Blind, suicidal cavalry

**Ars Moriendi** · 10-31-2009, 10:55

Funny thing happened :

In the later stages of a field battle, enemy army was mostly routed or destroyed. The few units remaining have moved backwards from their initial position. I redeploy my army, issue move orders and click the fast-forward button. A few moments later, I got the "general killed" message, his unit card instantly disappearing. I slow down, puzzled, and look for them on the field : their bodies, men and horses, were neatly lined up in a fleshy pile, behind a row of stakes.

I would've been annoyed, if it wasn't so funny imagining their last conversation :

"-Hey, shouldn't we be going around those stakes ?"
"-You've got your orders, soldier. Just follow the green arrow."
"-But, there's no hurry, the enemy is defeated already !"
"-Shut up and keep moving."
[hoof sounds, stops, horses neighing]
"-My horse stopped. It wont go further."
"-Whip him if necessary, but be gentle, those PETA lawyers are a pain."
[screams of pain as the horsemen impale themselves - one soldier still alive]
"-Uh, Sir !? Sir, any new orders ? Sir, can you hear me !?"
[sighs, and proceeds to impale himself]

**Fisherking** · 10-31-2009, 11:41

yep, that is a booby trap that has been in from the very first and sometimes difficult to see.

Besides all your cavalry commanders being boobs...

**Sheogorath** · 10-31-2009, 20:57

I've lost a general to the Cavalry Stakes of Doom on more than one occasion. Funny how AI soldiers almost invariably find some way to route through the stakes. It makes sense if you think about it, but your own soldiers never do it.

I know I don't HAVE to get my general actual battle experience, but I like to get the old boys some good exercise.

**antisocialmunky** · 11-01-2009, 04:12

I usually lose my general to my own when withdrawing.

**Fisherking** · 11-01-2009, 10:42

Actually it is worse than you think.

One stake kills one horse so rather than go through the hole made by the dead comrade they go and find another stake to die upon.

I know in the demo I was blocked by stakes at the upper crossing in Brandywine. I sacrificed a horseman and led all my cavalry and artillery through the hole in single file.

Boy was that time consuming and tedious work.

**antisocialmunky** · 11-01-2009, 23:25

You could just walk them though...

I've also heard of an instance where one of the Highlanders in the Brandwine battle impaled himself on one of those during the demo.

**Sheogorath** · 11-02-2009, 02:09

Originally Posted by antisocialmunky

You could just walk them though...

I've also heard of an instance where one of the Highlanders in the Brandwine battle impaled himself on one of those during the demo.

They die walking into them too.

**Fisherking** · 11-02-2009, 07:23

Don’t miss understand. I lost one man to make a hole in the line of stakes.

Then I very carefully marched the rest through that gap. I may have lost one more on the way. A Generals bodyguard if I recall correctly.

**Megas Methuselah** · 11-02-2009, 08:02

Originally Posted by antisocialmunky

I've also heard of an instance where one of the Highlanders in the Brandwine battle impaled himself on one of those during the demo.

Hey, I think that was me! I distantly remember a highland charge in that rather laggy demo; He either got impaled by a stake, or was killed in the charge and fell in such a way as to look like he was impaled.

But it was a crude demo, though. I doubt much from there would actually apply to the game itself.

**antisocialmunky** · 11-03-2009, 02:53

I've never really liked stakes, they've always felt quite lame and I haven't really seen the AI fall for it.

**Sheogorath** · 11-03-2009, 03:12

Originally Posted by antisocialmunky

I've never really liked stakes, they've always felt quite lame and I haven't really seen the AI fall for it.

If you block yourself in a space with limited access using stakes/fences, the AI cavalry will mill around in front of them for a while, then either charge into them or...keep milling. It's kind of funny. And sad.