never seen the ai do this

[Aemilius Paulus]

and how is this "noob tactic" ??? i pull this trick many times if i'm grossly outnumbered thus extremely susceptible to getting flanked. I know it's kind of "cheating" but i use any edge i can find on the battlefield...

You answered yourself...

"Damn it men, we are gonna be flanked by that cursed Carthiginian trader" - Marcus Terentius Varro
"Sir, our scouts report a mysterious red line that lets no mortal step over it" - Publius Cornelius Scipio (yes, he was present there, as a junior commander)
"Jupiter be praised, even the arrogant, pea-brain Varro will see the advantage in that" - Lucius Aemilius Paullus
"To the red lines!" - Marcus Terentius Varro
"Have the Romans gone mad?!? Even Varro had more with than to array his forces in such a manner!!" - Hannibal, son of Hamilcar Barca
"Fuuuuuuuuu---" - Maharbal (you can imagine how happy his cavalry would be)
"Are you sure we can retreat from this battle after we've won?" - Marcus Terentius Varro
"Yeah, just wait for the banner with our victory inscribed upon it to appear in the sky; after that we can go" - Quintus, a priest of Mars