Why, you stupid horses!? WHY!?

**ishootfriendlies** · April 09, 2013, 02:34 PM

I am playing a campaign with Russia, and using a lot of the Boyar Sons. Their AP javelins make them a good unit for murdering Generals.

HRE has one of my wooden walled cities besieged with a dozen or so armored sergeants, a couple scorpions, a couple mailed knights, and two generals. One of the generals is something crazy, like 8 command stars. He is a heavy weight.

The command general is all the way on their left flank, so I am sending 2 Boyar sons and one of my generals out of a side gate. They are going to rush the command general and wipe him out right at the outset. The plan is to kill off the bodyguards with the javelins, and when he pursues, use my general's unit to pin their general against the side wall. Between the crossbowmen on the walls, the Boyar sons, and the general's unit, I should be able to kill off that 8 star beast, and run back inside before the mailed knights and silver general can respond effectively.

At least that was the plan. Instead of hitting the general from a distance and running when he charged, the Boyar just rushed out and ran right into the general head on, without even throwing one javelin. Of course, he butchered them, and tied them up. I tried to get them to run away, and they would disengage and run a very short distance, then just stop. I could not get them to run away.

The whole plan was a bust. The other general and the mailed knights caught them, and the whole thing went to pieces. I made sure skirmish mode was activated, and I made sure they were clear of the walls and formed up before they charged, but they ran right into him anyway

This is not an isolated incident. Am I using them wrong, or is this just bad AI? Some help would be appreciated, and it would save wear and tear on my monitor, what with me punching it and all.

**Highlander of Scotland** · April 09, 2013, 02:44 PM

it happens all the time. Also boyars are not that quick and might have been tired. Personally I use more than 2 units. They can kill a general in one volley if you use enough units. I love to surround and isolate individual units with this trick.

**Caledonian Rhyfelwyr** · April 09, 2013, 02:56 PM

Your Boyars Sons may not have withdrawn properly if they still had skirmish mode on. I tend to just leave skirmish mode off an micromanage as needed, it's a lot more effective. The AI certainly has no trouble using units like Boyar Sons and Polish Nobles, they are some of the most annoying units to fight against.

**TheBlackTower** · April 09, 2013, 03:32 PM

I do not know why Cavalry do not respond quickly ?, I used to play in Egypt, Commander and his one unit of desert cavalry, I want to make them shock unit to fight the starboard of enemies, AI Made a mistake and make the army walks slowly but archers rushed to attack my infantry, I managed to eliminate archers, but the Cavalry remained standing without moving, although defensive mode Enabled, but did not move and lost the leader for a silly battle with rebels, Is there a solution for that ? ............................................

**Vissewalde rex de Gerzika** · April 09, 2013, 04:30 PM

Why did you have guard mode enabled for cav? It makes them less flexible, also just spam the command for them to move, it should work

**Aeratus** · April 09, 2013, 04:42 PM

Sometimes your troops act a bit retarded when fighting outside near your gates. When the enemy units are already crowded near your gates, your troops do not engage the enemy properly.

Also, skirmish mode can make your troops act strangely. Especially when fighting around buildings, I would definitely turn off skirmish mode and move them manually.

**totalwar_legend** · April 09, 2013, 08:57 PM

Turn off skirmish mode. That is my advice. Skirmish mode is not very effective for elaborate strategies. It's only good if you aren't keeping an eye on your troops.

**ishootfriendlies** · April 10, 2013, 08:33 PM

Originally Posted by totalwar_legend

Turn off skirmish mode. That is my advice. Skirmish mode is not very effective for elaborate strategies. It's only good if you aren't keeping an eye on your troops.

This seems to be the general consensus. I hate those horses so much it gives me strength. I will try them with skirmish off and see what happens.

Originally Posted by TheBlackTower

I do not know why Cavalry do not respond quickly ?

But this is another thing, sort of on the same level. They are standing still tossing javelins, and here comes a general on full charge. So (with skirmish mode off) I double click away from the general, and then wait. They just sit. No movement at all. So I start to click like a madman while yelling, "MOVEHORSESIDIOTSTUPIDGOFASTWHATAREYOUDOINGMORON!", or something like that. Even with the mad clicks, they just kinda stand their until half of them are impaled on lances. Archers love to do this as well. What is going on with this?

**Kataphractos** · April 09, 2013, 10:50 PM

I tend to just leave skirmish mode off an micromanage as needed, it's a lot more effective.

This. Once I found that 'Disable Skirmish Mode' button for the first time, I made sure to turn it off before the start of every battle. Even with foot archers I hardly ever use it.

... Boyar Sons and Polish Nobles, they are some of the most annoying units to fight against.

Anti-cavalry cavalry that also double as rather decent medium cavalry? Yes plz; pretty much the reason most of my games are as Poland.

**TheBlackTower** · April 11, 2013, 04:33 AM

To tell the truth, all games from Total War has this error, I do not know why ?

**Fluffy_Bunny** · April 11, 2013, 10:36 AM

One thing I have noticed with my Pavis Crossbows is that they like to finish their current action before doing something else. I have seen them finish reloading and firing before running away. I'll have to look into it more to see the exact circumstances where this is true but it could explain why ranged units can be so slow to react.

**Kaiser Nonsense** · April 11, 2013, 03:39 PM

Originally Posted by Fluffy_Bunny

One thing I have noticed with my Pavis Crossbows is that they like to finish their current action before doing something else. I have seen them finish reloading and firing before running away. I'll have to look into it more to see the exact circumstances where this is true but it could explain why ranged units can be so slow to react.

It's true, all units do that, and the worse is the crossbow, because it takes so long to reload, archers usually fire and reload and then run away before the cavalry reaches them whilst crossbows take too long, so when they finish the cavalry already reached 'em.