Shooting Commanders

**Alexios** · 08-22-2006, 22:52

Originally Posted by gaijinalways

I've tried that, blocking the entry point, but I have found the AI finds other spots to enter, and then tries to swamp my units that are too close to the 'borderline'!

Hmmm... interesting. What level of difficulty are you playing on? I had one situation where the AI reinforcements overwhelmed my blockade (which basically happened because my units were physically depleted from earlier fighting). But I don't think I have ever seen the AI reinforcements come in from a different position before.

**Geezer57** · 08-23-2006, 01:52

Originally Posted by Alexios

Hmmm... interesting. What level of difficulty are you playing on? But I don't think I have ever seen the AI reinforcements come in from a different position before.

I almost always play on Expert level of difficulty, and I've often had the A.I. reinforcements enter at different points when their original entry area was blocked. I get the impression that, when one wave is stymied at some point by your army, a later wave of reinforcements will often appear elsewhere.

If you only play on lower difficulties, you can expect a more predictable A.I.

**Alexios** · 08-23-2006, 22:59

Originally Posted by Geezer57

I almost always play on Expert level of difficulty, and I've often had the A.I. reinforcements enter at different points when their original entry area was blocked. I get the impression that, when one wave is stymied at some point by your army, a later wave of reinforcements will often appear elsewhere.

If you only play on lower difficulties, you can expect a more predictable A.I.

I've played on 'Normal' and on 'Hard' and the AI seems to always use the same entry-point. I have never played on 'Expert' and probably never will either, based on the way my 'Hard' campaigns have turned out.

**Geezer57** · 08-24-2006, 01:52

At least that appears to explain the different behaviors seen in the game.

The reason for Expert-only is that I was a miniatures/board wargame player for years before starting with computer games, so many common concepts were already learned when I began playing M-TW. At first, I focused almost exclusively on the battlefield, playing many, many, historical and custom battles - soon graduating to Expert difficulty. But I'd never played a campaign until after discovering the two main forums dedicated to this game (this one and the .com), and I wondered about all the discussion and enthusiasm for the strategic aspects of the game. So I tried my first campaign on Hard, found the battles not challenging, and restarted at Expert - and I've been hooked ever since!

The computer's A.I. is far from what an experienced human opponent could offer, but is so much better that what's been available in the past. There's just no comparison! But I can readily see why, once you feel you've fully explored the single-player game, that multi-player offers an almost addictive step up in challenge. Too bad it's tactical battlefield play only - the thought of a multi-player campaign almost boggles the mind!

**gaijinalways** · 08-25-2006, 16:14

Expert as well, I 'graduated' from the lower levels some time ago. I'd like to play on line, but my wife complains about my pc time enough as it is.

**macsen rufus** · 08-25-2006, 16:30

I always play on expert now (first try was on easy, 2nd normal, then straight up to expert...) and find that I can usually get a good shot at the enemy general - he very often stands still just inside arrow/arbalest range, or charges my polearms in the woods - and also that the AI will change its reinforcement entry point if I block it off. I have had cases where my exhausted troops blocking off the enemy reinforcements get overwhelmed by the fresh enemy, especially where heavy armour or bad weather is involved. The problem is once you get to the far side of the map, it's hard to find a good time to withdraw the exhausted units and bring on your own reinforcements in good time.

**Geezer57** · 08-25-2006, 20:21

I remember one battle, playing some Catholic (but not English) faction, where I'd defeated the A.I.'s initial forces and advanced my starting forces to the A.I. reinforcement map edge. After defeating several waves of reinforcements, my troops were all exhausted, heavily attrited, and in danger of being overwhelmed. Since it was taking forever for my own reinforcements to arrive, and my General's bodyguard was almost completely depleted, I opted to retreat to better terrain closer to my reinforcement edge.

Some of my troops, fortunately none of the "elite" I was trying to save, wouldn't disengage from the enemy, so I left them to their fate. Most of the remainder, especially my General, were able to head for friendlier ground, but enemy cavalry was quick to threaten vulnerable unit rears. So I sacrificed the remnant of a Halberdier unit, turning them around to halt the enemy cavalry, if even for only a few moments. They actually held for quite a while facing four enemy cav, allowing my other units to set up a nice defense at the top of a hill, accompanied by fresh missle reinforcements. When the Halbs finally broke and routed, they came back near to my new position, whereupon the salvos of my fresh missle troops decimated the enemy cav and caused them to abandon their pursuit. The Halb remnant even rallied, and came back to rest in my reserve.

When the A.I. infantry finally showed up, they met with rested troops in a strong position, supported by cavalry reinforcements and ample missle troops. The enemy army then broke quickly, and was chased off the map for a victory.

But it was a memorable lesson to me: against large armies with many reinforcements, don't overextend your troops by moving to the reinforcement edge, unless you've first destroyed most of the enemy by fighting in a superior position.