Killing the General

**Ironsword** · 03-05-2008, 15:43

The AI frequently sends in a 6/7/8* general with a depleted unit and then withdraws him from the game before my army is anywhere near his lines. Does this benefit him in any way? If all the bonuses are lost then he is surely better off fighting without him anyway and using the unit slot for another 100 arbalesters. Is this just crazy AI or am I missing something?

**macsen rufus** · 03-05-2008, 16:33

Is this just crazy AI or am I missing something?

You may be missing something - if the general withdraws he's still alive and you can't kill him, therefore you can't remove the command star bonus he gives. There's the small "general proximity" morale bonus the AI will lose, but set alongside the +3/4 valour bonus this is a minor loss. It is one of the AI's smarter tactics for using its general, especially when set beside its other favourite of charging him into your pointiest spears through a hail of arbalester bolts

**Vladimir** · 03-05-2008, 19:12

And because the AI can't retrain their units an 8* general unit with one horse left always makes me mad. I have to bring a pair of Jinettes or MXBs just for the vain hope of catching that bastard before he flees.

**Heidrek** · 03-06-2008, 00:11

So, withdrawing the General means his +1's to attack and Defense still happen for the entire battle, whereas him dying removes all benefits?

Good to know. do you know if withdrawing can trigger the Not So bold vice?

**Ravencroft** · 03-06-2008, 06:30

I noticed that...

Well, I was fighting with my 4* general when he got killed in the melee (I forgot to withdraw him

).

Next thing I knew, The valour bonus displayed went from 2 to 0.

Then some of my men fled.

**Jxrc** · 03-06-2008, 09:55

Originally Posted by Heidrek

Good to know. do you know if withdrawing can trigger the Not So bold vice?

I can if you withdraw three battles is a row without your general's unit killing anyone or taking any casualty. One killing or casualty is enough to break the chain so that it can be a good idea to let you general's unit receive a few arrows before moving out (loosing 2/3 knights is better than the morale malus).

The not so bold vice does not affect the AI that often because it auto-calc battles against other AI faction but it does happen if the same AI general attacks you each turn and withdraw (usually it happened a few time when facing an army made almost entirely of HA while the AI general's unit had itself no missile capacity)

**Ravencroft** · 03-06-2008, 13:24

Wokey...

What does not so bold exactly do anyway? And does it have any worse forms?

**caravel** · 03-06-2008, 13:52

Not so bold is one of the coward line of vices, along with eager to retreat and good runner - which are worse forms. It delivers a battlefield moral penalty to all units under the vice bearer's command. I cannot remember the exact figures, they may be fully listed in Frogbeastegg's guide, but I'm not that familiar with the guide so wouldn't know.