How to farm defender bonus?

[RedKnight]

I've seen a lot of posts about 'farming' the defender bonus, by letting recently-conquered provinces rebel, then smacking them down. I've been trying this a lot lately, but it's not working for me. Example: In Norway, 1219 in a Russ High Expert game, I had 720 folks (1 CMAA, 7 archers, 4 woodsmen; archer general 3*) attack my 3 boyars (120 men, 4* general, 6:1 odds). I didn't get any defender bonus; no virtue at all.

But this is just the straw that broke this camel's back - I haven't gotten any defender bonusses in a couple dozen planned rebel uprising scenarios, all with at least 2:1 odds. What's up with that?

TIA dudes https://forums.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/medievalcheers.gif

[Papewaio]

I assume you are defending, that you won the battle and your general survived.

And that your general actually fought ... try hand to hand if you have not done so already.

Sounds weird, but I am not 100% sure that you will always get the defender bonus... it may require a certain amount of kills as well like butcher...

[RedKnight]

Oh yes, they all fought. 120 to 720? You bet. I deliberately let my general capture more than his share, once the battle was going my way.

Norway's the best of fun for this; perched high on a mountain, raining first arrows, then heavy cav. I sliced through their woodsmen and CMAA, and all his archers could do, was route. I captured 372 out of their 720, and lost 37 out of 120.

And I got no defender bonus.

See, something's wrong in my understanding. Can anyone help?

[Seven.the.Hun]

blah, well damn, u definetly got screwed there, i'd say just keep hacking it out,
try loading from a year where a faction other than rebels attacks you...reloading of course means as long as u dont move in a horde there, the attack always comes...make sure the general u want will be there and u are outnumbered 'as this usually helps one get attacked in the 1st place'
that might help...
i find defender stuff for a general is gained easily in perhaps 1st or 2nd battle...
sounds like u were just getting jipped by those rebels

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[Maeda Toshiie]

Overall quality of the troops play a part, in addition to the numbers. If you have 3 plain HAs and won (not likely to win unless high valour disparity). You would get the skilled defender and even the skilled last stand virtues. Valour level and general does NOT matter in it.

1 CMAA, 7 archers, 4 woodsmen; archer general

Except for that single CMAA, the rest are a bunch of peasant troops types. Your boyars are elite and very powerful.

Simple analysis:

Total worth of your army: 3 x 550 (boyar) = 1650

Total worth of opposing army: (8 x 225) + (75 x 4) + 250 = 2350.

Ratio of worth of armies: 1.42 : 1

[RedKnight]

Thanks Maeda...

But, damn...

I tried taking one unit of Boyars (6*, cost 525) in Norway vs. a rebellion with:

Archers 2x225=450
Mil Sarges 5x150=750
Woodies 2x75=150
Peasants 2x37=74
Total: 1424 dollars; 740 men

It was looking bad for a little while as they smartly surrounded and swamped me... but I got his general and they broke and ran. (I was left with 22 Boys.)

No defender bonus https://forums.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/frown.gif

Should I be doing something else?