How to handle wide upon borders?

[GaryChildress]

I like games where there are choke points where I can bottle up an attacker with a determined defense. However, when the frontier is large and expansive it seems impossible to fight the AI, at least to me. The AI will seek out gaps in your lines and pour through them. So my question is how to you overcome this, especially early on when you don't have a lot of units to fight with to cover the holes? Do you usually attack first so that you can put the AI on the defensive, or what is the best way of prosecuting a war against the AI out in the open?

Thanks.

[Twotribes]

Just time and building up your defenses.

[danlongman]

I find it is a matter of practicing and using all your abilities to the best of
your ability. Kinda like everything else. Win some lose some.

[jday305]

I have found that cavalry on wide open fronts can be a thorn in the enemy's rear as they have decent mobility and can cut off supply lines; especially in forested or mountainous areas with few roads. The AI will either respond to the cav that threatens their supplies or start to wither and weaken. Once the enemy starts producing armored cars the cav is not as effective but it can give you the needed time to build up a proper front.

[davebob]

I assume you know the editor. Edit the map to make the game challenging, yet captures your interest.

[CSO_Talorgan]

When I saw the title of this post I thought, "Oh no! I can't escape the EU Referendum, even here!"

[:D]

[GaryChildress]

ORIGINAL: CSO_Talorgan

When I saw the title of this post I thought, "Oh no! I can't escape the EU Referendum, even here!"

[:D]

You caught me covertly sneaking current events into the Matrix forums! [:D]

[CSO_Talorgan]

ORIGINAL: Gary Childress

You caught me covertly sneaking current events into the Matrix forums! [:D]

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaagh!

[GaryChildress]

ORIGINAL: CSO_Talorgan

ORIGINAL: Gary Childress

You caught me covertly sneaking current events into the Matrix forums! [:D]

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaagh!

Just kidding. [:)]

[jarmenia]

I have the same issue. It seems like the AI can out produce me (on normal AI). I can't ever get enough units to cover the front well enough to hold off their attacks. If I produce large enough stacks of units, they just out flank me.

[Strategiusz]

Upgrade raw mines quickly and buy tanks and artillery, but at the beginning more tanks, because they can fight against AC. Don't buy riflemen, buy bazookas instead. Don't buy planes at the beginning.

[ironduke1955]

As you only have to defend the resources cities and rail/road lines, then let the AI wander into open spaces hedgehog defence on strategic points with artillery infantry/heavy machine guns and armour concentrated you then smash the forces around your hedgehogs, don't forget that at some point the AI will get to the end of its supply limit eventually, also try and defend so your resource and cities are not within AI artillery range, opportunities to cut of and encircle the stranded AI forces will appear, if you try and defend everywhere you will be strong nowhere. If you feel the need to wander into open spaces then cavalry are good for probes and cutting AI rail lines. Regards air it does not hurt to have 1 or 2 Dive bombers to help with AI armour and fighters in small numbers to provide air cover don't use the fighters for ground support just CAP or Escort. You can move up into more exotic units like L/M tanks heavy art upgrades once you feel you have the AI under control.