How to get a good charge

[Jagger]

I just did some tests with Feudal Knights vs Spear Sergeants. The charges worked perfectly every time with the one click method. To withdraw without getting all tangled up with the defending unit, I had to immediately double click to retreat when the cavalry charge hit home.

Using the one click method works extremely well with cavalry. And the cavalry charges are devastating even against spears.

[Jagger]

I agree that the new MTW2 charge is much more realistic than any of the previous games. Takes a bit more time and effort but is a very good simulation of how charges were done in the medieval time frame.

Still think bowman are bit overpowered though.

[Dooz]

It might be advantageous (though maybe not necessary) to switch the cavalry that just charged into a unit to guard mode right after the initial impact to get out of melee quicker and prevent any chance of them engaging and getting tangled up. It seems they escape the tangled masses faster when on guard mode.

[Hashashiyyin]

Thought of an interesting way to look at calvary that might help people understand how to use it better:

Think of Heavy calvary is like a giant infantry battering ram. The "parts" to the battering ram are the Knights and the "assembled" battering ram is the knights in formation. The advantage to this, is that, the parts of the ram are self mobile and so, can break down, rapidly move, and quickly reassemble. This assembled ram is like a door ram in that it uses a huge amount of kinetic energy to destroy everything in it's path, but can only transfer the energy in a strait line, and obviously needs to be fully assembled to work. So assemble your ram (your knights) and charge the "ram" into a stationary target. once the forward momentum of the ram is broken, the pieces can dissolve and the reform the ram again. But for the ram to be effective it has to set up so it can transfer it's energy in that strait line again. So the pieces of the ram have to be told to set the ram up again in a good strategic place to maximize it's effectiveness. You are left to tell the pieces where to set up the ram."

[AussieGiant]

Thanks for the write up Hashashiyyin, it was excellent.

I agree whole heartedly.

Gentlemen,

I'd say many of our issues with the game are due to the fact that there is no explanation by the designers on why it is so. Without this, we are using our varied opinions to determine if something is correctly implimented or not.

There are some issue with charging that do seem a little buggy (like only the front rank moving off while the rest sit around watching) but essentially I'd say Hashashiyyin concept is correct.

In many ways gentlemen there is no point arguing but simply learning and adapting. CA have a concept of how Cavalry should work and unless you adapt and learn to use it then you will be forever behind the 8-ball.

Cheers
AG