TWC Wiki - User contributions [en]

Spain (M2TW Faction)

2009-04-16T12:59:40Z

Holy Roman Emperor: /* Overview */

[[Category: Medieval 2: Total War Factions]]

== Overview ==
[[Image:Symbol_spain.jpg|Faction Symbol for Spain]]

Spain starts with 2 settlements:
* Leon (Capital) (Large town)
* Toledo (Castle)

Spain is one of the harder factions to play as it completely lacks spearmen in the early (and start of the high) period, except spear militia which are at best a sacrificial unit used to protect more important troops that cannot take a charge. This makes Spain quite weak when facing [[Catholic]] factions which rely on knights unless of course the Spanish crown buys some mercenary spearmen.
In the late game, Spain lacks heavy armor piercing infantry, which will take its toll on Spanish armies fighting against other Catholic factions. However, as most of their troops have light armor and are used to fighting in hot weather, Spain has an advantage when fighting Muslim armies as well as the [[Aztecs]].
Spain also has an effective navy, being able to field grand carracks instead of the normal carracks.
Iberia itself, is contested by 3 factions, and Spain is in the fairly weak position of having a [[Portugal|Portuguese]] province either side of it and the Muslim Moors to the south.
However, there are also great opportunities with nearby rebel provinces, and lots of nearby [[Islam|Muslim]] armies to fight in order to gain [[Pope|Papal]] favor.

== Infantry ==

Spanish infantry is at best, average, until the high period, where Spain are one of the few factions that gain access to Sword and Buckler men, as well as Tercio pikemen, who are both effective and Tercio pikemen unique to Spain (Sicily also has Sword and Buckler men as well).
They also have access to dismounted Conquistadors, who are trainable in the new world only, and are well suited to fighting its natives.
If playing with a mod which allows dismounted Knights of Santiago, they are highly effective swordsmen, offering Spain a unit of heavy infantry which is a niche it under performs in.

== Cavalry ==

Spain make use of the average knights available to the other catholic factions, but also gain Jinetes, who can be trained in cities with a bullring.
Jinetes are excellent light cavalry that can protect the main Spanish army from other catholics knights if used correctly (work in pairs, draw off units of knights from the enemies main army with the jinites' javelins, then charge into the rear of the unit, and if necessary, charge with the second unit of the pain, though this tactics will likely get your cavalry killed if the enemy have a good amount of effective missile troops)
Spain is one of two factions that also get Knights of Santiago, who are a match for all other knightly orders.
Spain also gets to use Gendarmes, which are professional heavy cavalry of the late period.

== Missile ==

Spain make use of the average crossbow armed missile units available to all factions, but also used Javelinmen and Almugavars. At a stretch they can also enter melee and give a good account of themselves, however, neither is a match for true melee units.

Spain also uses musketeers, who, although weak in melee, have a long range and are quite effective at neutralising the foot knights used by Spain's neighbors.

Spanish artillery is also of the highest quality, with access to the fearsome Basilisk cannons

== Conclusion ==

Spanish forces give the feel of commanding a light, fast, and flexible army that is well suited to ambushes and skirmishing against heavier catholic knights, however they also posses units that are capable at siege assault, as well as a powerful navy.
Due to their ability to train cavalry in cities, its possible to take all of Iberia and defend it with only 2 castles, making the faction a potential economic powerhouse, especially when considering the relative closeness of Timbuktu and all the riches that province possesses.
Spain are unfortunately a long way from the Holy Land, so any crusades will almost certainly have to travel by sea.

Although they rely on light troops, Spain should in no circumstances be underestimated as an enemy.

== See Also ==
*[[Spain]] - Country and disambiguation page.

{{M2 Factions}}

Spain (M2TW Faction)

2009-04-16T12:49:41Z

Holy Roman Emperor: /* Overview */

[[Category: Medieval 2: Total War Factions]]

== Overview ==
[[Image:Symbol_spain.jpg|Faction Symbol for Spain]]

Spain is one of the harder factions to play as it completely lacks spearmen in the early (and start of the high) period, excepting spear militia which are at best a sacrificial unit used to protect more important troops that cannot take a charge. This makes Spain quite weak when facing [[Catholic]] factions which rely on knights unless of course the Spanish crown buys some mercenary spearmen.
In the late game, Spain lacks heavy armor piercing infantry, which will take its toll on Spanish armies fighting against other catholic factions. However, as most of their troops have light armor and are used to fighting in hot weather, Spain has an advantage when fighting Muslim armies as well as the [[Aztecs]].
Spain also has an effective navy, being able to field grand carracks instead of the normal carracks.
Iberia itself, is contested by 3 factions, and Spain is in the fairly weak position of having a [[Portugal|Portuguese]] province either side of it.
However, there are also great opportunities with nearby rebel provinces, and lots of nearby [[Islam|Muslim]] armies to fight in order to gain [[Pope|Papal]] favor.

