Game Play Tutorial

Combat & Combat Modifiers: Before deciding to engage in any combat, you should make sure to read the complete 1483 online Game Rules about the attack and defense strengths of the various units. As a general rule, cavalry attack well, but defend poorly. Infantry defend well but attack poorly. Knights attack and defend well, but are very expensive units. However, in addition to those basics, there are a few other factors to consider. We'll go over these below. Cities and City Fortifications: Cities are represented by yellow circles on the map, held within certain territories. A maximum of one city per territory. These are known as "City Territories". Every City Territory has what we call a "Forticiation Value". This represents the city walls and/or other defenses that can help the owner of the city to defend stronger. City Fortifications add bonuses to any infantry that are defending the city. Infantry usually have a "Defense Rating" of a 6, which means in any combat round where the unit is the defender the infantry will kill an enemy unit on a 6 in 10 chance. A City Fortification can add a +1, +2 or +3 to this value, giving the infantry up to a 9 in 10 chance of killing an enemy unit. Only Infantry units can recieve this bonus from a City Fortification. City Fortifications are rated 1 to 9. A rating of 1-3 grants a +1 bonus, 4-6 a +2 bonus and a 7-9 a +3 bonus. (see the blue square on the image below).

Artillery & City Fortifications: An Artillery unit that is a part of an army that is attacking a city territory can help to reduce or eliminate the City Fortification Value. Artillery have an attack value of 5 (meaning it can score a hit on a 5 in 10 chance) when attacking a city. Before the rest of a combat round is processed each artillery gets its random 5 in 10 chance to score a hit against the City Fortifications. Each Artillery unit that does score a hit will reduce the City Fortification value down 1 point. Only after this is done does the City Fortification then add its bonus to the defending infantry. Fortification loses due to Artillery are temporary and only for the duration of this battle. Straits: A straits represents a narrow waterway that separates two near by land territories. There are only a few of these in the game. Land units are able to cross a straits just like the two land territories acorss the straits from each other where like any other adjacent land territories. However, if you have forces that are moving across a straits and into an enemy territory your units will recieve penalty in that combat, should any combat happen. Infantry get a -1 to attack and Cavalry and Knights get a -2. (see the red circle on the image below). Beachlanding: Units that are unloading from a ship (or Bridging) into an enemy held territory recieve the same combat penalties as units crossing a straits. Generals: Generals are not a map feature, but they affect on combat is different just the same. Generals do not have combat abilities themselves. Instead, they take their skill rating and apply those as bonuses to the troops they are with (weather defending or attacking). Hence a General with a skill of 8 might provide a +1 to each of 8 infantry units defending the territory. How the bonus is divided among thr troops will depend on the make up of your force in that battle and weather you are attacking or defending. Knights & First Strike: Knights are powerful units of great skill. Due to their armor and powerful war horses, Knight units get a "first strike" when in combat in NON CITY TERRITORIES. What this means is, the Knight units have their attack/defense rolls determined first and if they kill an enemy unit, that unit is removed without getting a combat roll itself (unless, of course, the other side only had knights units). Go To Next Page of Tutorial