Charge value

[DemonArchangel]

What is charge for? I mean, if you really wanted to devastate a unit, wouldn't you go for higher attack?

[Spino]

I think a unit's Charge rating is simply a temporary bonus that is applied to its Melee (Attack) rating until the unit stops charging and engages in normal fighting.

EDIT - There may be some additional mathematical mojo that goes into how a unit's Charge rating is applied in combat. But just so you know in the unit text file the column for a unit's charge rating is labeled 'Charge Bonus'.

[econ21]

Spino is right - the charge value is a temporary boost to the attack stat. I presume it applies on the first "round" and on any later rounds when you push back the enemy. "Rounds" are very short - so in a sense, it is not such a big deal. However, very high total attack values are much more likely to deliver a kill. For example, if the total attack value is 10 more than the total defence, there is a 11.8% kill chance per round; if it is only 2 more, the kill chance is only 2.7%. So units with a high charge (eg +8 for a heavy lance) can be devastating. Witness heavy cav charge into the flank or see Gallowglasses/Woodsmen etc in action. I have seen some devastating charges - especially cav - break the enemy morale almost instantaneously, but DemonArchangel is right in that if morale holds and a slugfest develops, the attack (and defence) value is what matters.

[RisingSun]

I think its this way: A unit with a high charge bonus has 1) A temporary comnbat bonus until it stops charging 2)A high chance to have a "knockback" against the opponent which: Stops the opponent from attacking that combat round while you can, with your charge bonus, and, if your opponent is knocked back, you keep your charge bonus until A) You stop knocking them back or B) you/them are killed.

Also, if you kill a person on irst contact, your charge keeps going. So, as you can see, having a highcharge bonus has considrable value, especially against units which rely on their formation like spears.

[LadyAnn]

And don't forget that most spears have high charge bonus, sop always charge spears back, don't just stand there do nothing.

Spears also have rank bonus: +1 per 2 ranks in melee, +1 per rank when charge. Using spears without charging is like giving away half of our cmbat power.

Annie

[Omar Mena]

I think "Charge" is just for the initial engagement. That explains why most of the time my Mongol Heavy Cavalry will charge downhill and completely flatten any infantry unit without even stopping to fight. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wacko.gif (In custom and historical battles that is http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif )

[econ21]

To add to what I said before, I think a developer once said:

a) that charge values apply only to the unit you have targeted, not those you over run in the process.

b) you have to have charged a sufficient length of time (ie have a "run up") for it to work.

I probably fall foul on both accounts - I tend to opportunistically divert my cavalry on a charge and to leave the spears' charge until the last minute. Must try harder.

[RJV]

Hi,

I could be wrong here (it has been known once or twice) but I do seem to recall that the charge bonus is applied automatically when your unit comes into contact with the enemy - you don't have to be running to gain the bonus, and the implication there being that there is no 'charge-up' period. The action of 'charging' therefore is a kind of virtual action applied to the unit when you order it into direct combat (though whether it applies when you run 'through' a unit or you actually need to have targeted a unit directly I've never been quite able to suss out).

Cheers.

[CBR]

A unit has to run for a few seconds to gain the charge bonus(or at least the full value)

There is of course the swipe bug which means that unit actually will run over untargetted units..but lets just forget about that.

The charge value is added to the attack stats for the first combat cycle. That alone can cause so many casualties that the unit will rout. Cavalry is generally too expensive to become involved in a big melee and the charge is an important part of (heavy) cavalry tactics.

CBR

[The Storyteller]

I think when they say you don't have to be running to gain the bonus they mean you don't have to double click on the unit you want to charge... you can single click, your troops will march into charging distance and then mount a charge. If your troops are too close to gain enough momentum to charge, you won't get the full charge bonus.

[CBR]

If you just click on an enemy unit then your unit will march until reaching charge distance and then charge. That will give you the full charge value.

What you can do is to double click behind the enemy unit/use ctrl+r..then you will still get the charge value even if you didnt set your unit to attack.


CBR

[Vanya]

GAH

WHAT'S IN YOUR WALLET?

GAH

[bighairyman]

i always charge my cavalry and my non-spear infantry.