MizuKokami
11-17-2002, 18:01
the year was 1221, and i was at war. fear gripping me, for the news from the east was bringing tideings of probable destruction of all i had built for the polish empire. a beast by the name of khan was on the march to gain new lands to throw upon the fire. my war with the turks was easy pickings, as their constant fighting amongst themselves and other nearby factions had kept them weakened enough to tread under foot, as one would a rodent. but as i was finishing off these fools that dared attack my lands, they made peace with a larger beast, and i was hard pressed to defend my homelands from two enemies, tho not without means to do so. however, and old rival i had thought eliminated resurfaced, and i knew all at once i could not risk three enemies, and still prepare for this khan. i immediately went to this old rival to seek out peace, but he must have remebered that thing i did with his father, as i turned the focus of my expansion upon his homelands. i guess, in the future, i won't drag the carcasses of my enemies behind my carriage, nor label them amongst the slime. then things got worse.
an old allie of mine must have discovered the danger my homelands were in, and tho a brother in faith, made attempts for my very capitol city. i had no choice but to command my forces at home to retreat to the castle, as i prepared for my destruction. i had no choice, and though it cost me in reputation, i gave up my holdings in eygpt and turkistan, tho not before leaveing the very earth itself as baren as my heart at the time. i retreated half my forces toward the lands i felt the khan would take, and the other half towards my homelands. feinting two attacks into that hungarian dog's lands to prevent him from reinforceing my capitol, i moved the brunt of my western armies into my capitol, and i regained my capitol without a fight. i guess i was lucky to have only lost my royal estates, and the armory. but in the east, it was time for the khan, and i was lucky he brought the entirety of his forces into khazar, during the 1231st year of our lord.
i had tried for rain, as i had hoped an ambush from the mist would dishearten this beast. but for the past ten years, i had had nothing but sunny days. i had, however, managed to hide among the trees, four units of my finest cavalry, and a catapult, of which i am excedeing thankfull for this tiny contraption. i set up up near the trees where i had hid my forces, but to throw him off, i ran my exposed forces to the east and set up a spear hedge in hopes to draw him between the main body of my army, and the troops i had reservered for the ambush. and as he took the bait, i smiled. i decided to move just a bit more to the east so my left flank would be covered by trees, and this caused this "great?" khan to turn his rear into my ambush. as he charged my front line, my cavalry bolted from the trees, and i cut loose the catapult.
even as my horsemen hit his rear, and the first few boulders tossed into the enemy flank, his warriors and his bowmen on horse began to flee one by one, till i was left with not but his heavy horse. but heavy tolls were taken and i found that half of the main body of my first army had been taken. with khan outnumbering me at least five to one, i knew i could ill afford to continue the day as it had begun, and this khan had to die. i charged my general into his flank, and brought all my horse to bare around him. as he fought valantly, takeing much with him, my general took a beating, and was depleted to 4 men before we broke the khan. and as he, in his haste to escape, forced his way through easily one hundred men and horse, i caught a glimpse of this mighty beast. fear had him gripped so tightly, i think even light would have been hard pressed to catch this man. i quickly with drew the men i knew could not last another round, and set up for the second wave.
as the second wave came, i saw not but horsemen, and knew my weakened cav would not be able to hold, so i withdrew them hastily, and hoped that reinforcements would bring me fresh horses. sadly, my cavalry must have taken the long way around, as nothing but footmen came to the field. i found i needed an odd postion for my men, and as i set my line up in a zig zag, it must have confused this round of men, for surely a time, they walked from one end of my line to the other, while my crossbows filled his men with holes. but i made a mistake, and moved one of my battalions into a bad position. they siezed upon the moment, and soon half my men were running, and i found the need to enter my general in the frey once again. i wasn't so lucky this time, for my general hit the ground in a thud, and all my men routed from the field.
i set a new rally point for troops, and again i had another round of nothing but footmen, so i made for the trees. oh, how blinded i was as he moved into a surrounding position, and tho these men in trees did great damage to his horse in trees. i hardly lasted well enough to even the odds yet, and i found myself setting yet another rally spot.
as finnally my horsemen hit the field, for the first time, i had a fielded a fresh army of not but horsemen. as he gathered his damaged troops together, i could see in the distance that he had more reinforsements comeing. i knew that i was closer to his reinforsements then he was, so the idea to take out his smaller portion of fresh troops with my fresh and larger portion was the logical descision. it worked like a charm, and fewer then fifty men escaped the field by the time his tired and damage troops had caught up with us. obviously his tired troops didn't last as long, and when i had cleared the field of his men, i began to set up for the next wave, tho all the while knowing i was still down on counts, and could not win the day.
