How often do you guys "withdraw"?

[Coldcall]

I guess its called an orderly retreat :-) But seriously, i used to think it was cowardly but if you are facing overwhelming odds then its the smart thing to do. I only do it if my single stack gets attacked by a bigger stack defeats them and then gets attacked by another stack in the same computer turn. If my stack has been whittled down to half its starting strength i will withdraw hopefully to give reinforcements times to back up the army in trouble.

[Octavius-Augustus]

There's nothing bad, personally I used to retreat a lot back in the vanilla days. Since then, I always fight, even auto-calc if I know I'm facing a loss, because of a glitch in RTW which sometimes makes the retreating army simply.. Disappear. Although various modders and players claim that it's an engine bug, I've never experienced it in vanilla RTW. Who knows. Anyway, don't retreat, because sometimes you will lose a whole army without touching the enemy.

[Brusilov]

There's nothing bad, personally I used to retreat a lot back in the vanilla days. Since then, I always fight, even auto-calc if I know I'm facing a loss, because of a glitch in RTW which sometimes makes the retreating army simply.. Disappear. Although various modders and players claim that it's an engine bug, I've never experienced it in vanilla RTW. Who knows. Anyway, don't retreat, because sometimes you will lose a whole army without touching the enemy.

The only times that will happen is if your unit has no-where to go (it's trapped against the ocean or a mountain) or if it's run out of movement points.

This should be shown on the battle deployment map with the skull symbol.

I have seen retreating AI armies pass though one of my forts - in normal play they would not get past it.

I am a fairly cautious player and have spies move ahead of my army so I know what is in the area before I move there. I also use watch towers to 'light up' my own settlements area so there are no places in the shadows (as it were). Rebel armies can still hide though.

I have fought several battles against multiple full stacks and have survived (so far). The closest I came to running away was the start of my Pontus campaign. I'd cobbled together whatever spare units I started with (plus a pike unit) and headed north. I was attacked by a full stack of rebels. At the end I had two generals and two foot units (down to about 20 to 30 men each down from 240). I did win the day though.

I have had armies (even full stack ones) wiped out in the past when I've been attacked by multiple stacks. A shame but it happens.

[troas]

The only time I do is when I know there is no possible way for me to win the battle.

[century x]

To retreat is a very hard decision to make. Do I make as much damage on the enemy as possible and die fighting. OR do I make as much damage as possible and then retreat. There is nothing wrong with retreating. A good general knows when to fight and when to retreat. Just make sure your able to come back with an army that will dwarf the enemy.

[Mulattothrasher]

When the enemy is positioned on some 45 degree angled hill with plenty of missile troops and all I have is heavy infantry in my army

[Blackshamrock.]

I've had to do one or twice with Dum genrals. but to be honest verry rear.

[Caius Antonius]

Retreat ?? What is that ??? FIGHT TO THE DEATH, SONS OF MARS !!!



Well, now seriously, I never withdraw as the enemy will probably attack me again, or the army will simply vanquish.

[|Sith|Duke_Spartacus]

ye thats ****. a complete trained legion dying...

[Nellup]

I try to avoid retreating, but if I have to then I sacrifice a couple of units for the greater good. For example fighting with a Roman army. I might sacrifice a couple of maniples or cohorts and retreat with the rest. Or if I have mercenaries in my army, I'll use those.

[torzsoktamas]

I never withdraw.If I withdraw the enemy attacks me again or my army dissapears.Besides spartans never surrender,never retreat-thats spartan law.

[century x]

I never withdraw.If I withdraw the enemy attacks me again or my army dissapears.Besides spartans never surrender,never retreat-thats spartan law.

Don't want to get into an argument. But maybe if Sparta retreated one or two times then maybe they would have lasted longer and have more men to fight instead of having entire spartan armies being destroyed. But hey thats my opinion.
I always check if I have that skull before a battle. If its there then I'm screwed. But if I have a open way to safety then a retreat is never a bad option.

[Sandrus Castus]

I almost never do it. I always try to make the best of it.

[rory o'kane]

ye thats ****. a complete trained legion dying...

ever heard of Carrhae? The Teutoburger Wald?

or maybe you've never heard of the Legio XXI Rapax?

[|Sith|Duke_Spartacus]

ever heard of Carrhae? The Teutoburger Wald?

or maybe you've never heard of the Legio XXI Rapax?

wtf is that supposed to mean? I was talking about retreating even when there wasnt a skull... those guys got lost in a battle.

So now tell me wtf is that comment supposed to mean?

[Lost In Transition]

I've never found retreating to be particularly useful for this reason: you can only retreat once and usually the AI will follow your army and attack again. At least that's what happens to me. I've rarely been able to retreat succesfully.

I do use the retreat as a way of picking a better battlefield. If I'm stuck in a place I don't want to fight and the AI attacks, I will retreat in the hopes of getting a better battlefield.

Regards,

[EternalSlayer]

wtf is that supposed to mean? I was talking about retreating even when there wasnt a skull... those guys got lost in a battle.

So now tell me wtf is that comment supposed to mean?

Teutoberg was a strategic withdrawal by a legion from a province, which was harried by the Germans and then destroyed. There was no "battle" in the Roman sense of the world, simply the wearing down of the Roman troops and their subsequent destruction by a much larger force.

Just fyi

[century x]

Teutoberg was a strategic withdrawal by a legion from a province, which was harried by the Germans and then destroyed. There was no "battle" in the Roman sense of the world, simply the wearing down of the Roman troops and their subsequent destruction by a much larger force.

Just fyi

Eternal is right. It wasan's a battle in the eyes of the romans. It was an utter massaucre by barbarians.

[lolgast]

I don't retread very much,
Because almost every time I do my army dissepears

[Spartas Julius]

Not to be rude but whoever says withdrawing is cowardly has not beenin the army nor been engaged in any type of conflict, until then is not very ncie to judge the decisiion of a commanding officer. Since is a game that is a bit different but not far off from reality.

I almost never retreat since I carry onagers and repeating ballista with me, and Since the movement is reduced considerably, I only move from bridge to bridge, or from mountain to mountain, making me always have the advantage terrain, I never start an conquest of a country without first spreading a few spies with disease over a period of 5 to 10 years, which by then even a huge city has been reduced to merely 5000, populationa sw ell as the stacks would have been all infected.

But think of it like this, can you win the battle inflicting miniaml losses to your side even though your outnumber. Forget the crapy saying that if you can inflict as much as the enemy is going to inflcit you.

Since we play this in an emperor sort of way, try to think of every general as yourself, so are you much useful to your nation, as a hero or as a conqueror.

I rather live to fight another day,