Routing units

[Celt Centurion]

At the suggestion of a member of this forum, I tried the option of letting them go by ending the battle, strictly because they did not have the option to do it to me.

After a few battles in which the same armies attacked me again and again, my patience wore through, and rarely do I "end battle" anymore.

Most battles I fight are usually against a former ally who betrayed me. I'm not going to hand them their army back on a silver platter but rather on some stretchers. It is good to see a zero for the enemy men remaining.

I'd never considered disbanding units that had disbanded as it usually takes too long to replace them, and I usually am besieged at the same place every turn for as long as an enemy can send troops, or until I take the next city or town down the line. Example, Egypt betrayed me and started attacking Thapsus. Once I took Lepcis Magna, they forgot about Thapsus and started on the other. Then Cyrene, and now I have Alexandria. Every turn, at least one, and usually two of them are besieged by large armies that Pharaoh had standing around not doing anything. Unfortunately for them, Pharaoh is too cheap to upgrade their armour. I sally with silver armour and some with gold. They run away getting cut up all the way to the red line. Very few cross it outbound.

Strength and Honor

Celt Centurion

[Seamus Fermanagh]

If you allow them to depart they will usually retreat and regroup at some distance. This often involves them retreating about 2 infantry full moves directly toward a major base, though they prefer close-by forts.

Depending on the casualties in a given unit, all or some of those forces may melt away. When a unit falls below 8 individuals it has some chance of ceasing to exist rather than merging into a survivor unit.

However, on occasion, enemy forces that you allow to retreat simply melt away and cease to exist. I'm not sure how this is triggered as it seems inconsistent to me.

This can happen to you as well. I recall a force of 5 carefully purchased horse archers that attacked a Pontic group and shot themselves dry with zero casualties. To avoid retribution, I retreated all of these units off the map, figuring that I would "lose" the battle, but not really being concerned as there had been no casualties. My force melted away (100% loss). Live and learn.

[Celt Centurion]

However, on occasion, enemy forces that you allow to retreat simply melt away and cease to exist. I'm not sure how this is triggered as it seems inconsistent to me.

This can happen to you as well. I recall a force of 5 carefully purchased horse archers that attacked a Pontic group and shot themselves dry with zero casualties. To avoid retribution, I retreated all of these units off the map, figuring that I would "lose" the battle, but not really being concerned as there had been no casualties. My force melted away (100% loss). Live and learn.

I've had a few armies melt away after a defeat as well. However, your loss of horse archers must have been a real kick to the backside.

As Scythians, I used them quite effectively against Thracians, but what worked to my advantage was that usually, Thracians attacked me. (Real brains there, falxmen attacking horse archers) My HAs shot their quivers empty and I simply took them out of Cantabrian Circle and ran them from corner to corner letting the Thracians chase them while my HAs had brief rests in the corner. Time runs out, and I have a victory.

If you are attacked, all you have to do to win is have even one unit stay on the field. If you attack, you must drive them all off. Do not attack if you don't think that you have enough to do that. If, you attack and have shot most of them and have run out of arrows and there are just a few left, run them down! Draw sabres and charge!

Strength and Honor

Celt Centurion