If you are an aggressive player, it does not matter what type of army you have or who you are facing. You will not be comfortable sitting back and letting the enemy take the battle to you. Offensive tactics allow you to be on the attack, trying to keep the enemy off balance until you break his army. The following tactics are used for just such a person, the offensive minded wargamer.

The Central Attack with Refused Flanks

This attack is good when you have a primarily foot army (Vikings, Saxons, Welsh, etc.) that is unable to operate on the flanks because of a lack of cavalry.

Pro: You can force the enemy army to break quickly as units in the center that fail their morale and rout; will be seen by many other enemy units, forcing them to take morale checks. If you can crush the enemy center, he is usually finished.

Con: Leaving both of your flanks refused and open to attack risks a double envelopment. If the enemy army is primarily a mounted force, do not use this tactic.

The Flank Attack

If your army is of mixed mounted and foot units, you may want to attempt a flank attack with your more mobile mounted units while keeping your foot in the center and in force on the other flank. This is difficult for an all foot army to do and is best used against an enemy foot army or an enemy mixed army and you have better quality mounted troops. Best used by armies such as Normans against Vikings, Welsh or Conquest Period Saxons.

Pro: You may be able to get a predominant and overpowering attack on a weaker flank of the enemy army. Destroy the enemy flank and you can roll up his line and his center.

Con: The enemy can be overwhelming your other flank or center while you are putting all of your best units and efforts against his weal flank. Do not use all of your best quality troops in the flank attack, leave one or two units in reserve to deal with an enemy attack.

Double Envelopment

Large cavalry armies can use its preponderance of mounted units to pin and enemy army and attempt to smash one or both of the enemy flanks before turning on the enemy center.

Pro: This tactic can totally immobilize your opponent as he tries to cover the battlefield to keep you from doing this. He will be extremely thin along his line and will have difficulty with trying to decide what to do. You have the tactical initiative and are dictating the battle.

Con: If the enemy can smash one of your attacks, he then can roll up your center before your other flank attack can win the battle. You must have plenty of powerful units in your flanking divisions.

All Out Assault

This is perhaps the simplest form of attack, but it is the hardest to be successful with. This works if your army is superior in quality to your opponent, but in MW, no army has too great an advantage, otherwise its numbers are very small compared to the enemy, such as Burgundian Ordonnance vrs. Low Countries. Any army may actually try to use all out assault, but some, such as Pre-Feudal Scots or Norse Irish have the necessary large armies to be successful with it.

Pro: This tactic can put pressure on all points of the enemy line and if you can crack a section of his line, you can pressure him so that he cannot react easily to shore up his endangered sector.

Con: You are thin as well and the same thing can happen to you! Also, an enemy cavalry army will be able to concentrate on one flank of your army. Be careful if trying to use this tactic against a mounted opponent.

Echeloned Frontal Assault

The most difficult attack to use is the echelon attack. What you are attempting to do is to get a preponderance of strength against a weaker enemy flank while holding back your own center and other flank, hoping to keep the enemy from cracking either of these. This tactic can be used by any type of army, all foot, all cavalry or mixed.

Pro: You are able to bring as much power to bear on your attacking flank while refusing your weaker flank/center, keeping the enemy from outflanking you. If you manage to crack the enemy flank before he can do so to your weaker flank or center, you can destroy him piecemeal.

Con: If the enemy refuses his own flank you are attacking and gets to your center and cracks it, you have lost the battle.

More Tactics in Medieval Warfare

Introduction
Offensive Tactics
Defensive Tactics
Units: Using Them Effectively
Frenzy and Conclusion