Need advice on troops combination

[aquawind]

I am currently in Gunpowder Age with a Chinese base and using mainly on Fire Lances and Dragoon Raiders, with assistance of a Veteran Wall Miner, a Ballista, a Supply Cart, one of the 3 level 5 Generals that's available to a level 1 Castle and combinations of level 2 Sabotages and level 1 Protects when necessary, as my primary troops in attacking. I also use Mercenaries of Greek Javelineers and Assyrian Horse Raiders, usually 1 of each but may use more of them and/or include other types of Mercenaries at times when needed, and other Alliance Troops from stronger allies as my secondary troops to attack.
I usually use the troops to do something similar to guerilla warfare, by securing a victory through taking down its Town Center(and the Forbidden City, if there is) and then go straight into their resource buildings.
However, it's sometimes very difficult to achieve what I thought my troops could. I have tried to restructure my troops combination several times by including other kinds of troops as my primary troops to try to attack and get deep into the opponent base, like what I have been always seeing: enemy attacking deep into my base getting all the loots available and even tearing down most of my buildings, but my troops combinations rarely succeed in sweeping down their bases, and only to find out that my aboved mentioned(in the beginning of this post) troops combination, which i do not think is a good combination, perform better than the troops combination that included other kinds of troops.
Really need some help to make my troops combination more versatile against different base layouts.

 

[Quang t legend]

Practicing this combination, it will help you for the rest of the game:
- 6 Heavy cavalry: to break the wall and attack defend building
- 2 healer
- 3 bombard or 2 ballista (because ballista is weak): to kill buildings.
- The rest is range infantry to kill defenders

If there is little wall, bring more cavalry, if there is too many walled cells, bring more artillery.

 

[AbbyVille]

2 things, first Q.t.l. Suggestion was really soild. It would works in many scenarios

Seconds, there's no one troops combo that would be so versatile against several base set up. You have to start with large single box base then learn from there. Multiple chambers bases with strong walls are going to be tougher. It would help if you have stronger troops too. I usually attack bases that I think I can win and bring back most my troops not one with lots of resources, unless it's a revenge then you can lay it all out tactics and all

 

[BoGanora]

Being GP as well I've had great success with this combo:
4 heavy calvary
3 bombards
11 infantry
33 ranged infantry

You can adjust the calvary up or down as needed. I tried with 6 but found that I was just as successful with 4. Typically I can get all the loot and many times 5 star the base without using tactics or Generals or mercs....but I do lose the whole army a lot of the time but that's just my play style

 

[Quang t legend]

For beginner heavy cavalry is the easiest to use, they come right to where need them! So be sure to use them in force before you experience with other combinations.

 

[Mr Suplex]

I like Quang's suggestion overall, but I would sprinkle in some normal infantry as they are cheap, hit hard, and absord a decent amount of damage before dying that isn't being applied to your more important troops. They are also good for taking down walls, which are the bane of ranged infantry