Is it better to move into an enemy unit, or to click attack on it? Some weird things I've noticed and the different results I get.
When using the attack.
- No contact. Your pike just do the odd poke, poke and barely engage. Takes forever for the battle (slow kill rate) and this doesn't just happen with enemy spear/phalanx units which I maybe could understand. It even happens when you're attacking from behind an enemy unit.
Very fustrating when you've already locked the enemy from the front and now trying to hit him from the back. It should be a slaughter but it's just a slow, occasional poke. But if you use a 'move' command, then you push with all your pikes (they even do the stabbing pike animation) and the enemy gets slaughtered. Even front VS front, a quick move command (to get them closer) and a stop/attack seem to give better results. So 'move' still triggers the pike attack if enemy are there... and more so than attack?!
- Putting away pikes. Seems to happen in city combat. You give an attack command and all pikes disappear (not just the front row) and it's only sword combat (not good). Pikes reappear on the stop command.
When using move.
- Works great from the rear as stated before, can be effective from the front also. BUT, sometimes it seems the enemy slips past the pikes get's in close and your unit doesn't fight back and keeps trying to move. They get slaughtered which is why I micromanage and toggle between move and attack (or just stop)and don't leave them on 'move'.
So what works? I've found myself micromanaging my phalanxes and that's difficult in large battles. It's safest just to leave them on attack, although that can be really ineffective, and managing one or two specific phalanxes switching them between move and attack to get them working. And if I have the chance to swing around to the rear, that's always personally managed as otherwise it's totally ineffective compaired to what it should be.
Thoughs, help?
Thanks
T.