Worst Battle EVER

**Budwise** · 04-14-2005, 09:24

I was doing so well too, I had artillery in the background firing and actually hitting stuff, I had the enemy on the run and my kill ratio was 2/1. Then, my cannon missfired killing my general. Even knowing how I was just moping up the remaining enemy still fighting, my ENTIRE ARMY gets freaked and routs. I can't believe I just lost that battle.

**bretwalda** · 04-14-2005, 10:13

Originally Posted by Budwise

I was doing so well too, I had artillery in the background firing and actually hitting stuff, I had the enemy on the run and my kill ratio was 2/1. Then, my cannon missfired killing my general. Even knowing how I was just moping up the remaining enemy still fighting, my ENTIRE ARMY gets freaked and routs. I can't believe I just lost that battle.

The first time I saw the cannon blow up and killing not only its crew but also some of the archers happen to be standing by I was surprised - and since then I never place my general near the cannons. (Cannons are not that good anyway you don't have many units of them on the field so it is easy not to put precious troops next to them...)

I hope you had the save and replayed the battle - if you wanted...

**King Edward** · 04-14-2005, 11:07

Just sounds Damn Unlucky!! You get massive Moral Hits when Your general Dies and if he had some Bad Vices (Good runner, Indecicive, sybarite that kind of thing) that lower your troops Moral It only takes his death to rout a low valour unit which then means the penalty from them routing on nearby units can set them off starting a chain reaction rout of your entire army! (Put low valour units out towards your flanks to minimalise the effect of this)

Thats why you should always try and have a few elite units who wont be affected by neigbouring routers to hold your line together.

Moral can be quite a complex issue in TW games but once you master it it become quite easy to keep all you chaps on the field even in some quite dire situations.

Also goes without saying now, dont put your General next to cannons!

**Cruelsader** · 04-14-2005, 14:17

Quite unfortunate! Has happend to me couple of times. The general is a cavalry unit chasing the routers, you forget to cancel orders for the cannon and "bang!" your general is dead and your army, including the idiot cannon crew, is running for the other direction. I imagine that the cannon crew may think the whole army is after them. ;)

**ichi** · 04-14-2005, 14:43

The Large jagged Shrapnel in his ear vice is absolutely the worst V&V a general can get

**The Wizard** · 04-14-2005, 14:56

Indeed...

I remember when, in a siege of Constantinople as the late Turks, the opening move of the enemy was to fire a projectile from their barbican, which actually hit the ghulam unit which was my general, and instantly killed him! Five seconds into the siege!

Still, I exacted revenge on the enemy, ripping apart his fortress with siege cannons and killing every Byzantine in there, down to the last man...

~Wiz

**DisruptorX** · 04-14-2005, 15:13

My friend has had that happen, the enemy fired a ballista, and the single shot impaled his king, killing him.

As far as bad luck for me, I've lost my king and all seven heirs in a single battle before. Needless to say, I learned from that mistake and never stack all my heirs on one province.

**Ironside** · 04-14-2005, 15:33

Originally Posted by ichi

The Large jagged Shrapnel in his ear vice is absolutely the worst V&V a general can get

Actually, I would still say that coward (especially if combined with cowardly or another moral penalty) is the worst one.

**Duke of Gloucester** · 04-14-2005, 15:38

I have never had that happen to me, though I have inflicted the same on the AI. In fact I often target the unit in front of the enemy general and try to catch him on the bounce!

My worst defeat involved approaching the ememy on a slight slope. We exchanged archer fire. I wanted to move my cavalry out to the flank, but instead of selecting a unit, I clicked the ground. My entire army was selected, so every unit moved, exposing its flank. The enemy charged - carnage and rout.

**bretwalda** · 04-14-2005, 16:05

Originally Posted by DisruptorX

My friend has had that happen, the enemy fired a ballista, and the single shot impaled his king, killing him.

As far as bad luck for me, I've lost my king and all seven heirs in a single battle before. Needless to say, I learned from that mistake and never stack all my heirs on one province.

When the Horde attacks the Khan is my prime target. When he is in shooting distance all of my missile units target him....

Anyway, I keep my artilliery on fire at will UNTIL the enemy broke and I charge downhill against the routing troops. Then arty is useless anyway and it is my cavalry that does the job.

... and I learned this by shooting my general in the head with a still firing catapult. At least he was only a 3 star general...