Cavalry

**Kallides** · September 01, 2009, 03:24 AM

Hey after not playing for a while I have started up a new campaign again and I have to admit I forgot how stupid the cavalry is. Its increadable. You tell them to go somwhere and they almost completly ignore you. I am playing as Greeks and had my cavalry going round my opponents army to atack from behind and smash the enemy archers. As the were galloping towards the archer unit they decided to stop by and fight the phalanx. Hey dont get me wrong I am all for bravery but thats stupidity. So they ether all die while charging or turn and riot. Or you order them to retreat from fighting a unit but they still keep on fighting and takes you 3 or 4 times to get through their thick sculls. So my question to RS team can something be done about this or is that simply the way it is and cant be fixed.

**SonOfAlexander** · September 01, 2009, 06:54 AM

Hi I've had this problem before - but then I relaised it was the grouping. I had grouped the cavalry in a formation, so what happens is this, for example:

1. I group my cavalry into one giant super wedge. Hahahahahahaha.

2. I tell them to attack the enemy cavalry next to a phalanx.

3A. They turn and attack the phalanx instead.

3B. They attack the acavalry. When I tell them to disenegage and attack someone else or run somewhere else, they pause, before continuing to attack the previous units.

It used to drive me nuts until I worked it out. Is this your problem?

**Ybbon** · September 01, 2009, 07:09 AM

Ah, that sounds familiar, I always group cavalry if I have more than 2 units (and sometimes even then). Usually one group per flank and unless you follow them they are very good at impaling themselves. I guess your solution is to not group them and use units individually?

**Kallides** · September 01, 2009, 07:12 AM

Yeh man thats it just acting stupid. I send them to attack one unit and on the way there the decide to stop and fight with phalanx or hoplites. Honestly they just charge on to the spikes, its a real pain.

Also one other thing that bothers me a lot are the misile units. After they run out of projectiles they are totally useless. I know I know thats what they are for lunching misiles but can they not have any hand to hand skill at all. I n one of my battles I had a cavalry misile unit and after they eptied their projectiles I tried to send them to cut down the enemy archers but they just stood their like there were no orders given to them. The only way they actually fight(and I use this term loosly, looks more like a throwing hands at their opponent) is when I put them as close as possible to the enemy unit and make them deffend themselves. Dont archers or javelin throwers or the misile cavalry carried swords back then and didnt they train to fight for the emergency reasons for example to stay alive? Can that be fixed at all? Could they at least try to put some effort into a fight against other misile units for example, I am not throwing them in against the Spartans.

**Ybbon** · September 01, 2009, 08:22 AM

Originally Posted by Kallides

....
Also one other thing that bothers me a lot are the misile units. After they run out of projectiles they are totally useless. I know I know thats what they are for lunching misiles but can they not have any hand to hand skill at all. .....

You can enable skirmish mode - they may not be great at taking on heavy infantry, but if you don't mind losing a few, they will take on light cavalry and other skirmish troops just fine, even at a stretch they can be used to add weight when attacking enemy infantry and turn the tide for a hard pressed cohort or infantry unit. If you've already done that...

The other thing to do with projectile troops is to turn off engage at will at the beginning and then get them to fire at your selected targets to start with - for example don't fire at phalanxes as they are marching towards you (you won't kill many), fire at the lighter troops on the flanks - that way they don't run out of projectiles so quickly.

**Kallides** · September 01, 2009, 08:55 AM

Originally Posted by ybbon66

You can enable skirmish mode - they may not be great at taking on heavy infantry, but if you don't mind losing a few, they will take on light cavalry and other skirmish troops just fine, even at a stretch they can be used to add weight when attacking enemy infantry and turn the tide for a hard pressed cohort or infantry unit. If you've already done that...

The other thing to do with projectile troops is to turn off engage at will at the beginning and then get them to fire at your selected targets to start with - for example don't fire at phalanxes as they are marching towards you (you won't kill many), fire at the lighter troops on the flanks - that way they don't run out of projectiles so quickly.

Yeh man thanks for that. I never engage fire at will cause its just a waste like you said. But the problem is when I try to use the misile troops like the cavalry to attack say the archery unit of the enemy but they just stand there and look dumb.

