Tactics.

[John the Mad]

I've read a few posts here on how players rotate units in combat.

My question is how?

What i've noticed is either units refuse to leave combat or if they do break off they start losing men left and right.

Also how does the AI manage to have a fully engaged unit fire missles and how does it manage to disengage from combat,leaving behind a few men that holds up an entire unit,to charge a unit that is about to hit it in the rear?

The last one drives me nuts.The AI somehow manages to leave behind two or three soldiers to hold up a 100 then uses the rest to go off on a screaming charge to hit a unit flanking them with no disengage penalty.

[Mediolanicus]

ALT+click to where you want them to run seems to work for me.

[antisocialmunky]

Defense mode units withdraw cleaner.

[TruePraetorian]

To rotate a unit you can use three methods:

1. Use " < " and " > " buttons to rotate a unit.
2. Right-click and hold to drag into whatever facing/formation desired (most useful IMO)
3. Hold alt and right-click (drag) to select whichever facing you want.

As for units getting stuck in combat, try using guard mode. Another way to do it is to alt-click rapidly. And one of my personal favorites to get a unit to retreat very fast is to use the withdraw button. I notice not many people consider using this tactic, but if you click withdraw it is the same as "falling back". They aren't routing, altough I do not know if there are any penalties associated with it.

Lastly when the AI does that, right click to move instead of having your units attack. I know what you mean when the AI leaves a few men back while they retreat or regroup, so what I do is usually double right-click after them to a space just infront of them. Then I resume combat.

I also use that tactic when you have a few units attacking just one unit and some of the units simply walk into combat instead of charging; Just make them run to a position near the enemy and then attack.

[John the Mad]

Thanks fo the answers.

I never thought about using withdraw to take a unit out of combat.I remember in MTW that doing that would often lead to a drop in morale or the unit routing.Though i remember that you couldn't do endless cavalry charges either without hitting the units morale from constantly disengaging.

I ugess i have to quit thinking of things in terms of that game though.