Allocating Generals

[SimonLancaster]

It drives me nuts sometimes.. I have asked a few experienced players but I still don't get a clear answer.

Is there some random rule for allocating generals? I am playing as the Saxons v dkalenda in two games. In one game I am allowed three infantry generals and one cav general. In the other game with the same army I am only allowed two infantry generals and the other two must be cavalry generals because 'under different command'.

Is it because of chivalry or some random element that I don't know about?

[rbodleyscott]

I assume you are talking about Custom Battles. In Epic Battles the generals are assigned by the scenario designer.

In Custom Battles: It isn't random at all, unless you are playing Auto force selection. If you have any cavalry on each wing at the end of Force Selection, a general will be automatically assigned to each wing. If you only have them on one wing, then only one cavalry general will be assigned.

But you can change a cavalry general into an infantry general by moving some infantry units into his command at deployment time, then moving the general into one of the infantry units.

[ShahMat]

But you can change a cavalry general into an infantry general by moving some infantry units into his command at deployment time, then moving the general into one of the infantry units.

I just noticed that in my current games, all players (but me in the first game, after I have adapted my strategy) move all generals in the infantry units except the C-in-C.

I am wondering if it was the intended way to use the generals or is a players trick.

[Jagger2002]

I have been playing this game for a long time and first time I heard of an infantry general and a cavalry general. What is the difference?

[ShahMat]

I think their +50 POA bonus is better allocated on an infantry unit than in cavarly one.

[SimonLancaster]

I assume you are talking about Custom Battles. In Epic Battles the generals are assigned by the scenario designer.

In Custom Battles: It isn't random at all, unless you are playing Auto force selection. If you have any cavalry on each wing at the end of Force Selection, a general will be automatically assigned to each wing. If you only have them on one wing, then only one cavalry general will be assigned.

But you can change a cavalry general into an infantry general by moving some infantry units into his command at deployment time, then moving the general into one of the infantry units.

I am talking about custom battles. What confuses me is that during force selection I sometimes can only assign two infantry generals and at other times three infantry generals. This is before I have any wings to my army.

I am playing with exactly the same Saxon army and in one battle I have two infantry generals and in another three infantry generals.

When I try to create another infantry general in the game it says ‘under different command’.

[Karvon]

While the AI assigns generals and create commands initially, you can freely swap both units and generals around to create more optimum groupings. Units without an attached general are easily swapped simply by targeting another unit of the new desired command. To swap a general to a new kind of unit or command, first just select the desired new unit and add that to the existing command of the general. Then you can transfer the general to that new unit.

To get a better initial AI distribution of generals, I usually deploy my army in the purchase phase, as the AI organizes default commands and general assignments at the beginning of deployment when you exit the purchase phase. As Richard mentioned earlier, the AI likes to assign generals to mounted troops, so expect 2-3 to start as such if you have them. You can swap them as you like after that though.

One of my pet peeves though, is the lack of standard number of commands assigned to each army. You get one command per general of course, and then another 1-3 for lights. The AI command organization for lights seems quite random to me in all the games I've played. Often I've had a whole line of lights covering my front all lumped into a single command. Other times, my smaller numbers of lights have been divided up into as many as 3, perhaps even 4, commands. Extra commands gives one a playing time advantage in organizing and moving your army, particularly in the early stages, or in controlling reserves. Sometimes, I've attached lights to wings being screened to free up those commands for reserve groups instead.

Ideally, I'd like to see a command control screen in the purchase/deployment phase where one could easily select units and assign them and generals to a command group. I'd like to see the number of allowed command groups standardized so players are on an equal footing.

I would also like to see a color code option for commands; units in each command would have a different color bar/base. This would greatly ease sorting units and avoid that occasional orphan. Optimally, this would be another tool option players could choose to turn on/off like LOS or shooting arc tools.

I would also like to see generals as a purchase option, so players could opt to increase or decrease if so desired. This would entail some extra work though as different lists probably would have different min-max for generals.

[Athos1660]

I assume you are talking about Custom Battles. In Epic Battles the generals are assigned by the scenario designer.

In Custom Battles: It isn't random at all, unless you are playing Auto force selection. If you have any cavalry on each wing at the end of Force Selection, a general will be automatically assigned to each wing. If you only have them on one wing, then only one cavalry general will be assigned.

But you can change a cavalry general into an infantry general by moving some infantry units into his command at deployment time, then moving the general into one of the infantry units.

I am talking about custom battles. What confuses me is that during force selection I sometimes can only assign two infantry generals and at other times three infantry generals. This is before I have any wings to my army.

I am playing with exactly the same Saxon army and in one battle I have two infantry generals and in another three infantry generals.

When I try to create another infantry general in the game it says ‘under different command’.

The idea is that you can transfer a General within his command. So you need to have the unit you want to assign the general to in this very command.

Let's imagine you have 2 infantry generals and two cavalry generals at the start of the deployment mode and you want 3 infantry generals and 1 cavalry general.

Detailing what Richard wrote above :

1) You click on any infantry unit without general, right-click on any cavalry unit and choose "Switch selected unit to this unit's command".
2) Then, you transfer the cavalry General to this infantry unit. And you have your new infantry General.
3) Then you can remove any cavalry unit from this command (to make it 100% infantry if you wish) by assigning them to the other cavalry command : you left-click on each of these cavalry units and right-click on any Cavalry unit of the other Command and press "Switch selected unit to this unit's command".
4) And you can add any infantry unit of another command to this new infantry command.

