Phase 2: Defeating the Teutonic Commander
With the initial skirmishes concluded, your objective now shifts to eliminating the Teutonic Commander. This hero unit is a formidable opponent, capable of dealing significant damage and inspiring nearby troops. A well-executed, multi-pronged assault is key to minimizing casualties and securing victory.
Strategic Unit Deployment
The core of your strategy revolves around isolating and overwhelming the Commander. Leverage your unit compositions effectively:
- Cavalry Encirclement: Immediately upon engaging the Commander, use your cavalry to surround him. This tactic prevents him from retreating and allows for sustained melee damage. For this crucial task, prioritize fast and hard-hitting units. Knights are ideal due to their high attack and armor, making them resilient against the Commander's attacks while delivering powerful blows. If Knights are not readily available or you need to conserve resources, Scouts can also be effective for the initial encirclement due to their speed, though their damage output is significantly lower. Ensure at least 4-6 cavalry units are dedicated to this encirclement to maintain pressure.
- Ranged Focus Fire: While your cavalry engages in melee, your ranged units must concentrate all their fire on the Teutonic Commander. This is critical for quickly depleting his health. The most effective ranged units for this are Crossbowmen and Arbalesters due to their high piercing damage, which is often effective against armored hero units. Position these units behind your cavalry, ensuring they have a clear line of sight and are not drawn into melee combat with other enemy units. Aim for at least 8-10 ranged units for optimal focus fire. If you have access to them, Hand Cannoneers are also exceptionally strong against hero units.
- Support from Warrior Monks: Do not underestimate the power of your Warrior Monks. Position them strategically behind your frontline cavalry. Their primary role here is two-fold:
- Healing: Continuously heal your engaged cavalry units. This will significantly increase their survivability against the Commander's attacks, allowing them to hold the line longer.
- Conversion: Actively look for opportunities to convert nearby enemy units. Successfully converting even a few enemy soldiers can turn the tide of a smaller engagement, bolstering your forces and weakening the enemy simultaneously. Prioritize converting high-value targets like Teutonic Knights or other strong melee units if they are present.
Leveraging Environmental Advantages
Continue to utilize the environment to your advantage, particularly any icy terrain or chokepoints. Just as in the previous phase, the ice can be used to:
- Isolate Enemy Groups: Before directly engaging the Commander, attempt to draw smaller groups of his accompanying units onto the ice. Their reduced movement speed and potential for breaking through the ice can create opportunities to eliminate them with minimal resistance, thinning out the Commander's escort.
- Control Engagement Zones: Use narrow passages or icy patches to funnel enemy reinforcements, preventing them from swarming your units. This allows your ranged units to maintain their focus on the Commander without being distracted by flanking maneuvers.
Execution and Micro-Management
The engagement with the Teutonic Commander requires active micro-management:
- Initial Engagement: Send your cavalry to directly engage and surround the Commander. Use the 'Attack-Move' command to ensure they close in quickly.
- Ranged Targeting: Once your cavalry is engaged, immediately select all your designated ranged units and right-click directly on the Teutonic Commander to force them to focus fire. Ensure they are not targeting other units.
- Monk Support: Continuously monitor your cavalry's health and assign Warrior Monks to heal damaged units. Keep an eye out for conversion opportunities.
- Reinforcements: Have a small reserve of melee units, such as Spearmen or Men-at-Arms, ready to intercept any enemy reinforcements that attempt to disrupt your ranged units or flank your cavalry.
- Commander's Abilities: Be aware of any special abilities the Teutonic Commander might possess. While not explicitly detailed, hero units often have buffs or area-of-effect attacks. If he has an area-of-effect attack, try to spread your cavalry slightly to minimize damage, but do not break the encirclement.
A concentrated and coordinated attack will quickly bring down the Teutonic Commander, marking a significant victory in your campaign. Remember, patience and precise unit control are your greatest assets in this phase.
