What exactly does screening mean?

[Darkside]

I never did figure it out. What does it mean?

[Jamess14]

Basically it refers to "shielding" your main line with skirmishers or making any kind of formation change or move while using skirms as a distraction.

[Darkside]

as a distraction huh? Does anybody apply this against the AI with good effect?

[|Sith|Duke_Spartacus]

i use it against javelin/archer strong armies, post cheap,easily replaceable troops in front and my true army behind, let them soak it up and then your army appears fresh in the fight.

[Velico]

I generally screen to pull apart their ranks or weaken their flanks. Skirmish cavalry are great at annoying the AI into following them, then once they're far enough away from the main army crush them! I like to have two units hiding in predetermined spots for when I draw their units out like that. Foot skirmishers I use differently though. Most of the time I keep them in my 2nd or 3rd line on hold fire so that they can rain terror down once the front lines lock. The morale drop in their ranks is worth it. Sometimes I'll skirmish half the salvo then drop back, or if I don't feel like micromanaging I'll use the above.

[Darkside]

Using that tactic, aren't you concerned about inflicting casualties on your own men? That's always been the problem for me lol I don't like that.

[Invigilator]

as a distraction huh? Does anybody apply this against the AI with good effect?

Screening forces are usually light infantry, skirmishers and occasionally ranged cavalry that are put in front of the main battle forces to serve as scouts and generally hinder the enemy advance.

Since they are highly mobile, they can usually withdraw fast enough to avoid being annihilated by the more heavily armed and numerous enemy forces. Of course, if they don't, that's why they're so cheap and fast to recruit

In my opinion it's one of the best uses for those types of units. Skirmishers and light infantry aren't going to last long once the main battle is joined, so you might as well use them to harass the enemy before they attack.

Screening forces are also good for getting the enemy to waste their missiles on them. Since they usually hold a loose formation, they won't take too many casualties from archers and javelins and whatnot, so the enemy can waste their ranged ammunition pretty easily on them.

[Leeham991]

Screening in something that I seem to do very well whenever I've turned off Fraps for one reason or another xD

It's basically setting up a light force to halt the enemy while your heavy force sets up position. Simple as that really.

[Darkside]

Hmm that sounds very interesting. I've used my cavalry several times to break up enemy formations and confuse them. I've never applied my skirmishers to that equation simply because it would mean they would be exposed to a charge of cavalry.

Aren't you guys worried that your light infantry/skirmishers would take severely heavy casualties in the process?

[Invigilator]

Hmm that sounds very interesting. I've used my cavalry several times to break up enemy formations and confuse them. I've never applied my skirmishers to that equation simply because it would mean they would be exposed to a charge of cavalry.

Aren't you guys worried that your light infantry/skirmishers would take severely heavy casualties in the process?

There's definitely a chance that the screening forces will get decimated if the enemy cavalry or heavy infantry reach them too fast. But since the screening forces are light and agile, most of them should be able to withdraw to the main lines before they get hit too hard.

And even when they do get crushed, screening forces are a lot easier and cheaper to recruit. You'd rather have the light infantry and skirmishers get wiped out than the heavier and more valuable units.

[Leeham991]

Hmm that sounds very interesting. I've used my cavalry several times to break up enemy formations and confuse them. I've never applied my skirmishers to that equation simply because it would mean they would be exposed to a charge of cavalry.

Aren't you guys worried that your light infantry/skirmishers would take severely heavy casualties in the process?

I'd be worried, but I've never had to deal with it personally xD In my battles the cavalry tend to be way out of the battle before there is much need for me to screen any advanced movements.
I suppose making cavalry and spearmen part of your light forces would be the best counter. Also don't allow skirmishers to run. If they take a cavalry charge they will take far less casualties if you have them stand ground while you move in anti-cavalry troops.

Skirmish mode is best used against heavy infantry.

[Darkside]

In that case it seems simply a war of manuever (sp?) If you move skirmishers ahead of your main line too much they can be exposed to cavarly attacks. It seems to me that if you moved up spearmen/auxilia all you would have to do to counter that is to move up your own heavy infantry. The AI isn't exactly a genius lol but it's also not completely retarded. IMO allowing your light infantry like that to take the impetus can not only expose them to unneccessary harm, but can also dictate the position of your own lines should the AI take the initiative and 1) counter your skirmishers with cavarly AND/OR 2) move up their heavy infantry to fight your spearmen. Don't get me wrong the thought of doing so has certainly crossed my mind, but I've never seen a position in which the AI does not move somewhat coherently with it's units (meaning they stay together) and in which they do not adapt as well as they can to the units you seek to deploy (ESPECIALLY since 1.6 came out.)

Instead of breaking up the enemy's movements so that your heavy infantry can deploy, it seems to me that the rest of your army will have to take heed of the position that your "screening" force has taken, and change itself accordingly. Using a screening force seems to me an unnecessary engagment that the AI can simply take advantage of (not that it's a genius of course lol but still.).

The only real effectiveness I can think of would be cavalry and light cavarly (skrim cav) that could simply move along and disrupt the march of the enemy troops, thereby potentially breaking their formations and if you're lucky isolating a unit or two than can be ganged up on. Using skirmisher infantry as a "screening" force doesn't sound very practical to me when you take in the AI's behavior.

[Titus Maximius Thongus]

even in multiplayer games, having a unit of peasants or skirmishers screening your main infantry line is great for breaking up the enemy's advance and gives u a few seconds to react or ready your battle line.

[Hakomar]

I thought screening was used to hide your formation, so the enemy could not make a counter-formation.

[Jamess14]

In real life it was used like that by the Romans...of course in RTW AI or even the opposing player has an isometric view(bird persp.) so it's a moot point.