AI stake deployment

**Ulsterman** · August 07, 2011, 03:51 PM

Is the AI supposed to be able to deploy stakes instantly whenever it wants, even after deployment phase? Because the Ai archers can deploy stakes at any time, and they instantly appear; is this supposed to happen? If so, why can't I do it? It is a major threat to my cavalry because on more than one occasion, my cavalry charge archers from front (no stakes) then a second later, stakes appear in front of the archers (and they hadn't moved) and my cavalry all die. Just seems a wee bit unfair.

**kaiser1993** · August 07, 2011, 04:46 PM

Well I think it has to be that way because the AI can't deploy stakes on the deployment, I think.
I'm just making an assumption because the only time the AI have deployed stakes against me is in DLV. No other mod, or vanilla.

**Taiji** · August 08, 2011, 04:40 AM

I can't remember 6.2 so if this is about DLV+BB: If you're using cav and attacking an army with units that can deploy stakes, then wait a couple of minutes for them to get to position, change their formation, and deploy their stakes.

**Hidden Sage** · August 09, 2011, 05:53 AM

Taiji's advice is sound. As far as I've been able to tell, the AI has its own deployment phase in the first ~minute after a fight is started. Attacking during that time is bad for your health, especially with cavalry charges.

**JarlFrank** · August 13, 2011, 12:13 PM

Yeah, I also noticed that with the newest BB.
It's kinda hilarious that the AI sometimes accidentally kills its own cavalry off by running into their own stakes during maneuvers because the AI apparently cannot sense the location of stakes on the battlemap.

**Hidden Sage** · August 13, 2011, 11:22 PM

Trust me, they can tell where stakes are. Otherwise, how would they magically charge around them into my archers, EVERY SINGLE BATTLE. I've made a schiltrom ring of stakes with my archers in the middle before, with one small hole in the back (because lining up the group to fill it would take too long and I was impatient)-- and had 3 different charges through that gap (curse my impatience).

The magic stake-dodging abilities of German knights is about ready to make me give up on archers altogether-- and I'll basically have to re-learn DLV if I do. I LIKE archers, especially if I have access to Venetian archers or the Byzantine Mourtatoi. Incredible missile damage, and they both make pretty good light infantry after the arrows are gone, if it comes to that. But I am tired of having to spend a whole battle trying to maneuver my cavalry to keep his cavalry off of my archers. I want to sit back and watch the bloodshed, or maybe just spend all my time maneuvering my cavalry into his archers for once.

**Ulsterman** · August 14, 2011, 11:01 AM

Dude just get some pikes and noble highland archers. Destroys all cavalry

**Hidden Sage** · August 14, 2011, 11:10 PM

Originally Posted by Ulsterman

Dude just get some pikes and noble highland archers. Destroys all cavalry

Ohh, I love using a decent archery shootout versus cavalry-- Venetian Archers are actually better than noble highland archers at range (the axes give highlanders a huge melee advantage, tho). The trick is to get them to stand still that long. But for some reason, nobody in Italy even knows what a pike IS until you can recruit Pike Militia-- and even in Venice, it takes a little while to get enough of those to matter.