Dealing with flanks

[kahvin]

Every single battle I play these days gets turned into utter chaos because I cannot keep my flanks safe for a reason or another. Enemy cav just circles around and soon I'm surrounded.
If I throw my own cavalry to intercept they always lose to enemies piling up on top of them, and archers don't deal damage fast enough, before they get too close.

Any tips welcome.
Not interested in cheese such as corner camp and so on.

[Daddy's Finest Sauce]

so your first option as you mentioned, is to intercept their cav with your own, when their infantry get close, have your cav retreat and circle around to your flanks. If their cav follow, use your ranged units to tip the scales in favour of your own cav, if they don't, just watch your sides and keep your cav in reserve. Good luck!

[Jack]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIt8lrhR2OI&list=PLfHby7DEo3iHgVag8Ck9FeCqxKSLLpZcz&index=5

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ILfUMI2Vuk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KknH-1Zyug&list=PLfHby7DEo3iHgVag8Ck9FeCqxKSLLpZcz&index=6

[Ol' Knife Ears <3]

Organize your infantry line into three control groups: center, left, right. Center is your elite units and hardiest fighters. They will be meeting the brunt of the enemy force. Left and right flanks should consist of 2-3 light infantry with spears and shields or some kind of polearm. Anti-large units.

Arrange your range / skirmishers / siege behind your center. Left and right should be your reserve. Not behind the ranged units, but on the sides, in position to reinforce the center or keep the rear safe. If you don't NEED to move your left and right, don't move them.

Always have 5-6 long range units in every army. Put them on guard mode and have them focus down single units until they rout, then immediately switch to another.

Don't let enemy cavalry spook you. Cavalry in this game are pathetic in melee, and cannot sustain a prolonged fight. Your flank infantry will drive them off easily, just make sure they can't get into your backline.

I generally would not recommend using cavalry to fight cavalry unless your cav are anti-large or you have no other alternative.

EDIT: Your biggest source of damage in this game are your ranged units. Gunners, archers, crossbows, whatever. Keep them shooting constantly and efficiently. Infantry and cavalry are not there to do damage, they're just meat to protect your ranged damage dealers while they do the heavy lifting. If you can protect your range and keep the volleys going, you will pull the W.

[wrought82]

it also depends on how your army formation is. keep it fairly tight unless you know you're up against heavy aoe. if the enemy doesnt have aoe you dont even need melee interceptors, just keep a tight formation and let the arrows fly

[A.Pot]

Depends who you are playing as. If you are playing groups like Bretonnia or Dark Elves who have anti large cavalry, intercept when you can but keep an eye on them. If you are using an infantry heavy army, place spearmen or halberds to cover the flanks and rear.

[Selrach]

Yeah Cav micro-management in one of the only strong point of the AI

Sneaky unit like Eshin triad ( for the skaven) work wonderfully for counter flanking because the AI (and also ennemy player) can't see them, so the cav can't anticipate them .

You should also try to make use of the forest as much as you can. Because forest restrain Cav, and can also hide the unit that you keep for defending your flanks.

[Major. Ray Cist]

Skaven want to know your Location

[GamerHubert]

I think you should do some turtleling. 3 halbard anti calv units in your army saving your back left and right side. dont bother do run to the calv. just staying in front of ranges who fire on calv. Artillery firing the enemie frontline. normally i play maximum 2 maybe 3 calv to intercept with enemie ranges (normally hiding them).u should always activate the guard thing on the anti calv (u dont wanna follow them) BE A DWARF, BE A MOUNTAIN, NEVER GIVE IN

[zefyris]

being flanked is mostly a problem for players that stick to defense. if you attack and you're the one envelopping their armies, you avoid the enemy having control over 80% of the map because you're not just waiting them to take position wherever they want.
try going on the offensive, and you'll be surprised by how much space your backline suddenly has.
Creating space is a thing in this game.