Happy little surprises

[Spartiate]

@ Barocca and Colovion

I am sick to death of the way the AI performs in these battles when i have 2 armies present and it decides to destroy my elite one which it controls.I never leave 2 of my armies near each other any more as i detest this glaring bug in the game.You are far better off being totally out-numbered and having only one army in the field than having 2 armies plus numerical superiority but the AI controling the larger and better of your 2 armies.

Sorry about the rant.

[RedKnight]

So far I've only had a few battles where additional troops of mine come in, probably because I tend to spread myself hopelessly thin, lol...

Is it true that, if you want to control your other troops (that come on board later), you can Withdraw your currently-controlled units, and you'll get to control the other units, for however many of yours withdraw? Which is to say (I think) that the game only lets you control 20 units at a time?

[therother]

Mine is similar to Tamur's, which is apt as I was playing his Britons game at the time.

I (well he) had Gaulish invaders in one of his provinces. 3 units of swordsmen, IIRC. He had an army that could easily destroy these measly invaders, but I knew that I wouldn't get any good traits if the odds were too high in my favour. Not having fought a battle with the Britons, I guessed at the best mix: 1 swordsmen, 1 warband, 1 Light Chariots, 1 General. I sent the chariots round the back of the Gauls, and the infantry round the front (on the campaign map). I attacked with the general, and the odds (thankfully) were reported to be close. (I believe it has to do with MP unit costs?)

Anyway, to cut a long story short(er), I advanced with my infantry from the front whilst closing with my chariots from the rear. Once I had them nicely sandwiched, I opened up with my light chariots. I maximised their effect by making the AI believe that my infantry were the main threat, and so they always had their backs to my chariots, which has the added benefit of making them uneasy by having enemy behind them. I concentrated on each unit individually until their morale started taking blows, then I concentrated exclusively on the captain's unit.

The second he died, I sent my infantry charging into the front of the enemy, whilst simultaneous closing my chariots, but only at a walking pace. As soon as the enemy starting thinking of a counter charge, I stopped and reversed my men. When the AI turned round to deal with the slowly moving chariots, I warcried my infantry and charged my men in for real. The AI desperately wheeled his forces around, but now I sent my chariots charging into too. They hit, as I had intended, almost simultaneously (the chariots first), and the Gauls broke immediately. I pulled my chariots out, having knocked down many men, to allow them to rout. I then pursued them, using my chariots to knock men down, and my infantry to slaughter them on the ground.

The result was a crushing victory, having killed every man without a single loss, and three traits for my previously one star general. I think he went up from 1 to 4 stars, with an extra 3 when attacking. Having read how ineffective British chariots were, I was happily surprised to see them work so well in a mixed army.

[Mori Gabriel Syme]

Having read how ineffective British chariots were, I was happily surprised to see them work so well in a mixed army.

I've learned to disregard any comments that such-&-such a unit doesn't work. Besides, figuring out how to make it work is part of the fun.

I remember reading an old article in Life magazine decrying how bad the American Sherman tanks were compared with German Panzers. Toe-to-toe the article was correct, but it neglected to mention that the Panzer was made for fast, heavy hits with little support while the Sherman was made to support advancing infantry. Military planners knew better than to get Shermans involved in battle like the German-Soviet tank slugfest at Kurtsk.