Generals Die First, Enemy Generals Die Last

**Fallen Phalangite** · November 05, 2013, 06:21 AM

I made this post about this a few weeks ago regarding the fragility of of your generals when engaged in combat or taking fire from enemy skirmishers.

While the problem still persists, there is something else I've noticed: enemy generals are always amongst the last to die.

i've only ever seen enemy generals fall when taking a direct hit from artillery, never when kept under fire from my skirmishers, and only after a prolonged melee exchange with my own troops.

If you're still experiencing the same problem, please make note of it here. Maybe (fingers loosely crossed) the issue will be addressed in Patch 7.

**Consulo** · November 05, 2013, 07:22 AM

I've not had this problem. Are you sending in your general against all manner of enemies or something? Mine are fine in prolonged battles, that said I don't mess about using him on a horse if I'm sending him into battle a lot. There's some fragility there if he's the first one in the fray. That said, if you use the unit right I don't see why it would ever be and issue.

**Fallen Phalangite** · November 05, 2013, 07:56 AM

No, I usually keep my general in the back unless he's a high combat-oriented general or if I need to commit him to the fight. Thing is, he's usually one of the first to fall in the general's unit, regardless of how hard the fighting is. The unit will take a few casualties then I'll hear "Our general has fallen!" ring out.

**Karnil Vark Khaitan** · November 05, 2013, 08:42 AM

what unit are you using, last time I played (patch 3) I just used the pike unit as macedon. WHY? becouse the general moves back in the unit and not in front and it is one of the best unit ingame.

**Jihada** · November 05, 2013, 08:54 AM

I wish there was a mod to fix this. On normal mode I didn't get many generals dying in battle but when I started on vh mode they drop like flies. The enemy targets the centre of a unit which is where the general stands. I just make cavalry generals now which is a shame as I miss out on using some great modded units.

**SoHungover** · November 05, 2013, 09:07 AM

Try dismounting your general if you want to send him in the middle of a fight.

If he's still on horse his charge may put him in the middle of enemies force and it's normal he will get killed...

If you want to keep him on horse, use him only to charge missiles troops, skirmishers or infantry from the back. But as soon as you charge them, disengage and repeat.

**Fallen Phalangite** · November 05, 2013, 01:09 PM

@Varr, Usually cavalry, unless my general is intended to be head of a defensive army

@Hungover, I know how to use cavalry; most of the time I avoid putting my general anywhere near the front for fear of having him get sniped by a slinger.

**SoHungover** · November 05, 2013, 02:30 PM

Originally Posted by Fallen Phalangite

@Hungover, I know how to use cavalry; most of the time I avoid putting my general anywhere near the front for fear of having him get sniped by a slinger.

Didn't meant to insult you or anything. Was just giving tips as I found it strange that your generals seems to get sniped out by missiles troops... I have other problems with RTW2 but my generals dying at the first sign of arrows/rocks is not one of them... Maybe you guys are just really unlucky

**Slaists** · November 05, 2013, 01:33 PM

In cavalry units, the general sits right in the front row: so frequently gets hit by a stray missile, etc.

**big_feef** · November 05, 2013, 01:53 PM

Cavalry, infantry, elephant, doesn't matter; mine dies right off the bat from the first volley from missile units (slingers, javs, archers) or as soon as I attack another unit even if it's from the rear. It' so bad I don't even put generals I want to keep anywhere near a fight. On the flip side, I haven't noticed enemy generals taking forever to die; they seem to be the same as they were before patch 5... or I should say; the way it's supposed to be for all generals.

**the lightning legion** · November 05, 2013, 06:42 PM

I know what unlucky is when I tried teutoburg it took like fifty trys to clear the first stage because varus kept getting killed by stray missles

**Anonymous_Jones** · November 05, 2013, 06:44 PM

Maybe your general's have low zeal? The higher the zeal the better the warrior/hit points right?

**DimeBagHo** · November 05, 2013, 11:17 PM

This hasn't been an issue in most of my campaigns, but I played a Sparta campaign on VH where it really became a joke. Generals would die after a couple of volleys from anything, or die on contact with the enemy in melee, and if they managed to avoid battle then an assassin would get them. Average life expectancy after taking command was about 3 years.