spearmen on the attack

[Saint Marcus]

In my last game, an AI spearmen attacked my archer stack. I did not encounter this before (since the spearmen doesn't have the offense flag checked). Is this common?

[Nym]

Re: spearmen on the attack

Originally posted by Saint Marcus
In my last game, an AI spearmen attacked my archer stack. I did not encounter this before (since the spearmen doesn't have the offense flag checked). Is this common?

AFAIR I only noticed AI spearmen attacking terrain improvements.

[fittstim]

Well it's not common but it's not uncommon either. It just depends on being in the right situation at the right time.

A spearman attacks with a 1 and an archer defends with a 1. All things being equal it's a 50-50 situation.

[cracker]

fittstim,

It's almost never a 50/50 situation when units are equal in the compared combat strengths.

Archer's defend at 1.10 or above. If they are fortified in any position they defend at 1.35 or above.

Against an attacking spearman and archer faces 52/48 odds and if he is fortified the odds increase to 58/42.

If there is a river between the two units the odds would be the same as if the archer were fortified unless the archer is bot fortified and behind a river, when number jumps to 62/38.

and if the archers are fortified on any hill the number would be at least 64/36.

[alexman]

That's very interesting - I've never seen it happen, but I've heard rumors that the AI defensive units may attack if the odds are heavily in their favor.

Was your archer stack badly damaged? Are you using a mod?

[Galvatron]

Re: Re: spearmen on the attack

Originally posted by Nym


AFAIR I only noticed AI spearmen attacking terrain improvements.

Ah yes the terrain improvements are very sneaky and dangerous I suggest we should attack them immediately before they can do something:
imagine all the horses on the board began to rampage across the map uahh !!help!!

[Solver]

It might do the thing. If the AI feels the situation is right, it might, though it won't happen often.

[WarpStorm]

An archer stack won't be fortified, what's the point? Either you are moving them to an attack position or attacking. Anything else is a waste. If I had a spare spearman or two in the city (I assume that the archer stack was planing on attacking the city) it might be worth it to use them to kill the archers as archers are weaker on defense than attack (although fortified spearmen waiting in the city have better odds - if you are willing to let them tear up your infrastructure)

[Solver]

Or if you are waiting for some more to arrive, it's a good thing to fortify.

[alexman]

There are many situations where it's worth it to attack when odds are not in our favor. But the question is not whether you or I would attack with spearmen.

The point is that the AI attacked with a unit flagged for defense. I have never seen that before. I thought such units are used exclusively for:
- Settler and offensive unit escort
- City and fortress defense
- Pillaging

A related question: has anyone ever seen the AI attack with musketmen (not musketeers). This is a defense-flagged unit, so even though it has an attack factor greater than 1, the AI should be using them in the same ways it uses spearmen.

[Solver]

Nah Musketmen... I only saw them a few times altogether .

[narmox]

I've seen it a few times. In my latest game even... The germans attacked my ARMIES and my infantry and cavalry with wave after wave of Infantry! hehe.

[alexman]

Infantry is different. Infantry has both the offense and defense flags for the AI. The only units with the defense flag without the offense flag (IIRC) are:
- Spearman
- Impi
- Hoplite
- Pikeman
- Musketman

[Saint Marcus]

a lone spearmen, against a stack of 3 (unfortified) archers. Neither were in a city or fortress.

The spearmen died, the archer defending suffered a loss of 1 hp (out of 3).

[narmox]

Originally posted by alexman
Infantry is different. Infantry has both the offense and defense flags for the AI. The only units with the defense flag without the offense flag (IIRC) are:
- Spearman
- Impi
- Hoplite
- Pikeman
- Musketman

ahh, I wasn't aware Infatry had both flags.

Although I have seen spearmen attacking, but rarely