To show how it works, this is an account of my first campaign, with lots of links to screenshots:
This was the first go as House Stark. I decided to be bold and replicate the Stark strategy from the books: advance as fast as possible with the starting armies and kick some arse. Since House Stark has virtually no money and is in the red within 3 turns of starting the game, it's not like I had anything else to do
So, I rapidly advanced down the Neck and combined my three armies (under Robb, the Greatjon and Roose) for an attack on the Twins. I possessed overwhelming superiority of numbers and due to engine limitations the Twins are nowhere near as formidable as in the books, but the Freys' defensive position was still strong.
Battle was joined and I breached the gates in short order. The struggle inside the gates was bloody as I was charged by the Frey cavalry, but I emerged trimuphant. The surviving remnants of the Frey host took shelter outside the castle, but this strategy proved inadequate.
After savouring the moment I continued the advance. I split my forces, Roose Bolton taking the bulk of the foot and the archers down the Trident towards the ford, whilst Robb and the Greatjon pressed on into Tully lands, sweeping past our allies in Riverrun. Obviously the advance had been so fast the Lannisters had not had time to begin the siege, and I was able to identify Jaime Lannister's position near the Golden Tooth. I besieged his camp but the Lannisters rallied and hit me from all sides.
Although the numbers were against me, they arrived on the battlefield in piecemeal fashion, and I was able to bring my full army against each group in turn, destroying them in detail. Jaime's forces arrived on the battlefield and as his and my infantry and supporting cavalry engaged one another, I spotted his bodyguard and had Robb charge him. This proved unwise and Robb had his arse handed to him. Luckily, the Greatjon spotted his lord's peril and rode into the fray, killing Jaime Lannister in the face. I would have preferred to ransom him, but that's the way battles go sometimes. The butcher's bill was heavier this day, and Jaime killed about 30 of those men by himself, but victory had been achieved.
Although my forces had been decimated, a severe lack of funds and a lengthy reinforcement distance (the Twins was my nearest base and was a good 3-4 turns away) meant I had no choice but to press on and besieged the Tooth. Fortune smiled on me when it turned out that Tywin himself was within the castle with only a modest force to defend him.
Meanwhile, in the east Roose Bolton met with Arryn diplomats near Saltpans and forged peaceful trading relations between them and the Starks, before crossing the ford, brushing aside one of Joffrey's forces which had been skirmishing up towards Harrenhal (which remains in Tully hands) and launch an exploratory reconnaisance towards King's Landing. Whilst I doubt I have the men to take the city, I may have enough to besiege it.
All to play for next time
This post has been edited by Werthead: 30 September 2008 - 02:21 AM