GUIDE · BATTLE STRATEGY
Hills and choke points
Elevation and narrow routes shape engagements and reinforcements; favorable ground can delay a larger force.
Overview
Elevation and narrow routes shape engagements and reinforcements; favorable ground can delay a larger force.
Plan and execution
Scout both ends of a choke, give ranged units room to fire, preserve retreat space for melee troops, and observe alternate crossings.
Risks and adaptation
Narrow ground can trap your own army or expose dense groups to siege. Hold a mobile reserve and watch bypass routes. Leave room behind the formation for ranged units and siege to retreat, and place vision on the far end before reinforcing. Do not let a narrow entrance block your own reinforcements.
Decision example
A hill can improve the exchange when the army reaches it first, but a narrow entrance may trap reinforcements or expose clumped units to siege. Send a scout to reveal both sides of a pass, then position ranged units where they can fire and withdraw. Hold a mobile group near another route so the opponent cannot bypass the choke entirely. If the terrain stops your own Rams or cavalry from joining the fight, widen the formation or choose a different approach.
- Focus
- Terrain control
- Signature / category
- Plan and execution
- Release / context
- Age of Empires II system
- Region
- Battle strategy
- Classification
- Battle strategies