Fighting with the General

[MosMus]

Every battle I come upon the decision of using my general in battle. Here are my rules:

-If the army levels are even then I will make my General ready to fight in case my army is losing
-If I am bigger than the other army I do not fight with my general
-If it is my faction leader I almost never fight
-If I am smaller, I use my General but carefully (they advance on the backside of my army)

I take all these precautions because once my general is dead, the army starts panicking and becomes more vunerable to retreat

Comments?

[Duke Lysander]

fighting with General..

1.) use him to massacre routed troops... good dread
2.) don't like my faction leader but his son would be a good King. take King charge head on with his 65 cav into a massive 2000 man enemy instant death...
3.)in a city send him out the side gate attack enemy from behind or seige engines..

4.) never not attack with him i like the dauntless and brave attributes and fearless....

if i am using someone i like lot and want to keep for sure.. use him to rout archers/crosswbowman then pull back to safety....

but number 2 is they best way to get rid of a faction leader...
sometimes i wish we could ask other factions to assassinate our leader like the prince of their kingdoms sometimes ask you...

[Zhou]

You have to take some risk with your generals or you won't gain some of the better traits (like brave/dauntless). You might even get some negative traits. I take all of my "field generals" and use them in combat extensively. They often perform the role of Heavy Cavalry and initiate the first charge into the incoming enemy ranks. You will lose a few of your generals, but they actually survive most of the time. In my most recent Turkish campaign, I've only lost 3-4 generals that I really wanted to keep by going through this method, and this is after almost 300 turns. Plus, your General units are sometimes crucial to determining the outcome of a battle. So don't be afraid to use them...just roll the dice and take some risk sometimes

[NobleNick]

You have to take some risk with your generals or you won't gain some of the better traits (like brave/dauntless). You might even get some negative traits. I take all of my "field generals" and use them in combat extensively. ... your General units are sometimes crucial to determining the outcome of a battle. So don't be afraid to use them...just roll the dice and take some risk sometimes...

Well put, Zhou. I try to nurture my generals; but, like you, am not afraid to put them in harm's way.

I like to increase their bodyguards' chevrons by ensuring they get in some low-risk action every battle. (for example, flank attacks into engaged infantry, taking out siege engine crews, mowing down peasant archers, charging headlong into light cav, and mopping up routers.

One of my favorite tricks is to load up a marauding force with 4 (or even more) general's units, backed by scads of knights. On the battle map, I'll group each general with 2 or 3 Knights, thus forming 4 or more formidible killing groups. Then I will move these groups independently about the battlefield. The AI has a hard time dealing with this (especially if the AI is the aggressor) and it is a simple thing make small sections of the enemy the subject of simultaneous charging attacks from front and rear by 2 or 3 of these killer groups.

The superior stamina of the general can be used to exellent advantage: Hide all troops except the general; make AI aggressor chase the general about the map for a while; then lead the chase right past your fresh troops, and ambush the exhausted enemy. Heh, heh; this works so well, it should be outlawed.

[Trajan]

It really depends on the situation at the time. I won't risk my general's life unless it's needed and absolutely worth it. If the battle is going in my favor, I'll keep my general back but if my main infantry lines are loosing morale, I'll have my general lead the reserves and make a strategic blow.

[avesta]

It really depends on the situation at the time. I won't risk my general's life unless it's needed and absolutely worth it. If the battle is going in my favor, I'll keep my general back but if my main infantry lines are loosing morale, I'll have my general lead the reserves and make a strategic blow.

How do you set up your reserves and what kind/how many units do you put in the reserves?

[ReichMaster420]

i started a new campaign on TLR mod as the romans on h/h

on my third turn i had maximilian and leopolds armys join up to take prague, the battle was a massacre on my behalf.

all my units had fled after both generals were slaughtered earlier on in the battle as the enemy was better armed and outnumbered me, all i had left was 9 units of mandorfs bodygaurd, and 11 for leopold

there was lots of the enemy left, patrolling the city as my bodyguards were on the run, but we were out for blood, we wanted revenge for the noble deaths of our leaders

i went for a good hour with these men, charging and jousting the enemy seargent spearmen and mailed cav as they had quite a few men trying to cut me off from either side

at the end i had lost 3 of my men from my remaining units

im still kinda noob to the game, and first time playing hard - i had lost my 2 favorite generals it a horrible blood bath, but the tenacity in which these remaining units fought makes that the best battle ive played so far

now ill use my generals to do the same thing, but in their full numbers with great success

[Violent Dave]

Normally my general is accompanied by other cavalry units, his "entourage". Cavalry units what win battles and I always try to make sure my general is part of that. I don't have them leading the charge like a crazy person but I'll use him and his entourage to break the backs of the enemy lines or deal that crushing blow that will most certainly cause a rout.

