How do you deal with Benny Hill AI armies retreating from every battle?

[BastardSword]

Usually it's not an issue in the early game but eventually it seems like the AI will just not fight a battle unless they have the same or more troops than you do. I've tried several things and none work.

- tried pressing backspace, I haven't gotten this to work at all. I think it doesn't work if you have fast movement on for campaign map armies, but I hate normal movement because it makes AI turns take forever as you sit there watching AI armies move around like they're underwater. Also let's be honest this is a glitch/exploit and may be patched out of the game.

- can spies stop AI armies? In any case spies take so long to do anything and it's unpredictable which armies and towns they can affect, so I really only use them to make other faction's lands on the map, or to empower trade which may not be useful in the first place.

- tried ambushing, it doesn't work 99% of the time. The AI either goes around you or disappears into a forest. You have to waste a turn to set up an ambush and by that time the Benny Hill army is long gone.

- tried all kinds of things with using 2 or even 3 armies to block off a Benny Hill army's route...they just run past my armies or go another route. If I try to set up an ambush they just rush past me before I can set it up.

I really really really wish this was not in the game. I hated the way the AI would abuse forced march in Warhammer, and now it's back. The only saving grace is that small armies can't go around sacking towns and sabotaging buildings like they could in Warhammer or Shogun 2.

[Devolth]

I either. Ignore them. Or figure out where that army is going and set up an ambush. But I never chase an army anymore pointless and they will out range you.

Ambush makes the ai not know where your army is so you can get them much closer to you breaking that chase habit.

[Nero]

I haven't had this issue within 200 hours of playing... its hard to point out what you're doing wrong without you telling us anything usable.

Ambushing doesn't work for you 99% of the time? Look it depends on where your army is standing. When its near some trees then the chance is higher. Select your army and then move the mouse to where you want it to go. Before you click to send it, a tooltip appears telling you about the success chance of an Ambush. When its at 40% or lower thats bad.

The AI is smart. When you have 2 armies then the AI knows that and will try to avoid them unless the AI predicts a victory. The AI will also feel threatened when you move armies to its borders.


There's a skill for heroes called Reach. it gives you 25% more movement when the hero is leading the army. There's also some reforms and items. That helps a great deal. There's also a bonus to being in friendly territory thou I am not convinced of it.


Also it can be advisable to let the enemy army into your territory and then beat it with a weak army + garrision.


I didn't have that problem in Shogun 2 either. Apparently your doing something very wrong with how you place armies and where you send them.


Instead of chasing them, try not to let them in. Or send armies to their places to threaten them.

Also the AI isn't abusing it since you can do it too. Oh and spies can stop armies and they can tell you where they are. I never made use of it thou.

[Nero]

Mabye you expanded into unreasonable territory? The map is full of gaps and rivers and other natural defenses. Just block them off. You can also starve enemy armies with some buildings.

Would be cool if cavalry armies were faster than mixed ones. Some old TW had that.

[provokastoras]

Why you are hunting them? If they retreat get their capital then. See if they still retreat after that.

[BastardSword]

Again ambushes just don't work because you never know where the AI will go. They are fine if an AI army is just wandering around aimlessly, or if they are chasing me.

But if I'm chasing an army, I have to predict where they will go and put an army in front of them. If I'm chasing them, that means using forced march to get around them. Then I have no more AP. The next turn the AI moves around me and keeps rushing forward. Now I can't set up an ambush.

So it seems like I just need two armies, right? I can put one army in the way of where they are running, while still chasing them with the other army. Well I have tried that and it doesn't work, in an open area the AI will just waltz around the ambush army and keep Benny Hillifying along. I've even tried this in narrow valleys, putting an ambush on either end. The AI army literally disappeared. I then moved my armies over where they were and no ambush came up. It was extremely weird.

Bring back ninjas, I say.

[BastardSword]

So no ideas other than "just ignore them?" I've tried ambushes a few more times tonight and they just don't work for me. If the AI knows you're in an area they'll just avoid it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMCLrbSSi7k

[Nero]

A screenshot or two could help since really, I am serious when I say that I can deal with it just fine and that goes for the 200 or so hours that I spent playing so far.

[R4MPZY]

Most of my generals have the increase campaign movement ability + the reform to increase campaign movement so i can catch up to them in normal stance

[BastardSword]

Originally posted by R4MPZY:

Most of my generals have the increase campaign movement ability + the reform to increase campaign movement so i can catch up to them in normal stance

Thanks, I will go for this.

Any idea how the general's Reach ability works if you have 3 generals? Do all 3 generals need it to work, or only the commanding general?

[BastardSword]

Also wtf is the Green Dragon Supply Ships...it says "25% campaign movement range (starting in friendly sea regions)".......does it only work when you go onto water from one of your regions or an ally's region? Does it count for rivers too?

[Trolleur_Durden]

Regarding "Reach", you need this skill only once, because it doesn't stack : it applies only for the commanding general of the army. You can appoint any of your 3 generals as the commanding general, there is an option for that in the army menu (where you swap retinues and troops and such). In case there's a doubt, the commanding general is always displayed first, on the left of your line of 3 generals.

[BastardSword]

Cool thanks! Good to know because I realized that the yellow generals don't have Reach.

[Btad]

i have been having this issue as well, ill have their armies walk around my land and im unable to catch them.

[Potion Seller]

Step 1. Click to attack enemy army on campaign map.

Step 2. watch general gleefully march to destroy his enemies.

Step 3. Just before your general engages enemy army, and is within their area of control, press backspace. This will prevent the enemy from going anywhere next turn and therefore will either have to stay where they are or attack you. Either way is good for you because if they don't attack, they wont be able to retreat far enough to get away from you.

[Nero]

Originally posted by Dog:

Step 1. Click to attack enemy army on campaign map.

Step 2. watch general gleefully march to destroy his enemies.

Step 3. Just before your general engages enemy army, and is within their area of control, press backspace. This will prevent the enemy from going anywhere next turn and therefore will either have to stay where they are or attack you. Either way is good for you because if they don't attack, they wont be able to retreat far enough to get away from you.

cheater, exploiter, loser, thats the kind of words that come up in my mind for people that do that.