Strategies?

Share and discuss strategies for playing the game, and get help and tips from other players.

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ChefAlecs
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Joined: September 10th, 2011, 10:20 pm

Strategies?

Post by ChefAlecs »

Hi there and let me congrats you all for this great game

It is far superior than others priced over 50$, so I'd donate gladly to support your work

Anywho, I suck at micromanagement and strategies (more strategic on the long scale, like C&C or AoE, so I'd like a series of tips, strategies to help me improve my gameplay

Best if video tutorials

Right now I gave up at the 1st campaign (stopped at the mission where the sea serpent attacks some orcs) and started a shorter campaign to try something new (Tale of 2 Brothers?)

Any help will be appreciated

Thanks
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Great_Mage_Atari
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Re: Strategies?

Post by Great_Mage_Atari »

Well... its a broad topic... Do you want strategies about certain factions? How to earn gold? Attack strategems? Defense strategems? We need a bit of specification to help you
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Dixie
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Re: Strategies?

Post by Dixie »

You could initiate a search on youtube/the forums for neki's channel: I've never looked, but I heard he was commenting games in videos, and since he's a good player (AFAIK), it could interest you.
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ChefAlecs
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Re: Strategies?

Post by ChefAlecs »

true, true

Ok, I think I understood the core mechanics (gold management, experience, recalls...) but I can't think of strategies paper-rock-scissors type when battling

Let me put an example: 3 ogres, 2 ghosts and a truckload or skels attack me

What stats should I look at when making a battalion? Is it better quantity (level 1 ants army) or quality (less with higher level)? Should the heroes charge in battle? (Hero = named character that makes me lose the game if he/she dies)

Thanks kind of stuff
Velensk
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Re: Strategies?

Post by Velensk »

I don't understand your example. Was there a question?

One of the easiest ways we can help you is if your post your replays so that we can comment on them.

As for the specific questions you asked:
What stats do you look at when you make a battalion
All of them.
Is it better quantity (level 1 ants army) or quality (less with higher level)?
Depends on the situation. In campaigns you'll need to relly quite a bit on level 1 cannon fodder as the upkeep for advanced units adds up quickly, at the same time you'll also need some advanced units.
Should the heroes charge in battle?
As long as you keep them alive. Remember, the faster you finish scenarios the more gold you get. As long as you have enough fodder it shouldn't be too hard to limit the number of hexsides your heros can be attacked from to keep them alive.
Last edited by Velensk on September 10th, 2011, 10:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"There are two kinds of old men in the world. The kind who didn't go to war and who say that they should have lived fast died young and left a handsome corpse and the old men who did go to war and who say that there is no such thing as a handsome corpse."
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Great_Mage_Atari
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Re: Strategies?

Post by Great_Mage_Atari »

Well, for your scenario, you need to give us a type of Faction you are playing as.
As for basic strategy, play as how you feel most comfortable. You can attack with a huge army, go for quality units to attack your foes (which is recommended if given the chance), or any other type of strategy you like. Some factions have special advantages over others, or have disadvantages too. It all really depends on the scenario and situation. As Velensk said, this question isn't really that understandable.
ChefAlecs
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Re: Strategies?

Post by ChefAlecs »

Ok, sorry but english isn't my main language

I'll try to explain myself a bit better

What I'd like to know is pretty much what to take in consideration when forming a battalion

To put it even easier, let me form some questions:

- Is it better to attack a unit with an attack that the defender can't do anything but knowing that the retaliation will be painful? (i.e. Attacking spearmen with archers)

- How important is taking advantage of terrain? (i.e. Ambushing from forests with elfs)

- An example of well-rounded 5-7 men army? (i.e. 2 shamans, 2 mages, 3 archers, 2 swordsmen)

- How much does a honey badger care if an army of bees sting him while eating larvae?

And so on

Thanks
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Great_Mage_Atari
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Re: Strategies?

Post by Great_Mage_Atari »

Well, it all depends on the opponent and personal preference. I usually attack spearmen with archers if I know for a fact that that my bowman will survive. Now, as for the balancing of your army, you don't necessarily need the same number of units of each type. I prefer to only recruit/recall units that have advantages over the enemy. It's really all personal preferance.
As for the Honey Badger, it doesn't get mad, cuz it don't give a *@$%!
Velensk
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Re: Strategies?

