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In the guides for generals' traits, a lot of the triggers are based on the battle odds, usually expressed as a decimal. Are those odds listed anywhere in the pre-battle screens? Is it just calculating from the ratio listed on the mouseover text of the blue & red relative strength bar?
How are the battle odds determined, anyway? Is the calculation based on the purchase price of the troops involved, or some other metric?
Battle odds are that blue/red bar when you are about to chose to lead the ballet or have it autoresolved. In vanilla M2TW the autocalc determines the odds based on the composition and size of the army as well as the general leading it pitted against the same factors for the enemy. Not sure if terrain plays a part as well. A good thing to know is that autocalc horribly favors heavy infantry, especially things with around 20 defense. Fully upgraded Armoured Swordsmen or Chivalric Knights are beasts in autocalc.
But when you face 2000 peasants with your General's Bodyguard the autocalc thinks you can't win no matter what and the odds are 95% against you. And true enough, if you autocalc you lose. But if you lead the battle and just charge and retreat the peasants until they break and you massacre them, you get a Heroic Victory and your general gets a boatload of great traits. The best way to train generals is to just use them and some good cav to fight battles where you are severely outnumbered and just abuse the battle mechanics of vanilla M2TW where heavy cav and General's Bodyguards area so powerful.