missile cavalry charge and blocking trade

[BenderBRodriguez]

hey guys, how do you 'charge' using missile cavalry/chariot, i mean the pahlav bodyguard's got 44 charge, kinda a waste if you cant use it, and same argument with casse's bodyguards.

also, can you use troops to block enemy's trade routes on land?

and sometimes even with melee cavalry, when charging at something (moving away from them) they slow down right before impact and as a result, the charge is lost, what gives?

and how do you melee with missile units if you dont to use up their arrows/javelin?

and for the same attack value, are arrows just as deadly as javelins?

thanks.

[everyone]

to get your missile cavalry to charge, alt+click at the target, the same applies for foot archers/slingers, alt+click is also to use the secondary weapons (e.g. axes for the shipri tukul)

I don't think you can block enemy trade routes on land, only devastate the tile

for the third question, I think your unit status changes from "charging" to "pursuing" so it slows down

hope this helps

[white_star]

Yes you can use troops on land to block ports. Just put them onto the port on the land. For phalava I have little experience. But for casse's chariots I have some.

For me I usally put the chariots in front line. I charge in head front and before they stops (and get massakerd) I tell them to push foward behind and through the line to behind. And quickly move in my infrantry into the disrupted line. The chariots then fire their javelins and when the enemy is near to rout. I charge in from the back and use them to chase routers.

While this is quite a good tactic when it works. It can easily backfire if the enemy has a deep line. Also it is quite risky to put your general in the front line. But the heck. War is dangerous!

[Ca Putt]

to use the secondary weapon you have to hold the[alt] key while issueing an attack. so if you wan't a ranged unit to go into melee you have to press the [alt] key(this also applies to units who use a ranged weapon before charge.

[BenderBRodriguez]

devastate the tile?

and double clicking behind the enemy with cavalry doesnt equal charging right?

how do you prevent charging turning into pursuing, what determines one or the other? whether the enemy is routing or not?

also, after charge, do you try to push through and make holes in enemies lines, then charging them from the back or retreat for a second charge from the front? i think i lose less horses with the later.

and how do i know whether something has a second attack or not?

[I of the Storm]

If you remain long enough (>1 turn) in one spot on the campaign map, provided it's in enemy territory, devastation will set in. It will be visible as black (like burned) territory and it will diminish the enemies income. It might cause some unrest as well but I'm not sure about that.

[BenderBRodriguez]

oh even in a forest? preparing for an ambush? or only on areas that are not forest/roads?


and how do we know whether something has spears or sword? some say spears are better for charging?

[everyone]

for checking the weapons of the units, you can check the EDU (export_descr_unit, found in rome - total war/eb/data); alternatively you can read the unit descriptions for some units.

[Ignopotens]

and sometimes even with melee cavalry, when charging at something (moving away from them) they slow down right before impact and as a result, the charge is lost, what gives?

I don't think you can properly charge an enemy unit that is moving away from you. What seems to happen is that as soon as one of my cavalry reaches the enemy he stops to engage him and the whole unit ends up stopping the charge.

[theoldbelgian]

and about the question of blocking land trade, yes it is posible to stand on a road and cut off the land trade
although the only one who's hurt with this is you when it happens because of the money-script