Quote Originally Posted by Tigranes
Maybe that's why I'm not good with them. I use R:TR.

I'll test out the suggestions, thanks!
If you're using R:TR, you have to be VERY careful with your elephants, especially the normal kind. They tire very quickly, and that makes them much more susceptible to routing. Once they rout, they very seldom rally, and are prone to run amok. You have never seen a more tragic sight than a unit of your own War Elephants tear-@ssing through a formation of very expensive cataphracts. They also drop dead in droves if you let skirmishers or hastati/principes get off a volley or two of javelins. Also, watch out for "friendly" fire when you engage. Your own missiles can kill/rout them just as easily as the enemy's. If all this weren't enough, I think the designers of R:TR also have dialed back the "fear factor" that makes elephants so devastating on the battlefild. When playing R:TR, I seldom bother building them, and many times do not allow them to participate in the battle until I have dealt with the enemy's missile troops.

Quote Originally Posted by tai4ji2x
first, you might want to be aware of the fact that the charge bonus stat doesn't seem to have the effect one would assume:
https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showt...4&page=1&pp=30
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/index...pic=25801&st=0

second, units which are not specifically ordered to "attack" a unit are not interpreted by the game as "attacking". therefore, they are more vulnerable, and they never initiate a charge. they are technically "running" units, nothing more. individuals within the unit will engage the enemy as they come in contact with them, but will be reactive, not proactive (ie, they will usually not strike until struck first).

elephants i suppose are one of the exceptions to the second point. like chariots, they seem to have a "kill zone" around them for enemy units. still, it would seem that simply running through a unit is less effective.
As to the first point, I have not conducted any research or experiments or detailed comparisons of unit stats, etc. I can only offer the anecdotal evidence of my own gameplaying experience. In the battles I have played, elephants rack up many more kills in a shorter amount of time when they are charging. The kill rate APPEARS to slow down dramatically once they stop to melee. Thus, I still always keep them on the move so long as their stamina holds up.

As to the second point, I can't say if not having your elephants in "attack" mode renders them less effective or not. If it does, I haven't noticed.

Regardless, when I use the click-behind-the-enemy tactic, my objective is to disrupt the enemy's lines and damage their morale, as opposed to killing them in large numbers, because I follow the elephants' charge closely with an attack with fast-moving infantry (Iberian Infantry are great in this role, and even Eastern Infantry will work in a pinch). The real massacre begins when the elephants turn around and crash into the rear of the enemy formation. However, crushing the enemy's center like this only works under special circumstances: where the enemy doesn't have much in the way of missile troops and isn't deploying phalanx troops.