aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Knights and Merchants: Advanced Strategy Guide Version 1.5 Contents 1.1 Introduction 1.2 Legalities 2.1 Logistics 2.2 Ratios 2.3 Troop Analysis 2.4 Tactics 2.5 Starter Troop Wins 3.1 Contact information 3.2 Copyright 1.1 Introduction This is my first GameFAQ guide, so please bare with me if the layout and wording isn't top-notch; I am trying my best! At the time of writing there is only a single Knights and Merchants FAQ. This is frankly outragous. Whilst an old game it is an incredible RTS, with charming graphics and a decent enough storyline. However if you are viewing this guide, I've no doubt you already know all of that. You already know how the game works, and all the basics. This guide is designed to help you always have food stocks, materials delivered to outlets faster and without jams, and to cover the finer points of combat. I've read several reviews, and they all complain about the above issues. In actuality they're just playing the game badly. If you don't enjoy the game pace, then this game clearly is not for you. Missions are designed to take upto several hours to complete. So without further ado, I'll cover the legalities then you'll be able to scroll down and read the guide. 1.2 Legalities All trademarks and copyrights contained in this document are owned by their respective trademark and copyright holders. If you wish to reproduce this guide, for whatever reason please email me first at the email given in the contact information section. I'm sure there will not be an issue, I just like to know where my work is being used. 2.1 Logistics Have you ever heard of the saying an amature General studies tactics, whilst a true General studies logistics? Never have I seen this phrase come to life in a game as much as it does in Knights and Merchants. What I mean by logistics, so that there is no confusion, are the transportation of materials and supplies. The most important building to note is the Warehouse. What I see many people do is simply stick with the starter warehouse. After all, it can hold infinite resources (or else a very large amount) so there seems little reason to build another one. However, one warehouse and a large town quickly adds up to a huge queue to access the building. It slows down transportation, and this inturn leads to weapons and armour not being built fast enough, and people dying of starvation as the inn is not stocked up with food. What should be done instead is the town should be split into areas. The serfs will put the resources into the nearest warehouse. It is also best to try and put resource 'pairs' near to one another to cut down travel time. Let me try and give an example of this: - Build a warehouse in an area. To one side of it place your farms. Then add the swine farm and mill to another side, whilst the butcher and baker to another. - Build another warehouse. Place the tanner and stables between the two warehouses. Then build sawmills, armour and weapon workshops near the new warehouse. Build a barracks nearby also. - Build a third warehouse near gold, iron and coal outputs. Place the Metallurgy Shop nearby, as with the Iron smithy. - Build a school between the barracks and the third warehouse. I could go on, but I'm sure you are now getting the idea. Cutting down travel time for serfs, whilst spreading them out as much as possible so they are not all crammed into one area. Try to make your town as compact as possible, this will decrease travel time. Another important feature is to make as many bypasses as possible around your buildings. If serfs are forces to travel up a single road, they will soon slow each other down. Think about what routes they will take, and produce many options. Always build a school house near your barracks. I'm sure you will have noticed that when the school is far away, recruits will sit outside the school enmass, going one-by-one to the barracks. Having a school close to the barracks not only fills the barracks faster, it also decreases congession for the serfs. Like the warehouse, the inn will also attract a lot of visiters. The larger your town gets the more inns you should make. This again decreases travel time for your townsmen getting them back to work faster, and decreases congession. It also means there is a greater chance of the inn being stocked with food. So, a summary: - Build different warehouses for different areas. - Provide as many routes as possible for your serfs to travel by. - Build different inns for different areas. - Build a schoolhouse near your barracks. If these points are followed, you should never experience a famine again. 2.2 Ratios There are a number of mathetically correct ratios to have with number of buildings. If the ratios are not followed, then there will either be too much supplies (which wastes serf power) or too little supplies. 1 Quarry: Stone use (eg Building and Guardtowers). 2 Woodcutter: 1 Sawmill (only really useful if wooden weapons are to be built). 1 Sawmill: 1 Wood use (Building and Weapon/Armour production). 1 Farm: 1 Corn use (Swine farm, Mill, and Stable). 1 Mill: 1 Bakers. 2 Swinefarms: 1 Butchers. 2 Swinefarms: 1 Tanner. 1 Tanner: 2 Armour workshops. 1 Mine: 1 Mine use (Metalurlogists, Metal Smithy, Weapons Workshop etc). 1 Metal Smithy: 1 Metal use (Weapons Workshop and Armour Workshop). I've still to find an exact ratio for number of serfs to use in a village. I like to have such an amount that if no building is going on there are still serfs stood around doing nothing. This means that troops can be feed quickly, and any further building I choose to do can be done efficently. 