Reinforcement order problems

[edyzmedieval]

In longer battles, reinforcements can save the day. I have had problems with overextended supply lines, especially when you're hoping to completely rout the enemy,

I hate it when that happens in big battles. You're never able to supply enough reinforcements to keep the wheel spinning so you have to sacrifice a couple of units to retreat your main body so they can link up with the fresh troops.

[Trapped in Samsara]

I hate it when that happens in big battles. You're never able to supply enough reinforcements to keep the wheel spinning so you have to sacrifice a couple of units to retreat your main body so they can link up with the fresh troops.

Hi

Yeah. For big engagements I assume I will have to use two or three waves of troops to attrition the enemy to death. I take it for granted, even try to engineer, that the first wave will die to a man - barring general, of course. This heartlessness gets your reinforcements onto the field quicker than having them rout off first. I set the reinforcement flag, say, a third of the way down the field, with a view to building up a force of ten or twelve fresh companies and then mounting a big second round, rather than throwing in units piece meal which is always a temptation if they are close to hand. I regard this as my Haig doctrine.

If you're lucky the AI will not have withdrawn and replaced it's depleted units, and you could find yourself with a numerical advantage (despite not having your full 16 unit complement) for round two.

One 'sneeky' thing you can do with the reinforcement flag: if you're loosing a battle you can sometimes reposition it so that your reinforcements appear on or behind the AI's flank. I remember one battle in which I was taking a terrible beating. I managed to rally a rag tag band of stalwarts in a corner of the map and moved the reinforcement flag a good distance off to the left. As the AI closed in for the kill a couple of my cav became available in the nick of time, charged the AI's flank-most units in the rear and caused a chain rout.

Regards
Victor

Sapere aude
Horace