Dealing with Immortals

[dexters]

After the latest PTW patch, I'm not sure sure enemy stacks are as stupid as yoiu'd think they are.

First of all, at least in a border conflict, they no longer stack, and I've seen them spread out into several two man teamswith the offense even doing solo into several directions where opportunities present themselves.

In a recent game, the Aztecs launched a surprise attack and moved in pikeman into my territory, pillaging their way through, while their mobile knights and horsemen would pop in and out of their cities to pick off my forces. The use of a defensive unit to wreck havoc in the countryside is obvious. Their defensive advantage makes counterattacks much more difficult and dangerous for my forces. And in given my forces were stretched, I could ill afford sending my defenders to take out the pikeman units since they'd surely be picked off by the roaming mobile units.

granted this was a very specific circumstance, people really should give the AI more credit.

[Frank Johnson]

Yeah, get them out in the open. Then you have to take the offensive. Get in a spot where your stack in on a hill or mountain, and their stack is in the clear. Attack them like crazy, then fortify the last few units. Enemy stacks are stupid....you can usually see their goal really easily.

Now if you are both out numbered and over powered...well.....sorry. ^_^ You need to at least be able to meet them in the feild. Idealy you assault them when their in the open with your own horses, or swordsmen if you can get them.

[kmad]

Early game, my neighbors are the Persians, let's assume I have no special unit available. They have Iron, I don't have a source of Iron reasonably close. I've got most of the early techs. Can I possibly defend against handfuls of Immortals better than with Spearmen, Horsemen and Archers? Or is it just a very expensive game of chess on my part?