Rise of the Foederati Beginner Guide (Tactics for Win)

All those hints apply for Version 1.1.4.

All tips are for playing offline against the AI, don’t experct them to work agains human players, who also know these principles !

I have most experience playing with goths and franks, so don’t be angry, if this does not work with the basques (but it should)

These are only general hints, feel free to vary them and develop more subtile tactics !
This hints do not empoy tactics, which base on bug-using.

I also played the game for about 1 week before writing these hints so comment, if you also have good ideas to help beginners.

If my time allows, I will keep these hints updated in later versions of the game.

Some things differ from other games I played, so I mention them here:

• you can move your warriors more than 1 time per turn, as long as you have movement-squares left, use this to navigate around zones of control
• if one of your fighters in engaged in melee, he cannot move anymore !
• currently (1.1.4) you can only move straight, not diagonal, this also applies for range of weapons!
• terrain currently (1.1.4) only blocks your way, it gives no cover (the frankish riders in the screenshot below can be shot at !)
• you can attack up to 3 times per round ! good patterns are escalation (quick – normal – heavy) or flurry (fast – fast – fast); note that a heavy melee-attack finishes your round, your 3rd attack has to be heavy, if one of the preceeding was not fast.
• fast slashing with the sword is imposible in current version (1.1.4)
• if ranged units miss, they might affect neighbouring squares (important in melee), only at their shortest range possible, you have no risk of friendly fire when shooting in melee – make use of this !

It is important that all your warriors move together in formation. The AI currently (1.1.4) just runs in your direction, so after some moves, faster units (riders) are seperated from slower footmen.

For your formation, you have to use one captain and as many “normal” soldiers as you wish and can afford.
Try to deploy your soldiers like shown below, or if your deployment-zone is too small, use your first turn(s) to bring your troops to formation.

Your troops are best deployed in a checkerboard formation (see examples for franks and goths)
(note that in those screenshots the cavalery is not in good formation, it should be zigzag too)
The gothic 3rd line are reserves, who come around if there are many enemies at one side.

What is the general benefit of this formation ?

• when the enemy runs into you, some enemies will be nearly be already encircled
• if ranged units miss, there is a chance to hit adjecent squares, if nobody is there, there is no risk
• ranged units are protected in the back line.

What is the general modus operandi ?

• if all units are placed well, there are killzones on sqares, where 3 of your melee-units+ all of your ranged units can attack, take out one enemy as fast as you can (3 attacks per round !)
• sooner or later charge in with your riders and complete the encirclement (then you can attack certain enemies from 4 directions
• killing an enemy will (usually) free one mor more of your warriors; use them to encircle another enemy
• GOTO 10
• until last enemy died

more things to think of:

• if you are in a saw formation, some of your units are attacked by 3 enemies, use ther well armored or high-hp fighters (franks: baro / goths: aihwudrauhtai as soon as possible)
• if frankish axefighter (heerbaan) come free at the end of the battle, you may switch to his throwing weapon to finish last enemies off faster.

if all went good, you will see your guys celebrating and this screen:

Goths:

• Aihwudrauhtai are the leopard 2 of the ancient time ! They have very high hp, enough stamina to do 3 attacks per round every time and are fast to encircle key enemies.
• Other notable units are Bogandrauhts and Thiwadus to provide firepower, but they will take damage and require healing after battle since they have low hp!

Franks:
(most of their units are good in 1.1.4 at least for a certain purpose)

• The Baro is heavyly armed and has high hp; use him in frontline
• the Hundesridan is a good total package
• the Heerbaan is cheap hand has firepower, some people greater than me won by “sting like a bee”, here you have a swarm of bees at your hands… (may require healing after battle)
• the Galikakus is really fast, he can reach far away houses in the raiding-phase; keep him away from melee even if he has a axe as last resort; he has no armour and low hp.

(no experience with Basques)

When all enemies are defeated, you can loot some houses.

Currently (1.1.4) only footmen can pillage so try to manage your fights, that the last enemy is encircled by riders, then your footmen can start walking in the direction of the settlement (not too far !, even if this might be a bug)

For raiding you have a certain time, where your men can move to the doors of the houses (pink squares), you cannot plunder every house !

Be quick clicking away inventories, because the timer goes down while browsing through your(? at least now ! ) inventory.

You can only steal as much you can carry, so plundering more than 1 or 2 house per person is not advised.

If you can manage that the fight takes place in the center of the village, you don’t have to walk far or the goodies, while if the fighting is done far away, you will not reach the houses in time.

I will give you no loot-list for every house but in general you can say that bigger, well build houses contain better loot, while in shags with no roof you will plunder nothing.