The Infrantry charge:

[_Hector_]

Hi all

When is the best time to move on a defender when attacking with infrantry. And how do u control the charge when you are readyto strike. Finally how would you defend such a charge

Hector

[Sasaki Kojiro]

Select all the units you want to charge with...double click either behind or right in front of the enemy line...while your men are charging select them each individually and order them to attack the specific units in the enemy line that they are facing.

[Jacque Schtrapp]

Have you ever noticed that as the attacker when you draw closer to the defender's position he will begin to send his archers out from his lines to shoot at you? At that point I like to charge my entire force, in formation, roughly one third of the remaining difference between his lines and mine. The AI will send out his infantry to defend his archers as his archers withdraw and you will avoid his arrows while drawing his infantry into a situation where they are now attacking your formation under fire from your archers. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

[lancer63]

Since more often than not a defending foe is on higher ground. I send HA units to the flanks in order to lure or pick heavy units from formation. I torture them for a while as they pursue my horses and make them get as far as possible from their main forces. Then I send in fast infantry like ghazi or javelins to engage and hold on until a heavier, slower unit catches up and finishes the job. By that time the enemy might have sent more men to help and it may end up in a full scale affair but I already achieved 2 tactical objectives, to begin killing more men than they do, and, even moreimportant, I made the enemy lose his height advantage.
I use fast foot units to flank and attack the rear too. Heavy units are too slow for that + they get easily get picked up by archers on the sides.