**Gaius Omarius** · September 01, 2009, 10:19 AM

You sure you've got Skirmish Mode on there? (or should it be off? deactivated at least, black, not red

). That sounds like classic Skirmish Mode antics, can be spectacularly irritating till you realise that they're not attacking because they're in a mode that prevents them from getting anywhere near the enemy, then you feel stupid

**Kallides** · September 01, 2009, 10:40 AM

Originally Posted by Gaius Omarius

You sure you've got Skirmish Mode on there? (or should it be off? deactivated at least, black, not red

). That sounds like classic Skirmish Mode antics, can be spectacularly irritating till you realise that they're not attacking because they're in a mode that prevents them from getting anywhere near the enemy, then you feel stupid

Come on man I ve been playing this game for almost 7 years I know when the skirmish mode is on/off.

**Gaius Omarius** · September 01, 2009, 11:33 AM

Originally Posted by Kallides

Come on man I ve been playing this game for almost 7 years I know when the skirmish mode is on/off.

Alright mate, no hard feelings, it's hard to tell how experienced someone is

I've been playing the game for a long time too and I still make that mistake occasionally, among others

**Kallides** · September 01, 2009, 11:48 AM

Originally Posted by Gaius Omarius

Alright mate, no hard feelings, it's hard to tell how experienced someone is

I've been playing the game for a long time too and I still make that mistake occasionally, among others

No offcourse not man no hard feelings. I know what you mean about the stupidity though, done many stupid things on the battlefield.

**apple** · September 01, 2009, 01:07 PM

Originally Posted by Kallides

Hey after not playing for a while I have started up a new campaign again and I have to admit I forgot how stupid the cavalry is. Its increadable. You tell them to go somwhere and they almost completly ignore you. I am playing as Greeks and had my cavalry going round my opponents army to atack from behind and smash the enemy archers. As the were galloping towards the archer unit they decided to stop by and fight the phalanx. Hey dont get me wrong I am all for bravery but thats stupidity. So they ether all die while charging or turn and riot. Or you order them to retreat from fighting a unit but they still keep on fighting and takes you 3 or 4 times to get through their thick sculls. So my question to RS team can something be done about this or is that simply the way it is and cant be fixed.

Turn them on guard mode. This prevents them to engage nearby troops. As they reach the desired target turn it off again and let the slaughter begin.

**Kallides** · September 01, 2009, 01:58 PM

Originally Posted by apple

Turn them on guard mode. This prevents them to engage nearby troops. As they reach the desired target turn it off again and let the slaughter begin.

Hey thanks man I will give that a try. Cheers for the advice.

**apple** · September 01, 2009, 02:04 PM

Np.

**SonOfAlexander** · September 01, 2009, 02:47 PM

You CAN keep your units grouped AND have them obey your every whim... well, like all troops, more like 99% of them.

You simply have them grouped, then instead of telling the group to attack or degrouping them, simply select all the group BUT ONE. Tell them to attack said target. Then tell the remaining guy to do the same, but individually! They will happily run right past those tempting sarrisae if you do so.

**stanley86** · September 01, 2009, 03:04 PM

When you group units they keep the formation, so when you order them to move, they will still keep it. So mainly I form them in Line formation (Shift + F1 by default) and when I order the units to move I don't just double-click. I select them, and drag the mouse in the place where I want the to move. This way they seem to be more flexible when moving. (I hope you know what I mean

)

Originally Posted by Kallides

(..) Also one other thing that bothers me a lot are the misile units. After they run out of projectiles they are totally useless. I know I know thats what they are for lunching misiles but can they not have any hand to hand skill at all. I n one of my battles I had a cavalry misile unit and after they eptied their projectiles I tried to send them to cut down the enemy archers but they just stood their like there were no orders given to them.(...)

When out of ammo press and hold the Left Alt button (you can see the icon changing from a bow to a sword) and just double-click on the enemy unit. Your missile unit will charge and fight melee.

Originally Posted by SonOfAlexander

(...) You simply have them grouped, then instead of telling the group to attack or degrouping them, simply select all the group BUT ONE. Tell them to attack said target. Then tell the remaining guy to do the same, but individually! They will happily run right past those tempting sarrisae if you do so.

Or just form them in Line formation (Shift + F1)