We're all familer with how cavalry should be used and I would hope most of you understand the risks behind certain charges (hitting the rear, flank, up a hill, against certain charges). Just make sure your general is conducting a charge in the safest and most deadly context.

All of my combat generals (not ones I stuck in settlements to govern) possess some sort of positive combat traits and every single one of them is brutally scarred. I hardly ever lose them too.

[Serious Spamurai]

Generals cavalry own, in the early game you can completly ruin the AI by destroying it's armies with charges that do this:


About 300 kills, done by 33 men, in one charge, with one loss.

I used a diagonal charge, once it bites into the enemy line it plows along it killing all in it's path.

[Prince Constantius]

Using not necessarily a risky business.
Firstly,you cannot overuse your general, as he is prone to affect the morale and coherency of your armies.
As a King,I prefer them to be "management" men with acumen and traits for boosting the economy.
However,your field Generals(particuarly Princes) must fight.
Good methods to expose your Generals to combat without risking their lives include
1.Engine assault
Take out the crews of siege enignes and such
2.'Thorn-cutting'
Eliminating troops who cannot mount defense or counter-attack such as crossbowmen and arquebusiers.
3.Specilisation
Concentrate your Generals skills so he can gain traits to exemplify his command style,don't turtle with him,as he can sometimes easily turn the tide of a battle when among his men. NOTE:Soldiers in the immediate vicinity will be "inspired by the general's presence"
4.Pivoter
Where the line falters,the perimeter is breached or your troops are floundering,use your general to rally and assist them.
Don't get bogged down

[parvus]

never ever get ur general surrounded. i ALWAYS use my general. i gained 2 gold chevrons from 3 silver in like a massive charge: several enemy squads bunched up together

[AdmiringtheEnemyeh?]

I think theres like 3 games where my general didnt help me win. Like samuria, i kill hundreds easily I NEVER stop engaging with him until theres like 5 knights left. I engage even pikemen and spearmen efficently, because they dont move when I charge them from behind! Just pull em back, theres no point in letting them stay for a few seconds. Watch out for 4 things tho;
1. missile cavalry
2. other heavy cavalry
3. a large amount of light cavalry
4. running through enemy flanks

[thomonkey]

i use them like normal heavyu cavalry.
charge the flanks and messed up formations.
your general has extra hit points so its pretty easy to keep him alive.

[Elric von Rabenfels]

I let my general´s and my king fight alongside the army, I don´t like the Idea of Ruler sitting lazy on their throne while their soldiers fight to death for them. But I watch his health by checking how bloody his armor is, if he is wounded too hard I get him out of combat.

[Jackster]

I had a faction leader who was a ten star general and had about 8 or so hit point from his trait, three gold chevron on his unit.
Nigh unkillable bastard, too bad he died of old age.

[Ippius]

Whatever u do dont get the general surrounded. Much pain ensues...I suppose if he survives it, he becomes scarred. I stress IF he survives.

[Jackster]

yea, thats normally what happens to him... but miraculously he always lives, despite he was fighting French Gendarmes, knights or being bombard by basilisk and crossbows.
Guess that explains his "prophetic vision" trait or something... (God is looking after him)
well he also has 8 dread, so people he fights break easier.
and his name is "Kind Anthony the Scarred"

[Violent Dave]

You talk about the scarred trait like its a bad one. More hitpoints make him more useful in later battles.

[Irishmafia2020]

I'm about fifteen years into a "Long Road" mod game and I have yet to be able to recruit any cavalry. Consequently my generals must fight... They are the cream of the nobility (warrior caste) anyway, and during this period of history Kings and generals had to earn their keep (no pun intended). I have lost a few though, but I treat them like an elite cavalry unit and throw them into the fight where needed.

[parvus]

the general is basically a unit of heavy cavalry. the scarred trait is bad... for the enemy