== Infantry ==

Spanish infantry is at best, average, until the high period, where Spain are one of the few factions that gain access to Sword and Buckler men, as well as Tercio pikemen, who are both effective and Tercio pikemen unique to Spain (Sicily also has Sword and Buckler men as well).
They also have access to dismounted Conquistadors, who are trainable in the new world only, and are well suited to fighting its natives.
If playing with a mod which allows dismounted Knights of Santiago, they are highly effective swordsmen, offering Spain a unit of heavy infantry which is a niche it under performs in.

== Cavalry ==

Spain make use of the average knights available to the other catholic factions, but also gain Jinetes, who can be trained in cities with a bullring.
Jinetes are excellent light cavalry that can protect the main Spanish army from other catholics knights if used correctly (work in pairs, draw off units of knights from the enemies main army with the jinites' javelins, then charge into the rear of the unit, and if necessary, charge with the second unit of the pain, though this tactics will likely get your cavalry killed if the enemy have a good amount of effective missile troops)
Spain is one of two factions that also get Knights of Santiago, who are a match for all other knightly orders.
Spain also gets to use Gendarmes, which are professional heavy cavalry of the late period.

== Missile ==

Spain make use of the average crossbow armed missile units available to all factions, but also used Javelinmen and Almugavars. At a stretch they can also enter melee and give a good account of themselves, however, neither is a match for true melee units.

Spain also uses musketeers, who, although weak in melee, have a long range and are quite effective at neutralising the foot knights used by Spain's neighbors.

Spanish artillery is also of the highest quality, with access to the fearsome Basilisk cannons

== Conclusion ==

Spanish forces give the feel of commanding a light, fast, and flexible army that is well suited to ambushes and skirmishing against heavier catholic knights, however they also posses units that are capable at siege assault, as well as a powerful navy.
Due to their ability to train cavalry in cities, its possible to take all of Iberia and defend it with only 2 castles, making the faction a potential economic powerhouse, especially when considering the relative closeness of Timbuktu and all the riches that province possesses.
Spain are unfortunately a long way from the Holy Land, so any crusades will almost certainly have to travel by sea.

Although they rely on light troops, Spain should in no circumstances be underestimated as an enemy.

== See Also ==
*[[Spain]] - Country and disambiguation page.

{{M2 Factions}}

Scotland Details (M2TW Faction)

2009-04-16T12:48:00Z

Holy Roman Emperor: /* Strategies */

{{FactionDetails}}

==Overview==

Scotland is a faction located in the north of Great Britain. Despite its position however, it has always been oppressed by England to the south and it is up to the player to make [[England]] submit to Scottish rule. Playing as Scotland will yield an interesting campaign with the goal of uniting Britain and capturing the holy city of Jerusalem, Scotland is sure to endure much bloodshed and conquest on the road to glory.

In order for Scotland to win the normal campaign, it must take Jerusalem and 45 other provinces. On the shorter campaign the Scots need to hold 15 regions and eliminate [[England]].

==Religion==

Scotland is a [[Catholic]] faction, meaning that it will receive missions from the Pope. The main down side to this is that Scotland will generally have a hard time participating in [[Crusades]], as its position is far away from likely [[Crusade]] targets.

==Military==

Scotland's military strength comes primarily from infantry with light armour (low defense) and high attack capabilities. Scotland's cavalry and missile units are mediocre, as is their navy. In terms of gunpowder, Scotland is unable to train firearm-equipped soldiers, but has access to decent cannons for taking down castle walls.

===Infantry===

Scotland's military will generally be infantry-based. Scotland's offensive infantry are generally lightly armoured, but have a high attack value, as well as the ability to pierce armour, thanks to their tendency to wield axes. In terms of defense, Scotland has a wide variety of spear and pike units to choose from. Along with the standard spear men available to most other factions, Scotland has access to three types of pike infantry, two of which start off wearing plate armour. This variety of spear/pike soldiers gives Scotland a great advantage over English cavalry. To match the English armoured swordsmen, Scotland can also train Noble swordsmen, which have the same stats as their English counterparts. The main down side to Scotland's reliance on infantry is that its armies will be less mobile.

