Stupid horsemen!

[Roland]

I've been practicing land battle tactics while gathering data on land units. Last night I drew a very strange set-up.

When I toggled between the three starting positions, not only did my position change, but the composition of my forces also changed. In the strongest of the three positions, I only had two Buccaneer units and four Pirate units. In the two weaker positions I had three of each. Since it was just for practice, I decided to try defending the stronger position with the weaker combination of forces.

After a couple of moves, the hidden Spanish forces finally came out where I could see them, and they included two Cavalry units, which were sneaking around the far eastern side of the battlefield, away from everyone else. Everyone, that is, except the one Pirate unit I was trying to sneak towards the gate. As soon as I saw the horses I headed my Pirates towards the trees. But both Cavalry units actually beat me into the trees on the far side of the woods! My Pirates maneuvered through the woods, stepped into a clearing, and then boldly hit one of the Cavalry units from the flank, routing it. Unfortunately, this set up the other Cavalry unit for a charge against my Pirates' left flank.

So what did the horsemen do? Did they charge? No, they turned tail and ran away. Did they step out of the woods and use their superior speed to get far away? No, they just stepped into an adjacent woods square. My Pirates stepped out of the woods diagonally and then right back into the woods, hitting the Cavalry unit from the rear and routing it. One Pirate unit single-handedly defeated two Cavalry units because of the cavaliers' stupid tactics!

However, the rest of the battle did not go well. I won, but I lost half my men. In the future, I think I'll take the extra Buccaneer unit, even if I have to defend a weaker position. I have proved to my own satisfaction that Buccaneers are the key to winning land battles.

[Cussler]

From the title, I thought this was going to be a rant against Horsemen who had routed you.

An extra ration of rum for those pirates.

[CGM3]

[Roland]

I guess my narrative was not clear enough. Both Cavalry units were in the woods when I attacked them. I just used the clearing space so that I could make two moves, rather than one, in order to close the distance. Before both attacks, I stepped out of the woods and then right back into the woods to attack. Too bad the cavaliers did not think of that, or they might have escaped!

OTOH, in other battles I have sometimes stepped out the woods to attack Cavalry when I could get an advantage from height or flanking. Better to make the Cavalry defend at 4 than let them attack at 8!

I've played several more land battles over the past two evenings. In general, I think the AI's infantry tactics are sound, if predicatable. But it doesn't seem to have a clue how to use Cavalry units effectively.

[Looger]

I haven't had stupid horsemen like you have
Half my crew got owned by one unit of cavalry...
After I attacked them with three bucaneers and two flank attacks, they were still alive!!!
They were just barely alive, so the next turn my bucaneers were able to pick them off.

[Lumina]

Forget woods. Find a narrow path in the open force their cavalry to charge head on.. Use your Musket men to beat them the pieces as they and their allies get bogged down in such a small space. Definity if their musket troops get ahead of the cavalry they get stuck behind them all and useless.

Then beat up their musket men to the point of useless ness then shoot up the cavalry give one charge with the normal pirates and make them scater with almost no pirates lost. Alteast thats what I do. If I find a perfect defensive spot. lol

[rdm]

Always try make sure there are 4 spaces between you and any horsemen and they generally avoid you.

Of course - a sacrificial unit is always fun (I use the small left over group of pirates).

I didn't say I was an honorable pirate
_________________
So I did the only honourable thing a pirate could do ... I stole his gold and ship to pay for me rum and sent him down to Davey Jones, ARG!