Post by Velensk »

I'll try this batch of questions but I will say that a lot of them don't make sense conceptually and I think that'll show in my answers.
- Is it better to attack a unit with an attack that the defender can't do anything but knowing that the retaliation will be painful? (i.e. Attacking spearmen with archers)
Alright, let me put it this way, if you're going to attack you might as well do it with a unit that won't take as much retaliation if you can (allowing for other considerations). If you have a mixed batch of archers and swordsmen and are fighting an enemy with archers and swordsmen you might as well attack the archers with your swordsmen and vice versa because if you attack the swordsmen with the swordsmen and the archers with the archers there is nothing to stop your enemy from attacking your swordsmen with his archers taking very little retaliation on his turn and delivering full retaliation on yours. Whether or not it is worth attacking at all is a different issue and must be approached on a situation by situation basis.
An example of well-rounded 5-7 men army? (i.e. 2 shamans, 2 mages, 3 archers, 2 swordsmen)
I would not say that it's personal preference, but that it is dependent. Dependent on what you're fighting, which faction you are, and what the map is. In general your basic melee units provide the most effect for their cost (most damage and hitpoints without a crippling weakness) and thus should form the base of your army (even that is not a hard fast rule, knalgans and undead are examples of factions where this may not apply most of the time). Much of the usefulness of other things involves how they relate to them.

In any case, there is no golden ratio of any kind.
How much does a honey badger care if an army of bees sting him while eating larvae?
What I think you are asking is how much do lower level units scare higher level ones and the answer is, again, it depends. It depends on a large number of factors. I will say however, that in general units scale as such lvl 1->lvl2 involves about 14-18 more hitpoints and a 50% boost to damage. 14 more hitpoints is the average amount of damage a typical melee unit will deal to an enemy on 40% terrain when resistances and ToD are not involved, thus a level 2 will generally take only a couple more attacks from lvl 1s to be destroyed than a lvl 1 would as long as conditions are 'typical' (and they almost never are). One or two attacks extra might not be easy to achieve however if a lvl 2 is in a formation and can retreat for healing after being wounded or very easy if that lvl 2 is trying to attack anywhere where it can be surrounded.

Again, there is no universal rule, shadows and ghosts can both be taken down by a single lvl 1 mage at day if it is lucky.
"There are two kinds of old men in the world. The kind who didn't go to war and who say that they should have lived fast died young and left a handsome corpse and the old men who did go to war and who say that there is no such thing as a handsome corpse."
Often
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Re: Strategies?

Post by Often »

Remember why you are there. :eng: That works for me!
ozean
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Re: Strategies?

Post by ozean »

ChefAlecs wrote:- How important is taking advantage of terrain? (i.e. Ambushing from forests with elfs)
Extremely important. Make this your basic rule. Of course, exceptions are possible, but only under circumstances where they don’t bring a real risk or where you have no other choice.

Positioning and using your zone of control to hold your positions and your territory are crucial for successful gameplay in Battle for Wesnoth.
Caphriel
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Re: Strategies?

Post by Caphriel »

ozean wrote:
ChefAlecs wrote:- How important is taking advantage of terrain? (i.e. Ambushing from forests with elfs)
Extremely important. Make this your basic rule. Of course, exceptions are possible, but only under circumstances where they don’t bring a real risk or where you have no other choice.

Positioning and using your zone of control to hold your positions and your territory are crucial for successful gameplay in Battle for Wesnoth.
Correction: Terrain is important, but limiting the number of hexes the enemy can attack you from is a much better defensive method. It's nice to have all your units on good terrain, but if they are so spread apart that each can be attacked by twice as many units, the terrain advantage is generally negated, and you lose freedom of maneuver when enemy units penetrate your line. This is especially important when playing campaigns, because the AI will usually have many more units than you. Instead of just grabbing the best terrain for each unit, look for places where you can use your units' zone of control to limit the number of hexes the enemy can attack each unit from to 2, or 3 at most, while still placing your units on as good terrain as possible. It's generally better to have a straight line of elves mostly on hills than separate clumps of elves in forests.
ChefAlecs
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Re: Strategies?

Post by ChefAlecs »

bottleneck > forests

got it
Caphriel
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Re: Strategies?

Post by Caphriel »

Usually, if you're defending, bottlenecks > any terrain consideration, because they'll prevent your enemy from bringing most of their force to bear.

Keep in mind that while a good defense is valuable, and you can sometimes defend your way forward to victory, you'll often have to break formation to some extent to attack, at which point terrain becomes more valuable and starts getting more tactical consideration.
monochromatic
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Re: Strategies?

Post by monochromatic »

The one time I'd rather use terrain for cover is when I'm playing with level one elves. Those buggers have such little hitpoints that they're almost literally eaten up on bad terrain. Especially archers and shamans: always keep them on forest tiles unless the enemy cannot reach them. When they level they are slightly better, but try to keep them on good terrain.

Almost every other faction is better with defensive formations than scattered on good terrain.
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