Ok how about the trait MAY CHARGE WITHOUT ORDERS!!!!!

[Andrei]

Really now does this ever happen to you???
Never to me so i wonder is it bugged?

[PBI]

In over a year of playing the game I have never once seen this happen.

However I have a feeling it may affect the likelihood of units choosing their own targets once you order them to charge, i.e. you order your knights to charge the enemy crossbows; instead they decide to charge the slightly-nearer unit of armoured sergeants :wall:. This happens to me a lot.

[Dead Guy]

I can't remember seeing this in M2TW, but it frequently happened in RTW, since barbarians had a multitude of combat-eager units.

[Andrei]

the only thing i seem to remember tied to this trait....is that in vanilla mailed knights with this trait assalted my lines before the archers even deployed...but for me no unit ever changed target or charged by them selves.

[ataribaby]

I've always wondered about the Charges Without Orders trait. I've a vague memory of it happening in the periphery of my vision but I can't be sure.

There's always some intriguing bit of blag in unit descriptions like: 'lacks the wild abandon of their contempories on the continent' (i.e. doesn't have the trait). And it's sometimes the only differing factor between two similar units, e.g. Knights Hospitaller and Templars. I can never work out whether the game considers it an advantage or not.

I've also had a feeling that it's got something to do with 'Professional Armies' compared with feudal armies - the professionals don't seem to have the trait.

Like the rest of you though, I've not really been affected by it for certain.

[FactionHeir]

May change without orders is given by impetuous morale, which is one level higher than Eager during battle.

In MTW and RTW, units with impetuous morale would charge into an approaching foe regardless of whether you ordered them to or not. In M2TW, that definition is still there but it doesn't actually happen. Still, those units enjoy a bit of a higher morale which is a bonus.

[CynicalP]

I have yet to seen this occur in the game, but I remember it happened seldomly in MTW followed by many of my own dead cavarly units.

[Quickening]

Interesting. I wonder is this realistic? I can imagine berserking warriors going mental and losing control but would regimented and disciplined knights ever charge off without orders in our world (in the past)?

Genuine question by the way. Im not too much of a history buff.

[ataribaby]

Would regimented and disciplined knights ever charge off without orders in our world (in the past)?

Genuine question by the way. Im not too much of a history buff.
I'm not either, but I recently watched a documentary about the longbow that included a description of the Battle of Crecy.

There were alot of noble mounted knights on the French side, many of which were so eager to stick it to the English that, in their rush to get to the battlefield, they pushed their Genoese crossbowmen into engaging too early. And the whole charge down that sodden corridor of field was pretty impetous in its entirety.

According to the documentary the poor buggers were slaughtered by the withering longbow fire and the English men-at-arms and spears mopping up. Bloody horrible.

It's a good documentary actually. Well worth watching, especially for longbow fans. The Crecy account comes about two thirds in:

Weapons That Made Britain: The Longbow (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JaZ6pQiYclo) 50 min. approx. in 12 parts

[Gorm]

I'm not either, but I recently watched a documentary about the longbow that included a description of the Battle of Crecy.

There were alot of noble mounted knights on the French side, many of which were so eager to stick it to the English that, in their rush to get to the battlefield, they pushed their Genoese crossbowmen into engaging too early. And the whole charge down that sodden corridor of field was pretty impetous in its entirety.

According to the documentary the poor buggers were slaughtered by the withering longbow fire and the English men-at-arms and spears mopping up. Bloody horrible.

It's a good documentary actually. Well worth watching, especially for longbow fans. The Crecy account comes about two thirds in:

Weapons That Made Britain: The Longbow (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JaZ6pQiYclo) 50 min. approx. in 12 parts

Excellent doco! Thanks.

And then go here to see the re-enactment:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aNf1mQQ7_4&feature=related

[TheLastPrivate]

Does the "impetuous" trait actually give higher morale? I think on the unit sheet the number is the same...

[Yaropolk]

I've always wondered about the Charges Without Orders trait. I've a vague memory of it happening in the periphery of my vision but I can't be sure.

There's always some intriguing bit of blag in unit descriptions like: 'lacks the wild abandon of their contempories on the continent' (i.e. doesn't have the trait). And it's sometimes the only differing factor between two similar units, e.g. Knights Hospitaller and Templars. I can never work out whether the game considers it an advantage or not.

I've also had a feeling that it's got something to do with 'Professional Armies' compared with feudal armies - the professionals don't seem to have the trait.

Like the rest of you though, I've not really been affected by it for certain.

Specifically about Templars / Hospitalliers - during Richard's treck from Acre to Arsuf (one of the historical battles featured in vanilla). Saladin's skirmishers kept harrassing the moving columns, but the crusaders held rank. Eventually Saladin's repeated charges managed to isolate the Hospitallier crossbowmen marching at the rear of the column. Richard ordered the Hospitallier knights to keep marching towards Arsuf, but seeing his brethren in trouble, the Master of the order, Garnier de Nablus charged without orders, causing a chain effect of all knights charging. Richard wisely chose to support the Hospitallier charge with all his forces fearing they would be doomed on their own.

[ataribaby]

Specifically about Templars / Hospitalliers - during Richard's treck from Acre to Arsuf (one of the historical battles featured in vanilla).
There was a good docu-drama that included exactly this skirmish on telly in the UK a few weeks ago. It was called Heroes and Villains: Richard the Lionheart (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1107882/). Recommended viewing if you catch it next time around.

There's a good Medieval Season on at the moment too on BBC4 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/medieval/), including Terry 'E's a very naughty boy!' Jones' series on the Crusades.