Charging- Yes, another charging question. Sorry.

[Orion66]

I've read some of the comments about charging. I've tried several ways to do it. I've tried double clicking on the enemy unit. I've tried single clicking on the enemy unit. I've tried double clicking at a point behind the unit.

Single clicking doesn't yield a charge at all. Double clicking on the unit or behind it gets them to charge, but as soon as the horse meet the enemy, they stop and go into melee with swords. This just gets the front rank into battle, leaving the middle and rear ranks doing nothing.
Double clicking behind the unit stops the charge, and go into melee with swords, but gets more ranks into the fight.
I would like my horse to charge into the enemy with spears/lances lowered and continue on thru the enemy. Like the charge of the Roharrim in front of Minas Tirith.
Thanks for any replies.

[Quickening]

Ah I remember all the "single-click or double-click" debates. In my experience it makes absolutely no difference whether you single click or double click. I always double click because that's just the way it's meant to be.
I have found that with cavalry charges in M2TW, the key is to ensure that your cavalry unit is lined up well with their target. I can consistently carry out devastating charges this way. In Rome, you could double click and your cavalry would happily turn 180 degrees and smash full force into the enemy a meter away. So yes, in my experience, lining up is the key and it has nothing to do with single or double clicking.
But cavalry are borked to an extent no matter what way you look at it especially when it comes to chasing the enemy. In such an event I find it best to run my men ahead of the enemy and then while they are passing through them, I order them to attack.

That's my two pennies worth.

Now one of the experts shall come and shame my laymans knowledge

[Dead Guy]

In Rome, you could double click and your cavalry would happily turn 180 degrees and smash full force into the enemy a meter away.

which the AI still does to YOU without batting an eyebrow.

I remember I used to single click then click r to start them running a few versions back, I don't need to do that anymore. What I think is key is like you said line them up, and start the charge far enough away from the target, like outside of the distance it takes to charge. They'll then run for a while and will be in formation before the actual charge begins, and won't break it up. Uneven terrain can totally bork your charge too, if there's unpassable terrain for example in the path of your charge.
The worst thing that can happen is when your cavalry gets a perfect charge at archers, that proceed to skirmish away and then your cav stops after hitting 2 guys and start to fight hand to hand... well it would be worse if they were heavy infantry but they don't skirmish that much.

[Orion66]

The problem I keep having is double clicking on the unit does induce the charge just before the units meet, but as soon as my horse meets the enemy, they stop the charge and switch to swords and fight in melee.
I can see a charge faltering upon meeting ranks of spears, but I was testing this with peasants. I would think the weight of a full charge would only slightly slow down the charge and have them charge right thru the unit into the enemy's rear.

[Dead Guy]

Have you fully patched the game? I can't remember if it's better patched cause I only play mods but you could give it a try, or give a mod a try.
The total war I play, a lance charge leaves about 10-20 men of a 90 man unit if you let them commit all the way. I usually pull my cavalry out before they get tangled up and start to die needlessly in melée. Head on, even onto spears. Although that kills a lot of cav too, but bodyguards sometimes annoyingly pulls it off (me being the receiver since I'd never risk my general like that).
Good luck!

[WhiskeyGhost]

if its an archer unit and not a spear or infantry unit, i usually just hit wedge and double click behind the unit. If it's any other kind of unit, make sure your cavalry has enough distance to get themselves sorted (some will always fall behind after ordered to do something). In my opinion, most of the time it's those stragglers who aren't precisely in formation when you start an actual charge that mess it up most of the time (which results in 1 or 2 units running out and getting bogged down, because the other guys don't wanna charge without the missing unit).