I actually waited a bit to ensure you tried hard enough, but since you don't seem to get past this one, I decided to spent some time on this mission for you. And you'r right, this is one of the thougher nuts to crack. But not impossible or as our friend FlameMaster says: "Impossible is nothing"
I somehow remember this mission and that means I must have had a hard time aswell when I played this mission.
Evidently on "very easy", where you get 100 000 resources of each, it's a piece of cake, so I won't deal with that.
But between "normal, hard & very hard" the resource amount is the same, only a difference in enemy troop size, so the strategy to follow is roughly the same.
Let's start with a couple of general hints & tips:
- At start of the game, press PAUSE to issue early commands.
- At start off the game, set the game speed to a lower level, because that game was made nearly 10 years ago when computers were not so fast as now, and playing such mission on computer of this generation, well, leave's little time to move around.
- At start off the game, delete all walls ( wooden & stone), because they drain any incoming resources from wood & stone and you surely need those. Beside's they aren't attacking the city anyway.
- Because you have 2 nations at your disposal ( Austria and Saxon village on the left) you must pay attention which upgrades you do. Choose carefully.
- Above all, it is essential to get a market up as soon as possible before the other resources ' gold,...) are drained.
- Ensure that you fill up as many mines as soon as possible.
- Try to delay the movement of the enemy with the dragoons that are in the northern part of the map, but don't sent reinforcements from the city there, you need them for the upcoming battle.
Then the game itself:
- PAUSE game
- Set speed to slow
- Delete stone walls (consuming stone)
- Delete wooden walls (consuming wood)
- Delete towers (consuming gold)
- Brake all formations( because when in formation, they stop sometimes and they need to be fast when moving)
- Move the ferry on the right to the shore
In the Saxon Village: ( still on pause)
- set peasants on infinite production from townhall to the stone mine nearby
- 5 of the idle peasants to the nearby coal mine
- the rest of the idle peasants to the mill
On the right-lower part:
- 5 peasants to the gold mine nearby
- 5 peasants to the iron mine nearby
In the main city:
- all idle peasants on wood
- Wood Upgrade in the academy
- Stables: Croats on infinite production-->Rally Point to the left flank
- 18 th barracks: 18th pikes & Pandurs on infinite production--> Rally point to the left flank
- Church: Priests on infinite--> Rally point to the right flank
In the outpost with the barracks
- all idle peasants on wood
- 17th barracks: Roundshiers on infinite production --> Rally Point to the right flank
- Release PAUSE.
- The army in the outpost--> to the right flank
- The army in the main city--> to the left flank, except the cavalry which goes to the right flank. The Cannons and mortars to the left flank ( brake formation aswell or they will get stuck between buildings)
- By now you should have enough wood to build a market. Build it in your main city as soon as possible.
- Put the troops on the island in the ferry
- Upgrade the mill in the saxon village
- Upgrade the first food upgrade in the black smith in the saxon village
- Move the ferry to the main land
- Build a 17th century barracks in the Saxon village and start creating 17th pikes from it.
- Pay attention to your food & gold now. Trade excess wood & stone to what you need.
- Ferry should have arrived, embark troops
- Your armies should be almost in position now.
- On the left flank, set pikes upfront, put them in formation again, in attack mode and on standground. Put your shooters behind it, but NOT in formation. Move the cannons and mortars in position in front of your army.
- On the right flank, move the cannons from the ferry to the hill.Put all the shooters on the hill, but not in formation. Create a new 72 17th pike formation down the hill so the enemy can't get up hill, again in attack mode and on standground. Cavalry slightly behind the pikes to the water to flank the enemy
- By now, the hussar reinforcements should have arrived. You can choose but I would send them to the right flank.
- Keep an eye on resources, ensure you never run out of food. If needed, put more peasants on the mill in the Saxon village.
- Time for a save because the enemy can arrive on the right flank at any time now.
- From this point, I suggest you stop production of troops, because, anything created from now on, will not be in time for the battle and just drains resources.
- Battle Time:
On the right flank, ensure that your pikes are standing still and not moving, let the enemy come in reach of your shooters who are on the hill. Use your cannons to shell the musketeers ( target where they are closest to eachother for maximum damage). The next round of artillery barrage has to be against the mortars. Once you have thinned them out, charge with your cavalry in the flank of the enemy and go straight for the remaining mortars.
By now you will be attacked on the left flank. Again pay attention that your pikes don't run of towards the enemy while your mortars are shooting at the enemy because you may loose your own troops. FOcus with your cannons on the mortars as soon as they are in range.
There, that's pretty much all there is to it, thought it may take a couple of try outs, because if you screw up at some point it gets really though. Especially the right flank is vulnerable. If they brake you there ,consider sending a couple more soldiers from the main city to that flank in the beginning of the game, because the left flank is well supported by the 18th barracks and the additional 17th barracks you build.
One more thing. A screenshot to illustrate what I exactly mean with "right & left" flank. The right flank is the choking point and the left flank is just side of the village:
I hope that somewhat helps. If you don't understand something I wrote, let me know.
Best Regards
[E-BEL]Angel
I haven't tried out it yet because I already uninstalled all Cossacks except Back to War but seems that might change things a lot. 