[rbodleyscott]

I assume you are talking about Custom Battles. In Epic Battles the generals are assigned by the scenario designer.

In Custom Battles: It isn't random at all, unless you are playing Auto force selection. If you have any cavalry on each wing at the end of Force Selection, a general will be automatically assigned to each wing. If you only have them on one wing, then only one cavalry general will be assigned.

But you can change a cavalry general into an infantry general by moving some infantry units into his command at deployment time, then moving the general into one of the infantry units.

I am talking about custom battles. What confuses me is that during force selection I sometimes can only assign two infantry generals and at other times three infantry generals. This is before I have any wings to my army.

I am playing with exactly the same Saxon army and in one battle I have two infantry generals and in another three infantry generals.

When I try to create another infantry general in the game it says ‘under different command’.

You have to move an infantry unit to his command first, so that it is in the same command, before you move the general.

[Mairtin]

For the light 'command' groups, I've found it does left, centre, right - so during the purchase phase I make sure to move troops to each sector so I have 3 groups, I've never seen more than 3

What I've found though is that sometimes the AI will assign the sub-generals to cavalry and the C-in-C to the infantry, even if I only have 2 cavalry in the army. That means I miss out on the larger command radius of an infantry sub, because the cavalry subs and the 3rd sub you normally assign yourself all have the smaller command radius. Is there a way to force the assignment to infantry?

Also, is the C-in-C's command radius used if the units are out of their own sub-generals command radius?

[rbodleyscott]

What I've found though is that sometimes the AI will assign the sub-generals to cavalry and the C-in-C to the infantry, even if I only have 2 cavalry in the army. That means I miss out on the larger command radius of an infantry sub, because the cavalry subs and the 3rd sub you normally assign yourself all have the smaller command radius. Is there a way to force the assignment to infantry?

No

Also, is the C-in-C's command radius used if the units are out of their own sub-generals command radius?

Yes, unless they are part of an ally general's command. (The computer generated battles do not use ally generals)

[Athos1660]

Couldn't a General in a Bowmen unit (Massed Archers, Crossbowmen...) add a shooting bonus to his unit, instead of the current +50 PoAS ? Couldn't this shooting bonus also apply to Light foot too ? Shooting being their main 'skill'.

[rbodleyscott]

Couldn't a General in a Bowmen unit (Massed Archers, Crossbowmen...) add a shooting bonus to his unit, instead of the current +50 PoAS ? Couldn't this shooting bonus also apply to Light foot too ? Shooting being their main 'skill'.

We believe that a general can inspire a unit to fight more fiercely/resolutely in close combat, but not to shoot more accurately.

[Athos1660]

Can't an officer make shooters calmer, more concentrating, also giving them orders to better coordinate their actions ; choosing their targets, from where shooting best, when to retreat, when to shoot... and thus have an effect on their efficiency and also encourage Skirmishers ?

However I appreciate your point of view.

Thx for the answer

[Paul59]

Can't an officer make shooters calmer, more concentrating, also giving them orders to better coordinate their actions ; choosing their targets, from where shooting best, when to retreat, when to shoot... and thus have an effect on their efficiency and also encourage Skirmishers ?

However I appreciate your point of view.

Thx for the answer

Those things are the job of the junior officers that all units would have. It would normally be below the dignity of a General to get involved with such duties.

Also bear in mind that not all of the generals in an army are actually depicted in the game. When designing an Epic scenario I normally aim to give each side 4 generals to keep things balanced, and I often have to leave out many named generals that are mentioned in the sources.

[Athos1660]

Also bear in mind that not all of the generals in an army are actually depicted in the game. When designing an Epic scenario I normally aim to give each side 4 generals to keep things balanced, and I often have to leave out many named generals that are mentioned in the sources.

Interesting

Those things are the job of the junior officers that all units would have. It would normally be below the dignity of a General to get involved with such duties.

If it were only a matter of designation (which is certainly not the case), we could imagine having the choice between assigning say 4 Generals to infantry/cavalry units or 3 Generals to infantry/cavalry units and 1 "talented junior officer" to Skirmishers/Bowmen.

[rbodleyscott]

If it were only a matter of designation (which is certainly not the case), we could imagine having the choice between assigning say 4 Generals to infantry/cavalry units or 3 Generals to infantry/cavalry units and 1 "talented junior officer" to Skirmishers/Bowmen.

Which would almost never be a wise investment.

[Athos1660]

If it were only a matter of designation (which is certainly not the case), we could imagine having the choice between assigning say 4 Generals to infantry/cavalry units or 3 Generals to infantry/cavalry units and 1 "talented junior officer" to Skirmishers/Bowmen.

Which would almost never be a wise investment.

So let's say as an example 4 Generals + 1 "talented junior officer" you can buy for about half the cost of a unit of Bowmen/light Foot, instead of the current 4 Generals.

[Athos1660]

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[rbodleyscott]

If it were only a matter of designation (which is certainly not the case), we could imagine having the choice between assigning say 4 Generals to infantry/cavalry units or 3 Generals to infantry/cavalry units and 1 "talented junior officer" to Skirmishers/Bowmen.

Which would almost never be a wise investment.

So let's say as an example 4 Generals + 1 "talented junior officer" you can buy for about half the cost of a unit of Bowmen/light Foot, instead of the current 4 Generals.

Junior officers don't move from unit to unit. The game already has Superior missile units where we think it is justified.