AI quirks and low level generals

[gaijinalways]

"...what is the lowest command general you have ever won a battle with?"

Well, for me it would be a 0 star general since I never had any commander with negative levels in MTW.
It all probably boils down to my rather Spartan approach to these things I guess - I kind of expect my
pixel-generals to be fit for command. If they are not, they don't command....

As simple as that really.

I like to give everyone a chance. Besides, I didn't realize this guy was a negative general until later (I know, I know). But I was surprised as he still can win battles, just not as easily as your many starred hunks.

Now I had another interesting thing happen. The horde attacked Poland (remember that door I opened?), but with only archers and cav. I had a mixed group up on a decent sized hill. I had two xbow cav unit. I eventually rout the horde, with even their cav leaving (not routed). So I had earlier killed some artillery units as well as a few archer units. I saw the archer units going, some fleeing, some moving away. I attacked, and killed quite a few of them, but after one cav unit hit the 4th unit, already routed, it routed my cav unit! Hard to figure, a routing unit routing an enemy!

[Brandy Blue]

This is just a guess, but maybe your cavalry unit was not routed by the enemy but by its position on the field. Sometimes units get a morale bonus for being near the general. Also I think (I'm not sure) they get a bonus for local numerical superiority. If your cavalry had low morale and was almost ready to rout anyway, the loss of some such positional bonus might tip the balance.

[gaijinalways]

That could be it. They also were still losing units (hard to figure when people are running away from your horse and you are cutting them down with your sword), perhaps they fell out of their saddles and were run over by their own mounts?

The ones who survived still did a great job.

[gaijinalways]

Update again

I have crashed further along. It has been an enjoyable ride. Had a horrifc battle the other night, lost a general but won the battle. The Hungarians seem to be getting desperate. I have lost some troops, but with still plenty of money, I can fight a war of attrition longer than them.

The loss of trade income with the horde has been minimal, but it still hurts. I really regret that I gave them a gap to hit at me at Poland, but since I may still be able to sue for peace at some point, I suppose I'll get over it. If the Horde didn't mostly hold good trading areas that were rebellious, I think I would be all over them already. But ince they have no fleets, I'm not too worried, and the Hungarians form a nice bottleneck on the eastern front.

I am slowly building my fleets up, and have quite a few better units arriving daily. As my less teched up older units sometimes fall by the wayside, it keeps the expenses down. I am still building plenty as well, otherwise I'm sure I would have even more money (150k plus).
Debating whether I should try to hold onto Greece, or give it up and slog along to Venice and another province that will connect Venice to my growing empire. I would like to keep both, but I am afraid I will get overstretched.

The Alomonds finally made a move into the Isle de France, one of two provinces I left vacant with spies adorning it (Franconia and Isle de France). I will have to watch them carefully, though they and the Hungarians are both having some rebellion problems in a few provinces. The Alomonds seem to have the stacks to put them down, they may simply be getting ready for an offensive againist yours truly. If that is the case, I may need to put a pile of mercs on the payroll and hope for a slugfest that will see the Alomonds losing a chunk of turf. The Hungarians I will soon sue for peace as well, as soon as I have taken a few choice provinces from them that I am more entitiled to.

[oz_wwjd]

I once won a battle with a -2 general. After a long series of battle against the egyptains,he got too cocky for his own good,and gavce chase to a group og Turcopoles,which proceeded to surround him from all sides and shoot him,which resulted in him routing off the battlefield,which gave him the "good Runner"series of vices. Anyways I left him there ,not expecting any trouble,and the very next year,the spanish invaded with 12,000 men which lead to this battle result.after a hard-fought victory.

http://s781.photobucket.com/albums/y...7af0c0e540.jpg

[Knight of the Rose]

Sorry to break it to you, but that is actually a nine-star general, as OP asked us the lowest level of command, that doesn't really qualify

But a cool battle none the less. You must have stayed up all night to finish that one...



/KotR

[caravel]

Yes a nine star Kataphraktoi general, probably with Royal blood? I think you may have confused valour with command? The general probably had -2 valour due to some particulary bad vices.