6.3 Reinforcements

[YourOnlineHero]

(Using savage ai if it makes any difference at all)

Obviously when invading another faction you are going to want to bring more than one stack of units... So I was invading england as scotland, using two nearly full stacks as my main force and a half stack behind that in a fort so I could replace dead units inbetween battles. (The english had about 4 fullish stacks altogether).

Ended up in many battles with AI cotrolling my reinforements against english armies. I've recently learned to put all of the generals I plan on using in the battle in the army being controlled by me... Since, as scotland I barely use any cav yet, the allied BAI just charged the general into the enemy unsupported. When I the AI decides to attack, they break ALL formation, smashing into the enemy line one unit at a time, usualy resulting in a route of half of them.. Forcing me to rush in and save them. In one battle they ran up and down a hill untill they were exhausted, then the enemy got to the top of the hill from the other side (I was fighting larger forces elsewhere on the map) and then my ally sent 1-2 units up the hill at a time. (They had alot more units then the enemy, better units too). I then told my ally to defend since they were causing their own units to route, and they ran to the bottom of the hill and stood there in a big jumbo of mass loose formation, getting hit by arrows then eventualy being charged from the top of the hill. They also split their forces up for absolutely no reason to chase a routing enemy or just to piss me off. In seiged they don't fire their catapult at the gates or the walls, they fire it at the buildings inide, including the church. If enemy reinforcements attack them from behind, no matter if they are in attack, defend, or shootout mode... they keep one half of their units in a line facing the walls getting shot at, and one group of units standing next to the enemy attackers, sometimes sending a unit at them who instantly routes.
Am I supposed to attack castles with a single stack while the enemy have a stack inside and several reinforcements? Am I supposed to fight the enemy in the open plane, complete outnumbered while my reinforcementsstay out of the map and then enter it from the side one by one as I lose a unit to the outnumbering enemy?

WHAT? Why is the allied BAI so much more stupid than the enemy BAI? The enemy can at least form a line formation facing the right way....

What do you guys do?

[Makamiso]

Why not control your reinforcements yourself?

[Alpha Zeke]

I have this problem as well >.< The French army (Figures >.>) was helping me on crusade. We should have beaten them easily, but an autobattle could f it up worse then I could on the battlefied i thought. but i was wrong. the french have 2 enemy armies on their left and right, i have one in front of me and both of those to my left.
point is, the french sent their general, alone, into a 4battalion spear army. they sent the rest in a sort of column formation towards the other enemy and they all routed. i had to save them and then pull my own army back together. wtf.

if you control everyone yourself they come in waves, and 1 vs 2 and then a 1 vs the remainder of that is still more likely a loss then a 2 to 2.

[YourOnlineHero]

Why not control your reinforcements yourself?

I though, IS THERE A WAY!?!

if you control everyone yourself they come in waves, and 1 vs 2 and then a 1 vs the remainder of that is still more likely a loss then a 2 to 2.

Oh, that's what he meant... It's sort of ruining the experience tbh. Everything else about this game and mod is amazing. I just hate seeing all that money and time I spent into putting armies together to see it commit suicide in every battle.

[Slyspy]

The reinforcements follow the same rules as your AI opponents, so do stupid things. Armies with generals seem to perform better, but then you are risking their lives. Last time I tried this I was attacking a castle and my reinforcing general waited until the battle was basically over before throwing his life away unecessarily!

[Harabec]

When getting reinforcement stacks I tend to just let the AI handle it entirely without any direction from me (check to allow AI control but not checked to allow me control). AI seems to do far better with no direction than with partial direction messing it up.

[Alpha Zeke]

Yeah, The kingdoms addition to ai control makes them far worse. the try to form their army's starting position while in battle! ridiculous :[

[YourOnlineHero]

The reinforcements follow the same rules as your AI opponents, so do stupid things.

Maybe my allies just seem more stupid because i'm worrying about my men... But have you been fighting an enemy who does these things?

*Runs up and down a hill untill exhausted.
*Defends a position with half of the men facing the wrong way (no enemies behind). Half of the troops facing the wrong way are mingled in with the front 'line', if you can call it that.
Gets into an attack position by forming a single straight line with the left flank facing the center of the enemy army (as if pointing right at them, almost touching distance)***
*Charges into the enemies pikes with his general while the whole army is at least 2 minutes away running distance.
*Sprints from one end of the map to the other when there is absolutely no need.
*Sends one unit at a time against the enemy.
*After somehow routing half of the enemy army, tries to chase after the routing units by running right though the remainding units, causing a reverse rout.

Maybe they do some of these things... But seriously, is this the same BAI i've been fighting against all these times? All of these great victories against complete morron comanders? Sure didn't feel like it.


*** joined my ally in a fight against rebels with my one general and just watched, no assistance. The rebels marched in formation towards the french, the french sprinted towards the rebels and formed a line sideways right infront of them. They lost most of a full stack to half a stack of rebels.

[Slyspy]

Maybe my allies just seem more stupid because i'm worrying about my men... But have you been fighting an enemy who does these things?

*Runs up and down a hill untill exhausted.
*Defends a position with half of the men facing the wrong way (no enemies behind). Half of the troops facing the wrong way are mingled in with the front 'line', if you can call it that.
Gets into an attack position by forming a single straight line with the left flank facing the center of the enemy army (as if pointing right at them, almost touching distance)***
*Charges into the enemies pikes with his general while the whole army is at least 2 minutes away running distance.
*Sprints from one end of the map to the other when there is absolutely no need.
*Sends one unit at a time against the enemy.
*After somehow routing half of the enemy army, tries to chase after the routing units by running right though the remainding units, causing a reverse rout.

Maybe they do some of these things... But seriously, is this the same BAI i've been fighting against all these times? All of these great victories against complete morron comanders? Sure didn't feel like it.


*** joined my ally in a fight against rebels with my one general and just watched, no assistance. The rebels marched in formation towards the french, the french sprinted towards the rebels and formed a line sideways right infront of them. They lost most of a full stack to half a stack of rebels.

I've seen the first happen with individual units, but not whole armies. Definitely seen the suicidal general, a "feature" of every previous TW game which was never fixed. Always have the piecemeal attack and the wrongheaded, stubborn detirmination to get to where they want to go (eg, into a city gate).

[Ichon]

Only time I count on reinforcements is when its Allied army. My own army... never for a full stack. Occasionally I'll do a few cavalry reinforcements to either enter quickly if a couple of my units rout or cavalry HA is at least useful to distract the enemy and cause some losses without being too expensive to replace like a whole army.

As for attacking enemy castle when there are reinforcing stacks outside, why would you ever do that? Attack reinforcements and get a much easier field battle.

AI does some weird things occasionally but some of the better BAI improve and remove most of the AI worst bad habits. Some still remain though and that is why they get more money for extra armies than you can support yourself to try and make it more fair. Since most people seem to win their campaigns that is obviously not enough...

[Mega Tortas de Bodemloze]

When possible I try and make my reinforcement stacks all mêlée troops. That way I avoid the friendly fire issue altogether. In sieges this is especially effective. My reinforcement stacks generally beat me to the town center...