2.3 Troop Analysis Before going into tactics, I feel it's probably best to go over every troop and what their purpose is. It can be assumed that metal versions of leather troops serve the same purpose, so I won't touch absolutely every troop. Militia - The most basic of all the troops. With no defence and only a single attack point, they can seem quite useless. Except they're not. Often the enemy will attack before you have had a chance to build a proper army. The advantage of the Militia is that they are very quick and easy to build. With a weapons workshop built at the sametime as the sawmill, 20 axes can be built up, and 20 militia can be built. Presuming archers are left from the starter troops it is an adequate defence, especially when combined with watch towers. Axefighters - These troops are much more powerful then the militia. These troops are the ones who should do the bulk of the fighting. Like "tanks" on RPGs, Axefighters need to take the hits for the team. If needs be small squads can be taken away from the main bulk for flanking purposes, but generally their purpose is to stand, look pretty, then take hits. Bowmen - Of all the troops in the game, these are the most vital. They make the difference between winning and losing. In battle they need to be kept behind rocks, behind troops, and never actually confronting the enemy. It is worth having reserve squads to take down enemy archers (see tactics). Bowmen are also useful for sneaking behind enemy lines and taking down buildings whilst enemy troops still exist. Bowmen work best in small groups of 6-8, rather than larger groups. This makes for better mobility. Lance Carriers - Weaker versions of Axemen. Almost. They are faster to produce which has an advantage, and against Cavalry they get an extra 3-4 attack points making them incredibly powerful. If needs be they can take the role of tank instead of the axefighters, but they are better used on the side lines to pincer any enemy cavaly to take the strain off the Axefighters. Scouts - Axefighters on horses. The unit that takes the most resources to actually produce. They travel at the rate of a constant axefighter charge, and are exceptionally vunerable to spears. For this reason it is best to use scouts not as tanks, but instead as a flanking unit. Keep small squads of scouts way to the sidelines, then should bowmen arrive they can run in and destroy them without worry. If it is definite that the enemy has no lance carriers, then scouts can move in after destroying the archers inorder to aid the Axefighters. Barbarians - The most powerful unit in the game. It is also an unbuildable unit, and has absolutely no defence points. If Axefighters are the tank of the KnM world, Barbarians are undoubtably the damage dealers. They are best used for flanking, destroying buildings, or providing extra support to axe- fighters whilst the axefighters are already taking the hits. They can stand up for themselves when in head to head battles, but are not best used in that manner. 2.4 Tactics The use of correct tactics can result in massive wins, or even wins without touching a single enemy troop. This is a complete list of what I have used in my games. Luring - this is possibly the most important tactic. Early on enemies have guard towers defending their bases, and also have troops. It is important to get the troops away from the guard towers. Inorder to do this, send a single bowmen out to attack a tower, then once enemy troops are following lead them back to the main bulk of the army (it is sometimes required to turn around and fire another arrow to keep them interested). Sometimes multiple luring has to be done, whereas sometimes the enemy will keep on sending troops at you until they run out. It is also possible to lure the enemy back to your main camp, where upon your guard towers can set upon them. Flanking - bowmen make the difference between victory and defeat. It is prudent therefore to deprive the enemy of his bowmen. Usually Melee troops will come first when lured, followed by the bowmen. If a group of Scouts, or Axefighters (only small, such as 6 or 8 soldiers) is placed both forward and to the side of the main army, when the bowmen come the flanking group can decend upon them before they have a chance to set up. Flanking can be equally effective as a tactic to use against Scouts, when you have a group of Lance Carriers. Pincers - This is where two groups of troops move in to attack an enemy on both sides. This is best done by Barbarians, or Lance Carriers, but can also be an effective tactic to swarm the enemy with more Axefighters. Narrow Passageways - There are places which exist in the game which are very narrow. They can only hold a row of 4 or less troops. This means even if the enemy has more troops, they won't be able to overwealm your troops (think 300). With bowman support and flanking cover using Narrow passageways is an excellent alternative to having a war on a plain. Double Bowmen - Bowmen can fight without rocks or troops to hide behind, but it requires two squads and a lot of room to move. Have one squad fire at the target, whilst the other squad moves backwards and sets up. The first squad can then be moved behind the second squad, whilst the second squad provides the support fire. Ultimately the enemy troops will die, but without a large open space this can not work. Commando Bowman - Sometimes it's possible to sneak bowmen behind enemy lines, and have them wreak the storehouse and inn causing the enemy to starve to death. Bizarely attacking buildings inside the enemy towns doesn't upset the enemy troops, and seeing all the enemy troops starve to death can be quite satisfying. 