How is the "Powerful Charge" tactic possible?

[vefme]

I was looking at the wiki[ck2.paradoxwikis.com] and it says the modifiers for Powerful Charge are:

1.5 – Martial 9, Heavy Cavalry 70%, Pikemen 30% of all melee units
1.5 – Martial 13, Heavy Cavalry 60%, Pikemen 30% of all melee units
1.5 – Martial 17, Heavy Cavalry 50%, Pikemen 30% of all melee units


and this is from the text file:

modifier = {
			factor = 1.5
			flank_has_leader = yes
			leader = {
				martial = 9
			}
			heavy_troops = { 
				who = knights
				value = 0.7
			}
			heavy_troops = {
				who = pikemen
				value = 0.3
			}
		}
		modifier = {
			factor = 1.5
			flank_has_leader = yes
			leader = {
				martial = 13
			}
			heavy_troops = { 
				who = knights
				value = 0.6
			}
			heavy_troops = {
				who = pikemen
				value = 0.3
			}
		}
		modifier = {
			factor = 1.5
			flank_has_leader = yes
			leader = {
				martial = 17
			}
			heavy_troops = { 
				who = knights
				value = 0.5
			}
			heavy_troops = {
				who = pikemen
				value = 0.3
			}
		}

How is getting the first modifier possible? And is it possible to get all three?

.3 (30%) and .7 (70%) add up to 1. Ignoring how hard it is to completely influence the composition of your army, let's say you got it to 71% Knights and 29% Pike--Does that mean that it wont modify because you don't satisfy the 30%? I mean since it adds to 100% you would literally have to get 70-30 on the dot. Effectively meaning that is a totally meaningless and impossible modifier.

What am I missing here?

[Evilgenius]

In levies it is almost impossible to get this, but it is easly done with retinue as italian for instance.

[Peda]

Originally posted by evilgenius:

In levies it is almost impossible to get this, but it is easly done with retinue as italian for instance.

In time, what are good retinues composition? That is one of the things that elude me when playing the game, I mostly win due to sheer army size but I'd like to understand these kind of things.

[vefme]

@evilgenius. Are you saying that it has to be exactly 70/30?

[tavald.musashi]

The powerfull charge can only happen on the meele fase of combat, it starts mostly after 18 days of combat.
It is possible to start earlier, if the enemy is stupid to put over 60% of units as archers, or if you put a lot of heavy cav + heavy inf on your side.
It will only happen if you have more than 1% of living units as heavy cavalry.
It has a weight of 3, so not common.
If the general have martial 9 and the army is minimum 70% heavy cavalry and minimum 30% pikes, the weight of 3 is multiplied by 1.5, going to 4.5
If you fulfill all the 3 criteria (almost impossible) the tactic have a weight of 7.5
If you fulfill 2 of the criteria you have a weight of 6.

Yes, the first modifier is almost impossible, it is worse because it considers living units, not possible ones, on the moment it changes to the meele phase.

[tavald.musashi]

Originally posted by Poseiδon:

Originally posted by evilgenius:

In levies it is almost impossible to get this, but it is easly done with retinue as italian for instance.

In time, what are good retinues composition? That is one of the things that elude me when playing the game, I mostly win due to sheer army size but I'd like to understand these kind of things.

Good retinue composition is the one that benefits from your cultural building.
The best one is one that is tailored to crush the enemy one.