Setting up an ambush

**OSUbuckeye** · August 25, 2011, 04:43 PM

I find myself clicking at what "I think" is "woods/forrest" to no avail.

It seems random to me when the army actually kneels for an ambush and it never seems to be when I want them to.

Should I be doing something other than clicking close to woods over and over until my army is tired for the turn waiting for them to at some point kneel for an ambush? They just never seem to do it when I want them to.

Since I've never pulled off an ambush... does the other army just start very close to you in sideways column formation?

thank you

**AJenny58** · August 25, 2011, 08:18 PM

Click on a heavily forrested area, then wait. The kneeling animation takes a bit to actually happen. Also you might have to unselect the army to actually get them to do it. And yes, the other army starts close to you in a column with no chance to deploy their troops.

**OSUbuckeye** · August 29, 2011, 10:51 AM

okay, set up the ambush and waited for an enemy to come along...

they came... stopped next to my ambush, nothing happened. do i need to initiate an attack on MY turn to initiate the battle? in the battle setup screen there is no indication that this will b an ambush. Could this be because the ambush "may not work" and I just have to attack and see?

I didn't attack because the enemy had an even larger army behind it that was showing up as a reinforcement.

**eXistenZ** · August 29, 2011, 11:36 AM

Yeah ambushes in Rome and medievall are pretty rare to happen. used it far more in napoleon and shogun.

**AJenny58** · August 29, 2011, 12:15 PM

I think that if they walk into your hiding army you will ambush them. If I remember correctly that is how the AI has ambushed me.

**Posantio of Umbria** · August 29, 2011, 01:07 PM

Yes. You have to end your army's march in a wilderness area of woods or behind a hill or mountain (behind a "corner" so to speak) with some movement points left. The enemy army should be moving towards a place beyond your ambush position for a battle to start and even if a battle starts, it's not always a successful ambush and the enemy is allowed to prepare for the battle too, rather than being stuck in a marching column while you comfortably arrange your troops to destroy him as soon as you hit "start battle".

**KingofPoland** · August 29, 2011, 03:08 PM

If you have no movement points left, they won't kneel to ambush. Either, you wait for the next turn and they will kneel, or you need to have some left over movement points.

THe reason the ambush didn't work is that you need your character to face the spot you want to ambush an army. A good place would be to face near a road as the AI will always use roads when they can, as will you.

Example: there is a forest to the left of a road. You need your ambushing army to walk to the space to the left of the forest. Then, you click on the forest and your army should turn around and go into the forest, facing the road. noticed this as i was always stuck in a hidden french army that I was at war with but it didn't attack me as I got stuck on its side.

PS: you need to hide in those small trees. THe higher and denser trees are impassible.

**eXistenZ** · August 29, 2011, 03:31 PM

Originally Posted by KingofPoland

THe reason the ambush didn't work is that you need your character to face the spot you want to ambush an army. A good place would be to face near a road as the AI will always use roads when they can, as will you.

.

Good to know. its also the reason ambushes ar emore frequent in Napoleon and shogun. there the army just needs to walk through your zone of control (like it more that way)

**OSUbuckeye** · August 29, 2011, 04:20 PM

Originally Posted by KingofPoland

THe reason the ambush didn't work is that you need your character to face the spot you want to ambush an army. A good place would be to face near a road as the AI will always use roads when they can, as will you.

Wow, this is exactly what happened to me, I was not facing the road

**Double A** · August 29, 2011, 05:00 PM

I have done ambushes roughly three times, all in Rome. Two of them were on Sardinia as Carthage against the Jullii, and I only did it then out of desperation.

What you need to do is have them wait a turn (not move). I think. It's annoying that they're so hard to pull off, because they're so damn fun. edit: Just read the thread, army facing road seems like the way to go.

Best way to ambush is put your army off a main road you know the enemy will come down to attack you.