If a Battle is Unwinnable, What Do You Do?

[Omanes Alexandrapolites]

But strangely when i'm fighting as another faction(except macedon,seleucid empire,germania,thrace and scythia)and they have 2 armies with around the same amount of men,i slaughter the first half and get butchered by the second half which is slightly weaker than the first.

This'll probably be attributable to units tiring during the inital fight and having to battle the second batch in a less fresh state.

You could try to minimise running and only walk your troops across the battle map, or, if viable, try to keep fresh men in reserve to combat the second wave.

Actually probably any 100% cav force should often fight even without Arrows it can either tire and catch opposition units out, or get a narrow victory without suffering or causing losses.

That's a good point, although victory itself often is only really doable if the enemy lack decent cavalry of their own. While charging into and then fleeing from an infantry unit is possible, charging and then fleeing from a typical cavalry unit isn't quite so easy to perform.

This often isn't helped by the exaustion caused by the tactic - in that case, the enemies fresher cavalry are usually actually able to catch up with your own resulting in them being unable to flee. This can force you to withdraw earlier than you would be able to with a solely foot based force.

[RLucid]

Yes, you need several cav units together and an echelon formation, tends to let you get an advantage over opposition cavalry, either by maneuver or having fresh unit as attacker, following a chase.

Actually charging into enemy cavalry unit from flank with inferior cav force, and then fleeing as bait for a trap, is one of my regular tactics! The E. Horsey based factions used these types of ruses, right through middle ages, so I don't see it as an implausible exploit that it works.

[Omanes Alexandrapolites]

I must admit that trapping is a very useful tactic. In many cases I have lured enemy units onto superior force through this tactic. As the word hidden suggests though, it's best used when combined with tree cover and, in the case of units with excellent ambush abilities, long grass.

Hiding can also be used to surround enemy forces and, in some cases, force them to fight to the death completely obliterating them. This can be done by hiding forces in the trees to the left and right in front of the approaching foes. Once they are in combat, flank and completely trap them.

[zalalzabob konsorbud]

Well if Im over powerd I usualy run for the hills but on some occasions when I cant run or if Im feeling like taking massive risks then some times I will stand and fight.

If it is a seige and my Garrision is under manned I usualy try to weaken the enemy by sallying, and use my archers to pepper them until it comes to the point where they are ready to seige that way I weaken there total force.

[zalalzabob konsorbud]

Well if Im over powerd I usualy run for the hills but on some occasions when I cant run or if Im feeling like taking massive risks then some times I will stand and fight.

If it is a seige and my Garrision is under manned I usualy try to weaken the enemy by sallying, and use my archers to pepper them until it comes to the point where they are ready to seige that way I weaken there total force.

Some times if lucky during a sally the enemy army turns and runs.
And thats when a Good warlord comes handy. It is mostly a massacre.

[Caius]

I try to debilitate them as much as I can. Sometimes I make 1 or 2 rout, but it isn't enough, half of my forces had run like cowards!

[RLucid]

I must admit that trapping is a very useful tactic. In many cases I have lured enemy units onto superior force through this tactic. As the word hidden suggests though, it's best used when combined with tree cover and, in the case of units with excellent ambush abilities, long grass.

When a cavalry unit is chasing your "fleeing" unit, they don't seem to see much but your horses cute rears... well they sure seem to run into spearmen awful often, and then get clobbered by heavy cavalry without any cover at all. Perhaps the non-spear infantry units "screen" the trapping spearmen. I haven't needed the trap to be "hidden" at all, open ground fine at least with 'impetuous' units. Worked for me a treat against Barb cavalry and Macedonians, for instance.

The main problem is when the battle seems to run at double speed, and large number of forces, are close together so you don't get time to spring trap, focus elsewhere and rest your gallopers before next round.