The Mongols relied heavily on shock tactics. Fake withdrawals, surprise attacks, psychological warfare, and even hostage-taking and human shields were classic Mongol moves. They liked to start a fight by showering the enemy with armor-piercing arrows, followed by a brutal cavalry charge. Often, the enemy would be lured toward hidden archers by a weaker Mongol force that pretended to flee. When attacking large targets (such as big cities, which they could easily take two at a time), they liked to advance on extremely wide fronts, using the Yam system to communicate. They were also experts at siege technology and were deliberately brutal to people who didn’t submit to their rule. This tactical combination made them the premier fighting force of their era.
