Attack to Location?

[Mithrane]

Is there a way to tell a unit to attack in a direction, or towards a location?

Reasoning/explaination :

Many offensive units, cavalry in particular, have an inherent problem where they will charge at a unit they are told to attack, and they simply stop once a very few become engaged.

This is most notable with cavalry in the wedge formation. First 3-4 lines get engaged, and the rest of the wedge sits back.

Lines of infantry do the same thing. If you are attacking at an angle to the enemy, they will stop at the corner of the enemy, and the charge is wasted for most of your units.

Using loose formation can help to get more units engaged, but causes them to fight less well, thus getting killed easier.


So... is there a way to tell a unit to do a charging attack aiming behind an enemy? I can tell a unit of cavalry to run to behind an enemy, but they don't get their lances down nor get a charge bonus.

[Kiljaden]

Sadly, no. This is hardcoded for the most part, tweaking formations and attack\defense\charge values will help a little, but very little at that.

I find it's easiest just to let the battle take its course and Q.Q while my infantry act like idiots. With the cavalry - they're best used with hit-and-run tactics anyway, making use of their lance charge demolishing a dozen units and their morale with few casualties.

[Wheelchair]

ALL ... I mean ALL RTS have this ability you think MTW would eh? :hmmm:

[Theseus1234]

maybe we'll have better luck in E:TW

[sumicus]

I completely agree that this totally unrealistic and one of a very few drawbacks of this game.

Although, once I experienced an enemy cavalry charge so strong that almost a whole unit of my soldiers fell apart. I guess that was a huge disproportion in quality between my unit and theirs.

I use infantry defensively 90 % of the time, so I play the game to my advantage. As someone said, cavalry should be used with hit-and-run tactics.

[Xamt]

when im not sure about the result of my charge or when i know the charge will be at some idiotic point of the unit (charging enemy siege engines from the side ALWAYS targets the engine and not the crew, so u get a couple of crew killed at the charge with the rest escaping unscathed) i click to run my knights at a point past the unit i want to charge

the result is that when the knights make contact with the unit (at full gallop) they count as charging and usually devastate it

during infantry fights (specially on the walls) if you want to bring more of your men to bear on the enemy again, move your engaged unit towards the enemy - sure it will cost you a few men, but then all of your men will be involved in the fight and not just 5-6

[Musthavename]

I tend to just have my lines of Infantry / Foot Archers sitting defencivly. Then I just take my units of Cavalry round the back and alternate charges on their General. With about 3 units I find I can constantly charge / recharge, while I just let the rest of my force engage. Once he's dead, the enemy tends to rout, and if it doesn't, I spread my cavalry out and let them reform into their neat blocks before charging.

I do find you've got to let them have a substantial run up. Also, if they're charging and you double-click again to make sure, then they seem to put their lances down and just run into them, doing no damage.

The worst thing I find is if Infantry get jumbled up (city fighting is a prime example of this), then when told to attack a target infantry just seem to be in a fighting stance 100 yards from the actual fight. The worst part is, they still tire like hell. So unless they're micromanaged (and once your in that bad situation, theres no way out), you have an entire force that tires trying to kill one unit.