...finally to the lucky bug. as i watched his fresh, all cav army enter the field and set up, i looked up at the clock. less then 25% of the time had expired, and the feeling of dread set in. but something odd happened. they set up, and just stood there. didn't advance, didn't scout, nothing. it was like they set up to defend, rather then attack. i waited, and waited, til i decided to move the timer to fast instead of slow. nothing. the timer expired, and i won. and since he only attacked the one province, he had nowhere to go. and he's gone as fast as he came. is that a bug, or did the ai decide that he couldn't beat my troops that were currently fielded, so therefore defaulted to a defencive posture?
p.s. this is the second battle i've had post patch that it seems as if the enemy troops still get the command bonus even when the enemy general is nowhere near hte battle. anyone else experience this?
an old allie of mine must have discovered the danger my homelands were in, and tho a brother in faith, made attempts for my very capitol city. i had no choice but to command my forces at home to retreat to the castle, as i prepared for my destruction. i had no choice, and though it cost me in reputation, i gave up my holdings in eygpt and turkistan, tho not before leaveing the very earth itself as baren as my heart at the time. i retreated half my forces toward the lands i felt the khan would take, and the other half towards my homelands. feinting two attacks into that hungarian dog's lands to prevent him from reinforceing my capitol, i moved the brunt of my western armies into my capitol, and i regained my capitol without a fight. i guess i was lucky to have only lost my royal estates, and the armory. but in the east, it was time for the khan, and i was lucky he brought the entirety of his forces into khazar, during the 1231st year of our lord.
i had tried for rain, as i had hoped an ambush from the mist would dishearten this beast. but for the past ten years, i had had nothing but sunny days. i had, however, managed to hide among the trees, four units of my finest cavalry, and a catapult, of which i am excedeing thankfull for this tiny contraption. i set up up near the trees where i had hid my forces, but to throw him off, i ran my exposed forces to the east and set up a spear hedge in hopes to draw him between the main body of my army, and the troops i had reservered for the ambush. and as he took the bait, i smiled. i decided to move just a bit more to the east so my left flank would be covered by trees, and this caused this "great?" khan to turn his rear into my ambush. as he charged my front line, my cavalry bolted from the trees, and i cut loose the catapult.
even as my horsemen hit his rear, and the first few boulders tossed into the enemy flank, his warriors and his bowmen on horse began to flee one by one, till i was left with not but his heavy horse. but heavy tolls were taken and i found that half of the main body of my first army had been taken. with khan outnumbering me at least five to one, i knew i could ill afford to continue the day as it had begun, and this khan had to die. i charged my general into his flank, and brought all my horse to bare around him. as he fought valantly, takeing much with him, my general took a beating, and was depleted to 4 men before we broke the khan. and as he, in his haste to escape, forced his way through easily one hundred men and horse, i caught a glimpse of this mighty beast. fear had him gripped so tightly, i think even light would have been hard pressed to catch this man. i quickly with drew the men i knew could not last another round, and set up for the second wave.
as the second wave came, i saw not but horsemen, and knew my weakened cav would not be able to hold, so i withdrew them hastily, and hoped that reinforcements would bring me fresh horses. sadly, my cavalry must have taken the long way around, as nothing but footmen came to the field. i found i needed an odd postion for my men, and as i set my line up in a zig zag, it must have confused this round of men, for surely a time, they walked from one end of my line to the other, while my crossbows filled his men with holes. but i made a mistake, and moved one of my battalions into a bad position. they siezed upon the moment, and soon half my men were running, and i found the need to enter my general in the frey once again. i wasn't so lucky this time, for my general hit the ground in a thud, and all my men routed from the field.
i set a new rally point for troops, and again i had another round of nothing but footmen, so i made for the trees. oh, how blinded i was as he moved into a surrounding position, and tho these men in trees did great damage to his horse in trees. i hardly lasted well enough to even the odds yet, and i found myself setting yet another rally spot.
as finnally my horsemen hit the field, for the first time, i had a fielded a fresh army of not but horsemen. as he gathered his damaged troops together, i could see in the distance that he had more reinforsements comeing. i knew that i was closer to his reinforsements then he was, so the idea to take out his smaller portion of fresh troops with my fresh and larger portion was the logical descision. it worked like a charm, and fewer then fifty men escaped the field by the time his tired and damage troops had caught up with us. obviously his tired troops didn't last as long, and when i had cleared the field of his men, i began to set up for the next wave, tho all the while knowing i was still down on counts, and could not win the day.
...finally to the lucky bug. as i watched his fresh, all cav army enter the field and set up, i looked up at the clock. less then 25% of the time had expired, and the feeling of dread set in. but something odd happened. they set up, and just stood there. didn't advance, didn't scout, nothing. it was like they set up to defend, rather then attack. i waited, and waited, til i decided to move the timer to fast instead of slow. nothing. the timer expired, and i won. and since he only attacked the one province, he had nowhere to go. and he's gone as fast as he came. is that a bug, or did the ai decide that he couldn't beat my troops that were currently fielded, so therefore defaulted to a defencive posture?
p.s. this is the second battle i've had post patch that it seems as if the enemy troops still get the command bonus even when the enemy general is nowhere near hte battle. anyone else experience this?