Cavalry won't retreat?

[stealthlover]

Just started playing civ3 vanilla (1.29) after years of trying to master civ2. Cavalry is my best attack unit and I first decided to make peace with my enemies when they got Riflemen. Then I reconsidered after reading somewhere here about the power of retreating. I figured I could attack a city (size 12) with numerous calvary after intense bombardment and even if I didn't take it the first time my units would retreat and not be lost. The city seemed to have a rifleman, a musketman and a pikeman; the first two were damaged a bit in the bombardment. I sent 6 cavalry and only two retreated, the other 4 were lost. Come to think of it those two didn't really retreat they won with extreme damage. So does retreating not work attacking a city? fs

[vmxa1]

Yes, but it is not a guarantee. It is a percentage chance to retreat. The chances are improved for elites.

Of course you cannot retreat if you fight another 2 move unit. You cannot retreat if the unit is wounded to 1 HP.

So if you knock it down to 1HP, you will never retreat.

[realpolitic]

vmxa means if it has 1 hp before you attack, it won't retreat

Here are the odds
regular = 50% chance of retreat
vet =66%
elite=83%

[vmxa1]

It won't retreat even if you attack and it has it's full HP, once it drops to 1HP and the calv still has more than 1HP. It will now fight to one dies.

IOW it will never reteat from a 1hp unit. It only retreat when the calv or horse or whatever has retreat is at 1hp itself and the other guy is more than 1HP.

[stealthlover]

Thanks vmxa1 and realpolitic. There may have been a cavalry in the city, but it never appeared as the unit defending the attack. My cavalry were all vet so it seems like some of the 4 that lost would have retreated if the odds were 66%. Do you recall where you got those figures. The manual implies they will retreat unless fighting another fast unit. I know the manual has errors. fs

[vmxa1]

That is because when the game came out they would retreat. It was patched to stop them and to require a percentage of a chance.

It was too strong for them to always be able to retreat.

Remember att 6 Vs def 5 or 6 for rifles and they are forted in a city. It is 175% def without any terrain bonus. If attack across a river you take another hit.

In a short calvs are not going to fare real well attacking cities or metros, unless it is pikes or less and even pikes at full health could be rough.

I would not attack rifles in a city unless I was willing to lose a bunch.