Tactical Losses?

**Samuel Adams** · April 12, 2007, 01:06 PM

So out of curiousity, does anyone else go into battle willingly knowing they'll lose, or plan on losing?

I used to play Sid Meyer's Gettysburg, and there were tactical defeats. i.e. you lost, but for a reason.

Like when I was playing the Turks in my current campaign, last night; The Byzantine army invaded with a full stack of troops from their capitol. I needed to buy time and enemy casualties, before they got to my capitol. So I sent out one of my generals with six units of horse archers of varying sorts, and rode to battle.

I posted my general at teh edge of the map for a hasty retreat, adn took my horse archers and deployed them on the highest point I could.

I knew I would "Lose" the battle, and I was only trying to kill as many as possible.

it worked; I killed 200 at the loss of only 50, and that was because on of my units got caught and became surrounded, and I ordered them into a suicide attack on teh Byzantine horse archers (they did well, btw).

Two turns later the byzantines made it to my capitol, adn I had had enough time to move in reinforcements from a castle close by. I slaughtered emperor Alexander, his whole army, and chased them back to Nicea with a force of 8 infantry units, six infantry archer units, and six horse archer units, wiping the Byzantine's Asia Minor army off the map and forcing them to wall up in Constantinople.

Any other "Loss was a win" stories out there?

**NaptownKnight** · April 12, 2007, 01:14 PM

Well in a sense I loose but when playing as an eastern faction with lots of Horse Archers I like to go in to battle, shoot off all of my arrows, then leave. I did this a lot when playing as Bactria in RTR. Just dont include your general when you do it because he will start to get horrible attributes and retinue, as a result of "losing". I think it is a realistic and smart tactic to use when over matched.

**Axeman** · April 12, 2007, 06:54 PM

I use it alot too, but I also use artillery! lolz

I have my horse archers fire away and if my artillery is in range*I deploy near the rear for a quick withdrawl* they can go, lolz I widdled down the mongols to nothing in 20 turns using that tactic

**Irishmafia2020** · April 12, 2007, 07:00 PM

Playing as Denmark I got caught up in a premature war against the Russians in TLR mod and had to burn the city and withdraw after a pyhric victory over the first wave of their armies. Not exactly a loss, but I was in an indefensible position and withdrew.

**TheJoker** · April 13, 2007, 12:58 AM

I do it all the time. delaying armies and causing casualties, or trying to kill off specific units while only wasting cheap ones to soften an army up before the real attack from my professional soldiers.

**Soulvaki** · April 13, 2007, 01:37 AM

I often send men into suicide battle, never generals though, just enough men I have in the area and spare to do atleast some damage and hold the army off, so I can defend the main provinces I own

**mrcrusty** · April 13, 2007, 02:36 AM

If i've taken settlements in the Holy Lands, and Jihad armies are swarming all over me while huge unrest is building in my settlements there, I often withdraw to the border of the region & camp in a fort until my navy comes with reinforcements.

As for actually going into battle, sure, lots of times, using mercs and light cav most of the time, usually to slow down enemy stacks and weaken their forces before they make it to important areas & settlements.

btw, wouldnt this be better in battle planning? just wonderin thats all..