attack - defend?

[Lazul]

Ok, this mite just be a bit of a noobie question but i cant really make it out...

When does the computer think a unit i attacking and when does he think its defending?

Does running make a unit attacking and does the unit have to stand still to be defending?

so lets say a Chiv Men at armes gruop of 60 men attack a gruop of 100 italian infanrty men... the italians have to defend to win, do they have to stand there ground and dont move to be defending? or do they loose all there skills if moving?

well yes... i am a noob at this game... http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/tongue.gif

[Lazul]

or i can just ask a wall of bricks and get more response http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/shock.gif

[Knight_Yellow]

right do u waited less than 20 minutes?

try 20 hours next time

[Rakthar]

Defending means that the computer initiates an attack on your province. Attacking means that you initiate an attack on a computer province. It has nothing to do with the tactical battlefield, and everything to do with the strategic one.

When YOU attack a province (move your men onto a computer controlled territory), you must:

1. Get the enemy army to run away from the field
or
2. Kill them all

If you do not do this, you lose. The attacker must win, or the defender automatically wins.

When you DEFEND a province (the computer attacks something you already hold), you must:

1. Live long enough until time runs out
or
2. Make the enemy run away
or
3. Kill them all

In other words, time is on your side when you are defending, and is against you when you are attacking. When defending, you can just set up some spearmen and archers on a hill and FORCE the computer to come to you, since you win through the time limit. When attacking, the computer will often set up on a hill and force you to attack it uphill, because you are the one that has to win the battle - a draw means the defender wins.

Got it now?

[The_Emperor]

Attack... Defence, its all pretty clear cut isn't it.

Oh yeah taking back a province where a castle of yours is under siege counts as attacking, just so you know WHY the Pope will try and Excommunicate you for that http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/joker.gif

[Lazul]

well my second post was kind of an joke... http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif


Scenario: Im defending egypt with arabian forces, and i realise i only have some fanatic soldiers with axes and shields (dont remeber there name)
They have excellent attack and very weak in defending.
So do i just storm down the hill do the computer think of it as defending.
Scenario: Im attacking and woops i have alot of chiv sergent and they have weak attack... so i line them upp close to the enemy and bombard them with arrows to force him to attack... will the computer still count it as attacking when im standing my ground and the computer attack me?

im i making sense or? http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/dizzy.gif

[Lazul]

man i really suck at spelling http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smokin.gif

[The_Emperor]

ahh i see, well good attack means you should charge them into the enemy, they are good on the offensive, but because of poor defence they may take heavy casualties

Spearmen on the other hand have great defence so they can be good at halting the enemy advance... Arab Infantry, storm them in always http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[Lazul]

one last thing :-)

lets say a group of chiv sergents with very good defense defend against some angry arabs with good attack...
Do the defenders have to stand still for the defend points kick in or can they move around and so on and still get the defense points...?
The computer allways try to outflank me... wich i kinda booring when you are defending, couse i allways have to move around me army on the hills... can i move against my enemy down the hill and still count it as defending?

i hope im not being irritating? http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[The_Emperor]

Spearmen do have a strong charge so the initial impact does do some damage...

Anyway Arab infantry should beat spearmen since they are Men at Arms units. Anyway charging downhill is always good because you have gravity on your side.

Terrain and flanking have the biggest effect on the battlefield.

[Longasc]

Lazul, you must STAY in Formation to get the defense bonuses.

Do not move.

You can hit F1 twice to see which bonus you have at the moment.

Just take spearman and let them stand and HOLD Formation.
Take a look at the modifiers. Then uncheck HOLD, move... charge... just try it.

when you are moving or attacking, you do not get defense bonuses.

Except when you charge spearman into cavalry, because they are always good against cavalry.

[Lazul]

Thanx mate...

That explains alot... why i keep on getting beaten by the AI all the time http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/dizzy.gif

thanx all

[Big King Sanctaphrax]

Hang on, it sounds to me like you're saying that every combat has a definite attacker and definite defender. This isn't how I understand it. If I charge some spearmen with my highland clansmen, the fact that they've charged doesn't mean that their defence doesn't matter. They will still lose quite a large amount of men, due to their weak defence. Who initiated a combat doesn't matter, except for charge bonuses. Both sides are 'attacking' and 'defending' at once.

[TheRookiee]

Here is a more direct answer to your question Lazul.

If two units are engaged, they more or less take turns hacking at each other. Unit 1 hacks unit 2 with an attack and unit 2s defense rating helps diminish unit 1s attack rating which combined will determine the amount of kills unit 1 got with that blow.

Then unit 2 stabs unit 1 with a spear. Unit 2s attack rating now comes into effect while unit 1s defense rating comes into effect. With each hack by both sides, one unit is attacking while the other is defending.

This exchange of attacking/defending goes on as long as the two units are engaged. Furthermore, other bonuses come into effect besides just attack/defense which will influence the outcome of the unit to unit battle.

[Gregoshi]

I'm glad you were joking Lazul. For a minute I thought you were Incornata's brother...don't ask. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/pat.gif