Query about V&Vs

[Kaidonni]

I'm curious about something (before I launch a final offensive against Serbia in my current Sicily/Early/Hard/GA/XL campaign)...

The enemy king, Tzar Vukan II, has 5 command. Regardless of the morale that might generate for his army, his V&Vs give -2 morale.

My king, King Roger II, has 4 command. The same as before, his V&Vs give +5 morale.

My question is this...for the general, do any of the morale-giving V&Vs ever affect the rest of the army? Or will it only be the general? Would I be better of using a 5 star general, who doesn't have the same morale-giving V&Vs, in the coming battle? Or would my king be ample? I think my 5 star general gives an extra 2 to morale from V&Vs...

What would be better, based on this information?

Unfortunately, some of the enemy units have 3 valour, while most of my units, save for my Dejma, have 2. My Dejma all have 3, I believe 2 units of Royal Knights have 4, one has 3 and one has 2. Then there's my king with 2.

I have 5 Royal Knights for the battle, 3 Dejma, 4 Feudal Seargents (sp?) and 4 Feudal Men-at-Arms. I'd have reinforcements, but I only just took Serbia and it is somewhat rebellious if I take more units from the region (and there are three strong Byzantine armies in Bulgaria...I don't want Serbia to look too appetising).

What should I do based on this information? Some of it might be a bit inaccurate, but I can't remember off of the top of my head (that and taking screenies and uploading them might take a bit of time...multiple screenies to be had if I did so).

[caravel]

V&Vs only affect the stats of a general and his unit (apart from those applicable to governors affecting provincial happiness etc). Valour or morale affects the unit as a whole, loyalty command, piety dread and acumen only affect the general himself, but of course as command affects all of the units in his stack this affects all of the other units valour (only). So you can think of vices or virtues affecting command as the only ones that will affect the army as a whole.

-Edit: I'm slipping a bit. The vices that incur morale penalties such as "doubtful courage" also affect the whole army stack. Beware of these as they can ruin a good general. You may be in a battle and wondering why your men are running away despite the generals stars, check his V&Vs.

Those vices and virtues relating to valour do only affect that general's unit though and not the whole army.

[Kaidonni]

Ah. Might be best not to use my king for the battle then...

[Martok]

A general's vices and virtues affect his *entire* army, not just his personal unit. Thus, a 4-star general with the Fine/Natural Leader virtues is usually better than a 6-star general with the Good Runner/Eager to Retreat vices.

[caravel]

Yes I was referring to the affects on the general's stats that some vices and virtues have. For example vices affecting acumen don't affect the acumen of every general in the army. AFAIK the morale increment/decrement is the only stat modifier from a vice or virtue that affects the entire army under the general.

[Caerfanan]

Yes I was referring to the affects on the general's stats that some vices and virtues have. For example vices affecting acumen don't affect the acumen of every general in the army. AFAIK the morale increment/decrement is the only stat modifier from a vice or virtue that affects the entire army under the general.

Hum. So, to be clear, if a general has a virtue that gives +2 valour, the bonus will be given only to his unit, and not all the army? but a thign like good runner affects the entire army doesn't it?

(What I ould give to have the F1 key in battle displaying the actual values of a unit, and not the starting values....)

EDIT: And now that I read your previous edit. I could try to summarise!
Vice/Vertues affecting morale affect the whole army (am I right for virtues?)
Vice/Virtues affecting valour affect the whole unit
Vice/Virtue affecting stats affect the character only (plus his province for acumen/dread/piety if he's a governor)
Command affect the whole army by givig a +1 attack/ +1 defence "valour bonus" (no morale as for actual valour gained on the field)

[caravel]

Yes, you've got that right.

[Ironside]

A general rule IMO is that any general (even an 8-star one) is close to useless, if having more than -3 in morale penalty. Too unrealible.

Generals with good morale bonuses can be useful to groom, as they are rare and very strong (had a +10 morale general once, only one unit did ever rout under his command and that was after 98% casualities on that unit).