AI splitting defensive armies

[WorkNeglecter]

After writing a windy description of a surprise victory (archer discussion (http://www.totalwar.org/cgi-bin/forum/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=7;t=17633) I wondered if the AI had split its defensive forces because it found them stretched out between two hills and sent each half up to the closest higher ground.
http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/confused.gif
anyone else seen something similar?

[son of spam]

Well the AI is stupid. I've had that happen even without particularly hilly terrain. The AI had some ottoman inf(I play medmod) in one forest, and had the rest of the army on a hill far far away. I guess it thought to take advantage of terrain features lol. Needless to say, my army destroyed both the forces in quick succession.

Morals of the story:

AI is idiotic
and
Never split your forces.

http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/tongue.gif

[katank]

errr. AI is stupid.

splitting your forces can be good.

Splitting my cav from my main lines to carry out complex flanking and rear attack manuevers have always paid dividends

[Bhruic]

What I love is when the AI puts its main army in one location, and puts its general in another. Nothing like an isolated general to make a battle go that much smoother.

In the AIs defense, it usually immediately tries to move the general back to the main army, but it's not always successful.

Bh

[son of spam]

@katank

Yeah, but have you ever split your infantry force and put one part halfway across the map from the other...then waited for the enemy?

The goal is always to split the enemy's force, not to separate your own force. I didn't mean detaching your cavalry to do rear attacks.

I'm sure you've seen what splitting your forces gets you, even in RTS without the concept of morale. Suppose you have 6 villies in AOK and the AI has 8 villies. You will lose if you attack headon, but if you can isolate 4 of the AI's villies and attack with your entire force, you can destroy them losing 1.5 villies of your own on average, or about one to two villies. Now, you can use your remaining 4 villies (assuming worst case scenario, bad microing etc.) and have a fair chance at killing their villies.

[katank]

actually, I have also managed to separate my infantry successfully once although I would say that in many cases it could be bad.

I set out on a bridge attack by cav rushing the second bridge and establishing bridge head there and bringing up 2/3 of my inf there for a giant pincer on the enemy guarding the first while I was holding the first bridge with the rest to prevent them from crossing over that to flank my forces.

worked very well and I ended up with 2:1 kill ratio even though it was me attacking a bridge.

enemy generals often does start separate from the rest of the army and is really funny when they parade in front of your lines to get shot up by the missiles.

I love to send up a fast cav unit to tie up the general so he doesn't get to join his buddies and bring up some swords to finish him off.

[gaijinalways]

Splitting attacking (or defending) units can be a godsend or a curse depending on location of the AI's troops, terrain, are your units visible, what kind of units both sides have, valor, etc..

I had a battle where I was outnumbered about 2 to 1 (luckily defending), though of course that is including reinforcements. I hid all my cav units in some woods on my outer left flank but well out in front of my troops. Why? Well, I figured I needed to do something as I was outnumbered and also I had a problem with some units not being full ones, so even with reinforcements coming in, I would be lucky to field 750-770 at a time instead of a full 960.

The cav would be there to hit the AI's rear if and when he got close enough or to distract some of his units to chase them around. Actually, in the battle, these cav units got to do a little of both. One unit dragged some archers out to follow them, then chased some crossbows and archers around before I finally had routed enough other units to attck them. I lost a high percent of cavs, but they saved the day and my bacon.

Why the depleted units? Toward the end of a Spanish expert game with me pushing for the 60% victory and some of the units were mercs brought in as quick reinforcements headed for the front (another front orignally).