===Missiles===

Scotland's missile capability is at best mediocre, having access only to foot archers which are nowhere near as capable as [[England]]'s longbows. The only real area where these archers shine is in melee, where they can generally hold their own. If there is a need for better missile infantry, Scotland can recruit mercenary crossbowmen for armour piercing capability.

===Cavalry===

In terms of cavalry, Scotland has much to be desired. Scottish light cavalry can be useful for running down routers and supporting other infantry. The heavy cavalry are nothing special, being the standard feudal and mailed knights.

===Gunpowder===

Scotland's gunpowder capabilities are average. Unlike most other factions, Scotland is unable to train firearm wielding foot soldiers. This is made up for by having decent cannon artillery, which easily gets the job done. Otherwise, in terms of artillery, Scotland has the same standard lineup as most other factions.

==Strategies==

The following are a few commonly used strategies for Scotland:

''Early Expansion''

At the beginning of the campaign, Scotland only has one settlement, its capital, Edinburgh. The surrounding areas are rebel settlements (Inverness, York, Caernarvon, and Dublin) are waiting to be taken. To the south is York, which you will have to race against the English to capture if you want it. Use your army located to the south of Edinburgh to capture it. To the north lies Inverness, which has a relatively large garison so bolster your northern army to capture it but bolster it with Spear Militia and believe me the Spear Militia are far better than any other spearmen you are going to encounter on Britain and the pikes are even better! Ireland is to the west (which can be brought under your control by taking Dublin). Most players quickly go for taking the two southern rebel settlements, Caernarvon castle and the village of York. Because the British AI likes to have these settlements under their control, they will attack them if they are poorly defended. If you are able to secure these settlements, you can start building up your forces to take the rest of the British isles, and, later on in the game, start your conquest of the English territories in France. And once you have done that you are free to expand. Although...

I think it would be a brilliant idea to expand south to the Mediteranean firstly giving you access to the whole world for trade and also you are closer to Jerusalem which if you are playing the Long Campaign you will have to have to win the game. (Also the middle east is the place where the money is. Unfortuneatly you will need to relocate your capital to somewhere more central for it to be really effective at funding your wars and whatever you want to spend your money on.

Due to Scotland's tendency to be short on florins (money) and resources (unless you conquer the Middle East, Crusades are generally not a good idea, as it involves sending a large force (which could be used to defend Scotland's territories from attack from the British or Danish, or used to take more settlements) over a very long distance. If holding the city of Jerusalem is required, it is recommended that you invest on its conquest later in the game.

===Defense===

Scotland's main rival is [[England]]. The best defense against the English is to take the two southern rebel settlements, thus depriving the English from the benefits they provide. After the two southern rebel settlements are taken and secured, Scotland can decide on what to do next. Take the rest of the England? Or stop there and hold the prizes they've already won? What must also be counted for is England who will probably build up a force with the very intention of taking these lands away from you.

At the initiation of the game, England is Scotland's main adversary. The best defense is offense for the Scottish. The majority of players make this a reality by using a blitz tactic to capture all of the rebel settlements to south of them. After all of the rebel settlements are taken, a defensive garrison can be setup in York and Caernarvon. The key to this defense however, is to know when to turn it into an offensive action. Scotland needs to capture all of the rebel settlements to the south and keep them garrisoned while claiming the highlands and Ireland. The player may choose a different strategy, however. The most important thing is to know when to strike and not to let England build up it's forces.

During all of this military and economic build up, it may be wise to establish an [[alliance]] with England's other rival, [[France]]. By doing so, it is possible for the player to force the English into a two-front war.

Another thing Scotland may need to look out for in the beginning of the game, is the chance of a possible naval invasion, most likely from [[Denmark]]. The chance of this happening is extremely small, but still possible.

===Diplomacy===

It may be wise to recreate the 'Auld Alliance' with [[France]]. It would benefit Scotland greatly, as this alliance will force the English to fight on two fronts. Keeping England busy is an important goal for the Scottish people. When you find yourself crossing the channel into Normandy the French may prove a worthy ally.

Another vital component to your diplomatic negotiations would be the procurement of trade rights with as many factions as possible. Send a [[diplomat]], via navy, to do so. The more trade partners Scotland can get, the more income it's going to have. This income is vital to expansion and defense.

===Economy===

At the start of the campaign, the Scottish Kingdom does not have a great economy, so it may be wise to capture Dublin, upgrade it to large town and build silver mines. The British Isles do not have as many economic resources in comparison to other parts of the campaign map. Getting trade rights with as many factions as possible will help immensely. Later on, seizing the holy lands around Jerusalem may introduce much needed Florins into your coffers. Beyond trade rights and mining, it's all about upgrade settlements and expanding.