Unit ambushes

[The Kybrothilian]

I've always wondered, how do you correctly initiate a tactical ambush (meaning, you have an unit hiding)? Do I have to wait, until the enemy unit is inside assault range and then launch a charge, or do I need to have the enemy unit walk into the unit in hiding? Does it cause a blow in morale to an enemy unit, if they spot an ambush unit up close?

Thanks in advance.

[Vindictus]

It creates a blow of morale to the unit approaching it. You can charge even before being discovered. Either way, walking close to an ambush demoralizes troops.

[Equilibrius]

Cavalry is by my experience the best ambush unit, much faster, can take advantage of the morale hit in time, and with their charge demoralisation, they can rout weaker units easily, sometimes instantly.

[SavageFeat]

Do you mean on the campaign map????

[Bringer Of Storms]

No he's talking about an actual battle.

I love Night Raiders and Berzerkers for ambushes (When playing Germania). Reason being is because their appearance alone causes a morale drop, (I think other units do too). So on top of the morale drop from the appearance, the fact that the unit gets surprised is a huge morale blow.

As long as the unit is relatively close, kind of a judgement call, and you jump out and charge them, it will hurt their morale. So essentially a less superior unit could beat a Urban Cohort in a one on one fight due to the morale bonus they get from hiding and the fact that the Cohorts are demoralized.

[Vindictus]

No he's talking about an actual battle.

I love Night Raiders and Berzerkers for ambushes (When playing Germania). Reason being is because their appearance alone causes a morale drop, (I think other units do too). So on top of the morale drop from the appearance, the fact that the unit gets surprised is a huge morale blow.

As long as the unit is relatively close, kind of a judgement call, and you jump out and charge them, it will hurt their morale. So essentially a less superior unit could beat a Urban Cohort in a one on one fight due to the morale bonus they get from hiding and the fact that the Cohorts are demoralized.

Ambushes are meant to shaken the units so much that they don't fight long before running. I believe Urban Cohort's will get the "steady" or "shaken" morale, but after awhile, it will go back to "Eager". This is because whenever I ambush other armies and charge, they break just as we start fighting. I do not think that is the case with Urbans, since their morale is the same as Spartans.

[loseless]

Sometimes, you get a battlemap with lot's of vegetation, and an opening between trees. Put most of the infantry in that place, and use the cavalry, archers and the remaining infantry to appear from both sides. Put the archers with flaming arrows and watch the enemy panic and the cavalry charges to cut their retreat.

Of course this needs to be done with a lot of planning, because your main line must be close enough to give support. So, it's a matter of timing, really. The archers need some time to fire, and that must be before the enemy reaches the main line. So, practice, practice, practice...


Oh, just a warning: don't do this against enemies with many cavalry units (unless they're weak). Doing this against cataphracts or companions tends to be a bad move...

[Punic Hoplite]

I normally have my cavalry charge their general at the front, two cavalry (on either side) at the rear, and then infantry charge the center of the column. This way they lose their general, another morale hit, and have their rear taken out or impaired, and their center is pinned together. Then, with their center pinned, and the ends of the column usually routed, my cavalry forces can simply charge the units that are next to them en mass until they hit the center. The center is generally those troops who are fighting to the end, because they are surrounded and can't flee. This is generally when I order my infantry to withdraw from the battle, and I let the cavalry chase any routers that are still standing


I did something very similar to this when playing as Carthage, and I ambushed the Senate army. Although because it is the Senate army, I did lose quite a lot of people as their general had 3 other FM's nearby which didn't run like most units (duh). And I had armoured elephants. Having elephants in an ambusher role is simply overkill :p

[Vindictus]

I normally have my cavalry charge their general at the front, two cavalry (on either side) at the rear, and then infantry charge the center of the column. This way they lose their general, another morale hit, and have their rear taken out or impaired, and their center is pinned together. Then, with their center pinned, and the ends of the column usually routed, my cavalry forces can simply charge the units that are next to them en mass until they hit the center. The center is generally those troops who are fighting to the end, because they are surrounded and can't flee. This is generally when I order my infantry to withdraw from the battle, and I let the cavalry chase any routers that are still standing


I did something very similar to this when playing as Carthage, and I ambushed the Senate army. Although because it is the Senate army, I did lose quite a lot of people as their general had 3 other FM's nearby which didn't run like most units (duh). And I had armoured elephants. Having elephants in an ambusher role is simply overkill :p

I wonder how RTW planned on hiding elephants during ambushes o.O

[Adamat]

Y‘know, branches, paint. Make them look like a huge boulder or something

[Bonez]

Put brown paint on them and call them really, really large hills or trees.

[Vindictus]

Put brown paint on them and call them really, really large hills or trees.

Then there's the matter of four really large stumps underneath the hills.

[Bonez]

Well duh,you get just enough dirt to hide that.

[emptw1]

Just send a message to the enemy and say they're not war elephants, they carry our luggage.

[Bonez]

Just send a message to the enemy and say they're not war elephants, they carry our luggage.

Wow had to laugh at that one.

[Vindictus]

Just send a message to the enemy and say they're not war elephants, they carry our luggage.

Deadly luggage that happens to be several archers mounted on the huge saddle xP

[TheFoolOnTheHill]

they are there for security

[Vindictus]

they are there for security

Ancient day security transport vehicles.

[Bonez]

"Please no liquids through the gates"

[emptw1]

are you carrying bombs? liquid? let me look, ok, i see archers, you're free to go, the town square is that way.