2.5 Starter Troop Wins This is an on going section whilst I play through the game again. Quite often when the game is nice enough to gift starter troops, it is possible to defeat the enemy, or at least the aggressive enemy towns, before a single weapon of your own has been produced. In some levels I have not found a means to win with the starter troops, but where it is possible it can be quite satisfying. Mission 1 - After saving the town you will be left with some militia, and some axefighters. Inside the castle there are some bows, and some leather armour. It is vitally important at this point to produce the 20 bowmen. First have a small group of militia, and a slightly larger force. Head over your bridge, then turn them left. In the mean time, line up your axemen, bowmen and remaining militia facing north, just over the bridge. Ideally at this point you should be able to see some lance carriers. The two groups of militia should encounter some blue axe fighters. Have the smaller group attack them, whilst the larger group walks past and follows the rock north-east. The larger group needs to head around the rock, move south and start killing the bowmen, whilst this is underway the main force can advance forwards and kill the lance carriers under the protective fire of your own archers. The yellow town will still have troops remaining, but with archer fire you'll take them out easily. Head into the yellow town, and destroy it. Then it's a case of heading to the west, and doing the same thing to the blue town. They have no archers, only axefighters, so the battle will easily be in your favour. Mission 2 - This win is a little more sneaky, and perhaps quite underhand. All troops will need to be sent to the bridge to the north-east. Split your archers into two groups, and one group into another. Place three archers to the path to the right of the bridge, facing away from the enemy troops. Then place the remaining troops slightly to the south west. Have the group containing just a single archer head out over the bridge and lure out the cavalry. Take the cavalry back to your main army, and start a fight. Then take the three archers and keep them on the right-hand side and advance into the village. Shoot at the storehouse, and then the inn. It'll take quite a while, but the end result is that everyone starves to death. Some Militia may still have to be created to smash the remaining buildings, but this is essentially a starter troop win. Mission 4 - A complete starter win is not possible, or if it is I have no found it yet. What is possible however is a victory over the first town (there are two), and the first town is the aggressive one that will launch raids later in the game. Notice to the East, just south from the bridge, there is a narrow point between the water and the rocks. Place the lance carriers there. Make sure you have a single archer for luring, then place some behind the lance carriers and some on the rocks to the west. All the axemen should be north of the west side of the bridge. Lure out the cavalry, and take them to the lance carriers. Soon the enemy will launch everything they have at you. The lance carriers and archers can take it, until the enemy archers arrive. Luckily the axemen can flank them, so as to prevent them from doing any damage. Once everyone is dead, advance into the town and destroy it. Make note that attacking the line of guard towers is not adviseable until later in the mission. Mission 7 - The enemy will attack right from the start. It will be a tough fight, but ultimately you will come out the victor. Wonderful. Unfortunately the enemy still has troops they have already sent at you, but luckily your ally still has troops left. Place all your archers behind your white ally, except for a single troop, and place any melee fighters with the white militia. Have the archer lure out the enemy, then run away. What you're aiming for is about half the force to get bored and retreat, whilst the rest follows. Between the masses of white's militia, and your remaining troops, they die. Repeat the process again and the remainder of blue's army will be finished. At this point it is safe to advance all the archers and remove the watch towers. The second town will still exist, but that town does not attack. Hence you are safe to just build up and attack when you wish. Mission 9 - This part needs to be done fast. Take two crossbow men, and advance them north, just east of the purple encampment. Make them keep to the rocky wall, and head around. With luck the Guardtower will only have a single stone, and it will miss. Keep them moving in and you'll find the store house. Destroy it. If possible also kill the inn. Whilst that is in progress, move the two squads of barbarians and the remaining crossbowmen east. Keep one squad pressed against the south wall, and move them so they are at the side of the purple archers. Have the other squad ready to charge the axefighters, with the crossbow men to back them up. Charge into the archers first, then the axefighters. Cavalry will also come to attack, but they won't put up much of a fight. Advance forward and smash the (at that point) small town. Now what happened for me was a lone crossbow man decended from the north-east town, which I killed and this brought out more archers. This may not happen on every game, but I'm sure the troops can just be lured. The town has crossbow men and swordsmen, they can all be killed. The town also contains guard towers inside it, which need to be watched out for. Once the town has been crippled (inn, storehouse and barracks gone) troops can be moved to the west, pressed along the rocks to the south. There is a further storehouse to destroy, and if the crossbow men left earlier need more help they can be aided. All the remaining troops will starve to death, and so three villages have been leveled with a few barbarians and 10 crossbow men. 3.1 Contact Information I've no doubt this guide is littered with errors and problems. I was just amazed that only one other guide existed for KnM, and had to do something about it. If you want to contact me about anything to do with the guide, or whatever really (come to think of it I'd actually like email even if you have only opened the guide.. just to know someone else cares about the game). This is my email: [email protected] 3.2 Copyright Copyright 2009 Scott Oxtoby aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa