Flying and Seiges
 

So, in two games now, I've encountered problems with my flyers during a seige. What will happen is that the flyers, instead of flying over the wall and attacking accessible troops, will instead just fly to the back of any units clogged up at the gate and then just mill around like idiots.

I thought originally that this might be due to the morale/flanking interaction. But in a turn I just played, I had sacred, blessed demons who failed to fly over the wall (I think thier morale was like 15!). So I dont think its morale and there were no spells in play to prevent flight.

Has anyone else seen strange behavior like this?

Re: Flying and Seiges
 

IH,
I know the battle you speak of http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif and wondered the same. That would have saved about 1000 of your bone fiends from wither bones. Though of course your Jags carried the day eventually.

Made me wonder if the ultimate choke point tactic for a castle being stormed would be to just stack center placed formations one after another (front to back) with the front guys on guard commander and the rear on attack closest for gate swarm. My flank units were worthless as is and should have been on holdx4 attack closest I think.

-SSJ

Re: Flying and Seiges
 

I thought a Storm was cast in that battle?

Re: Flying and Seiges
 

I have used flyers to successfully attack rear during storming castle battles, (as Caelum), I have always had overwhealming force however when doing so. They have always cleared the walls, usually place top right/bottom right pretty much up against the walls. Few, however made it to the rear, usually got tangled up with opposing flanking enemy forces.

Re: Flying and Seiges
 

DC: No storm was not cast - you can see the flyers fly up to the clogged gate, but not past it.

Meglobob: So you put your flyers farthest forward and used Attack Rear?

Re: Flying and Seiges
 

What kind of castle was it?

Re: Flying and Seiges
 

It sounds like they decided to attack a target who was involved in the gate melee and couldn't get to it/them.

Re: Flying and Seiges
 

Each squad picks its target indepently. You have a better chance of some of them making it into the castle if you have many squards all set to "Attack Rear" than if there's just one big one. Like Sombre said, if they pick a target squad that's in melee they'll just line up at the gate with everyone else.

(Actually, "Attack Archers" may be a better bet than "Attack Rear".)

-Max

Re: Flying and Seiges
 

Yes.

Re: Flying and Seiges
 

Max: Attack Archers was actually the order used in this case. Well, Hold and Attack Archers. But, while there were archers still alive on the field, they were not attacked.

K: Not sure what kind of castle. Whatever (LA) Utgard's capital is.

Re: Flying and Seiges
 

Fortified City if memory serves...
-SSJ

Re: Flying and Seiges
 

All the details aside, the feeling I'm getting is that no one else is having trouble using flyers in sieges, is that correct?

If so, can you tell me generally the size of your force compared to the defenders? How many flying squads do you use? How many units in each squad? Where do you place your flying squads? What orders do you use?

Re: Flying and Seiges
 

Groups target groups. So if you have a huge group of fliers, they may all go after the same enemy group. If you have many groups of fliers, I expect they will probably go after a variety of different enemy groups...

Re: Flying and Seiges
 

I watched it again - there was a Storm. You can see the enchantment symbol in the top right corner.

Re: Flying and Seiges
 

DC are you 100% sure? There were a lot of enchantments thrown around in that battle - Doom, Fog Warriors, etc. I dont recall anyone in the battle other than Pazzuzu having strong air magic. And I definitely didnt cast it http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: Flying and Seiges
 

Ehhh, Fog Warriors is A5, and Storm is only A4.....

Re: Flying and Seiges
 

100% Positive. I re-watched the battle and the Storm enchantment symbol is on.

Does Pazzuzu automatically cast it - his description says something about being the bringer of storms...

Re: Flying and Seiges
 

Pazzuzu was mine Jim. I would not cast Storm as it would be shooting myself in the foot.

Re: Flying and Seiges
 

DC: Ok, I'll rewatch the battle. That would certainly answer a lot of questions but for the life of me I dont recall anyone casting it. Perhaps it really is automatic from Pazzuzu? He definitely wont be joining any more seige battles if thats the case!