Bridge Defence

**Grumfoss** · 03-14-2006, 12:26

Hmm I am playing the ERE in BI with no battle time limits. I was defending a bridge with a large Sassanid army on the opposite bank. They attacked me, I decided to fight the battle and set up my troops on the opposite side of the bank, waiting for the onslaught ( they outnumbered me by over 2 to 1). However after the initial missile exchange ( over 1000 casualties to the Sassanids

) I used all my missiles and sat there waiting for the infantry assault. I waited....and waited... I went and had my dinner, played with my daughter and came back to see what had happened.... Nothing The Sassanids did not move they just sat there. I had to cross the bridge to kill them I won the battle but lost more troops than I would have if the Sassanids had attacked.

My point is, that I was the defender and should have been attacked not the other way around... Has anybody else had the same. Or is it the case that enemies will only attack if there is a battle timer.

I am really not looking forward to being besieged by a Horde who just sits out of range and forces me to sally forth or exit the battle and lose!

Has anybody else experienced the same?

**symball** · 03-14-2006, 15:21

yes-I have found that sending a disposable unit- like velites can help stir them into action.
I have also had seiges and sallies where this has happened- I think it has something to do with the AI deciding it is too risky to get any closer to your troops. I haven't tried yet but I think moving some of your troops can help break the deadlock.
It is situations like this however that shows why the time limit is actually quite useful.

**Grumfoss** · 03-14-2006, 15:29

I tried to send troops over the bridge to try to stir the enemy into action nope they just sat there, I even sent skirmishers swimming accross the river. I wish that I hadn't switched the timer off now :(

**Alexanderofmacedon** · 03-14-2006, 15:37

No, fortunetly, I haven't had that problem. Usually I put a spear unit at the bridge choke point for the enemy to run onto, and have missle troops harrass the swimmers (in BI).

In that situation, I would use all my missle units, on there troops if they are going to just sit there are wait. I'm sure you already did that though.

**Grumfoss** · 03-14-2006, 16:06

Yea I sat there and fired all my missiles at the enemy until there was a big pile of dead bodies ( probably over 1000 dead) If the AI wasn't going to attack why did it bother??
The AI still had 6+ units of Spearman left as well as 1 unit of Clibinari ( ?) all intact.

I even sent a unit of Heavy Infantry accross the bridge to see if they would attack but.... you guessed it no.

**Avicenna** · 03-14-2006, 16:15

One time I had this nice campaign battle with limit as Macedon at the bridge between Carthage and Thapsus. I simply placed 2 units of levies on the bridge, and used my cavalry against the army attacking me at the rear. Lost hardly any cavalry and somewhere in the region of 2 or 3 levies (soldiers not units). The cavalry killed the non-cav reinforcements easily and at the bridge it was pure slaughter: not even their elephants with high hp could get through.

**symball** · 03-14-2006, 16:23

Originally Posted by Grumfoss

I tried to send troops over the bridge to try to stir the enemy into action nope they just sat there, I even sent skirmishers swimming accross the river. I wish that I hadn't switched the timer off now :(

I think it is situations like this that reinforce the need for it- along with units getting stuck on walls fighting to the death and having enemy units get stuck behind terrain features. there are times you need to be able to simply let the timer run out so you don't lose the battle.

If the game were perfect and bug free (not something any game will manage) then you could easily play without it but this is a reason it is there. Besides I cannot think of many situations where you need the extra time anyway. I have usually won or lost by the half way point.

**Garvanko** · 03-14-2006, 19:39

Yeah,, happened to me a few times. Now I always use the timer. 40 minutes is more than enough to win a battle, imo. And its just enough to hold off a superior attacking force when defending a settlement.

**TheViking** · 03-15-2006, 08:18

units that can swim why dont they use the bridge at all?

once the enemy got over the bridge but there i could turn the war. all enemy fled, i let the remainings of my light cav chase after, the enemy infantry ran over the bridge, but my light cav start to swim in the water. the infantry was already on the other side before my cav got to the water so there were no "obstacles" on the bridge.

i tried to make a long formation right infront of the bridge but yet the cav ran into the water.

since it take quite a while to swim most of my routing enemy got away.

**Slug For A Butt** · 03-30-2006, 02:20

Originally Posted by Grumfoss

My point is, that I was the defender and should have been attacked not the other way around... Has anybody else had the same. Or is it the case that enemies will only attack if there is a battle timer.

I am really not looking forward to being besieged by a Horde who just sits out of range and forces me to sally forth or exit the battle and lose!

Has anybody else experienced the same?

I have exactly the same experiences my friend. The way I see it is that's the rough that goes with the smooth. I play no time limits too, and sometimes it forces you to act instead of just sitting waiting to inflict carnage... maybe not a bad thing sometimes, as it is a little too easy to sit in a corner with your nice pointy pikes, I'm sure we've all done it when we really are buggered. But it's still as cheap as some bridge battles or city defenses.

Alexanderofmacedon Amen to that.

**player1** · 03-30-2006, 23:00

Originally Posted by Grumfoss

Hmm I am playing the ERE in BI with no battle time limits.

That's why I always use time limits.

**PseRamesses** · 03-31-2006, 12:38

Timelimits and triple game speed are a lifesaver sometimes. Better to accept a draw than chasing illusive units. Regarding bridgecrossings I found that setting your units/ army on column formation before passing and some light cavs needs to be manually directed over the bridge.