, it does, but there you go) in order to
get an idea of what you are up against. If I have an assassin nearby who can
kill an enemy General beforehand, I always take this option. On the field,
standard battle tactics of a typical English army of the time apply. Archers,
foot advance, cavalry charge for the finale, to thrust a gap open, or to
support failing units. I am also a fan of the Zulu bull attack (love the
movie). It is unorthodox with a medieval European army but it does work. Draw
the enemy into the ‘head’, then outflank with fast moving cavalry or ‘horns’
eventually (hopefully) enveloping your opponent.

Mathew Ray: 
My favourite battlefield strategy is a headlong charge by heavy cavalry
into a very weak infantry unit.  This
tactic may sound stupid, but a weak infantry unit will rout quick and open a
gap for my own infantry to go through as well as make the troops around them
waver.  This also encourages the enemy
General move to that spot giving me a chance to attack him with my very next
charge.

John Carline: Get a couple of strong infantry
units, some good cross-bowmen and a few heavy cavalry. Weaken them with
crossbowmen while getting my Calvary on their flanks. When I’m out of ammo its
ctrl a and a double click, charge!

Dan Toose: Let the enemy make the mistake. Almost
every aggressive move can be turned into an over-extension if you move your
forces around properly and react to your enemy.

 

What is your favourite unit?

Mark O’Connell: The trebuchet.  Not only is it a devastating long-range
weapon, but it also launches diseased cows at unsuspecting foes, which I still
find quite entertaining.

James Buckle: Definitely the Longbow. Not only can
they fire farther and with more power then most other missile units, but they
can plant rows of stakes to hide behind. These are great for stopping front on
cavalry charges in open field battles or for barricading streets when defending
sieges. Never underestimate the battle winning importance of a well placed
pointed stick.

Peter Brophy: Anybody with a two-handed sword.  You’ve gotta be pretty rock hard to go into
battle with one of them.

Graham Axford: Bombard. Cheap and very effective.
Just one is enough in most circumstances.

Alex Friend: No surprise I guess - cavalry. I love
to follow them as they pound along at full change and clash with the enemy,
those clashes are truly epic moments in battle.

Mathew Ray: 
Norman Knights!  They not only
look mean, but fight twice as hard as any other unit.  The Normans when fully upgraded with weapons
and armour are nearly unstoppable and charge into the toughest melee with
vigour.

John Carline: Probably the General’s bodyguard, I
don’t think you can beat their maneuverability mixed with their heavy charge
and good morale.

Dan
Toose: Dismounted Gothic Knights - Two-handed swordsmen with
evil-looking helmets. They’re not my most successful unit, but I love the
aesthetic. 

Any general tips for success?

Mark O’Connell: 
My personal approach is to build up large armies early on, then conquer
as many nearby rebel settlements as I can. 
Using castles as a buffer to protect my inner cities, I use all
plundered money to further increase my forces and continually expand borders. I
also ensure that churches are established as soon as possible to maintain a
good relationship with the Vatican.  On
the battlefield, Archers ranged attacks are great for weakening the
opposition’s defences, but a reserve of heavy infantry can make all the
difference towards the end of a battle.

James Buckle: Maintaining a good forward momentum
is very important. As soon as you slow down and back off, you give the other
factions room the breath and time to recover. You should be relentless. Lay
siege to a settlement and as soon as you have enough siege weapons, storm the
walls. Once you’ve taken it, immediately look to the next one. If you’ve gone
more than 7 turns without taking a settlement, you’re going to slow.

Peter
Brophy:  Don’t expand your
empire too fast, use waves of expansion. Between each wave, disband your army
to save cash.

Graham Axford: Move quickly, taking settlements
with large armies, especially when the enemy are elsewhere. Build large sea
fleets early on and keep them maintained and in your ports when not in use.
Take out the pope and vote your own one in. 
Defend plazas with crossbowmen and walls of heavy infantry.

Alex Friend: For a European Empire, get your
priests out there into your lands. At first I kept mine inside the cities
thinking they would take care of things from there, but if they do, heretics
become rife in your lands and the Pope steps in. I find by doing this they also
become more powerful and more up the ranks and eventually make it into the
College of Cardinals, more often than not they can become a strong candidate
for Pope as a result.

Mathew Ray: 
Keep the Pope in check as often as possible. Using an assassin if
necessary!

John Carline: Don’t follow my favorite
battlefield strategy.

Dan Toose: Expand quickly, and make a grab for as
many settlements as you can in the early game. Settlements = power. The more
you have, the quicker you can build forces. Also, if you’re playing as a
Catholic faction, consider giving the Pope a region that’s on the edge of your
empire, or difficult to hold - It’ll do wonders for your relationship with the
Papacy, and that can make things a lot easier for you.

I hope you have all enjoyed reading
about our Medieval II gaming strategies, and learning a little more about the
team.  We will undoubtedly have more
Q&A’s in the future, so keep the great feedback and questions coming.

Until next time…

Mark O’Connell

(aka SenseiTW)