disengaging cavalry...

[caravel]

A while back, didn't someone suggest switching to "hold formation" and "hold position", then double-clicking away from the fight? I'll have to try that some time, usually I just leave them in the fight.

Engage at will means that units will break formation and follow enemies when attacking, hold formation is more defensive and units will not pull out of formation. It makes perfect sense to switch to at least hold formation before pulling a unit out out as it will stop the unit "getting stuck" to enemy units on the way. Hold formation also transfers a point of attack to defence IIRC.

[Heidrek]

If you are really desperate to save the unit, you can always order them to Rout. If they are far from the map edge, you'll probably be able to rally them before they run away for good. This is really a last resort though as you have no control of the unit while it's routing.

I find it's sometimes helpful to press the pause, press the STOP button and then double click somewhere. Clicking Stop seems to make a difference sometimes.

[Roark]

My first tip for cavalry is not to let them get mired with the enemy in the first place - unless you're confident that the enemy unit will break almost immediately.

For heavy spear/lance cavalry, their strongest feature is their charge +attack stat. So, instead, I usually micromanage my heavy cavalry pretty closely to take maximum advantage of this.

Send them charging in and then keep an eye on the enemy unit's numbers. They will deplete quite rapidly after the initial impact and then, a second or two later, the charge bonus will diminish and the kills will start to slow.

That's when you should pull them out.

I find that my cavalry disengage quite easily using this technique along with Caravel's suggestion of switching to "hold formation".

[Caerfanan]

Engage at will means that units will break formation and follow enemies when attacking, hold formation is more defensive and units will not pull out of formation. It makes perfect sense to switch to at least hold formation before pulling a unit out out as it will stop the unit "getting stuck" to enemy units on the way. Hold formation also transfers a point of attack to defence IIRC.

Yeah, i noted that wth halberds on a bridge... They tend to follow stupidly routing horses, and with hoild formation, it's easier to make them stop going in the attacking enemy's arms.

[drone]

Yeah, i noted that wth halberds on a bridge... They tend to follow stupidly routing horses, and with hoild formation, it's easier to make them stop going in the attacking enemy's arms.

Hold Position is your friend here. It's saved me on defensive battle many times, when my eyes strayed to the fringes of the battlefield.

[caravel]

When charging I always single click. Never have a unit run into a charge. The unit will automatically go into a charge when it gets to the right distance it doesn't need to be running. If you run it in, it may end up too close and not in good order which means that it may not charge at all, but run up to the enemy and start meleeing. The best way to check that a unit is charging is to keep the mouse over them. If the unit is reported as "attacking" it's charging, if it's reported as "fighting" that means it's meleeing. Once the charge has lost it's oomph and the kill rate has dropped it is then a good idea to withdraw it, as described by Roark above and bring the unit around for another charge.

You can also keep attacking/pursuing units formed by keeping them in hold position until they make contact with the enemy then switch them back. This helps the unit stay together and stops it getting fragmented.

[Caerfanan]

Hold Position is your friend here. It's saved me on defensive battle many times, when my eyes strayed to the fringes of the battlefield.

Yes as well. I so remember a two bridges battle where I stayed too long on one bridge, ignoring the other.. My halberds had engaged combat, pursued fleeing enemies, got surroounded and wiped out, and let an open bottle. I realiesd when the mogol heavy cavs charged my "reserv" units. Ooooo the pain...

[Ravencroft]

Well thanks a lot. I'm gonna try these tactics when I get home.